How can you tell the start of the Cannabis flowering stage?
There will be a noticeable plant stretch as it grows vertically during the early flowering stage of Cannabis. In that case, the need for water and nutrients may steadily increase. Aside from that, there are things that you need to remember to take care of your Cannabis in this stage for you to get the ideal yield you want from them.
Watering Regularly
You need to water your Cannabis plants with clean and safe water. It would be best to use chlorine-free or filtered water during this time. If you only have access to chlorinated water just leave it in an open container overnight before giving it to your plants. Chlorine is an extremely volatile substance that just evaporates when not in a closed container. Also, always keep your eyes on the drainage to prevent problems like overwatering, root rots, and more. Daily watering is advisable when you are using small pots. If using large containers, switch to watering every two days. You may also check the soil to know if your Cannabis plants need watering by sticking your finger down a few centimeters or an inch into the soil. If it is dry, it is time to water your Cannabis plants.
You can learn more about this in our post about spotting root rot, and how often to water cannabis.
Regulating Light
Ensuring a Photoperiod or a light cycle of 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness is vital in the flowering stage. During the dark periods, do not interrupt their moment even for a second. As much as possible, prevent light contamination by following a strict schedule to avoid slowing down the budding process and producing hermaphrodite flowers. Especially light leaks can be fatal at this stage as they can stress your plants to the point that they reinter the vegetative growth stage.
Regulating Temperature
During the flowering stage of your Cannabis plants, regulate the temperature of your plants between 64° Fahrenheit (18° Celsius) to 79° Fahrenheit (26° Celsius). If your crops are exposed below this temperature for an extended period, it may negatively affect the plant or kill them. It may stunt their growth and may cause irreversible damage. On the other hand, when your Cannabis plants are placed at high temperatures, it will cause several problems like burnt leaves, dryness, and stunted growth. You can read up on how to spot light burn here.
Controlling Right Humidity
Ensuring relative humidity is needed to keep your Cannabis plants healthy during the flowering stage. It is to avoid possible problems like mold and fungi. Ideally, you must keep 40% to 50% relative humidity during this period.
Providing Good Ventilation
Your Cannabis plants, during the flowering stage, need good ventilation to breathe and grow. Most significantly, they need it to avoid the formation of mold, rot, and fungi. Providing a moving fan in your growing environment helps a lot with your Cannabis plants. However, please do not put it directly on the buds, for it might damage them.
You may also use an exhaust fan to increase ventilation and air movement, and it can also help to lower humidity. If an exhaust fan is insufficient, you may use a dehumidifier to keep humidity within range.
Setting Right pH Levels
During the flowering stage, the pH levels must be in the range of 6 to 7 when soil is your growing medium. You need to maintain these pH levels because your plant will likely experience nutrient deficiencies and toxicities when it becomes out of this range. When this happens, the nutrients will stay in the soil, and plants cannot absorb them.
Using Appropriate Container
You need to consider the size of your Cannabis plant in selecting the size of your container. Using bigger pots will probably result in a giant Cannabis plant. Thus, it would be best if you transferred your Cannabis plants when the flowering stage starts. It is to avoid stressing your plants or any accidental damage.
Feeding Nutrients
Your Cannabis plants, during the flowering stage, need rich Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K). While Nitrogen (N) is still needed for your Cannabis, when the flowering stage sets off, you need to lower the concentration of this nutrient. Nitrogen is more appropriate during the vegetative period.
Feeding your Cannabis plants with these nutrients would be best to do it through foliar, liquid, or solid fertilizer. You need to ensure that your Cannabis plants receive these nutrients because even if you are growing them organically, plain soil is not enough to produce quality fat buds.
When it comes to dosing, you need to follow the dose indicated by the manufacturer. Also, you may lower it by 1/2 of the suggested dosage to avoid saturation. Then, gradually increase the amount until the desired result is achieved. Avoid overfeeding your Cannabis plants with nutrients, for it might result in nutrient burn. When this happens, you will notice brown tips in the leaves.
