What can I feed my plants to grow crystals on the budds?

[CannaDreamer]

What can I give my plants go grow budds with lots of "sugar" or crystals?

 

[PJ Diaz]

water, light, air, and nutrients

 

[mile.high]

Stress

 

[Budzbuddha]

First and foremost …. Genetics.

Second … UV

 

[PJ Diaz]

Stress

You still believe those fairy tales we were told in the 90's?

 

[mile.high]

You still believe those fairy tails we were told in the 90's?

What? Trichomes are a defense mechanism.

 

[PJ Diaz]

What? Trichomes are a defense mechanism.

I don't believe that for a second. Defense against what?

 

[mile.high]

I don't believe that for a second. Defense against what?

Bugs for one. This is a proven fact.

 

[mile.high]

I don't believe that for a second. Defense against what?

Here’s some reading material buddy.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3493419/

 

[PJ Diaz]

Here’s some reading material buddy.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3493419/

Fair enough. However that's not to say that trichomes won't be big and beautiful without stress or that stress will increase the output simply because it's a defense mechanism against bugs. I mean I get your point in principle, and it's a fair point, however it doesn't seem to equate in practice. My comment about what we were told in the 90's was a reference to an early growers bible in which a grower in the book described dropping a plant out the window into the snow to get it to become potent. It doesn;t work that way though in reality. The most potent plants are the healthiest in my experience.

 

[mile.high]

Fair enough. However that's not to say that trichomes won't be big and beautiful without stress or that stress will increase the output simply because it's a defense mechanism against bugs. I mean I get your point in principle, and it's a fair point, however it doesn't seem to equate in practice. My comment about what we were told in the 90's was a reference to an early growers bible in which a grower in the book described dropping a plant out the window into the snow to get it to become potent. It doesn;t work that way though in reality. The most potent plants are the healthiest in my experience.

There are things you can feed the plant to induce the stress response without actually putting the plant under physical stress. I was answering the question literally, feed the plant liquid stress, or top dress it, there are multiple ways to do this.

 

[PJ Diaz]

There are things you can feed the plant to induce the stress response without actually putting the plant under physical stress. I was answering the question literally, feed the plant liquid stress, or top dress it, there are multiple ways to do this.

Do you find that it works in practice though? As I said, in my experience the most potent plants with the best crystals are usually the healthiest which have not gone through stress. In my mind stress is something to avoid, not encourage.

 

[mile.high]

Do you find that it works in practice though? As I said, in my experience the most potent plants with the best crystals are usually the healthiest which have not gone through stress. In my mind stress is something to avoid, not encourage.

Yes it works.

Yes I agree genetics and a healthy plant are more important.

But like I said, we’re not actually stressing the plants. Just forcing the response.

 

[PJ Diaz]

Yes it works.

Yes I agree genetics and a healthy plant are more important.

But like I said, we’re not actually stressing the plants. Just forcing the response.

Stress without stress sounds like some sort of double-talk, but I get your gist. Cheers.

 

[mile.high]

Stress without stress sounds like some sort of double-talk, but I get your jest. Cheers.

Insect frass is the obvious example.

 

[PJ Diaz]

Insect frass is the obvious example.

Gotcha. I stand corrected.

 

[PadawanWarrior]

Nutrients, environment, genetics, and light. UV helps bring out more crystals I think. My favorite lighting setup is LED with CMH. Best of both worlds.

 

[ilovereggae]

Insect frass is the obvious example.

could u explain more? I thought insect frass was just easily broken down and used by the plants and microbes like ewc. are you saying adding it to the soil induces stress and that's what is causing more trich production? not trying to argue I'm generally interested that there's some biological action I'm not understanding.

 

[ilovereggae]

to be clear my current understanding is that feeding the plants and keeping them healthy allows them to uptake more nutrients and withstand the high ppfd we are throwing at them. in response to the extreme intensity they then produce more trichs. so I do agree it's a defense mechanism in response to higher light intensity. without feeding them or topdressing them as you suggested, they are going to be hungrier and trying to find nutrients that have been depleted from the soil otherwise, or may be there but locked out bc of imbalance. the increased microbial activity alone from ewc can help fix ph and lockout issues and allow the plant to continue to get the nutrients it needs.

 

[DCcan]

could u explain more? I thought insect frass was just easily broken down and used by the plants and microbes like ewc. are you saying adding it to the soil induces stress and that's what is causing more trich production? not trying to argue I'm generally interested that there's some biological action I'm not understanding.

I think he meant stimulating induced resistance in the plant thru elicitors, rather than actually stressing it.