[Vokal420]

Flowering<O</O

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Alright well once again I’m just going to cover the basics of the flowering life of the plant.. I’ll cover the basics of lighting, fertilizer, THC development and timing of harvest. <O></O>

Lighting
When you decide it’s time to flower your plant there is only one change that needs to be made in terms of lighting. This is that the light cycle needs to be change to 12/12 this mean 12 hours on and 12 hours off. During the off period the room the plants in needs to be in the dark (no more than moon light in a forest) though pitch black is best. A timer can help keep things constant (which is a must). For the 2-3 weeks of the plant being in the 12/12 light cycle it will tend to stretch, this means it will increase it’s over all size by ½ to double it’s size when entering flowering. It’s a proven fact that the warm (more red) spectrum of light is better for flowering, but daylight still works. If you have the option most growers will change from the MH (blue) to the HPS (red) to help flowering development.<O</O

<O</OFertilizer
When beginning the flowering stage of a plants life the fertilizer used should be changed to help promote bud/fruit production and lower leaf/plant structure development. When looking for a flowering fertilizer you want something with a higher Potassium rating. So something like 15-30-15 would be perfect, though any ratio where the P value is higher than N will do. Usually the watering requirements of the plants increase as well, other than that deciding when to water is done the same way as in the vegetative state.<O></O>

THC Development
The amount of THC highly depends on the strain of the plant but there are a few things growers can do to help boost THC production. One is to allow the soil to dry out before watering again, since THC is produced to help reduce moisture loss threw plant material the plants tend to increase production in time of drought. Also when air flow it high plants create more THC for the same reason, so protect the plant from transpiration of water since there is high air flow over the plant. Most plants don’t begin THC production until the stretch is over. Gradually you will see the resin glands develop around the buds and surrounding area. There are also many “bud boosters” which can be added to help promote THC production.<O</O

Timing your Harvest
There is no specific time that plants require for maximum bud production and potency. Each strain is different but there is one way to know when your plant is at it’s prime. Using a magnifying glass (best is to use a jewelers loupe) you can actually see the heads on the end of the resin glands. The Resin glands usually start as clear and as they mature begin to go cloudy and then proceed to amber. If the plant is harvested when all tips are clear the high is usually under developed and much of it’s potential is lost. If harvest when most are amber in color the high tends to be more of a couch-lock style high. As a general rule most growers will harvest when the gland tips appear milky with some amber (30-50% amber). At this point the plant as reached it’s maximum potential and your are ready to enjoy the fruits of your labor!<O</O