Flowering cannabis as it happens

Flowering After two weeks, or when plants are around 8 to 12 inches tall with good stem development, indoor growers should switch the light cycle to induce flowering. The plants will stretch out slightly as they begin to bloom, but after two weeks they will settle down and concentrate on flower production. Your fertilizer should be changed to a “bloom” formulation, and you should cease all super-cropping techniques. Unless using auto-flowering strains, outdoor growers are dependent on the change in season and can induce flowering earlier by covering plants for 12 hours out of 24. Don’t interrupt your light cycles and ensure that no unwanted light is entering your indoor garden as this will disrupt flowering.

How to make a cannabis harvest

Harvesting After eight weeks of the flowering regime, predominantly cannabis indica varieties will be ready to harvest. Predominantly cannabis sativa varieties may take one to two weeks longer. The seed suppliers will advise you on flowering times. The buds should be sticky and covered with translucent resin, and 50% of the white pistils should have turned brown. Cut the plants at the stem and hang them in a dark area at room temperature. They will dry in around 10 to 14 days. Don’t try to speed this process up by applying heat. It is better to be patient and let this process occur naturally. If you are making oil there is no requirement to wait this long for the plants to dry. The main purpose of slow drying is to remove chlorophyll to improve the taste of the cannabis buds.