How to Grow Superior Marijuana Buds – Bonza Blog
How to Grow Superior Marijuana Buds:
Every marijuana grower dreams of harvesting giant and juicy buds. While it sounds impossible to achieve, there are tried and tested methods that will boost our yield. As growers, it is our role to figure out these things then apply them to the crop.
To maximize the harvest, we need to understand some basics about the buds. In essence, it is the most prized part of the plant that contains the famous THC. While the leaves also have this chemical, it is most intense on the buds. For many people, this potency is the reason why they love cannabis.
Therefore, it is vital that we focus our attention on the buds of the crop. However, not all buds are created equal to the female plants produce the most THC by far. Hence, part of the process of ensuring satisfying buds is to remove the round and pollen-filled male flowers.
Keep only the ones from the female plants which have wispy long white hairs. Since they are the cream of the crop, we must do everything to ensure that they grow huge. This means making them grow faster so they have more time to get bigger and heavier. If we do things right, even the tiniest bud in the plant can grow up to two inches long.
Hence, in this article, we will discover surefire ways for the cannabis crop to reach their maximum potential. Mostly, we will focus on giving them optimal care as well as applying techniques to increase their THC levels.
How to Grow Huge Cannabis Buds in 5 Steps
- Buy the Best Seeds
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Of course, it’s easier to get monster buds when we start with high-quality seeds. When growing marijuana, using seeds with superior genetics is everything. In contrast, poor genetics will prevent a good harvest and there’s usually nothing we can do to improve it. So, invest in a top-notch strain and enjoy the amazing results.
- Enrich the Grow Medium
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It’s important to provide the seeds with an excellent grow medium that is full of nutrients. But apart from giving the best minerals, we must also ensure the correct pH and EC values of the medium. This way, we promote healthy growth and development of the roots, so they can fully absorb the nutrients.
- Add Nutrients
One of the surest ways to get fat and juicy marijuana buds is to spoil them with fertilizers. Once they start to bloom, they will crave phosphorous. So, make sure to add a mixture of 10% nitrogen, 30% phosphorous, and 10% potassium (NPK 10-30-10) during the flowering phase.
If we want the biggest buds possible, boost with an extra dose of potassium at the end of the flowering cycle. For the best result, try the special formula from the Flower Power system which nourishes up to 20 plants.
- Maintain the Perfect pH and EC
When giving fertilizers, it’s important to also check the pH and EC levels of the medium. Otherwise, the plants would experience some serious nutrient problems. Hence, we must learn about the following factors.
- pH Level
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The pH level shows how high or low the acidity of the soil or water that we use to grow the plants. Usually, it is the result of the amount of salt that is broken down or built up in the medium.
As such, many problems could occur at the wrong level as it affects the ability of the roots to absorb the nutrients. Hence, it’s a reliable indicator of the health of the crop.
Left unchecked, a very acidic or basic medium can block the uptake of other essential minerals like magnesium. Moreover, it could cause some nutrient toxicity which is equally fatal. The key is to balance the amounts of minerals while providing other basic needs such as light and water.
So, when growing in soil, keep the pH level around 6 to get the best results. Other mediums like hydroponic or coco coir require a reading of 5.5.
- Electric Conductivity
Basically, the EC value indicates how much salt is present in the medium. For example, a purified water has a value of 0 which means that it contains no salt or mineral. In contrast, regular tap water contains a variety of minerals, but they are not enough to nourish the plants. That’s why we need to fertilize.
In application, the EC goes hand in hand with the pH level. Hence, when the EC gets too high, the pH would also drop and vice versa.
As mentioned, the wrong pH level could be catastrophic to the plants. SO, pay close attention to the EC value to ensure that the roots will absorb most nutrients efficiently.
- Optimize the Grow Room
Much of the success of getting giant buds come from the quality of the environment. So, in this section, we will discuss how to optimize some of the essential factors in the grow room.
- Give the Right Amount of Light
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Light is one of the biggest boosters of marijuana buds. By simply increasing its intensity, plants will absorb more carbon dioxide that converts into beneficial sugars. When light does not reach the plants, they will start to “reach” for it which makes them tall but thin and weak.
It’s especially important to pay attention to the quality of light that is hitting the plants during the vegetative stage. If they don’t get the ideal amount, they will never have the energy to produce top-quality buds.
In general, fluorescent lights work well on a tight budget. But HPS lamps come highly recommended for indoor growing. The rule of thumb is to provide 400 watts of light for every 13 square feet of the grow area. Once they enter the flowering stage, increase to 600 watts for best results.
Naturally, the specifications change with different dimensions of the grow are. So, make sure to follow the reference points below to get an idea of how much buds we can expect to get.
With a 200-watt CFL lamp, average 1.5 to 2.0 oz (3.5 oz for advanced growers) using a 3.5 x 1.5 x 6.5 ft. grow cabinet
With a 250-watt HPS lamp, average 3.0 to 5.0 oz (9.0 oz for advanced growers) using a 3.5 x 1.5 x 6.5 ft. grow cabinet
With a 400-watt HPS lamp, average 4.5 to 9.0 oz (14 oz for advanced growers) in a 3.5 x 3.5 x 7 ft grow room
With a 600-watt HPS lamp, average 5.0 to 10 oz (21 for advanced growers) in a 4 x 4 x 8 ft grow room
With a 1000-watt HPS lamp, average 9.0 to 18 oz (36 for advanced growers) in a 5 x 5 x 8 ft grow room (with extra CO2 only)
- Provide Ideal Temperature and Humidity
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Marijuana plants need different temperatures and humidity throughout their life cycle. If they are at the right levels, the crop will produce superior weed. Specifically, the ideal temperature will increase potency and aroma which makes the buds more enjoyable to smoke.
- Temperature
When the grow lights are on, seedlings and clones thrive in temperatures between 68ºF and 77ºF (20ºC and 25ºC) and 70% relative humidity. As they mature, increase to a maximum of 82ºF (28ºC).
On the other hand, when the lights are off, the temperature should lie between 59ºF and 72ºF (15ºC and 22ºC). And remember that the ideal temperature difference between day and night is 40ºF (5ºC). But a maximum difference of 50ºF (10ºC) is okay.
- Relative Humidity
The best humidity for the seeds until they become seedlings at the 2nd week of vegetation is 70%. The same goes for the cuttings of the plants. Once flowering starts, we need to reduce it gradually from 65% in the 1st week of the phase to 40% in the final 9th week.
- Add CO2
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As mentioned, plants use CO2 to make more sugars. Hence, they would crave for it just as much as humans crave food. During the flowering stage, this gas becomes even more useful as it provides the plants additional energy to create buds.
What we need to remember about CO2 is that it needs light to do its magic. Essentially, it expands the plants’ ability to use up the energy from the light. But to make it work, we need to double the intensity of the light if we increase CO2 in the room. If done right, expect to get double the yield during harvest time.
While investing in CO2 generators can be expensive, there are homemade alternatives that we can try. For example, using white vinegar and baking soda can be effective in a grow cabinet. But we must be careful when applying it as an excess of this gas can be harmful to our health.
- Apply Some Gardening Tricks
The main reason for applying some gardening tricks is to help the plants reach their maximum potential. As such, some practices encourage the plants to grow faster as they vegetate. Others are famous for increasing the bud production of THC. If done right, we can gain great benefits from these gardening tricks.
- Remove Yellow Leaves
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Perhaps the easiest way to promote healthy and fast-growing plants is to remove their yellow leaves. Regardless of the cause, yellow leaves indicate that that part of the plant is dying. And they can take up so much energy from the plants as it tries to recover.
If done during the flowering phase, it will redirect all the nutrients and energy onto the buds. So, get rid of those pesky yellow leaves to speed up the budding process while also increasing its THC content.
- Prune
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Pruning is perhaps one of the best ways to increase the marijuana yield. Because of its high effectivity, many tomato farmers utilize it to get a good harvest. To perform, simply remove all the small shoots between the branches. By doing so, we focus all the energy to maximize bud production.
So, when do we start pruning? The best time is once there are ample leaves on the plants and we can observe some shoots. Make sure to give at least three days for the plant to recover from the wounds. At this point, go easy on the fertilizers and give just enough water to avoid overburdening the crop.
In the same way, stop pruning for at least three days before triggering the flowering phase to ensure that the plants are in top shape. Otherwise, we could end up with tiny buds instead as the plant struggles to heal the cuttings. But once we master the technique, all the buds will be double or triple in size.
- Low-Stress Training
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Unlike pruning, low-stress training (LST) does not involve cutting the plants. Instead, it’s a technique of bending the tops to make them grow flatter and wider. This way, every inch of the plant gets plenty of sunlight which helps it grow faster and fatter.
Ideally, we begin the process when the plant is younger, before it establishes its own shape. In essence, this keeps the plants from overcrowding the grow space while maximizing their output.
- Scrogging
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Another way to make it easy to manage the plant’s size is by using SCROG (Screen of Green). In this method, we place a screen 50 cm above the crop then remove the top out when it’s 10 centimeters from the screen. Once the new top grows, wait until it is 10 centimeters through the screen, then gently bend and connect it to the screen.
Just like with pruning, wait a few days before forcing them to flower. Expect the marijuana plants to continue growing during the first two weeks of the flowering phase.
Under the right conditions, combining pruning and SCROG methods will get us 1 gram of marijuana per watt of light. This means that if we use a 600-watt HPS bulb, we could grow 600 grams of cannabis.
- Splitting the Stem
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Not everyone knows about this last gardening trick, but it likely originated in Southeast Asia and China. It’s called splitting the stem and it is exactly what it sounds like.
The reason why we include it here is that it is an effective way to make the buds grow heavier and develop more potency. Apparently, this method exposes the plant to a certain level of stress that causes it to increase its production of THC.
To get good results, start by tying the stem at the base then tie a second rope 2 inches above it. Using a very sharp knife, cut from the top tie to the one on the bottom. The vertical cut should be a few inches.
Before taking out the knife, insert a pencil or other objects to keep it open. This keeps both sides of the plant from touching each other. Finally, remove the knife and leave the ties in place to prevent the damage from spreading.
Understandably, it’s a tricky technique to master. So, try it first on one plant until we have the confidence to repeat it. For best result, do it a few days before the harvest to trigger a spurt of THC just before we cut the buds.
- Harvest at the Right Time
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Waiting for the right time to gather the marijuana buds also contributes to its size and potency. As such, this makes sure that we let them become as ripe as possible before nipping them.
However, mostly because of excitement, many growers can’t wait to harvest the fruit of their labor. So, they make the mistake of harvesting too early. But buds can grow as much as 25% more in the final two or three weeks. So, be patient and let the plant work in as much energy into the buds.
Typically, the harvest window falls within two or three weeks. Gathering the products before this window results in a significant loss of the overall yield and potency. But in the end, it depends on the grower when to harvest. As such, unripe buds have more of the buzz high, while the overripe ones give a sedating high.
Growing Huge Marijuana Buds is Easy
Getting the most out of our cannabis crop is easy if we know what steps to take. This includes the basics such as starting with high-quality seeds, using fertilizers, and optimizing the grow room. And don’t forget to apply some tricks in the garden as they are proven to do wonders as well.
While the details could be a bit tricky, it is all worth the effort as they are guaranteed to produce denser and richer marijuana buds. So, practice the steps in this article to gain more confidence in taking care of the plants. Overall, this will help build lifelong skills that ensure we get superior weed every harvest time.
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