Size Matters: Soft Secrets to Bigger Buds

I like big buds and I can't lie, you other pot brothers can't deny... It is every weed growers dream and underlying goal to be the proud cultivator of cannabis plants with big lush buds. The buds of the cannabis plant host the highest concentration of THC. That's why it is crucial to get this part right to ensure you receive a good stash. So, keep reading and learn some soft secrets to bigger buds.

Even though there are strains that are genetically low-yielding, if you take the right steps and treat your plant with care, you’ll produce healthy and potent buds. Whether you are cultivating a large garden outside or you are growing one plant inside, the process to advance the sizes of your buds is basically the same.

By now you must know the four commandments of gardening: thou shalt prune the plants, thou shalt feed the plants, thou shalt train the plants, and thou shalt provide excellent lighting for the plants. Pruning, feeding, lighting, and training are the most effective, commonplace ways to attain big buds.

Soft Secrets to Bigger Buds

Pruning 

Weed buds are forming at the plant's nodes--the place where a branch or a leaf protrudes from the stem. There will be more nodes when the plant becomes larger, meaning it can gain more buds.  Naturally, you assume  ‘the more the merrier’, but sadly that's not the case. In fact, the very opposite would happen. The more buds are growing down the cannabis plant, the further they are from the top of the plant or the canopy.

The buds positioned lower down on the cannabis plant will try to bloom and flower but will fail to fully mature as they won’t receive enough light. To expand the produce of your cannabis plant, you must follow the ‘less is more’ philosophy and prune away every plant life that isn't receiving adequate light. Snip away the foliage and the buds that are beneath the canopy. This method will allow the plant to receive the required energy within the canopy where already there’s enough light for the buds to grow properly. 

Feeding

Proper plant nutrition is absolutely crucial for bigger and robust buds. Your marijuana plants must receive enough Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K), and Nitrogen (N) at a different stage of the growth cycle. During the vegetative stage, the plants need more Nitrogen, while during the flowering stage, more Potassium and Phosphorus.

Feeding the plant with Nitrogen while it is in the vegetative state creates a vibrant, healthy plant early on that will grow faster and more extensive.  Once the plant moves to the flowering stage, reduce the nitrogen levels. The right amount of Phosphorus would help the buds fully develop and densify. If you are using soils as a growing medium, place a layer of bat guano or worm castings to boost the P. level. A compost of tea mixture can also help during the flowering stage. This would increase mycelium in the soils, which makes sure your cannabis plant gets a higher percentage of nutrients. 

Training the cannabis plant

Training your green buddy will definitely help you increase the yields and provide you with bigger and stronger buds. Plants usually grow on a central large stalk, while other small stems grow up around it. Visualize how the cannabis plant takes the form of a menorah, and the main candle in the center depicts the central larger stalk of the cannabis plant. The main stalk grows a lovely big cola, and its height will help you locate the best spot for placing the light when growing indoors.

At this position, the down branches will receive less light than what is feasible with level canopy.  By doing high-stress training, extensively cropping the plant or low-stress training, getting the top branches tied down, the remainder of the branches will develop, and you’ll achieve an even canopy. 

Training helps your cannabis plant to redistribute its ‘growth hormones’ that are otherwise concentrated on the ‘center of the menorah’. With training, all your branches receive growth stimuli, thus ensuring growing progress for the whole cannabis plant. 

Lights: Big buds need big lights 

The top-notch quality pot you see in dispensaries or cannabis stores is the product of cannabis plants exposed to optimal indoor or outdoor light. Adequately lighting your garden is of utmost importance to get a high-quality end product. If you are growing indoors, it's essential to place the lights at a balanced height, to avoid stressing the plants from intense heat. Use a thermometer to monitor the temperature in your grow room, and you can also hand-check the plant’s canopy to see if your growth feels hot. Whether you feel instant heat, that means the lights are too close to the plants and you need to adjust them. 

For outdoor gardens, it's important that your trenches or pots are 'social distancing' so that the cannabis plant can absorb sunlight from all angles. Not just its canopy, but its sides as well.  Ideally, your outdoors cannabis garden should also face south since your green friends will receive plenty of sunlight this way. 

Extra tip for outdoor growers

Start in Spring Like every living being, the cannabis plant also has a lifecycle. In spring and the first half of summer, it grows larger and faster. Once the summer solstice has passed, the plants will grow less, but it will start flowering and producing larger buds. Big, potent buds are the ultimate goal of every weed gardener.

However, instead of focusing strictly on larger buds, provide your plant with enough nutrients, adequate lighting, prune it regularly, and ultimately you'll get a healthy, fruitful plant that keeps on giving.