Do you enjoy a good whiff of pot and are interested in where it comes from? Do you want to grow one of your own? Then you must know how to bloom a perfectly formed, rich in the necessary phytochemicals, developed to the optimum height, and perfectly aged cannabis flower. Let us know about the underlying factors behind the growth of a top-quality cannabis flower so that you can enjoy a blissful and calming smoke.
Why Is The Flower Important?
The cannabis flower is the plant source from where all the related cannabis products are prepared. Due to its versatile modes of use and flexible consumption modes – namely, smoked using a pipe and a bong or by making a joint – it is preferred most by maximum cannabis users. Incidentally, a cannabis flower is the trichome-covered part of the female cannabis plant used for smoking.
During the flowering stage, the plants will produce long blossoms of stacked buds, along with resinous trichome glands in full bloom. These glands produce the sticky and aromatic resin we all are familiar with and can be seen as the white, sugary frosting coating the buds. According to the quality of the flowers, finished cannabis products are divided into several classes:
- Private Reserve
This terminology is presented to the best quality products. Like fine wine associated with famous vineyards, this label indicates that the dispensary is responsible for its cultivation, reaping, processing, and resulting quality. As a result, the products are held in particular esteem and gravitas.
- Top-shelf
The quality of these types of cannabis is lower than private reserves but higher than the low-shelf variety. Growing top-shelf cannabis requires constant attention and thorough harvesting, resulting in potent buds fetching higher prices and demand. Top-shelf cannabis growers focus on quality over quantity to generate the well-known types – piff, loud, fire, chronic, and artisanal – all of which sports intact shapes and are full of trichomes.
- Bottom-Shelf
The term is self-explanatory as these are the low-quality samples of the grown cannabis, some of whose examples are dirt weed, schwag, popcorn, brick weed, and ditch weed. These types of cannabis are old, have low THC content, are mixed with seeds and stems, sports a harsh taste upon combustion, and are usually among the cheapest available cannabis. In addition, brown coloration and the presence of very few crystalline trichomes are among their identifying feature.
Flowering Stages Of Cannabis – Few Basic Information
As already discussed, the flowering stage of the cannabis plant depicts the period of bud growth, which comes after the specific vegetative growth stage of the plant’s end and the photoperiod switches. You must take care of the plants in this stage to ensure the production of the best quality buds. Let us know some vital information about the flowering stage of the cannabis plants:
- Beginning Of The Flowering Stage
The flowering stages of the cannabis plants start according to their growth sites and the available light. For outdoor plants, the flowering stage begins at the onset of autumn, when the days become shorter. For indoor plants, the photoperiod must be artificially set to 12 hours of light / 12-hours of darkness schedule. The Auto-flowering strains don’t exhibit such dependency on the light; after a brief vegetative period of about four weeks, the plants automatically switch the stages.
- Time Required For The Flowering Stage
The duration of the flowering stage differs according to the strain and can take from 8 to 12 weeks. For example, the Indica strain is known to develop within eight weeks, but some pieces also take up to 10 weeks. On the other hand, Sativa strains can take up to 10-12 weeks to fully bloom. For hybrid strains, the time of blooming is typically observed to be at 6 to 10 weeks.
Elementary Requirements For The Flowering Of Cannabis Plants
The optimum conditions for the flowering of cannabis plants depend upon the strain being grown. The status of the different environmental factors are listed below:
- Temperature
The optimum temperature for the cannabis flowering stage to thrive stands around 18° – 26°C. Lower temperatures than 17°C will stun the plant growth, while weather under 20C may damage the plants irreversibly. Likewise, temperatures higher than 28° C may cause issues in the flowering development, like scorched leaves, too much water evaporation and moisture loss, and extreme dryness.
- Relative humidity
The relative humidity is the amount of water vapor present in the environment expressed as a percentage value. The flowering of cannabis plants requires the relative humidity to be 40-450% in the growing area; fluctuation in either direction can cause dryness, mold, fungi contamination, etc. Therefore, you must maintain the standardized humidity to ensure a proper flowering of the cannabis plant.
- Photoperiod
The amount and time of light and dark are essential for the growth of cannabis, more so during their flowering stage. The ideal photoperiod for the flowering of the cannabis plant is a 12-hour light / dark combination. It is better not to disturb the plant containers during the dark cycle, as light contamination of the cannabis plants can make the plant produce hermaphrodite flowers, slow the budding process down, or revert it to the vegetative state.
- Nutrition
The principal nutrients the cannabis plants needs during flowering are Nitrogen (N), Potassium (K), and Phosphorus (P), among which the concentration of P and K should be on the higher side. In contrast, you should lower the concentration of N gradually. Other micronutrients essential for the growth and flowering of the plant are Zinc (Zn), Cobalt (Co), Copper (Cu), Manganese (Mn), Iron (Fe), Molybdenum (Mb) and Silicon (Si), etc. These nutrients can be provided to the cannabis plants through organic or chemical fertilizers to increase the chance of the plants producing big, plump buds.
You can find several brands of fertilizers in the market. It is an excellent practice to start applying the fertilizer in a lesser amount than prescribed and slowly increasing it until the desired results are optimum. In addition, other factors like watering frequency, ventilation, pH levels, and container size also play an essential role in the flowering of cannabis plants and should be standardized accordingly.
- Flushing Before Harvesting
This procedure is essentially passing a lot of clean, filtered water through the soil where the cannabis plant is growing to wash off the excess fertilizers in the ground. Moreover, it forces the plant to use up the already absorbed nutrients, giving rise to buds with better aroma and flavor. However, without flushing, the buds produced causes discomfort in the throat while smoking it.
- Storage After Harvesting
Proper storage of the flower is a crucial matter unless your goal is to increase the sedative capacity of the flower. The rule of thumb in cannabis bud storage inhibits their exposure to oxygen, UV light, moisture, and heat so that you may store the buds in any enduring airtight container like a mason jar. People with access to fancier tech can use airtight containers where they can maintain the humidity.
Getting The Best Seeds
The seed quality of your cannabis plant should be the best. This condition is the most basic and should be fulfilled before the other factors mentioned before. To ensure that your cannabis seed is of the best quality and provides the most remarkable results, buying them from a well-known online seed bank like Homegrown Cannabis Co. would be a good decision.
