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How do I increase the weight of harvested buds? Like any good hippy, I love Cannabis. Remembering a time someone asked me if they could try it. Of course, it was only because I was high at the time and didn’t want to disappoint them. It made me realize one thing: Everyone enjoys Cannabis, but how many know what happens after you harvest the plants?
Harvesting your cannabis is the most crucial stage in the life of your crop. If done incorrectly or too late, you can quickly lose as much as 50% of your yield! Learning how to harvest correctly takes time, patience, and a lot of finesse. Read on if you would like some helpful tips within the harvesting process.
If you are growing indoors, the best time to start looking for signs of harvest is when your plants are halfway through flowering. This will vary depending on the strain you have chosen. However, once this stage is reached, it’s a good idea to note how many ‘sets’ of leaves the plant has.
TIP: If you have grown a Sativa-dominant strain, you may want to leave them for an extra week or two, just to be safe. If they are taking longer than this, then refer back to the number of leaf sets.’
Letting your plants over-flower is the easiest way to lose yield weight. If you are growing indoors, it’s best to stop your light cycles two weeks before harvesting. This will allow your plants enough time for their THC glands to turn amber, they will now begin giving off that sweet musky smell!
TIP: Some growers use certain supplements or additives at this stage to stop the flowering process and continue to grow their plants. That’s fine! But remember, if you do this, your yield will be higher than usual but less potent.
Autumn is when there are five days without rain and no harsh sunlight during the day. I have learned about the growing cycles of Cannabis because marijuana responds well to reasonable conditions. Understanding when the right time is to harvest can be your most significant advantage!
If you are lucky enough to have a greenhouse or some shelter, then this is where your process should begin. If you are harvesting in the middle of autumn, then speak with someone who has more knowledge. There is a specific day when your plants turn brown and die if they are left outside.
Once your plants have died, it’s crucial to cut them down at the base of their stem rather than just pulling them out by their leaves. It would help if you hung them upside down somewhere cool for a couple of weeks to dry out.
At this stage, it’s important to rate your harvest in terms of weight, which is best done by combining all the plants harvested at once and then dividing them into equal amounts. This ensures that every plant is judged fairly regarding its final yield weight.
TIP: If you have used any growth supplements to help your plants grow large, then make sure you remove them before hanging them up to dry. If they are left on then this could affect the weight of your final harvest.
…you can leave them to dry for at least a month before turning them over and allowing the rest of the moisture to go into the plant. It’s a good idea to check on your plants every few days at this stage, checking for mold and bugs before they get out of hand!
When you are sure that all of the moisture is gone from your plants, then it is time to manicure them. This is where you remove any excess leaves from around your bud. This ensures that all the weight is in your bud, providing a more potent high and a better taste!
If there are visible bugs on or around your plants, they probably have been eating at your wet buds for a long time. Take the bugs off and burn them or dispose of them somewhere outside before finishing manicuring your plants.
Suppose you have taken care of every step I have mentioned. Congratulations! You will have a much higher yield weight than usual which is well worth all the time and effort you have put into this!
I hope I have helped point you in the right direction, and you can now grow your Cannabis and harvest it successfully. Remember that every strain is different and requires slightly different steps to take before harvesting, but as long as you follow this guide, you should be fine! Happy growing!
Editors notes: This article was initially submitted to us by a master grower named Merle. This is their first submission to us, and the tone of voice is what we wanted it to be. We hope you guys enjoy this as much as we do! If you have any information that would help those just starting, please share it in the comments section!
Many cannabis growers decide to grow their weed using soil instead of other media like Rockwool, coco coir, or perlite. And while growing in soil is easy, choosing the right soil mix can be confusing for beginning growers. All grounds are not created equal; different soils hold different amounts of nutrients and water that your plants feed on.
To choose a soil mix, you should calculate how much water and nutrients your plants will need throughout their growth. In the veg stage, cannabis plants require high nitrogen levels to grow lots of leaves and stems, but in the bloom stage, they use more phosphorus which helps them produce buds.
The following chart shows how much of each nutrient (N-P-K) and pH your soil should have: [insert an image with the needed ratios and an example of a specific soil mix that follows those guidelines, like using Fox Farm Ocean Forest soil mix.] If there aren’t enough nutrients or the pH is wrong, your plants will suffer from nutrient deficiencies and burned tips.
Soil mixes that follow these guidelines are Fox Farm Ocean Forest soil mix, believed to be best for growing weed indoors because it has a loose structure with lots of air pockets and nutrients. But don’t worry! You can also make your soil mix that matches these guidelines with up to 50% worm castings, bat guano and seabird guano for the nitrogen; bone meal and rock phosphate for the phosphorus; and dolomite lime and gypsum (also called Cal-Mag) to adjust the pH. [make some bullet points about how to make your soil mix like the one listed above]a note that people should use the bone meal and dolomite lime at half strength since they are powerful]
People always ask me if there is anything else they have to do to their soil, like pH it or add nutrients. The answer is no! After mixing your soil, all you have to do is water it with about an inch of water per week. If your leaves are getting yellow around the edges, give your plants more water and decrease how much you feed them with each watering.
If you know what to look for when buying soil but still can’t decide which one is best for growing weed, go ahead and buy Fox Farm Ocean Forest because it is known to be the best soil for growing weed. If you want to make your mix, use the chart above as a guide and ensure it has enough nutrients for at least six weeks or until your plant is finished flowering (aka ready for harvest).
Good luck growing!
-The Stone Dispensary
This article is for educational purposes only. It is not intended as medical advice and should not be used in place of expert medical opinion or treatment. Always consult professionals before using any cannabis products. Do not perform self-diagnosis or attempt to treat severe problems without first consulting a doctor.
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