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.
Thicker, more compact, and heavier buds are what we're looking for. Usually, you can see the most bud development during weeks 5-7 and it can be disappointing to see the light, airy buds; they are not what we imagine when we first start growing.
Indica strains and fast-flowering hybrids tend to fatten up their buds the most between weeks 4 and 7 of the flowering cycle, but sativas and later hybrids will not enter this phase yet.
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.
Use bloom boosters – When you give your plant a proven, cannabis-specific bloom booster, you're giving it the extra elements that help it grow bigger, denser, heavier and more potent buds. The less the plant has to make these elements itself, the more energy it can direct towards flowering.
Cannabis plants need water and nutrients to grow and develop big, healthy flowers. Drought, overwatering, and over/underfeeding can all affect your plant's ability to develop big, dense, and heavy flowers.
Phosphorus technically helps the plant move energy from one part to another, which means that it helps the plant produce bigger seeds, stronger roots, and bigger buds. Potassium makes the plant hardier and stronger, better able to withstand hardship or disease.
In fact, you'll see some of the best bud development in the flushing period, as your plant uses up the rest of the nutrients within it. It thinks it's starving, and senses the end of its life is near. The buds will fatten up the most in the final few weeks of flower, and you'll also notice more trichome production.
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.
Week 4: Growth Stops and Plants Focus on Their Buds
Even though there are still white hairs sticking out from the buds, the buds themselves become larger with each day and as the buds grow more and more, the plants will produce more trichomes. This causes the odor to become much more pungent.
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.
Loose, sponge-like flowers can be highly disappointing. Caused by a combination of poor genetics, inadequate nutrients, swings in temperature/humidity, insufficient lighting, and stress, loose buds are hardly worth harvesting. Soft, fluffy flowers can also be deceiving.
Environmental Factors are Important for the Cannabis Plant
Another reason that a cannabis plant may have small buds is due to environmental factors. If the plant is not getting enough light, it will stretch out in search of more. This can lead to a large plant, but small buds that are spread out along the stem.
Fill your reservoir with fresh water and add your base nutrient and any other additives. Add Big Bud to your nutrient solution at a rate of 2ml per litre and stir well. If you have used only Advanced Nutrients products in the 'pH Perfect' range, there will be no need for pH adjustment.
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).
Plants might drop flower buds if there is too much water in the soil and roots are suffocated, or if the soil too dry. Note: It's a good idea to know the specific moisture needs of the plant you are caring for.
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.
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.
Examine its appearance
Vibrant colors and dense buds coated with white trichomes are evidence of great care that went into cultivation and preparing your cannabis for consumption. High quality cannabis showcases bright colors, ranging from reds and oranges to purples and blues.
Some people also believe large buds are more flavorful and potent. But the reality is, you can get the same good quality flower when you buy small buds - so you'll save money just because they're less popular. And because the potency is the same, there is no reason to pay the higher price!
Instead, utilize organic fertilizers like worm castings, blood meal, fish meal, or bat guano for nitrogen; bone meal or rock dust for phosphorus; wood ash or kelp meal for potassium; and dolomite lime for calcium or magnesium.
You can remove fan leaves during flowering in much the same way you do during veg. Prune away large leaves that are overshadowing bud sites, as well as dead or dying fan leaves. One thing to keep in mind is that you should prune in intervals, giving at least a couple weeks between each session.
General Hydroponic KoolBloom
Available as Liquid KoolBloom or Dry KoolBloom, this additive is widely regarded as the best bud hardener out there.
Popcorn buds are useful, but still often unwanted by growers. That is why smaller flowers are often trimmed off the plant and sold to dispensaries at a more affordable price.
Dense/Fluffy
These flowers simply hold more mass, look much healthier, and smoke smoother. Grinding up dense cannabis flowers seems to almost double their size. Even a small chunk of a compact flower can grind down to fill a good-sized joint. In contrast, fluffy buds yield disappointment and less plant matter.