A Cannabis plant goes through certain development stages like any other plant. But what does it take to grow a high-THC Cannabis plant? Our experts have broken down everything you need to know in seven stages.
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The 7 Growth Stages of Your High THC Cannabis Plant
Growing a high-THC marijuana plant is easier when you break the process into seven crucial cannabis stages. The requirements for light, nutrients, and water often vary at every stage. An experienced grower can provide the perfect environmental requirements at every stage of marijuana growth. Surprisingly, a marijuana plant can grow like any other weed when you meet its requirements, but success is not guaranteed. You need to understand all its needs in the stages discussed in this article to get the best results from your plant. Let’s dive into the life cycle of high-THC Cannabis plants.
1. Cannabis High THC Seeds
It’s not easy to tell if a cannabis seed is female or male by just looking at it. You can’t tell if it has high THC levels. So how can you be sure the marijuana seeds you plant will give you high THC buds? The question is important because only female plants produce trichome-rich cola buds with high THC levels. You will not get that from the male plant. Growing male and female weed plants in the same garden can affect marijuana bud harvest.
The male plant’s main purpose is to pollinate its female counterpart. However, this sounds good, but only if you want to produce seeds. After pollination, female plants begin using their energy to make seeds, so the buds are deprived of this energy.
If you want an increased bud harvest and to enjoy the high-quality euphoric properties of Cannabis, you should separate the female and male plants immediately. Proper research before purchasing your seeds will help you find quality seeds that will bring desired results. Many resources like this comprehensive guide AskGrower.com – https://askgrowers.com/seeds/thc. It features tips on choosing the right THC cannabis strains, THC seeds benefits and detailed information on how to grow them successfully. You’ll also get the best high-THC cannabis seeds recommendations. Planting seeds from the best vendors ensures the seeds you purchase will produce the desired results.
2. Germination Stage
Cannabis seed germination takes approximately 3-10 days. A good seed for germination should feel dry and hard. Underdeveloped seeds tend to be white or green, and their possibility of germinating is small. After the seeds have sprouted or germinated, you can place them in a growing medium such as soil.
Precaution: Don’t try to speed up the cannabis seeds germination process. These seeds are delicate, and moving them around is not wise. A warm environment with constant temperature and medium water levels is perfect. After placing them in the soil, just let them be.
3. Seedling Phase
The Cannabis seedling stage lasts 2-3 weeks. The perfect light conditions during this stage are 6 hours per day for outdoor weed plants and 18 hours for indoor plants. You will first notice single-bladed leaves. The blades will then develop the popular marijuana fan leaves that most people are familiar with. Typically, a new weed plant is not considered a seedling until it develops a certain number of blades (5-7) on each leaf.
In the seedling stage, your plant has tiny roots, so don’t overwater it, or you’ll destroy them. Practice conservative and careful watering. Apart from killing the seedlings because of overwatering, you can expose them to mold. Always keep the environment clean and maintain proper humidity.
Because high-THC weed plants are highly fragile during the seedling stage, many experienced outdoor growers will often grow them indoors and then take them outside when the environment is easier to monitor.
4. Vegetative Growth Phase
In this stage, your plants have well-established root systems and 4-6 growth nodes. The perfect humidity level at the vegetative growth stage is 65-70%. It would be best if you potted up your seedlings into a 1-gallon container or directly into the final growing area in this stage. It creates a perfect condition for root expansion to promote continued foliage growth. When your weed plants are growing vigorously at the veg stage, employing great pruning and training techniques helps shape them for good products in the future without affecting growth.
5. Flowering Stage
The stage comes naturally when your plant receives less than 12 hours/day of light. For cannabis plants to enter this flowering stage, they require 10-12 hours/day of complete darkness. You check the pistil’s colors on cola buds to know when your plant is ready for harvest. The Trichome head turns from white to milky, then opaque. The trichomes produce flavonoids, terpenes, THC, and other cannabinoids.
During the flowering stage, marijuana plants enjoy medium humidity and warm weather and will thrive highly if you provide them with blooming nutrients. If you notice signs of trichomes falling off, it means you allowed your cannabis plant to grow for a long, and most cannabinoids are depleted, which means you need a new batch. Your trichomes become brown if levels of THC begin to reduce. Although allowing some brown trichomes is fine, experts recommend you start harvesting when most are opaque. More white-red pistils mean that THC levels are high, and you’ll enjoy a euphoric high.
6. Harvesting Stage
When harvesting your high-THC Cannabis, divide the plant into multiple smaller branches. It speeds up the drying process later. Utilize a strong cord or string to hang your branches upside down (several meters above the floor) in a dark space. Your room shouldn’t be too humid or hot. The branches will dry after 1-2 weeks. Drying weed is a crucial step during the harvesting stage for several reasons. First, freshly harvested buds are too wet for a joint. Second, dry weed is unlikely to catch mold that can ruin it.
7. Pruning & Storing Stage
It would be wise if you pruned your cannabis plants after harvesting. The main reason is rounding out the buds and enhancing your experience. If you’re a novice grower, pruning the marijuana plant while it’s still wet is easier. The dry method might be difficult because leaves tend to curl. A sharp pair of pruning scissors is vital at this stage. You might also need hardening gloves to prevent the bud’s sticky resin from catching your hands.
The first step is to pluck fan leaves from the buds with your hands. You’ll then trim off sugar leaves using your scissors. You can use them in making marijuana concentrates. They can also be a fine ingredient for making edibles. All the things you prune from Cannabis can serve an important purpose, but the ultimate glory comes from the bud.
After this, you can cure your Cannabis or not. It involves storing it in airtight containers like a glass jar and letting it age for 1-3 weeks. During this stage, you can open up the jar once a day to allow your harvest to absorb the fresh air. However, this process is optional. Your dry Cannabis is fine to use even without the curing stage.
If you’re storing Cannabis for long-term use, vacuum-sealed containers are the best to ensure your weed stays fresh for long periods. Note that THC levels will always reduce with storage time, even if you store your weed in tightly sealed containers. Most growers prefer cloning their excess marijuana and starting the growing cycle again.
Summing Up
Growing high-THC Cannabis sounds like an easy thing, but there are specific things you need to do to get the best results. First, soak your THC seeds in a wet paper towel or water to enhance sprouting; it will help during germination. During the vegetative phase, observe the nodes and eliminate unwanted male species. If you want to keep male plants, separate them from the female ones. Triggering the flowering phase involve reducing light from artificial or natural sources.
Pay great attention to the colors of the trichome heads, pistils, and thin hairs because they help determine cutting and harvesting time. During the drying season, ensure your hand your wet marijuana buds in a dry, cool, and dark room for at least a week. Although you can skip the curing stage, it improves your buds and enhances your experience. If you want to grow the same buds in the future, you can allow a male plant to pollinate some of your female plants into seeds, or you can clone one branch!
Tia Moskalenko wrote this article. Tia has written cannabis-related articles for over ten years for reputable companies, including AskGrowers.Com. She aims to present her ideas and arguments clearly and compellingly. While not creating marijuana content, Tia loves visiting Cannabis labs to learn about different cannabis strains.