Trouble reading today's article? Click here: Issue #183 - Sunday, October 25, 2015 Dear Fellow
Grower, In today's issue... - Today we're detailing 7 things that make the difference between harvesting good bud
and amazing bud!
- We took the newsletter, put it in a pot and boiled it down to a super tiny list. Check out the cliff notes version below!
- What is it that makes mid-flowering so cool? Whatever it is, this weeks trophy pics capture it!
Nebula Haze & Sirius Fourside (founders of GrowWeedEasy.com) "Headlines, in a way, are what mislead you because bad news is a headline, and gradual improvement is not."
~Bill Gates
7 Ways to Improve Bud Quality by Nebula Haze & Sirius Fourside |
|
|
Have you ever had weed that knocks your socks off? The kind of buds that people brag/warn their friends about?
I'm talking about
the really really good stuff!
The truth is, you can successfully grow cannabis with very little effort, make a ton of mistakes, and still harvest buds that will do the job.
But have you ever wondered how people grow truly top-shelf buds?
If so, you're in luck, because today I'm going to teach you 7 tips to consistently producing top-tier quality buds with effects that will stick in your memory for years to come.
1.) Master the Basics of Growing You probably know that in order to get the best results, your plants need to make it through the majority of their lifecycle without major problems.
A lot of mistakes
that won't kill your plant (like nutrient burn, nutrient deficiencies, and heat stress) can often still damage the overall appearance of your buds, especially big problems that happen after the beginning of the flowering stage while buds are forming. More importantly, these problems can reduce the maximum potency your plant can achieve!
So in order to get the best yields along with beautiful buds that sparkle in the light, you need to gain a
complete understanding of the basics of growing.
It used to be that you needed to know an experienced grower to learn how to cultivate cannabis. These days, anyone with the will and an internet connection can find everything they need within minutes, so no excuses!
There are many books and guides out there to help you get on the right path, or check out the free beginner's guide on
GrowWeedEasy.com. These articles should get you started...and then some!
2.) Start with Top-Shelf Genetics:
It's really tough to get truly top-shelf buds if you start with mid-grade seeds or clones; you're giving yourself a much higher chance of disappointment because no growing method can overcome genetics!
When I first started growing, I would grow any seeds I could find. These would usually grow pretty well but my crops never ended up being as good as the buds I found them in. Plus some of these plants ended up having crazy unexpected grow styles, like one plant that grew 4 feet tall in a month!
I then tried buying marijuana clones from the local dispensary with crazy strain names like "Super Grand Daddy Purple" and "Grapefruit Bubblegum Kush," but my yields and results still left a lot to be desired. It's not that there's any inherent problem with clones - clones are awesome! - but I got a feeling these plants weren't really the strains the dispensary claimed them to be. I didn't have
any grower friends at the time and I thought bag seed and local clones were my best choices.
Ever since I started buying seeds from a reputable cannabis seed bank and getting my chosen strains shipped to me, I have been able to consistently produce
star-quality buds.
Just switching to better seed stock caused a dramatic increase in my yields, but most importantly the quality of my harvests drastically improved. Not to mention the freedom of being able to choose which strain you want to grow instead of hoping to find a good seed in your buds.
Clones are still a good way to start a grow with good genetics, but make sure you get them
from a trustworthy source!
If you want to take your quality to the next level, don't start with just any clones or seeds. Search for the right, true quality genetics and don't be afraid to research to make sure you're getting exactly what you want! Good seeds cost more than bagseed, but the money you pay for quality is worth it, especially when you consider what you're getting in return.
3.) Give Your Cannabis Lots of Light!
If you want great bud, you have to provide plenty of light!
When you start a grow with good genetics - from good seeds or clones - your plant has the potential for a high level of quality (yields, potency, resilience). However, it's nearly impossible to get your buds to reach that potential if you use lights that are underpowered.
For example, there's no amount
of plant training or growing skill that can make up for the amount of light produced by an incandescent bulb; the bulb simply doesn't have what it takes to do the job. Similarly, growers can have the same problem when they try to grow a larger plant with a few small CFLs or T5s. Although CFLs and T5s make great growing lights and produce high-quality buds, it's important to pick the right tool for the job. These two types of lights are better at stealth, discretion, and smaller grows than producing lots of super potent
bud.When it comes to indoor cannabis gardening, more light is better up to an extent. If you give your flowering cannabis plants all the light they can handle without giving them too much, it increases your potency and yields. Strong, bright light is a crucial part of reaching a strain's full potential.
4.) Better Taste, Better Smell - Increase Terpene Content
The smell and scent of cannabis buds are produced by plant chemicals known as "terpenes" (also "terpenoids", which are a class of terpenes).
Terpenes contribute to the flavors of many household spices (like cinnamon, rosemary, cloves and ginger) and help create the the scent of most flowers.
The unique combination of terpenes and terpenoids produced in cannabis
flowers (buds) cause most of their taste and smell as well.
There are a variety of ways to increase the terpene content of your buds so you produce cannabis that tastes and smells great, and there are also a couple of common mistakes you should know about that can actually ruin the taste and smell of your buds.
5.) Maintain Proper Temperature and Humidity
Temperature
Maintain daytime temperatures around 65-80°F (18-26°C) in the flowering stage unless you're using CO2 which does best at around 80-90°F (26°-32°C). However, even if you're using CO2, most growers recommend you back
off and bring the temps down to 65-80°F for the last two weeks before harvest.
Night temperatures should be kept around 68-75°F (20°-24°C) for most strains. Lower temps increase the chances of bud rot, which thrives in the 60°F (15°C) range.
However, if you're growing a strain that turns color, keep in mind that some of these strains will only show their color when exposed to colder temps at nights during the flowering stage.
Humidity
Humidity stumps a lot of new growers and causes several unexpected problems.
Maintaining higher humidity during the vegetative stage will reduce salt levels within the plant while encouraging healthy and lush growth.
During the vegetative stage, if humidity drops below 40%, especially anywhere below 25%, it can cause problems that look like nutrient deficiencies or light/heat stress!
But in these cases, just adding a little moisture to the air does wonders, even if you don't change anything else.
During the flowering stage, your cannabis plants actually prefers less humidity!
Decreasing moisture in the air (lowering the humidity) during the flowering stage helps prevent mold and actually may
increase trichome production in your buds! For best results, keep humidity 40%-50% during the flowering stage.
"But I've never worried about humidity and my plants are fine..."
The truth is, you can successfully grow your marijuana plants in high or low humidity, even if
growth isn't perfect. This is the primary reason why many growers - especially new ones - forget about humidity altogether.
New growers also tend to hastily spend money on CO2, bigger lights or expensive nutrients when controlling the humidity in their setup could make a much bigger difference in their final product.
So if you've realized that your humidity is far higher or lower than what's recommended, you may be able to make a simple, relatively cheap change to dramatically improve the vibrancy of your plants. For growers in really dry or humid ares, it can make a big difference to buy a humidifier/dehumidifier and make sure they're always providing the optimum humidity levels.
And there's one more insider trick you need to know about humidity: So you know you need to keep humidity in 40-50%RH range for the flowering stage, but there is
one extra trick... Use a dehumidifier to drop the humidity down as low as you possibly can for the last 2-3 weeks of flowering (I've gotten the humidity as low as 25%).
This extreme dryness will encourage the buds to seal and protect themselves with additional resin (in other words, a sparkling outer layer of THC-heavy trichomes).
As an added bonus, this trick also gets your buds prepped for a successful, mold-free drying process because your buds have already given up some of their moisture.
6.) Make Sure Grow Room has Strong Air Flow & Good Ventilation
This is yet another factor having to do with air quality (we already listed temperature and humidity).
Over time, any grower (especially indoor growers) will see that great air quality is a big contributor to star-quality buds. Air flow and ventilation are essential if you want to create perfect air quality.
For 1-3 plants smaller to mid-sized plants, you'll probably be fine with an oscillating fan or two. With a big grow and hot lights, you'll need a better exhaust system to ensure proper airflow, but it can be easy to set up!
7.) Keep Educating Yourself
Never accept that you already know it
all.
To the grower, knowledge and information are priceless. Being open to learning will make you an expert grower much faster than figuring everything out yourself by trial and error.
Luckily, these days, anyone can use the internet to learn everything they need to know to start growing top-quality buds.
We hope that sites like GrowWeedEasy.com make it easier for anyone to learn how to grow.
But the best growers continue to educate themselves about horticulture, proper environment, and what makes marijuana plants happy. You never know when you'll hear a tip that makes growing 10X easier or which helps you take your quality to the next level.
And don't forget to sign up for our weekly growing email newsletter (on the right-hand side of the page) to get tips and growing information delivered to your email inbox every Sunday morning!
To Sum it Up:
Learn everything you can, start with good genetics and create the perfect growing environment to produce the best buds!
Wait! What about Carbon Dioxide (CO2) - Is It Worth It?
A lot of people write in to ask if adding CO2 to their grow area will increase the quality of your buds.
And so today I want to clear things up. CO2 is something you can add to the air of your grow room to increase yields, not quality.
Adding CO2 is most effective when you are using bright, high-powered lights (such as an 1000W HPS) that give off more light than your plants can naturally use.
You see, adding more and more lights will increase your yields up to a certain point, but then your plant just stops responding to more light. At this point, no matter how much light you add, your yields stay the same or get worse (from light/heat stress).
Because of a unique plant process, adding CO2 to the air makes it so that your plants can
use more of the light, which can increase your overall yields.
Another advantage is that marijuana plants will thrive at higher temps when there's lots of CO2 in the air.
However, in my experience buying CO2 is not the cheapest way to increase your yields, unless you have already
invested in a blinding, monster light system. In short, you should have every other part of your grow maxxed out before CO2 seems like an option. That's why for many small-scale growers, adding CO2 is a waste of money that could be better used in other ways.
My advice: Make sure you're comfortable running a grow with at least a 1000W HPS and take care of the more basic stuff (the other items on
this list) before you think about adding CO2...otherwise it might not even be worth the effort you put in.
Get the important stuff one more time and get it super quick! |
It doesn't get much shorter than this!
The pertinent, take-home information of the newsletter distilled to down to bite-sized
form! Okay, it's a pretty big bite but it's not that bad!
7. Keep learning
- Speaking of which, here's a cool trick I learned from a reader:
- Try using a 'blunt-tipped industrial syringe' to measure nutrients. Personally, they make measuring feel 10X easier than when I used measuring cups/spoons or pipets.
|
|
"I just wanted to say thanks for putting up such a great site! It's very informative and has made growing not so intimidating! Love the articles and pics. Thank you again!! Keep on growin!"
msfrost |
Trophy Pictures of the Week |
"this is my first grow and I was wanting to thank you, your web site has been a big help. I am in my tenth week of grow and third week of flowering. thought you deserve a few pics for all your good advice.
thanks"
-dave "bud" |
We encourage you to forward this email to a friend in need!
Who Runs This
Newsletter? |
Nebula Haze:
Medical cannabis is important to me personally, and I'm dedicated to showing others how easy it is to grow their own supply of
cannabis at home.
It is my mission to educate and build growing resources to help both new and advanced growers get bigger, better yields with less time and money. |
|
Learn which seed sources are personally recommended by Nebula Haze |
Sirius Fourside:
Sirius Fourside is a hobbyist grower who has gained the bulk of his experience growing in water as a medium(deep water culture,
bubbleponics).
"Growing cannabis is a relaxing hobby in and of itself, but it also saves you money and keeps you from having to deal with shady characters. Cannabis is much
easier to grow than people give it credit for, and growing in water doesn't increase the difficulty much, if any. But whether you want to grow in water, coco, or a different medium, we'll show you how easy it can be!"
|
|
GrowWeedEasy.com has put together a hand-picked list of all the available SEED BANKS including what type of payment they
accept and where they ship in the world!
View complete list of trusted seed sources:
http://www.growweedeasy.com/seeds
Why not start your grow with quality genetics from an award-winning
strain? Or choose a strain that suits your growing style and personal needs. Still not sure? We recommend Nirvana. They've been breeding award-winning strains for decades
and offer some of the most reliable stealth shipping in the industry. In our complete seed sources list you'll discover... - Which Seed Sources are Fast, Safe and Reliable (list is updated regularly)
- Credit Cards, Debit Cards, Check Money Order, Paypal & even more secure payment options!
- Connoisseur, High-CBD & Medical Grade Strains Available
- Find Out Which Seed Sources Deliver to YOU!
Get Seeds!
|
Copyright (c) 2015 GrowWeedEasy.com NOTE: If links aren't working or if pictures are not showing up properly, please view the full newsletter here: http://archive.aweber.com/gwe-updates
Disclaimer: Grow Weed Easy only recommends products that we've either personally checked out ourselves, or that come from people we know
and trust. For doing so, we may receive a commission.
Nothing in this e-mail should be considered personalized Financial, Legal, Medical or any other kind of Advice. The contributors to this magazine grow legally under their local laws. If you cannot legally grow where you live, we DO NOT recommend that you start growing marijuana, as you can be arrested, put in prison, or
worse! Any decision to grow marijuana should only be made after consulting with an experienced lawyer or other legal adviser. Although our staff may answer your general customer service questions, they are not licensed under securities laws to address your particular investment or
legal situation. No communication by our staff to you should be deemed as personalized Financial or Legal Advice. Any investments and steps recommended in this letter should be made only after consulting with your lawyer or other legal or investment adviser. Nothing in this e-mail should be considered personalized Health Care or
Medical Advice. Although our staff may answer your general customer service questions, they are not licensed health care professionals. No communication by our staff to you should be deemed as personalized Health Care Advice. Any Health Care recommended in this letter should be made only after consulting with your Doctor and licensed Health Care Adviser. How Did I Sign Up For This Newsletter?
Our records indicate that requested to be added to the GrowWeedEasy.com weekly newsletter at .
Date:
To unsubscribe: |
|
