The vegetative growth period is followed by the flowering stages of cannabis, the most long-awaited stages that every grower looks forward to. Today we will tell you how to transfer cannabis to flowering and what awaits you on the way to the cherished oily, fragrant nuclear buds.
Transfer of cannabis to flowering
In order for the plants to be vigorous, healthy and generous for the harvest, it is impossible to do without creating optimal growth conditions. We highly recommend that you thoroughly familiarize yourself with the theory and, for the first experience, purchase cannabis seeds of unpretentious varieties: Auto White Widow fem, West Coast OG auto fem, etc. Note that all of them are fem, and some are even auto fem. This means that the plant will not be picky about changing the light period and will definitely be “born a girl”.
And so you bought, planted and grew a wonderful bush that promises interesting journeys into the world of relaxation and serenity. It remains to bring it to the final stage.
How to prepare for flowering
If you did everything right: observed the dosage of dressings, monitored the temperature, humidity, light intensity and did not allow the appearance of mold, fungi and insects, then your “plant” will go to the flowering stage on its own. Starting from the stage of active growth of the bush, it is better to start periodically measuring the acidity of the soil and checking that the plants are healthy and vigorous, because the most crucial stage of their life lies ahead.
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A week before transfer to flowering, you need to reduce the humidity to 45% to increase the amount of resin;
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In 2-3 days – cut off the weak lower branches so that the plant does not waste energy on supporting them.
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Adjust the grow box to 25°C during the day and 18°C at night.
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Supplement the plant with root stimulants and specialized flowering supplements. Don’t forget about calcium and magnesium – they can be added, even with perfect pH.
Cannabis flowering – stages and their description
There are four stages of cannabis flowering:
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Active growth.
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The appearance of the first cones.
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Weight set.
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Harvesting.
growth stage
The initial stage of marijuana flowering is accompanied by abundant growth of the bush and lasts 2-3 weeks. During this time, the plant increases in size up to 3 times. Take this into account when allocating space in the box.
Until this stage is completed, continue to feed with fertilizer to grow and form the root system (the stronger the roots, the meatier the buds!). Make sure that the branches do not overlap each other, otherwise not everyone will have enough light and airflow, which means that the harvest will decrease significantly.
The initial stage ends when the color of the upper stakes in the center of the leaf changes to light green and ovaries begin to form.
The second stage – the appearance of cones
The next stage of marijuana flowering is the formation of inflorescences. It lasts about 4 weeks. At this time, the bush stops growing and throws its strength into building up a mass of cones. In just a few days, there can be so many of them that the plant will begin to lean to the side. Your task is not to let the branches break under their own weight, tie them up, push them away from each other and feed them with sweets: fertilizers, sugars and boosters.
Remember that it is impossible to categorically allow an overdose on flowering. Firstly, it will be difficult to return to normal, and secondly, all this affects the weight and taste of the buds.
The third stage – the growth of cones
We move on to the next step when the buds are gaining weight and pouring fragrant resin. It’s time to tie up everything that has not yet been tied up, and cut off unnecessary leaves that have not been cut off. If this is not done, then the plant will spend energy on the formation of denser stems, and the buds will turn out not so fat.
Fourth stage – harvesting
All growers are at a low start – you need to monitor the condition of the bush every day so as not to miss overmaturity. The best option is to use a microscope with a magnification of at least 60 times. It makes it easier to control the maturation and color of the trichomes.
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If you are interested in a medical effect, you can overexpose the plant a little and collect the buds when the hairs turn honey-colored.
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If you are waiting for a powerful uplifting effect, then watch when most of the trichomes turn white, and the number of translucent hairs decreases as much as possible.
This completes the cycle. It’s time to harvest the buds, cure, dry and taste!
