It may not be apparent but when you change your lights to 12/12 your plant will undergo a huge hormonal shift. You may not see any clear signs of “flowering” but the plant will begin to rapidly stretch upwards.
Each top will also start to flatten out towards the end of the first week as it prepares to set bud. This is commonly known as crowning.
As the plant begins flowering you will switch over to bloom nutrients. Its always advised to give the growing medium a light flush with water. This will clear out any salts that may have build up or any excess nitrogen left over from veg.
At the start of week 2 its more than likely that your plant will still be stretching. There will also be a more prominent crowning on the tops as they begin to set buds. These buds will only be small but should be covered in perfectly white pistols
It is also important that during these first 2 weeks after your flush you should not overfeed your plants. Every strain is different but starting with 50% of the recommended dose on the bottle is a good start point. You can then gradually increase the strength of the feed as the weeks progress.
Any serious nutrient burn will have a substantial negative impact on your final harvest so don’t over do it.
In the third week of flowering the plant is still growing, it should be around 25-50% bigger than when it started. The bud will continue to grow as new calyxes form as new white pistols shoot out.
In week 3 there will be a few resin glands starting to form on the flower. This gives us a small glimpse of what the future holds for this particular plant. While they may not be actual trichomes they are what will produce them later. This means they are a good indicator of the level of frost you can expect.
The smell should not be too bad at this stage of the grow and the plant will continue to develop during this week. Towards the end of week 3 you should be trying to slowly raise your feeding without burning the plants. Once you master this you will see a lot of bud swell towards the end of this week and during the coming week.
As you move into week 4 of flowering the vigorous stretching will have ended. The plant will now be able to focus all of its energy into flowering. As a result of this you will see huge changes in your plant over the next few weeks.
Buds will start to show on various bud sites around the plant. Over the coming days and weeks you will see your bud density continue to increase as you get nearer to your harvest date. The odor will become a lot more noticeable towards the end of week 4 as the plant begins to produce capitate trichomes.
As you move into the fifth week of the flowering process you will notice a sharp increase in bud production. As the plant is done with its stretching phase there wont be any new bud sites appearing. However in this week the existing bud sites will begin to swell.
As a result the odor will also increase so make sure you have a good ventilation system to combat any strong odors. Your plants will want a lot more phosphorous and potassium during these weeks so its a good idea to increase your feed. If your plants are showing a slight yellowing don’t worry just check that the PH is correct and up your feed to keep up with the plants demands.
As all strains have different flowering times it is hard to say when yours will be ready. The average plant will be ready to start flushing around the end of week 7. You will notice a very strong odor coming from your plants as they continue to bulk up during this important period.
At some point during this 2 week period you may notice your pistols starting to shrivel up and turn a reddish brown color. This means the plants are roughly 3 weeks away from maturity give or take a few days, it is important to make sure the hair has naturally changed color. Its easy to damage the pistols by brushing up against them and turning them a similar color but this does not mean your plant is nearing maturity.
As the pistols shrivel and retract into the calyx each individual calyx swells causing there to be substantial bud growth during this period.
Your plants will continue to put on a lot of weight during these last few weeks as they near maturity. They will need to be flushed during this period. It is hard to give an accurate start time for flushing as every strain will have a different harvest date. A good rule of thumb is to flush with nothing but pure water for the last 2 weeks before you plan to chop. Once the medium is flushed the plant will self cannibalise any remaining nutrients from the plant leaving us with a smoother and more desirable smoke.
To check if your plant is ready for harvest inspect the trichomes with a magnifying lens. If the majority of the trichomes are opaque this indicates that your plant is very close to harvest. Amber trichomes are the next stage and when we are at about 65-75% amber we will harvest the plant.
Cannabis goes into its flowering stage when certain levels of uninterrupted darkness are given to the plant.
When you are ready for the flowering phase you should give your plants about 10-12 hours of darkness. This will cause them to change from their vegetative stage and begin the flowering process.
On average the flowering period will last about 7-9 weeks but some sativa strains could take longer. Make sure to research your specific strains flowering time before you start your own grow.
To ensure that your cannabis plant fulfills its maximum potential during its flowering period you need to make sure that your external factors such as the light you use, or the specific color spectrum you choose, are perfect for your plant. For more information on how a specific color spectrum affects your plant during flowering then click the link below.
It is also important that you provided your cannabis plant with all the nutrients it required while in veg. This will ensure your plant grows to its maximum size before flowering to ensure the highest yield possible.
How To Make Cannabis Oil At Home
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