Aaaaaa. The good stuff.

This is the reason we grow (well most of us). The cannabis flower or bud is our main source of THC and CBD. You are waiting for your buds to build mass and to ripen, giving you the sweetness you crave.

But first you need to get there, so lets get back to growing and stop dreaming.

When your plant goes into flower her needs changes. She now needs more phosphorus and potassium and less nitrogen. You can start by mixing blackstrap molasses in a ratio of 10ml to 5 liter of water. This will feed your soil and add much needed nutrients.

During your flowering phase you also need to make sure that you steer away from pesticides. Remember, anything you spray on your plant during the flowering phase is going to stick to your buds, and from there will enter your body when you smoke or digest the bud.

So lets get to the flowering timeline.

Week 1-3

Your plant will start to develop pistols and you will start to notice the distinct cannabis odor. Personally I love how it smells, but if you don’t, or if you are busy with a stealth grow – this is where you will start to use your carbon filter. By the end of week three you will notice that the plant stops stretching and that your flowers, or calyx’s start to grow.

Week 2 – 4

Calyx’s will keep on fattening and the aroma will deepen. You will also note that the plant is now staying the same size. You should see trichomes starting to form on the buds and the sugar leaves, the more you see the better the bud. You need to make sure that you have suffient ventilation as mildew during the flower stage can ruin everything you have worked for up till now.

Week 5 – 6

Buds are getting nice and dense and you will have a nice frosty coating on then and on your sugar leaves. The plants aroma will be bearing it’s peak at this stage. Keep going with the ventilation and try to keep your humidity between 40 and 30% RH. Also keep a eye on those buds. Fresh cannabis buds can be deceptively heavy, so if needed support your plant with bamboo stakes.

Week 7-8

You are in the last stretch. Your buds are looking nice and dense, pistols are turning brown and if you look under a scope you will see your trichomes are turning from clear to amber. If you were using nutrients this is the time to start flushing your plant. You want to make sure you get as much of the nutrients out of the plant before you harvest.

Flush your plant with clean PH water every day. This ensures that you get he cleanest nicest tasting buds. during your last week you can also start to ice your plant. Icing the plant will stress it and simulate a last boost of THC and CBD before harvest.

You can also put the plant into a last 48 – 72 hours of darkness just before harvest to make sure you get the very last little boost.

DON’T RUSH

Yes I know you want to harvest – but don’t rush. If you harvest too early you are losing out not only on the best THC or CBD levels, but also on the flavor of your buds. You should get a jewelers loupe or a microscope to check your trichomes. The effect that your bud has on you is dependant on when you harvest as well. The chart below will guide you on when the right stage for you is.