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.
Sometimes you may find that there's a light leak or another source of light that you didn't realize was there. That little bit of light can prevent buds from maturing properly. It doesn't take much light to interrupt your plant's night period, make sure it's completely dark in the grow room when lights are off!
General Hydroponic KoolBloom
Available as Liquid KoolBloom or Dry KoolBloom, this additive is widely regarded as the best bud hardener out there.
Expose all buds to both high levels of light and a gentle breeze – each cola needs space to increase density to maximum levels! The most dense and weighty buds on the plant have a few inches of space to themselves and are exposed to both bright light and airflow.
What Are the Most Common Synthetic Hormones to Create PGR Weed? The three most common synthetic PGRs used in cannabis growing are chlormequat chloride, daminozide (a.k.a. Alar), and Paclobutrazol. All three inhibit growth, ensuring the flower becomes the largest and densest part of the plant.
Magnesium is important for healthy cannabis plants because it helps with light absorption to produce more flowers or buds. Iron and manganese are also useful in helping cannabis plants produce chlorophyll so they'll have more energy to grow bigger buds.
Any kind of stress, be it from poor watering, a lack or excess of nutrients, the environment, pests, plagues, or improper care, can affect a plant's ability to grow big, dense flowers.
Because bud formation starts after 7 hours of dark period, it is also wise to always maintain a minimum day length of 17 to 18 hours during the vegetative period. A dark period of 12 hours is used as a standard in cannabis to ensure a smooth flowering process.
Molasses adds sugars to the plant and will help it to bud. Like us, plants need salts, nutrients, and sugars daily. Feeding your plants molasses, what could be considered the equivalent to our eating junk food sugars, will pack on the weight to your marijuana buds.
The flowering period for Indica strains is typically around 8 weeks, but it may take up to 10 weeks. Sativa strains may take up to 10-12 weeks. Typically, hybrid strains will take up to 6-10 weeks to fully develop.
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.
Weeks 4-6 – Buds swell
Next, in the cannabis flowering stages, you can expect the swelling of the budlets. They will fatten with each passing day. The buds will still have a bunch of white pistils shooting out in all directions. Now that your plant is focusing more on fattening the buds, you can stop training.
Often the layer of sugar-like substance is so thick, that the flower looks as if it has a layer of frosting. After a sugar application, the resulting sugar-like crystals are the flower's trichomes, which are believed to double in production after the plant is treated with sugar.
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.
You'll want to lollipop your plants just before they begin flowering. We also recommend pruning—removing unnecessary branches—as well, although you should proceed slowly, and with a plan.
During week 2, the first white pistils will grow on the female cannabis plants. These fine, wispy white hairs develop at the locations where the big fan leaves meet the main stem. These white hairs are what later become the buds of the plant, called colas.
Well that concludes are look at Week 5. The plants have gotten deeper into flower, the buds are getting bigger, and the vegetative growth has slowed.
Weeks 4-6: Buds Fatten Up
They'll still have all the white pistils sticking out, but you'll be able to see the buds getting bigger every day. At this point the “stretch” is about over and you can reduce the amount of training you're doing with your plants.
Timing the harvest is Paramount to the final quality. Harvest your precious buds in the dark, just before the lights normally come on. If possible, do not allow the plants to see direct light as long as their roots are attached. Direct light on a plant will draw up stored starches and sugars from the root system.
If most of the pistils are still visibly white, then it's too early to harvest and your plants should be left to mature for a little longer. Growers should wait until at least 50% of pistils have turned darker to ensure near maximal THC levels.
Flowering stage: In the flowering stage, cannabis requires more Phosphorus and Potassium to develop buds, while the Nitrogen requirement decreases. An ideal NPK ratio for the flowering stage is 1-3-2, meaning 1 part Nitrogen, 3 parts Phosphorus, and 2 parts Potassium.
As previously stated, moderate levels of nitrogen and phosphorus work best to sustain trichome growth to the maximum level.
When the plant approaches maturity, the pistils change color and take on a brown or orange hue. This is a sign that the biological functions of the plant have slowed and it is no longer seeking pollen for seed production. Guideline #2: Harvest marijuana when 70% of the pistils have turned brown or orange.
The telltale sign of harvest-ready weed is when the hairs of the plant, or pistils, have fully darkened and curled in. If your buds are looking thick and dense, but there are still some straight white pistils, it's not time yet. However, opinions on harvest time vary.