The reason why weed is sticky is the overabundance of trichomes, which also makes the product more potent. Trichomes are tiny hair-like appendages that collect THC on their tips. Trichomes are present on all marijuana plants, but sticky plants have the most and therefore generate the most THC on their tips.
It's a common misconception that all sticky weed is good. Your bud is likely going to be sticky for one of two reasons. It's either really good flower or production was rushed. If your weed is sticky because it's lower quality, it can simply be outright unsafe to smoke.
An important component in the stickiness of cannabis comes from trichomes. Cannabis plants have three distinct trichome types, which are resinous glands on cannabis plants that make it sticky.
Late flowering / Ripening stage – week 6 to harvest
They are sticky to the touch and can be very smelly. You are very close to reaching your goal = harvesting! Most importantly, buds are now covered in trichomes, which are rich glandules for secreting THC and other cannabinoids.
There's a simple test to know if your buds are dry: Simply take a small branch and try to bend it. If it snaps, your buds are dry and you're ready to move on to the curing process. If they bend, your buds need a little longer to dry.
Properly cured cannabis will still be spongy and sticky, but not wet. Drying your flower too quickly will cause it to become too brittle and harsher to smoke. This can also cause your cannabis to lose some of its potency and aroma.
If you over-dry your cannabis, it'll be more likely to go moldy, so it's important to monitor the drying process closely. If your buds are too dry, they'll be more likely to crumble when you try to break them up for smoking, so it's important to take them out of the drying chamber before they become too dry.
Higher THC
The reason why weed is sticky is the overabundance of trichomes, which also makes the product more potent. Trichomes are tiny hair-like appendages that collect THC on their tips. Trichomes are present on all marijuana plants, but sticky plants have the most and therefore generate the most THC on their tips.
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).
The best tool for this is an iron rake. Drag it though a clump of Sticky Weed, twist the rake once to wrap it up, and pull the clump out. You will get large clumps out quickly this way and can bag them up for disposal. Don't compost this one!
Bud structure
High quality, developed flower from a healthy plant has a sturdy, fully three-dimensional structure. The buds should be solid, with no gaps that you can look through. It's properly cured: not too soft, but not so dry that it grinds down to dust. Flower with poor structure will appear flimsy and flat.
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.
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.
It's way too dry. If it stays compressed and feels like a fresh plant, it's too moist. Ideally, a well-cured bud should bounce back like memory foam.
Things like nitrogen and phosphorous can play huge roles in creating massive buds if you use the right amounts at the right time in the process. For example, nitrogen helps the plant grow strong early in the process.
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 order to get more potency in the flowering stage, you want to inspire your plant to produce more resin-producing trichomes. You do this by cranking up blue, white, and UVB lights to 100% and backing red down to around 50%.
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.
Godfather OG is quite possibly the highest THC strain. Labs put the strain's THC levels at a tremendous 30-35%. In fact, Godfather OG is touted as the world's strongest marijuana strain. This potent strain is an Indica-dominant hybrid and hits within minutes of taking the first smoke.
A drier bud could simply indicate that the plants were left hanging for too long or that there are fewer trichomes on the buds. The amount of trichomes present can vary according to strain, but it can also depend on the growing conditions and environment. When it comes to weight, drier buds have an advantage.
The most significant loss in weight occurred in 1–3 days of the drying process and weights plateaued after one week. Cannabis lost between 25 and 77% of its original weight stored at an average of 22.2 °C and 49% relative humidity.
Once you have set your plants up to dry the next step is to wait. Depending on the strain, it takes 3 to 10 days for your plants to be optimally dried. We know it is hard! You can tell they are ready when the outside of the buds feels dry to the touch.
An ideal time to dry cannabis is around 5-7 days. However, the time it takes to reach the ideal dryness (explained below) will vary depending on your climate and drying location. Also, the condition of your plant will play a role, such as how fat the buds are, how many fan leaves are still attached, and so on.
While not mandatory, it's definitely a good idea to wash cannabis flower buds that were grown outside. The process reduces outdoor air pollutants that may have accumulated on the buds such as dirt, dust, pollen, toxic wildfire ash, caterpillar poop, insects, bird debris, and other particulate matter.