When the flushing process has reached the fan leaves, they will begin to yellow and turn lighter as they send the stored nutrients to the flowers. The flowers will fatten up during these last few weeks while flushing; this can be up to 25 percent of the final weight.
Light intensity
To some degree, more light translates to fatter buds and higher yields (you'll need to pay attention to the distance between your grow light and plants or your plant may suffer from light burn). Increasing light intensity is the most effective way to fatten up buds.
Your plants should be almost ready to harvest but can still stay on the plant for a bit longer. This will result in the highest quality bud. Your plant should have clear trichomes with a few that have turned milky. This signals it is ready to be flushed.
The last three weeks is when your buds can actually gain the most weight – that is if you feed them Overdrive®. After your peak bloom phase, your plants enter their late bloom phase (the precise timing and length of which depends on the strain of cannabis you're growing).
Week 7: The calyxes in the seven-week varieties swell to near bursting as THC is produced in the glands. At the end of the week they will be ready. The trichomes stand more erect and the caps swell with newly produced resin. At the end of the week the flowers reach the peak zone.
In the last two weeks, the buds will mostly be ripening and not really growing much more in size. At this point, the previously white pistils on the buds will now slowly turn amber-brown.
Here are some quick guidelines: Soil growers should flush the longest, at 1–2 weeks. Coco coir growers should flush for a shorter time, around one week or less (watch to make sure your plant doesn't turn too yellow too fast, because coco does not hold on to as much extra nutrients).
Flushing cannabis too early and too often will restrict nutrients and restrain the plants from growing and flowering. Flushing too early can also result in yellowing or discolored leaves.
A three-week flushing will completely remove excess mineral buildup from your plants, ensuring the final product is entirely free from impurities. If you opt for a flushing of just two weeks, instead, your weed will be sufficiently clean but will probably contain a small amount of salts.
Topping to increase the number of colas
Prune to clear off dead leaves to help your plants focus their energy on the live parts of the plant. Prune large leaves which get in the way of light reaching the colas. Topping is a form of pruning and involves pruning off the branch tip of the main cola.
When plants are so leafy that air and light can't get through the plant, the buds don't get as dense as they could. These plants are too leafy for the flowering stage. Buds won't fatten far into the plant, and won't be as dense as they could be.
General Hydroponic KoolBloom
Available as Liquid KoolBloom or Dry KoolBloom, this additive is widely regarded as the best bud hardener out there.
In contrast, fluffy buds yield disappointment and less plant matter. These airy flowers are often the result of suboptimal growing conditions, a lack of light, or nutrient deficiency. Fluffy buds don't only look less appetising, but you'll need to use more of your harvest every time you roll a blunt or hit a bowl.
Facial flushing: Your skin may feel hot and change color when experiencing facial flushing, which can be triggered by stress, exercise, or alcohol, or have no obvious reason at all. Your neck and upper chest may also be involved and this symptom can last from a few minutes to a few hours or longer.
Extreme emotions. Hot or spicy foods. Rapid changes in temperature or heat exposure.
Use the following as guidelines for flushing prior to harvest: If you're growing in soil, begin flushing between one and two weeks before harvest. If you're growing in coco, flush your plants for up to one week prior to harvest. If you're growing in hydro, your plants only need to be flushed for one to two days.
Flush Facts
Recent advancements have allowed toilets to use 1.28 gallons per flush or less while still providing equal or superior performance. This is 20 percent less water than the current federal standard of 1.6 gallons per flush.
It's also important that you pH your water when flushing your plants. Otherwise you'll develop weird irregularities such as yellowing from nutrient deficiencies.
Late-Stage Flowering: 1100 to 1150 PPM — This is when your plants are eating the most, especially if you provide additives. End of Flowering/Flushing: 0 to 400 PPM — At this stage, you'll be flushing your plants. Ideally, you don't want too many leftover particles at the end of flowering.
In week 5 of flowering, you can observe the buds all over your plant becoming thicker. You may also spot new buds growing in new places such as along the main cola. With buds abounding, your cannabis plants will get fatter every day. This is a surefire sign you are in full flowering mode.
In the last two weeks, the buds will mostly be ripening and not really growing much more in size. At this point, the previously white pistils on the buds will now slowly turn amber-brown.
Lack of light is perhaps the most common reason that cannabis produces fluffy, light buds. You may have noticed the lower, puny 'popcorn' bud sites that form below the main canopy. Often these buds are discarded by growers allowing the plant to focus biochemical energy on the main blooms.
In weeks 6-8, the buds of your plants will begin to harden; the delicate trichome heads of your flowers will cloud and turn amber, and the once milky pistils of your buds will shrink, turn brown and become fragile. Also, as your plants continue to ripen, new aromas, flavors, and pigmentation will develop.
In most circumstances, overripe buds are still usable. But less potency and poor smoke quality, but they'll still get you high. The only way to tell if your bud is ready to smoke is by looking at the color of the leaves: if they're brownish, your bud is overripe.