bcurwi1
Well-Known Member
PRE-GROW (cannabis)
RESEARCH
To determine the appropriate lighting (and the best lamp to use), the specific needs of the plant must be considered, as well as the room size and ventilation. To arrange optimal lighting, the lighting present in the plant's natural environment must be imitated. For example vegetables grow best in full sunlight, which means that as much light as possible must be supplied to grow cannabis indoors (high intensity discharge (HID) lights such as high pressure sodium (HPS) and metal halide (MH) are preferred. Fluorescent lamps can also be used). Incandescent and mercury vapor lighting are not recommended for use in cannabis cultivation.
Cannabis plants also require both dark and light photoperiods, so the lights need a timer to switch them on and off at set intervals. The optimum photoperiod depends on each plant (some prefer long days and short nights and others preferring the opposite, or something in between).
Most plants grow under most light spectra, but always prefer a full spectrum light. A test done by Ed Rosenthal found that when a room was set up using both high-pressure sodium (HPS) and metal halide (MH) lamps the plants in between the two lights did better than those under MH alone but not as well as those under HPS. However, certain plants (as cannabis) can be grown successfully under both types of light. MH is used for vegetative phase of growth, as it encourages short inter nodes (distance between sets of leaves), and inhibits cell elongation, creating a shorter, stockier plant. Metal halide lamps produce more ultraviolet radiation than high-pressure sodium lamps, which may play a role in increasing the flowering (and for certain plants as cannabis the amount of working substances as THC) produced by the plant. High pressure sodium lamps trigger a greater flowering response in the plant and are thus used for the second (or reproductive) phase of the growth, or they are used by those people who only wish to purchase a single lamp. If high-pressure sodium lamps are used for the vegetative phase, plants usually grow slightly more quickly, but also have longer inter nodes, and may be taller.
Forget 'brightness' it's not relevant.
The suns 'real' Kelvin temperature is somewhere around 5,800 degrees Kelvin, but because the sun is not a perfect 'black body' (the standard for calculating Kelvin temperatures of light) its adjusted Kelvin temperature is somewhere around 6,400 degrees Kelvin.
6,400 degrees Kelvin is predominantly 'bluish-white' light and this is the best kind of light and Kelvin temperature for vegetative growth - primarily because in nature the time of year Cannabis is in vegetative growth is during the long hot days of summer where the suns day length is the longest and receives the most 6,400k light. The reasons it changes for flowering is again because of the predominance of the kind of light found from the sun when Cannabis enters it's floral stage - usually at the start of Autumn or Fall when the days get shorter and the nights longer thus reducing down the day length significantly. Sunrise and Sunset account for almost 50% of the suns light during the short days of Autumn/Fall and sunrise and sunset are made up of almost entirely red spectrum light due to the angle of the suns rays hitting the earths surface. Therefore as sunrise and sunset account for almost 50% of the sun total light output at that time of year it necessarily follows that 50% of that light will be entirely in the red end of the visible spectrum - hence the 2,700k color temperature being favored for flowering. In reality a mixture of red and blue light is required in flowering due to the other 50% of the spectrum being more blue in color.
Probably the most common hydroponics medium is rock wool. It works well. It is like fiber glass but its rock instead. It holds water and air very well. There are many different mediums you can use but to start out a new plant I use 1 inch rock wool cubes. The main thing you need to think about is what kind of system you are going to use and go from there. Rock wool holds lots of water and doesn't need watering as often as say volcanic rocks.
Some people swear by soil and soil less mediums. If you decide to go this route make sure you get some quality soil. I have been using miracle grow potting soil with pretty good results. Now that I got a soil ph meter I am seeing that my Miracle Grow soil was a bad idea. I got some Scotts soil (home depot) and its ph is closer to neutral. EDIT: Now I use fox farms "ocean forest". Its too strong for seedlings or clones so I start with fox farms "light warrior".
Just make sure it drains water well. you can add sand or perlite to make the soil more drain-able and aerated. Once you get past the cups you will want to transplant into bigger pots. A good rule of thumb is for every foot of growth you will want 1 gallon of pot space. 5 gallons work pretty well.
I still start out with the rock wool and transplant to dirt later on. But if you cant get rock wool then soil will be fine to start in too. Just make sure you allow your medium to dry out before watering. You want the roots to stretch and search for that water. The heart of the plant is its root system so roots are what I work on first. You can purchase a moisture meter from Wal-Mart for under $10. It really helps.
Water can be a medium also. I really like aeroponics. That is my favorite system. It always has the perfect o2/ h2o ratio. So its never starved or flooded. It always grows.
There are two main types of indoor growth methods. They include aeroponics and hydroponics; both of which have been a breakthrough in agriculture technology. Hydroponics is the way of growing a plant in a soil-less mixture mainly using Rockwool, or expanded clay. The plant is watered with a nutrient rich water solution that provides it with the essential trace elements at certain stages of growth. On the other hand, aeroponics is the growth method that involves no reservoir container. Instead, in aeroponics, the plants are planted into a net with a soilless mixture in it (Rockwool, expanded clay). The roots are sprayed with nutrient rich water thus promoting fast growth and giving the plant everything it needs during growth. Both growth methods require a PH of 5.3-6.0, a humidity of 50-60%, a temperature around 19-22 Celsius, with a water temperature of 75 degrees farenheight.
GROWTH PERIOD
(Doing illegal things )
To get the best seed germination results, we advise you to germinate the seeds according to our standard procedure, with which we obtain germination rates of ± 95 % for all varieties:
Use a grow room with a stable temperature of 20 degrees Celsius.
Use soil with a pH-value of ± 7.0.
The soil should not be too dry or too wet.
Sow the seeds in a container about 5 mm deep.
After sowing press the earth lightly, this stimulates even sprouting.
Spray the soil lightly with water.
Cover the container with thin transparent plastic foil to achieve an optimal greenhouse effect.
After 1 to 10 days the seeds will have sprouted. Now remove the plastic foil.
Sprinkle the soil regularly with water, wait till the upper layer has dried out, and sprinkle again with water.
After 1 - 2 weeks the seedlings will be strong enough to put them in a larger container.
Most varieties need to be grown for about 40 days minimum before they are mature enough produce flowers.
Plants need to feed as well as breathe. Growing plants need an adequate supply of nitrogen, phosphates and potash together with small amounts of the trace elements Mn, Fe, Mg, Cu, Zn, Mo, S and B. Nitrogen is necessary for healthy leaf growth, phosphates for healthy roots and stems and potash for producing flowers.
At the vegetative stage, a fertilizer high in nitrogen is required. When the plants start flowering, change to a formula higher in phosphate and potash. Trace elements are included in most commercial formulas or can be added separately by using a chemical mix or a seaweed extract. At the risk of boring the reader I say again, more damage is caused by overfeeding than underfeeding.
Once your new sprout starts producing leaves, you are in the vegetative growth stage of the plant. Only water when the soil is dry all the way to the bottom of the container it is growing in. You can check by sticking a finger through one of the drain holes in the bottom of the pot to feel how wet the soil is, or by using a water meter. Perhaps the best method, however, is to wait for the plant to tell you it needs water. The leaves will start wilting slightly and the plant generally looks "thirsty." The reason this method is preferable to others is twofoldone, you are assured of not overwatering, and two, allowing the soil to dry out completely stimulates the roots to grow as they search for water. More Roots = Bigger Plant = More Buds
Probably the most common error for new growers is overwatering. Over watering will cause the plant to grow poorly, and if continued will lead to root rot and eventual death. Be careful if you are starting out with a large pot. If you water a small plant too much in a large pot, the plant may not be able to soak up all that water. It may look dry on top, but you might end up having mud on the bottom of the soil. This will cause root rot on your plant and is very unhealthy. A plant that is not watered enough is much more healthy then a plant that is watered too much. It's also harder to recover from over watering then under watering.
As a rule 1/2 inch of gravel or another suitable, high draining mixture at the bottom of the pot will help to prevent this problem and will also stop the plant from drowning if its over-watered. It's a good idea to have a fan hooked up and ready to go once the plant breaks though the soil. Having a fan blowing on the stem from the start of growth will insure a good strong stem so the plant will be able to hold it self-upright during its life span. Simulating wind by providing a gentle breeze will help your stem grow strong to support the weight of the leaves and buds as the wind will cause small tears in the plants stem walls, tears that are repaired as the plant grows and provide strength to the main stem. Bigger, stronger stems = bigger, stronger plant = more & better buds. Bigger Stems = Bigger Plant = Bigger Buds
The temperature can be anywhere from the low 70s to the high 80s with no damage to the plants. For soil, the desired pH range is between 5.3 and 6.0 generally speaking. Anything in that range will be safe for your plant. The humidity should be around 60% for vegetative growth. During the vegetative cycle feed your plants a high Nitrogen (N) food. There are many kinds of products that carry high Nitrogen content. It's generally best to start the mixture out at ¼ the recommended dosage and increase the strength whilst the plant grows and develops in both foliage and root size, overdoing the nutrients at this point will not make the plant grow faster, but will most likely burn it. For vegetative growth, look for a fertilizer with a NPK ratio of roughly 2-1-1. NPK is the number found on fertilizer packages that signifies the amount and ratio of the three major nutrients needed by plants: Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K). For this stage, then, look for a fertilizer that has roughly twice as much N as it does P and K. Now that your plant is around the 12" mark or 4-6 weeks old, you might notice the leaves sets start to alternate. When the top branches start to alternate this is the sign that your plant has reached maturity and are ready to be flowered.
Topping and Fimming of your plants need not be the headache most make it out to be. Simply follow the instructions below and your well on your way to being a professional in Fimming and Topping. If you decided to grow any sativa cannabis seeds strains, be sure to perform topping as you want to limit your marijuana plants height.
2. Shows Plant Top cut off and where the 2 new Branches that will form a "Y" in the main stem will grow from.
3. Shows the newly topped plant after 2 days of growth, notice the Y in the Stem Forming.
This is how you go about doing this.
1. Locate the very top of the new growth
2. With a clean sterilized scissors, Fold the fa
n leafs over and cut approximately 80% of the new growth off the plant.
3. View from the top showing the Cut
4. View of the Cut section after 2 days growth, showing the 4 new growth shoots (branches)
Thats it! You should be well on your way to Topping and Fimming of your plants.
If you have any questions dont be afraid to ask.
Another method of topping is called Super Cropping. By taking a branch between your forefinger and thumb you can gently crush the branch, causing it to develop multiple branches above the crushed area. You must crush it on the correct side or risk breaking the branch. Just squeeze lightly until you feel the branch give, then let go. If it gives easily then you have crushed it on the correct side. If it is hard to crush and the branch splits then you have chosen the wrong side. Practice makes perfect with Super Cropping.
Super Cropping should be carried out during the second or third week of vegetative growth and does stunt the plant. You should also note that plants that are Super Cropped can remain in the vegetative growth stage for twice as long as normal but the end result is a very bushy plant with multiple node regions that should all produce bud. Many growers have thrown Super Cropped plants away because they believed that the plants were not flowering in time. If you Super Crop your plants make sure that you have the patience to wait until the process is finished which usually about four to six more weeks of vegetative growth.
Buds of the first case are called sinsemilla (it is really two words: "sin semilla," which translates to "without seeds" in Spanish, but is often misspelled as one word). The resultant cannabis contains the most Cannabinoids and THC possible.
Although the flowering hormone in most plants (including cannabis) is present during all phases of growth, it is inhibited by exposure to light. To induce flowering, the plant must be subject to at least 8 hours of darkness per day; this number is very strain-specific and most growers flower with 12 hours of darkness to be safe.
The flowering hormone is very quickly inhibited, taking less than two minutes of exposure to light. Consequently, many cultivators are vigilant that no light reaches their plants during the flowering phase. Flowering usually lasts from 45 to 90 days indoors. If growing outdoors it may take somewhat longer, depending on the natural onset of the colder seasons. The flowering length is genetically determined with some plants (as pure cannabis "indica" strains) flowering in as few as 45 days, while some plants (as cannabis "sativa") can take up to 4 months to finish and the harvest yields significantly less. This is the main reason why certain plants (as cannabis indica) are almost always grown indoors (unlike cannabis sativa, which is also grown outdoors).[citation needed]
A plant may double, triple even quadruple its' height when flowering. Sativas can stretch up to 4 times their height and Indicas generally double in height.
Some strains call for up to 8 weeks of vegetative growth. Your height, yield and potency will all depend on the strain and the way it was grown. As our aim is for bud, and lots of it, we will try and avoid massive plants unless we have the light to provide them with; otherwise we get a plant with huge stems, \and only bud at the top 9 or 10 inches.
Remember, you can only get "bud" from a female plant. So you want to focus your efforts on the female plants. In order to find the sex of the plant, get a light timer and put the lights on a cycle of 12-hours on and 12-hours off. Having a light timer is much easier then doing it manually and is much more accurate.
Make sure your plants get the complete 12hours of darkness during this stage.
Any light interruption may prolong your sexing results for days or even weeks.
Your flowering stage may take 2-3 months. You need to keep them on a constant cycle and remember to have complete darkness during the 12 hours of no light.
Any interruption may cause reduced yield, potency, or extended harvest.
During the flowering cycle feed your plants need a high Phosphorous (P) food.
There are many kinds of products that carry high amounts of Phosphorous.
Generally start out the mixture at 1/2 the recommended dosage. The humidity should ideally be around 40% to 55% for this stage.
After a few days to usually 14 days of your 12/12 cycle, look for little white hairs (indicating a female) or little balls (which will be male) starting to grow at the base of each internodes. The hairs will grow to about 1/4" long or so. They will be easily visible. Expect to see a pair of these hairs at each site. The balls may also grow at the base of each branch. They will grow in bunches and look a little like horns before forming. These balls contain pollen. As soon as you have identified what sex your plant is (male or female) then cull the males (remove them from the area) to give the females more room and more light. This is the start of the buds forming. As time goes on the buds will get bigger and bigger and they will use more and more fertilizer. It is advised that you stop using fertilizers 2 weeks before your harvest to ensure that all chemicals are out of the plant. If chemicals are in the plant when you harvest, the smoke will be very harsh. To prevent harshness, flush the plants heavily with fresh water 2 weeks prior to harvesting them. Ensure you flush at least 3 times the capacity of your pot. So a 4-gallon pot would be flushed with 16 gallons of fresh water.
Look at the trichomes with a 10× - 30× magnifier. You will first see that they are clear, then they will turn milky or cloudy, and finally the heads will start turning amber. Depending of your preference you would want to harvest between the times the trichomes turn milky to the time the trichomes have turned 25% amber. I pick when a few start turning amber. The earlier you harvest within that window the more up the high is, and the later you harvest, the more of a "couch lock" effect you'll get.
Commercial growers take the colas from the plant and manicure them before drying. They usually dry them on a line, upside-down, which is fine.
However, usually airflow is forced, and temps too high, humidity too low. As soon as the buds are considered dry (usually a few days), it is sold. The reason for this behavior is the fact they are, as I said, commercial growers and in a constant hurry to exchange their buds for cash. Every minute counts and they don't want to 'waste' the space or the time needed for drying and curing. This results in harsh, grassy tasting weed that lacks the full-bodied flavor and smooth stone of properly dried and cured bud. To do it right:
At harvest-time all you have to do is cut the plant as low as possible and hang the whole thing upside down to dry on a line. The room you use to dry should be the about the same size you grew in (if not the same room). The humidity should remain a constant 50-60%. Too high and buds will mold, too low and they dry too fast and taste bad. Temperature should be around 65-68 degrees, wherever possible. Make sure the room is dark, as light degrades THC.
All kinds of processes, like the transport of sugars inside the plant still take place, even when you cut it down. These processes will slowly come to an end while the drying progresses, but are the main factor for the end-taste of your smoke. That is the first reason why you don't want to quick-dry your weed. The second reason is the way that a plant dries. Plants are made up of cells and, as we all know, cells contain mainly water. Exposed to air, the (dying) plant's outer cells will dry out first but the above-mentioned processes will still transfer water from the inner cells to the dryer outer cells, thus causing the plant to dry equally all over. By removing the stalk and cutting off the individual colas, you prevent this natural process by taking away the extra moisture that would be drawn from the stem to the leaves and bud. Got it? Good! Moving on...
Make sure you hang the plants so that they do not touch each other (invites mold). With constant temp and humidity, the plants should be ready for manicuring in 3-4 weeks. At this time trim colas from the main stalk, and trim large and medium fan leaves (save them for making hash), leaving most of the smaller leaves sticking out of the bud in tact. Hang them up again and for a day or two, until 'popcorn' dry. The stems should snap when you bend them, and the bud should be dry, but not brittle. Now for the curing...
Trim all remaining leaf (save for hashmaking) tight to the buds, and trim smaller buds from larger stems. Store them airtight; air at this point degrades THC. Note- ziplock bags are not airtight! You could use buckets with an airtight lid like used for food and sauces and such, but the best containers are those glass jars with the rubber seal and latch. Just put as much bud in it as possible using light pressure. The point is to fill it as much as possible, so not too much air remains in the container. The less air, the better. To be safe, check them the next day to make sure it's still dry (did not 'sweat'). Any excess moisture at this point will invite mold. If it did sweat and is moist (soft) again, lay the bud out on something other than newspaper and put in a dry place to get the last water out.
Repack and place the container in a cool, dark place, like a refrigerator. Note- fridges have high humidity so they must be absolutely airtight.
The longer it sits (up to around a month, maybe longer in the fridge) the better it gets, both in taste and potency. At around the month mark, you can move it to the freezer to almost stop the aging and curing process. Once you've got some buds stored in the freezer, you have a private stash that will last a long time. If you've got the patience to wait, the smoke will be sweet and smooth. The high will be mellow, and longer lasting. If you grew enough to last you a while, then after a few harvests you will be able to have properly cured buds at your disposal, with no downtime waiting for the next batch to cure!
If you're not in a hurry to sell your crop you owe it to your head to wait the extra time and have great tasting, very potent bud! Curing is the only way to make harvested bud more potent, so try it, you won't be disappointed!
HOPE THIS HELPS
BCUR =)
RESEARCH
SUPPLY OF LIGHT
To determine the appropriate lighting (and the best lamp to use), the specific needs of the plant must be considered, as well as the room size and ventilation. To arrange optimal lighting, the lighting present in the plant's natural environment must be imitated. For example vegetables grow best in full sunlight, which means that as much light as possible must be supplied to grow cannabis indoors (high intensity discharge (HID) lights such as high pressure sodium (HPS) and metal halide (MH) are preferred. Fluorescent lamps can also be used). Incandescent and mercury vapor lighting are not recommended for use in cannabis cultivation.
Cannabis plants also require both dark and light photoperiods, so the lights need a timer to switch them on and off at set intervals. The optimum photoperiod depends on each plant (some prefer long days and short nights and others preferring the opposite, or something in between).
Most plants grow under most light spectra, but always prefer a full spectrum light. A test done by Ed Rosenthal found that when a room was set up using both high-pressure sodium (HPS) and metal halide (MH) lamps the plants in between the two lights did better than those under MH alone but not as well as those under HPS. However, certain plants (as cannabis) can be grown successfully under both types of light. MH is used for vegetative phase of growth, as it encourages short inter nodes (distance between sets of leaves), and inhibits cell elongation, creating a shorter, stockier plant. Metal halide lamps produce more ultraviolet radiation than high-pressure sodium lamps, which may play a role in increasing the flowering (and for certain plants as cannabis the amount of working substances as THC) produced by the plant. High pressure sodium lamps trigger a greater flowering response in the plant and are thus used for the second (or reproductive) phase of the growth, or they are used by those people who only wish to purchase a single lamp. If high-pressure sodium lamps are used for the vegetative phase, plants usually grow slightly more quickly, but also have longer inter nodes, and may be taller.
Forget 'brightness' it's not relevant.
The suns 'real' Kelvin temperature is somewhere around 5,800 degrees Kelvin, but because the sun is not a perfect 'black body' (the standard for calculating Kelvin temperatures of light) its adjusted Kelvin temperature is somewhere around 6,400 degrees Kelvin.
6,400 degrees Kelvin is predominantly 'bluish-white' light and this is the best kind of light and Kelvin temperature for vegetative growth - primarily because in nature the time of year Cannabis is in vegetative growth is during the long hot days of summer where the suns day length is the longest and receives the most 6,400k light. The reasons it changes for flowering is again because of the predominance of the kind of light found from the sun when Cannabis enters it's floral stage - usually at the start of Autumn or Fall when the days get shorter and the nights longer thus reducing down the day length significantly. Sunrise and Sunset account for almost 50% of the suns light during the short days of Autumn/Fall and sunrise and sunset are made up of almost entirely red spectrum light due to the angle of the suns rays hitting the earths surface. Therefore as sunrise and sunset account for almost 50% of the sun total light output at that time of year it necessarily follows that 50% of that light will be entirely in the red end of the visible spectrum - hence the 2,700k color temperature being favored for flowering. In reality a mixture of red and blue light is required in flowering due to the other 50% of the spectrum being more blue in color.
GROW MEDIUMS
Probably the most common hydroponics medium is rock wool. It works well. It is like fiber glass but its rock instead. It holds water and air very well. There are many different mediums you can use but to start out a new plant I use 1 inch rock wool cubes. The main thing you need to think about is what kind of system you are going to use and go from there. Rock wool holds lots of water and doesn't need watering as often as say volcanic rocks.
Some people swear by soil and soil less mediums. If you decide to go this route make sure you get some quality soil. I have been using miracle grow potting soil with pretty good results. Now that I got a soil ph meter I am seeing that my Miracle Grow soil was a bad idea. I got some Scotts soil (home depot) and its ph is closer to neutral. EDIT: Now I use fox farms "ocean forest". Its too strong for seedlings or clones so I start with fox farms "light warrior".
Just make sure it drains water well. you can add sand or perlite to make the soil more drain-able and aerated. Once you get past the cups you will want to transplant into bigger pots. A good rule of thumb is for every foot of growth you will want 1 gallon of pot space. 5 gallons work pretty well.
I still start out with the rock wool and transplant to dirt later on. But if you cant get rock wool then soil will be fine to start in too. Just make sure you allow your medium to dry out before watering. You want the roots to stretch and search for that water. The heart of the plant is its root system so roots are what I work on first. You can purchase a moisture meter from Wal-Mart for under $10. It really helps.
Water can be a medium also. I really like aeroponics. That is my favorite system. It always has the perfect o2/ h2o ratio. So its never starved or flooded. It always grows.
HYDROPONICS VS.AEROPONICS
There are two main types of indoor growth methods. They include aeroponics and hydroponics; both of which have been a breakthrough in agriculture technology. Hydroponics is the way of growing a plant in a soil-less mixture mainly using Rockwool, or expanded clay. The plant is watered with a nutrient rich water solution that provides it with the essential trace elements at certain stages of growth. On the other hand, aeroponics is the growth method that involves no reservoir container. Instead, in aeroponics, the plants are planted into a net with a soilless mixture in it (Rockwool, expanded clay). The roots are sprayed with nutrient rich water thus promoting fast growth and giving the plant everything it needs during growth. Both growth methods require a PH of 5.3-6.0, a humidity of 50-60%, a temperature around 19-22 Celsius, with a water temperature of 75 degrees farenheight.
GROWTH PERIOD
(Doing illegal things )
SEED GERMINATION
To get the best seed germination results, we advise you to germinate the seeds according to our standard procedure, with which we obtain germination rates of ± 95 % for all varieties:
Use a grow room with a stable temperature of 20 degrees Celsius.
Use soil with a pH-value of ± 7.0.
The soil should not be too dry or too wet.
Sow the seeds in a container about 5 mm deep.
After sowing press the earth lightly, this stimulates even sprouting.
Spray the soil lightly with water.
Cover the container with thin transparent plastic foil to achieve an optimal greenhouse effect.
After 1 to 10 days the seeds will have sprouted. Now remove the plastic foil.
Sprinkle the soil regularly with water, wait till the upper layer has dried out, and sprinkle again with water.
After 1 - 2 weeks the seedlings will be strong enough to put them in a larger container.
VEGITATIVE GROWTH
Most varieties need to be grown for about 40 days minimum before they are mature enough produce flowers.
Plants need to feed as well as breathe. Growing plants need an adequate supply of nitrogen, phosphates and potash together with small amounts of the trace elements Mn, Fe, Mg, Cu, Zn, Mo, S and B. Nitrogen is necessary for healthy leaf growth, phosphates for healthy roots and stems and potash for producing flowers.
At the vegetative stage, a fertilizer high in nitrogen is required. When the plants start flowering, change to a formula higher in phosphate and potash. Trace elements are included in most commercial formulas or can be added separately by using a chemical mix or a seaweed extract. At the risk of boring the reader I say again, more damage is caused by overfeeding than underfeeding.
Once your new sprout starts producing leaves, you are in the vegetative growth stage of the plant. Only water when the soil is dry all the way to the bottom of the container it is growing in. You can check by sticking a finger through one of the drain holes in the bottom of the pot to feel how wet the soil is, or by using a water meter. Perhaps the best method, however, is to wait for the plant to tell you it needs water. The leaves will start wilting slightly and the plant generally looks "thirsty." The reason this method is preferable to others is twofoldone, you are assured of not overwatering, and two, allowing the soil to dry out completely stimulates the roots to grow as they search for water. More Roots = Bigger Plant = More Buds
Probably the most common error for new growers is overwatering. Over watering will cause the plant to grow poorly, and if continued will lead to root rot and eventual death. Be careful if you are starting out with a large pot. If you water a small plant too much in a large pot, the plant may not be able to soak up all that water. It may look dry on top, but you might end up having mud on the bottom of the soil. This will cause root rot on your plant and is very unhealthy. A plant that is not watered enough is much more healthy then a plant that is watered too much. It's also harder to recover from over watering then under watering.
As a rule 1/2 inch of gravel or another suitable, high draining mixture at the bottom of the pot will help to prevent this problem and will also stop the plant from drowning if its over-watered. It's a good idea to have a fan hooked up and ready to go once the plant breaks though the soil. Having a fan blowing on the stem from the start of growth will insure a good strong stem so the plant will be able to hold it self-upright during its life span. Simulating wind by providing a gentle breeze will help your stem grow strong to support the weight of the leaves and buds as the wind will cause small tears in the plants stem walls, tears that are repaired as the plant grows and provide strength to the main stem. Bigger, stronger stems = bigger, stronger plant = more & better buds. Bigger Stems = Bigger Plant = Bigger Buds
The temperature can be anywhere from the low 70s to the high 80s with no damage to the plants. For soil, the desired pH range is between 5.3 and 6.0 generally speaking. Anything in that range will be safe for your plant. The humidity should be around 60% for vegetative growth. During the vegetative cycle feed your plants a high Nitrogen (N) food. There are many kinds of products that carry high Nitrogen content. It's generally best to start the mixture out at ¼ the recommended dosage and increase the strength whilst the plant grows and develops in both foliage and root size, overdoing the nutrients at this point will not make the plant grow faster, but will most likely burn it. For vegetative growth, look for a fertilizer with a NPK ratio of roughly 2-1-1. NPK is the number found on fertilizer packages that signifies the amount and ratio of the three major nutrients needed by plants: Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K). For this stage, then, look for a fertilizer that has roughly twice as much N as it does P and K. Now that your plant is around the 12" mark or 4-6 weeks old, you might notice the leaves sets start to alternate. When the top branches start to alternate this is the sign that your plant has reached maturity and are ready to be flowered.
TOPPING/FIMMING PLANTS
Topping and Fimming of your plants need not be the headache most make it out to be. Simply follow the instructions below and your well on your way to being a professional in Fimming and Topping. If you decided to grow any sativa cannabis seeds strains, be sure to perform topping as you want to limit your marijuana plants height.
~TOPPING A MARIJUANA PLANT~
1. Locate the very top of your plant and cut through the main stem just below the newest growth. This should be done after the 3rd or 4th leaf set but can be done at any time after the 3rd leaf set.2. Shows Plant Top cut off and where the 2 new Branches that will form a "Y" in the main stem will grow from.
3. Shows the newly topped plant after 2 days of growth, notice the Y in the Stem Forming.
~FIMMING YOUR MARIJUANA PLANT~
Fimming is actually no different that topping, what fimming does is virtually the exact same thing only your leaving part of the new growth. This only takes of part of the new growth and actually topping the very very new growth which is very hard to see. What this ends up doing is making it seem as if your getting 4 new tops right next to each other when its actually only 2 at the very top (like topping) but since it was cut so closely to the next newest set of fan leaves 2 branches which would have formed there anyways seems to make it look like there is 4 new tops. Fimming can be easily performed on sativas (or any hybrids of sativa cannabis seeds crosses) as they tend to grow longer and less dense stems, which is usefull for such precise procedure.This is how you go about doing this.
1. Locate the very top of the new growth
2. With a clean sterilized scissors, Fold the fa
n leafs over and cut approximately 80% of the new growth off the plant.
3. View from the top showing the Cut
4. View of the Cut section after 2 days growth, showing the 4 new growth shoots (branches)
Thats it! You should be well on your way to Topping and Fimming of your plants.
If you have any questions dont be afraid to ask.
SUPER CROPPING
Another method of topping is called Super Cropping. By taking a branch between your forefinger and thumb you can gently crush the branch, causing it to develop multiple branches above the crushed area. You must crush it on the correct side or risk breaking the branch. Just squeeze lightly until you feel the branch give, then let go. If it gives easily then you have crushed it on the correct side. If it is hard to crush and the branch splits then you have chosen the wrong side. Practice makes perfect with Super Cropping.
Super Cropping should be carried out during the second or third week of vegetative growth and does stunt the plant. You should also note that plants that are Super Cropped can remain in the vegetative growth stage for twice as long as normal but the end result is a very bushy plant with multiple node regions that should all produce bud. Many growers have thrown Super Cropped plants away because they believed that the plants were not flowering in time. If you Super Crop your plants make sure that you have the patience to wait until the process is finished which usually about four to six more weeks of vegetative growth.
FLOWERING
Buds of the first case are called sinsemilla (it is really two words: "sin semilla," which translates to "without seeds" in Spanish, but is often misspelled as one word). The resultant cannabis contains the most Cannabinoids and THC possible.
Although the flowering hormone in most plants (including cannabis) is present during all phases of growth, it is inhibited by exposure to light. To induce flowering, the plant must be subject to at least 8 hours of darkness per day; this number is very strain-specific and most growers flower with 12 hours of darkness to be safe.
The flowering hormone is very quickly inhibited, taking less than two minutes of exposure to light. Consequently, many cultivators are vigilant that no light reaches their plants during the flowering phase. Flowering usually lasts from 45 to 90 days indoors. If growing outdoors it may take somewhat longer, depending on the natural onset of the colder seasons. The flowering length is genetically determined with some plants (as pure cannabis "indica" strains) flowering in as few as 45 days, while some plants (as cannabis "sativa") can take up to 4 months to finish and the harvest yields significantly less. This is the main reason why certain plants (as cannabis indica) are almost always grown indoors (unlike cannabis sativa, which is also grown outdoors).[citation needed]
A plant may double, triple even quadruple its' height when flowering. Sativas can stretch up to 4 times their height and Indicas generally double in height.
Some strains call for up to 8 weeks of vegetative growth. Your height, yield and potency will all depend on the strain and the way it was grown. As our aim is for bud, and lots of it, we will try and avoid massive plants unless we have the light to provide them with; otherwise we get a plant with huge stems, \and only bud at the top 9 or 10 inches.
Remember, you can only get "bud" from a female plant. So you want to focus your efforts on the female plants. In order to find the sex of the plant, get a light timer and put the lights on a cycle of 12-hours on and 12-hours off. Having a light timer is much easier then doing it manually and is much more accurate.
Make sure your plants get the complete 12hours of darkness during this stage.
Any light interruption may prolong your sexing results for days or even weeks.
Your flowering stage may take 2-3 months. You need to keep them on a constant cycle and remember to have complete darkness during the 12 hours of no light.
Any interruption may cause reduced yield, potency, or extended harvest.
During the flowering cycle feed your plants need a high Phosphorous (P) food.
There are many kinds of products that carry high amounts of Phosphorous.
Generally start out the mixture at 1/2 the recommended dosage. The humidity should ideally be around 40% to 55% for this stage.
SEXING/FLUSHING
After a few days to usually 14 days of your 12/12 cycle, look for little white hairs (indicating a female) or little balls (which will be male) starting to grow at the base of each internodes. The hairs will grow to about 1/4" long or so. They will be easily visible. Expect to see a pair of these hairs at each site. The balls may also grow at the base of each branch. They will grow in bunches and look a little like horns before forming. These balls contain pollen. As soon as you have identified what sex your plant is (male or female) then cull the males (remove them from the area) to give the females more room and more light. This is the start of the buds forming. As time goes on the buds will get bigger and bigger and they will use more and more fertilizer. It is advised that you stop using fertilizers 2 weeks before your harvest to ensure that all chemicals are out of the plant. If chemicals are in the plant when you harvest, the smoke will be very harsh. To prevent harshness, flush the plants heavily with fresh water 2 weeks prior to harvesting them. Ensure you flush at least 3 times the capacity of your pot. So a 4-gallon pot would be flushed with 16 gallons of fresh water.
HARVESTING/CURING:
Look at the trichomes with a 10× - 30× magnifier. You will first see that they are clear, then they will turn milky or cloudy, and finally the heads will start turning amber. Depending of your preference you would want to harvest between the times the trichomes turn milky to the time the trichomes have turned 25% amber. I pick when a few start turning amber. The earlier you harvest within that window the more up the high is, and the later you harvest, the more of a "couch lock" effect you'll get.
Commercial growers take the colas from the plant and manicure them before drying. They usually dry them on a line, upside-down, which is fine.
However, usually airflow is forced, and temps too high, humidity too low. As soon as the buds are considered dry (usually a few days), it is sold. The reason for this behavior is the fact they are, as I said, commercial growers and in a constant hurry to exchange their buds for cash. Every minute counts and they don't want to 'waste' the space or the time needed for drying and curing. This results in harsh, grassy tasting weed that lacks the full-bodied flavor and smooth stone of properly dried and cured bud. To do it right:
At harvest-time all you have to do is cut the plant as low as possible and hang the whole thing upside down to dry on a line. The room you use to dry should be the about the same size you grew in (if not the same room). The humidity should remain a constant 50-60%. Too high and buds will mold, too low and they dry too fast and taste bad. Temperature should be around 65-68 degrees, wherever possible. Make sure the room is dark, as light degrades THC.
All kinds of processes, like the transport of sugars inside the plant still take place, even when you cut it down. These processes will slowly come to an end while the drying progresses, but are the main factor for the end-taste of your smoke. That is the first reason why you don't want to quick-dry your weed. The second reason is the way that a plant dries. Plants are made up of cells and, as we all know, cells contain mainly water. Exposed to air, the (dying) plant's outer cells will dry out first but the above-mentioned processes will still transfer water from the inner cells to the dryer outer cells, thus causing the plant to dry equally all over. By removing the stalk and cutting off the individual colas, you prevent this natural process by taking away the extra moisture that would be drawn from the stem to the leaves and bud. Got it? Good! Moving on...
Make sure you hang the plants so that they do not touch each other (invites mold). With constant temp and humidity, the plants should be ready for manicuring in 3-4 weeks. At this time trim colas from the main stalk, and trim large and medium fan leaves (save them for making hash), leaving most of the smaller leaves sticking out of the bud in tact. Hang them up again and for a day or two, until 'popcorn' dry. The stems should snap when you bend them, and the bud should be dry, but not brittle. Now for the curing...
Trim all remaining leaf (save for hashmaking) tight to the buds, and trim smaller buds from larger stems. Store them airtight; air at this point degrades THC. Note- ziplock bags are not airtight! You could use buckets with an airtight lid like used for food and sauces and such, but the best containers are those glass jars with the rubber seal and latch. Just put as much bud in it as possible using light pressure. The point is to fill it as much as possible, so not too much air remains in the container. The less air, the better. To be safe, check them the next day to make sure it's still dry (did not 'sweat'). Any excess moisture at this point will invite mold. If it did sweat and is moist (soft) again, lay the bud out on something other than newspaper and put in a dry place to get the last water out.
Repack and place the container in a cool, dark place, like a refrigerator. Note- fridges have high humidity so they must be absolutely airtight.
The longer it sits (up to around a month, maybe longer in the fridge) the better it gets, both in taste and potency. At around the month mark, you can move it to the freezer to almost stop the aging and curing process. Once you've got some buds stored in the freezer, you have a private stash that will last a long time. If you've got the patience to wait, the smoke will be sweet and smooth. The high will be mellow, and longer lasting. If you grew enough to last you a while, then after a few harvests you will be able to have properly cured buds at your disposal, with no downtime waiting for the next batch to cure!
If you're not in a hurry to sell your crop you owe it to your head to wait the extra time and have great tasting, very potent bud! Curing is the only way to make harvested bud more potent, so try it, you won't be disappointed!
HOPE THIS HELPS
BCUR =)
