Starting Your Grow Part III
This Class 207, we will be wrapping up our review on growing at home so we can start exploring a new technique when we begin to experiment with our now flowering garden. Our garden has been outdoors this cycle, and running organic nutrients which we will discuss using then ramping up during the flower cycle. The flowering phase is not a huge leap into new territory but it is the time to maximize your light, nutrients, and attention to detail to ensure you get the best possible results. I have been flowering my plants in the cold of the ‘Arizona Winter’ with little issues, but as we start to enter spring I am hopeful that my plants will finish strong. We will cover these topics so you might find a new hobby after our review at the beginning of 2022. Let’s review our basics on flowering, talk about routines, then get into some new curriculum in our next installment.
The Sun in Spring
The spring season is just around the corner and we are seeing our flowering plants taking on color and weight as they approach harvest. I have been very pleased with this run, and would highly recommend anyone try growing in this season where the Arizona heat is not an issue. The rapidly approaching spring equinox will be a time for shifting our plans for when the photocycle starts to change. The winter sun has been excellent but I was using the light and dark cycles to guide my plants before concerning myself with the cold.The usual photocycle shift is to 12 hours light and 12 hours dark for the flowering phase of cannabis but to actually trigger the change within the plant, you need 12 hours dark or more. That said, to reveg a plant from flowering and back into vegatative stages, you need to supplement additional light to trigger the changes within the plant which is usually 12 hours or more of light on. The equinox is when the sun is in alignment with the equator causing the light and dark cycles to even at 12 hours each of light and dark. The upcoming spring equinox will bring a longer light cycle going into summer compared to the longer nights of winter after the fall equinox.
Outdoor Nutrition
I have been running my garden using organic nutrients, and the plants have been enjoying the treatment. My primary nutrient is the RAW Bloom formula by NPK Industries in combination with Larasoil by Agromar Seaweed Solutions. THe combination has been driving my flower cycle, and I have been responding by steadily raising the nutrient amounts as we get further into flower. This ramping up of nutrients is common, but with organic nutrients the chance of ‘burning your plants is greatly reduced. Continue pH adjustments to pH 5.8-6.5 for your flowering plants, and you can customize your routine for the best results or your budget. My feeding chart for this cycle is below, and has done well to produce some potent results.
Drogado’s Current Formula
Application Chart – per 5 gallons, watering daily
ml= milliliter, tsp= teaspoon, tbsp=tablespoon
Let’s Flower
Flowering will usually run a schedule close to 8-10 weeks in which your buds are being formed. The time to complete flowering can be roughly estimated by weeks, but should be monitored up until harvest by observing the change in trichomes from clear to amber. The conditions of my outdoor flowering have been less than the medium-high humidity and temperatures seen normally, but I am still seeing great success. The defoliation of the plants will need to happen as needed and use best judgment for how much to remove. I will stop my foliar feeds and sprays in week three of flowering to lower any risks of mold or bud rot. We want high light, and to push our nutrients heavily to maximize the potential of our plants. The plants will increase trichome production as a stress response when at the end we use 24-48 hours of darkness to achieve this. Maintaining a steady amount of airflow will be crucial to prevent any critters of sickness from taking up residence. The joys of flower will be seen, and hopefully in time you will go from reading to smoking your home grown weed. Be sure to download the Cannabis Cactus app, visit the website, or continue reading the magazine for more home cultivation education.
See the whole cultivation series to keep reading and learning.
Adrian Ryan was born in New Mexico and attended school since elementary in Arizona, his time growing up split between the two states. He hopes to work towards recreational cannabis, enjoys reading, writing, film, music, and also writing music.