This Video Blog series has been some of the most fun we’ve had yet on this blog. And we hope it’s been informative to you, too.
After finishing through all nine weeks of the series, we wanted to publish the photos of how the plants looked at the very end, so you can see for yourself the grand finale. We also wanted to recap some of the major points to remember when flowering your plants.
Weeks 1, 2, and 3: The Post-Vegetative Stretch
During this time of transition from vegetative to flowering, your plant is undergoing a lot of changes. This new environment, this new light cycle, causes a significant shift in how your plant reacts. And you will visually see this shift after Week 1.
The biggest changes during the transition from veg to flower is the amount of growth and stretching that occur in the first three weeks. We refer to this as the Post-Vegetative Stretch.
During the First Week of Flowering Cannabis, you must take control of Canopy Management
In order to maximize your yield, it is very important to you take control over these plants during this time. You do not want the plants controlling you, but instead, you want to be in control during this time of wild growth. Otherwise, you will find yourself in a jungle that cannot be managed and you will face many problems down the road.
One thing that will help you stay in control of the plants is the proper use of trellis netting. We advise that you hang your trellis netting before switching the light cycle to 12/12. This way, the nets are already there and ready for your plants to grow into them.
Grow tech is defoliating by hand in Week 2
The crazy vegetative stretching and growth that occurs in Week 2 of Flower
Always stretch two layers of trellis netting above your plants. During Week 1, your plants should be just underneath the first layer of trellis. During Week 2, your plants will grow through the first layer, and you will want to lay the branches down and tuck them under the netting.
You will also need to defoliate your plants around this time. The end of Week 2 or the beginning of Week 3 is a good time to perform a heavy defoliation.
In Week 3, you will see continued stretching and overgrowth of the bush, so you should continue using your trellis to manage the vines. You are also doing this to increase yield by encouraging the plant to grow horizontally, as opposed to vertically.
The other cool development that happens during Week 3 is the emergence of these pre-bud flowering sites. It is in the third week that you finally get to see where the flowers are on the plant. This is a refreshing thing to see, and can be encouraging.
The development in Week 4 of Flowering
Weeks 4 and 5: Concluding Vegetative growth
Week 4 bud development
Week 4 continues the crazy growth these plants go through during the first half of the flowering period. By this time, your plants have more than doubled in size, both in height and sheer foliage. But as long as you have stayed on top of your canopy management and defoliation schedule, things should be under control. This is also a good time to perform your next round of heavy defoliation.
Things get really exciting in Week 5 as the flower sites actually resemble buds, and you now get to really see some bud development happening.
Weeks 6 and 7: Focusing on Maturity Growth
The plants basically conclude their accelerated vegetative growth by the fifth week of flower, and in Weeks 6 and 7, you will see the plant is solely focused on maturity growth.
Week 6 is exciting as the plant is now deep in flower and it looks that way. You will see bigger buds on the plant, and your plant will have lost any semblance of an early-stage flowering plant. Your grow room will also have a noticeably more profound aroma of cannabis.
During Week 7, you plant is even deeper in flower, the buds are huge, and your plant is now expressing different colors. This is a great time for photo shoots.
You are now ready to start peaking the plant, and you can aid in maximizing your plant’s potential by making small, incremental changes to the environment.
Weeks 8 and 9: The Peak of the Bloom Cycle
Now you are coming up on the finish line. Your plants are peaking. They are expressing new colors and aromas. This is the moment where you stand proud at what you’ve accomplished.
During Week 8 and Week 9, you will start examining the trichomes on your plants and start getting ready to chop them down. Go ahead and get your dry space ready. Make sure you have a cool, dark space where you can control temperature and humidity, as well as be able to keep the lights off.
Apple Tartz #7 pheno, day of harvest
Day 62: Harvest Time and the Pure Beauty of Cannabis
During this series, we followed two of our favorite phenos, Apple Tartz and Platinum Silk, and we tracked their week-by-week development through the flowering period. On Day 62, we harvested these plants. And prior to hanging them up for the drying phase, we captured some great shots which we present to you now.
Apple Tartz on Day 62, taken moments after harvesting
Our platinium Silk is creamy, silky smooth, with hints of vanilla and a touch of spice. This photo below was taken on Day 62, the day we harvested.
Platinum Silk on Day 62, photo taken moments after harvesting.
Macro Photography captures the maturity and development of the plant’s trichomes
We also captured some macro shots so you can see the trichomes on these plants on the day we harvested them. We worked with Cannaline Marketing and they did a great job capturing these photos.
We hope this series has been helpful to you. If you like these types of articles, let us know. If you would like pro-tips sent directly to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter.