Flowering, Drying and Curing, Genetics, Pest Management, Articles, Growing, Germination, Seedlings, Vegetative
Biltong & Budz’ Ultimate Beginner’s Grow Guide
Mar
Growing cannabis is an extremely rewarding activity, but whether you’re doing it for personal satisfaction or to make a living, you should aim for the best quality flower possible. The process of learning to grow can take years to fine tune and any good grower will acknowledge that the journey has no destination, as one is constantly learning to improve.
Having spent the last 8 years growing my flower, I wanted to write a comprehensive guide that newer growers could use as a reference. I’ll start at the very beginning, with the selection of genetics and guide you through to when you get to smoke your hard work.
To make this easier to read, I’ve divided the discussion into separate chapters that are concise and easy to understand. If you have any feedback, I welcome you to email me so I can refine this guide further and continue to improve it.
- Understand the differences between autoflower, feminized and regular seeds.
- Start with affordable white label seeds, before moving to premium options.
The first step to growing your own cannabis is selecting the seeds you want. There’s nothing wrong with starting out with bag seeds initially, but keep in mind that these may be regular seeds and not guarantee a female plant. This is important as male plants cannot be smoked.
If you opt to buy seeds, it’s helpful to consider the level at which you want to grow. Genetics is often a bottleneck for quality and no matter how good your setup is, bad genetics are going to give you bad results.
If you’re dipping your toes into growing, consider something cheap so that you can learn the germination process without losing thousands of rands. Germination can take some time to get used to, and it’s got a lot of variables to consider.
If you’re already comfortable with your germination process, consider a reliable local breeder or something imported from Europe. Brands like Dutch Passion, Green House Seed Co, Barney’s Farm, etc. These seeds tend to offer decent quality, while still being cheaper than premium American imports.
To maximize the quality of your flower, or for breeding goals, American genetics are going to give you the best results in most cases. It’s still important to pick your breeder carefully, but America’s legal market has allowed breeders to do large scale breeding using elite clones that are only now starting to make their way into European breeders’ hands.
When buying seeds, you should also familiarize yourself with the different types:
Autoflower Seeds: These tend to grow smaller than normal cannabis varieties and unlike photoperiod cannabis which flowers based on a light cycle change, autoflowers will start flowering automatically after several weeks, regardless of the light they’re under.
Feminized Seeds: Created by reversing one female cannabis plant onto another, or onto itself. The seeds generated from this process are guaranteed female, as there are no Y chromosomes present in the genetics being used for the cross.
Regular Seeds: This is your standard cannabis seed, created by letting a male cannabis plant pollinate female plants. Regular seeds are used often by breeders, but since there’s a 50% chance of the plant being male, and not smokeable, it’s better suited for those who don’t mind tossing out a few plants as they enter flower.
CBD Seeds: CBD seeds have higher rates of CBD than regular cannabis seeds. While there is always variability in the amount of THC and CBD each seed produces, these are bred to have higher amounts of CBD and lower amounts of THC.
- Choose between hydroponics, coco/perlite and living soil.
- Understand the benefits and drawbacks of these different mediums.
Once you’ve decided on your seeds, think about the type of medium and nutrients you want to use for your grow. There’s no right or wrong way, and it’s ultimately down to preference.
There are several popular mediums to use for growing cannabis:
- Hydroponic (DWC, Rockwool, etc)
- Coco/Perlite
- Living Soil
Hydroponic systems vary in nature, but most commonly when one thinks hydro, one has DWC in mind. These systems use a reservoir of nutrient-infused water with added oxygen to grow the plants. The supply of oxygen is essential to ensuring the roots and the plant remain healthy.
Hydroponic systems require frequent maintenance to ensure cleanliness, and one needs to pay close attention to the root condition. These systems are renowned for their rapid growth, as the plants have consistent access to nutrients.
Coco/Perlite mixes consist of coco-coir, an inert medium which holds water well. The perlite helps to provide the mix with more oxygen, lowering the risk of root rot and ensuring the roots get the oxygen they need to thrive.
This can sometimes also be classified as hydroponics, but is also often classified as its own style of growing medium. Since coco coir and perlite lack nutrients, they need to be fed regularly, with attention given to both EC and pH, to ensure good uptake. While it’s possible to grow organically in a coco coir mix, it’s most often used with salt-based nutrients.
Living soil is arguably the most natural of growing mediums. Unlike inert mediums, it is teeming with microlife, which help to aid in plant growth. Living organisms in the soil, particularly microbes, work in synergy with the plant. The plant produces sugars, which feed the microbes, and the microbes then help the plant to uptake nutrients.
Living soil tends to retain moisture longer than pure coco, though many living soil mixes still use coco as a core building block in its composition. Living soil can often sustain plants for several weeks when freshly potted up – especially as many also have natural sources of nutrients mixed in.
This style of growing is favored by those who want a fully organic approach, and there’s a lot to say about the flavour and aroma of plants grown in these systems, when done correctly.
- Pick a nutrient that works well with your grow medium.
- Try different nutrient lines to find which you prefer.
The type of nutrient line you go for may seem trivial, but it’s one of the biggest differentiators in quality. Low-quality nutrients can cause slowed growth or bad-tasting flower, depending on how they’re made and used.
A lot of nutrient lines get praised for their outstanding visual qualities but fall short when it comes to how they smoke. That’s why it’s worth trying different nutrients and mediums and finding which one works for you. Over the years I’ve grown in living soil and coco – trying a range of different nutrients including: Mega Solutions (Salt-based), BioBizz (Organic), Greenhouse Powder Feeds (Available in organic and salt form), Terra Aquatica (Salt-based), Dirty Hands (Organic) and more…
I’ve found that Terra Aquatica, BioBizz and GreenHouse gave me the best flavour in a coco/perlite grow. Mega Solutions was the worst of the bunch, even in side-by-side comparisons having a blacker ash and harsher smoke. But Mega gave the best looking flowers. Even when growing in coco, it’s worth using occasional amino and fulvic acids.
In living soil, growers will often opt for an organic nutrient range. There’s a lot of options though, ranging from natural organic compost teas to bottled organic nutrients like BioBizz and Dirty Hands. When growing with organics, its often better to err on the side of caution and feed a bit less rather than overfeeding, especially with regards to nitrogen.
Nutrients are largely a personal preference, depending on what one values most – but try out a few different types and find the one that works best for your grow style.
- Follow best practices when germinating seeds to increase germination rate.
- Use what works for you, don’t try to fix what isn’t broken.
- Maintain a clean germination area to lower the risk of damping off.
The first real hurdle of growing is the germination process. This is where plants are their most vulnerable, especially to pathogens which can cause problems like damping off, where harmful fungi attack the plant and prevent it from germinating.
Each grower has their own preferred methods for germinating seeds, but one of the most common is a multi-step approach that reduces the risk for pathogens and makes it easy to monitor the process unfold.
This includes:
Step 1. Mixing 1 part 3% hydrogen peroxide to between 15 and 20 parts water, ensuring the final water is in the accurate pH range of 5.8 to 6.5, into a sterile container or cup.
Step 2. Soak the seeds in this water for 8 to 16 hours, so the water can soften the shell while the H2O2 kills potential pathogens on the seeds. This will also kickstart the germination process, as the seeds respond to the water.
Step 3. Once soaked, you can either plant the seed directly into the soil at a depth of 1 to 2 centimeters, or use the paper towel method. If you go with the paper towel method, you must ensure the paper towel is fresh and not out of your kitchen, and clean/dry your hands thoroughly, to prevent pathogens.
Use 1 part H2O2 to 15 parts water and ensure a pH range of between 5.8 and 6.5 – using a trusted water source, free from bacteria.
When moistening the towel, it’s essential to not overly wet it, squeeze some moisture out if you need to. Excess moisture will promote bacterial and fungal growth and potentially cause a lower germination rate. Fold the paper towel in half twice, to slow down the drying process before placing the seeds in and folding again, ensuring the seeds have the slightly moist paper towel on each side, covering them.
Place the folded up paper towel into a ziplock or sandwich bag, but don’t seal it fully – allowing oxygen to still enter, while also having sufficient humidity.
Step 4. If you’ve planted directly into soil, make sure the medium doesn’t dry out, but be sure not to over water at the same time. Overwatering is the most common cause of non-germination in this stage, as excessive moisture can lead to proliferation of pathogens. Typically, this means watering only when the first centimeter of the top of the soil has turned a lighter color. Place the soil under a light at around 300 PPFD; there are some great mobile apps for measuring this – for example Photone for Apple or PPFD Meter for Android.
If you went with the paper towel method, you may only need to add some moisture again after several days, and in most cases the seeds will germinate before the paper towels dry out. If the paper towel dries out too much, the roots may start growing into the paper looking for moisture.
Step 5. With the soil method, seeds should emerge from the soil in 3 to 5 days, most typically, where you will enter the seedling stage.
For the paper towel method, once the seeds have shown roots of around 2cm to 3cm long, carefully remove them from the paper towel, making sure not to damage the roots. Plant the seed in your medium of choice digging an appropriate sized hole for the length of the root. The root, naturally, should be pointing down.
- Seedlings are fragile, take special care with watering practices.
- Avoid placing seedlings under too much light.
Things start to become easier from here, but the seedling stage is also a challenging one, as the cannabis plants have yet to build up a strong root zone and their immunity is relatively weak compared to once they enter their vegetative phase.
The main challenges growers face in this growth phase are over and under watering. Underwatering can severely damage the roots, and with only a few lateral roots branching off in this stage, even minor root problems can become significant.
Overwatering in this stage can dramatically slow growth and increase the likelihood of damping off occurring, a disease that quickly kills off seedlings. Too much water can also attract fungus gnats, which can be hard to deal with and are better avoided than dealt with. So maintaining a proper watering practice during this period is essential.
If you’re growing in a living soil, you aren’t going to need to feed the plant during its seedling stage. The nutrients in the soil will keep things going just fine for several weeks. If you’re growing in hydroponics or a coco/perlite mix, this is where you’ll start feeding the plant, but with low dose nutrients.
If your nutrient line doesn’t specify a seedling EC or feeding ratio, it’s safer to look online for other charts or discussions in forums, as you won’t necessarily want to hit them with a full veg feed this early.
Lighting can be kept at between 100-200 µmol/m²/s PPFD during this period. The seedling stage is considered to last until the first set of true leaves has fully formed, with the second set forming. This is where you will enter your early vegetative cycle.
- Plants increase in growth rate, become more resilient.
- Training typically begins during the vegetative phase.
Good news! Plants that make it through to the vegetative stage have a very good chance of making it through to harvest. You’ve gotten through the hard part.
Plants in the vegetative stage grow quicker and by the middle of veg, it’s not uncommon to see a few centimeters of growth each day. This increase in growth rate means an increase in the nutrient is needed, during the first week of veg, gradually start to increase your feeds/EC. By week 2 to 3 of veg, you will likely be feeding at full strength.
The increase in growth rate needs to be matched with an increase in lighting intensity, to avoid stretchy plants. Slowly increase your light each day, until around 400-500 µmol/m²/s PPFD, or up to 650 µmol/m²/s PPFD with a high-EC feed. Increasing the lights too quickly can cause a stress response, and one should also err on the side of caution and not seek to push the plants with too much light, as this can also have adverse effects on plant health.
In a living soil, you still may not need to add feeds to your soil, depending on the size of your pot. The larger your pot, in a living soil grow, the longer you’ll be able to grow effectively without feeding.
During this period, you can explore topping and training your plants, defining the plant’s structure, which will ultimately have a noticeable impact on the yields you get. Topping is the process of removing the tips of the tops of the plant, whereafter two main stems will emerge from the node beneath it. This allows you to keep repeating this process for additional top colas.
Some growers prefer to replace the high-stress topping technique with low-stress training. In low-stress training, the branches are tied down at close to a 90-degree angle. This redistributes the growth hormones towards lower nodes that are now closer to being level with the main tops. The result is that the inner branching that otherwise would later be defoliated, would now become a viable cola.
This is also the stage where you should consider your IPM routines, which will be discussed separately on this page. In short, IPMs are a way to manage pests and without good IPM routines, it’s easy for plants to become infected with common pests like Twin-Spotted Spider Mites, Aphids, and Thrips.
Outdoors, the vegetative stage will last until the daylight hours drop in the Autumn, whereby the plants will enter their pre-flowering stage. Indoors, it will last until you change the light cycle to 12 hours on and 12 hours off.
- Plants often stretch rapidly during this period.
- An idea point to start defoliating.
When cannabis plants transition between vegging and flowering, they enter what’s referred to as the pre-flowering phase. This is where plants show pistils, but aren’t necessarily in full flower. Some people think that the change of light cycle triggers the pre-flowering phase, while others consider older veg plants that start to show pistils in veg, also in pre-flowering.
For the sake of this discussion, we’ll consider pre-flowering to start after the switch to 12/12 light cycles. You’ll want to also slowly ramp up your lights during this period, avoid switching directly to high lighting. Aim for between 600 and 800 µmol/m²/s PPFD during the early stages and ramp it up so that when flowering kicks in (around 2 to 3 weeks after flip) the PPFD is between 800 and 1000 µmol/m²/s.
During this stage of growth, your plants will undergo the fastest growth in their life cycle. They can stretch several centimeters each day. If your nutrient solution has a specific pre-flowering feed, you should start implementing this. If they don’t – avoid swapping immediately to a flowering feed, especially with salt-based nutrients which are quickly uptaken by the plant.
Instead, keep feeding your veg feed for the first 7 to 10 days of flower, while slowly reducing your nitrogen and increasing your phosphorous and potassium. By week 2 of flowering, you will likely be fully transitioned to your flowering feed.
This is a common period for growers to defoliate their plants. A process where old, lower leaves, or those blocking light from reaching budsites are removed from the plant. This is often done either on flip or around 18 to 21 days after changing the light cycle.
The pre-flowering stage ends when pistil clusters become dense and the development of calyxes/bracts on the flower begins.
- Increase nutrient levels for higher yields and full flowers.
- Be careful not to provide too much nitrogen.
- Supply a balanced amount of light that pushes plants without damaging them.
Here’s where the fun really starts. After several weeks of pre-flowering, the flowering stage will begin. In this stage, the clumps of pistils will start to fill out with the development of calyxes. These calyxes are what define the flowering stage.
In the flowering stage, environmental control becomes essential. You’ll want to reduce humidity in this stage to prevent molds from forming on or in the flowers. It’s also important to deal with any pests before the flowering stage begins as most pesticides can be toxic when combusted.
In the early flowering stages (after pre-flowering) you’ll likely have transitioned fully to your flowering feed. At this point, it’s essential to find the right balance in feeding ratios, too much nitrogen in the flowering stage can significantly lower the quality of your smoke, reducing terpene development and creating a harsher smoke.
How much you feed depends on your preferences, with some salt growers opting for a safer low EC of 1.2 to 1.5, while others will push their plants harder with high EC feeds. Higher EC tends to create bigger yields and can cause flowers to fill out more. However, it can also lower the quality of the final product, depending on one’s processes – so erring on the side of lower feeds is common for those seeking the best flavor.
Living soil organic growers will often transition to feeding more compost teas, or use top-dressings and other amendments to boost the phosphorus and potassium in the medium. They may also feed additional microbes (such as a consortium), aminos and fulvics to improve the uptake of nutrients.
Bottled organic nutrients like BioBizz are also popular for soil growers through flower, and it’s not uncommon to split up feeds with a water only day once or twice a week to prevent over feeding. Unlike salt-based nutrients which are rapidly uptaken by the plant, changes to organic feeds can take a bit of time to have an impact on the plant’s health, so it’s important to give it some time when correcting a problem, to check if the plant responds.
During the flowering stage, lighting can be turned up quite high. But a common mistake made nowadays with LED lights is that they are turned up too high and cause all sorts of unusual symptoms from the plant, it can manifest as nutritional deficiencies, bleaching or other strange mutations.
A flowering light intensity of 800 to 1200 µmol/m²/s is typical, but once one goes over 1200 µmol/m²/s, having additional CO2 becomes more necessary. Some growers even push their lighting up as high as 1500-1800 µmol/m²/s, but this should be reserved for those with control over CO2 levels and an understanding of the challenges involved when driving plants that hard.
The flowering stage usually lasts around 60 to 70 days, but some phenotypes may finish as early as 50 to 55 days or as long as 90+ days. Afghani-type genetics tend to finish sooner, while Hazes and landrace Sativas can flower for over 15 weeks.
- Flushing’s value is debated, and often a personal preference.
- Studies on flushing have long lacked authority and comprehensiveness.
Flushing is the process where large amounts of water are run through the medium leading up to harvest. The idea is that having a lower EC will force the plant to consume its own nutrients, which are stored in reserves inside of the plant leaves. This process then draws the chlorophyll out of the leaves, which in theory could provide a smoother smoke.
The discussion around flushing is a polarizing one, if you don’t want to flush or feel it’s not important, you shouldn’t feel obligated to do it. But for many, their own anecdotal experiences suggest a distinct difference in quality.
When flushing, a common method is to do an initial flush that’s between 2 and 3 times the volume of the medium. So if you’re in a 10L pot, run 20 or 30 litres of pure pH balanced water through the medium. Then follow it up with water only for 10 to 14 days prior to harvest.
Using an EC pen, you can also measure the EC or PPM of the runoff, which will let you gauge how much nutrient is still in the medium through the flushing process.
A large part of what makes people question the process is specific discussions relating to studies performed on the topic. But it should be noted that in most cases these studies are not comprehensive and they often don’t factor chlorophyll presence into the equation, instead just measuring cannabinoids and terpenes between flushed and unflushed plants, along with subjective feedback from participants.
Perhaps the most important part of the grow. No matter how well you grew your plants, mistakes in the drying and curing phase can dramatically reduce the quality. That’s cause flowers that are dried out too quickly or at too high temperatures can suffer from a loss of terpenes. Terpenes are what provide the aroma and the flavour, and they vary in their volatility.
Terpenes, which are volatile, can evaporate at high temperatures or through exposure to light, which can cause the drying product to smell like grass or hay, instead of the rich aromas you remember during the flowering phase.
Even cannabinoids like THC can be affected. THC is a prime example, as it converts from a highly psychoactive compound to CBN, which is more narcotic. This is why it’s essential to dry cannabis in a dark area. Ideally, they should be dried in complete darkness.
During the drying process, you want to ideally have a humidity of 50 to 55% and a temperature of 15’C to 20’C. These temperatures are often hard to achieve in summer months without an air conditioner, which means even though they’re considered ideal, many of us just won’t be able to make that a reality.
Instead, focus on trying to keep the area as cool as possible and acknowledge that there may be degraded overall quality if the environment is particularly hot. Similarly, having a dry environment with low humidity can cause plants to dry out rapidly, and not go through the drying process in an ideal, slower manner.
Just make sure your drying space doesn’t get too humid, as this can lead to molds which can destroy your entire crop. I’ve found that a grow tent with low-set extraction fan provides me with good airflow and allows me some control over my humidity. I may also use a dehumidifier in the winter months if the ambient air is humid.
After between 5 and 15 days, your flower will be dried and ready to cure. You want to make sure it doesn’t dry too far, but also avoid jarring when still too moist, which can cause mold. Once in the jar, you should let the jar breathe each day for 10 to 15 minutes, repeating for around 7 to 10 days until the flower has achieved the ideal moisture content.
A common method for checking how ready it is, is for growers to try snapping the stems of the plant. If they crack, they are sufficiently dried. I also find that using the petioles can be a good indication. If the petiole can be snapped off the stem without feeling like it’s bending and pulling down the stem, then I feel it’s ready.
Trimming is another variable where people have their own preferences. Some trim the flower immediately after harvest, while others dry the full plant and then trim it after the dry. In my opinion, there’s no right or wrong way and it should instead revolve around your environment. If you’re harvesting in winter and find your plants take too long to dry or that there’s too much humidity, trimming them first can reduce the humidity and speed up the drying process. Inversely, in summer, doing a full plant hang and trimming afterwards becomes beneficial, as it can slow down the drying time.
Regardless of which stage of growth you are in, if you’re growing indoors and not growing autoflowers, you’re probably going to be potting up several times through your run. Typically plants are started in smaller pots, ranging from 300ml to 3L. Then during the vegetative stage they are potted up, either to a 5, 7 or 10L pot. Smaller plants may go into flower in a 10L pot, but many growers will prefer another potting up into the final 15L or 20L pot.
As a general guideline, the pot size can be equated to the yields and for yields between 10g and 20g a 5L to 8L pot can suffice. A 10L to 15L pot can better facilitate a yield of between 20 and 70g and pots of 20L+ can typically facilitate yields of 70 to 100g.
A common term in cannabis cultivation is “Bigger roots, bigger fruits”.
It’s possible to get more or less yield, but the idea here is that plants with that much flower mass are feeding and drinking a specific amount of water, and while the temperature and humidity also play a role in this regard. These pot sizes make it more reasonable for watering practices. Large plants in small pots may need to be watered several times a day.
When potting up, it’s also highly recommended to use mycorrhizae and add it into the pot, on top of your first layer of soil, before placing the plant inside and filling up the rest of the pot. Mycorrhizae are beneficial fungi that form symbiotic relationships with plant roots, enhancing nutrient and water uptake. They improve soil structure, increase resistance to stress, and boost plant growth. For cannabis, mycorrhizae help maximize root efficiency, leading to healthier plants, stronger yields, and better resilience against drought, pests, and nutrient deficiencies.
Pests and diseases are a natural threat for all plant life, which is why it’s essential to take not only reactive measures to these problems, but proactive measures too. IPM stands for integrated pest management. It’s typically a routine growers use with their crop to prevent pests and disease from harming or potentially destroying their crop.
IPMs are typically initiated as a preventative measure in the vegetative stage and it may include foliar sprays with Sulfur, Spinosad, Neem, Pyrol or Copper to reduce the threat of molds, or help to kill pests.
A more natural approach, commonly used by living soil growers who want natural remedies, is the introduction of beneficial insects, which can prey on the pests impacting your plant. These beneficials are usually best when introduced as a preventative or early on when pest numbers are low. They become less effective the heavier the infestation is.
Pests like spider mites, thrips, and aphids are the most common for indoor growers, but outdoor growers often have to also worry about caterpillars and Mealy bugs too.
For a more comprehensive guide on IPM options and implementations, check out our full IPM article.
Outdoor growers are somewhat at the mercy of nature, but environmental control is essential for indoor growers. When setting up your grow area, you should ensure that the following environmental conditions are considered:
- Air movement
- Humidity
- Lighting
- Temperature
- CO2
Air movement is the most important consideration, weighing largely into the risk of your grow developing mold or mildew. That’s because the movement of air can remove spores from the room, as well as reduce the humidity.
The most important thing to ensure is that your grow tent has an extractor fan, which removes stale air from the tent continuously, allowing fresh air to be drawn in. This replacement of air is essential in creating a good grow environment.
On average, a 4 to 6” extractor will work for tents of 80x80cm or 1x1m. For tents that are 1.2×1.2m or larger, you’ll want at least 6”. For larger tents, an 8” extractor is more common.
The size and speed of the fan will determine how often the air in the tent is exchanged.
Having an oscillating fan is also important, as this keeps leaf surfaces cooler and also helps to disperse spores before they can settle on the leaf. Some growers will implement several fans into their setup, but be aware of wind burn. Plants too close to a strong oscillating fan can have damage caused to the edges of the leaves that are sometimes mistaken for pH issues or nutrient problems.
Humidity should be controlled in rooms with humidity problems. A dehumidifier is a bit of an investment, but if your room goes above 55% humidity, it may be necessary to avoid mold and mildew. Powdery Mildew, for instance, loves humid environments, along with a lot of other pathogens. This is especially important for flowering plants, where too much humidity can cause Botritys (bud rot) to form.
Lighting is another important element of the environment, for reference to the best lighting practices, you can scroll up and read the recommendations made for each stage of growth.
Temperature is one of the most challenging environmental issues to control on a budget. Ideally, your grow area will have a sufficient air conditioner that can reduce the room temperatures to within an ideal range (18’C to 25’C).
However, many growers can’t afford these additional costs and don’t have control over the temperatures. This causes problems in the quality of the flower being produced, with volatile terpenes being evaporated by the heat. This is especially true when temperatures reach more than 32’C indoors.
If you’re unable to bring your temperatures down, you can compensate by using CO2. CO2 helps plants to withstand higher temperatures and is one of the reasons why outdoor cannabis plants can withstand the summer heat while indoor growers sometimes can’t. Just make sure you research the safety precautions that come with using CO2 indoors.
Finally, plant training is another process you’re going to be doing through your grow (or maybe not, it depends on what you prefer). This is the process of manipulating the plant’s growth so that it produces more flowers of higher quality. It is the equivalent of what’s often called pruning, in other agriculture.
Training is typically split up into two categories:
- High-Stress Training (Topping, Fimming)
- Low-Stress Training (Tie Downs, Leaf Tucking)
High stress training, like topping, removes the apical meristem of the plant (the top node), which causes growth hormones to be redistributed to the lateral branching nodes, causing what was a single apical meristem to develop into 2 separate ones. Repeating this process several times can turn a single apical stemmed plant into one with dozens of apical stems.
It also helps create a bushier plant, promoting more lateral growth across the plant. It’s a tried and tested way of increasing yields, but certain strains do better with topping than others.
Fimming is a similar process, but one cuts the very tip of the stem instead of below the node. This causes two sets of new branching to form. This technique was initially brought to light on cannabis forums years ago, but has since become a regular practice for some growers.
These high stress training methods cause the plant to slow its growth while the hormones are redistributed, so expect a few days to a week of slowed growth after a topping.
Low stress training is a way to encourage more lateral branching and a bushier plant, but without as much stress and initial slowed growth as topping. The most common method of LST is to bend branches over and tie them down, typically at a 90-degree angle.
The repositioning of the main branches inline with lower nodes of the plant causes the plant to push more hormones and enzymes to those lower nodes. This allows growers to create a plant structure that encourages more even tops.
The whole point with both training methods is to end up with a more even canopy with a higher amount of bud sites.
I hope you found this article helpful, it’s an effective way to understand the growing process through all of its stages. If you’d like us to add any additional talking points, leave a comment with what you’d be interested in knowing about.
trichomechaser420
Trichome Chaser has worked as a genetics consultant for Biltong and Budz for a number of years, advising on breeder ethics, strain recommendations and assisting customers with their grow situations. He is a breeder, grower and passionate genetics collector who specializes in cannabis photography.