Welcome to the Stage 2 of Pot Prof’s complete guide to growing weed!
The joy of growing cannabis is contagious. When this art form is shared, the world becomes a better place, and creativity is unleashed. In Stage 2, creativity is manifest in both these wonderful being we will be growing, but also in ourselves as we care for them and help them through the next 8 to 10 weeks.
Stage 2 is all about growing your little seedlings into strong, mature, flowering marijuana plants. This is where the basic gardening skills of watering and pruning will come to the fore. Thankfully, I am going to walk you through every stage of the cultivation process. Whether you are growing autoflowers or photoperiods makes no difference: I’ll take you through the entire journey.
The fun parts of growing weed are just up ahead. Soon, you will have your very own weed garden with mature flowers ready to harvest.
Links to go back to previous stages of this guide:
WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW?
Each section of the guide to Stage 2 is composed of smaller guides for each phase in the grow cycle.
- The 3 phases of cannabis growth:
- Early Growth
- How to balance nutrients and PH levels while the plant is still young
- How to train cannabis plants: why training matters in the early days
- Topping: what is topping and how to use this technique to maximize yields
- Late Growth
- Scrogging: how to set up a scrogging net and balance out the canopy height
- Defoliation: how to remove excess foliage and why it matters for maximizing yield
- Flowering Growth
- How to induce flowering and how to tell when your plants are ready to flower
- Early Growth
Tailor Your Growing Methods To The Needs Of Each Individual Plant
One of the best pieces I can give you is to treat each of your plants as an individual, at least in the beginning when you are just learning the ropes. Each plant can react differently and in unpredictable ways to subtle differences in care and local environmental factors within the grow space.
I am working on a guide to troubleshooting problems that come up when growing weed, such as decoding what different leaf discolorations say about the plant’s health and how to recognize bud rot and mold. As soon as I publish it, I will send out an email, so make sure that you subscribe to my mailing list.
Instructions
3 Phases Of The Growth Stage
1. Early Growth
Learn how to properly feed, water, and balance PH during the early days when plants are still young. Start training them in order to maximize light absorption. Follow the Pot Prof crash guide to topping marijuana plants in order to double or even quadruple the number of colas that your plants will produce as they mature.
2. Late Growth
Scrogging is an advanced training technique that will take the initial round of training done in phase 1 to the next level and help your plants make the most out of the growth area. Defoliation is another way to encourage you plants to put all of their energy into growing the biggest buds they can.
3. Flowering Growth
Flowering growth is where all of the previous weeks of effort begin to pay off. Learn how to tell when your plants are ready to enter the flowering growth phase and how to induce flowering growth for photoperiods. Once flowering has begun, the end of the growth stage is nigh, so get ready to harvest!
Phase 1: Early Vegetative Growth
Grow, little sprouts, Grow!
Now the real fun begins. Growing seedlings into taller mid-sized marijuana plants is when many growers start to feel like real growers. This is also where the first real gardening skills will come into play. Watering and feeding the plants is an art. Be careful not to over water or over feed your young plants. Otherwise you might burn them!
As the plants develop and your skills deepen, keep an eye out for specific needs of each plant. A lot can go wrong during these early days as the plants get used to their new living quarters, including a feeding and watering schedule. So it is important to keep an eye out for any drooping leaves or discolorations and take notes on the health of each plant.
By then end of Phase 1, the cannabis plants will have gained about a third of their total height. At this point, they will be ready for more advanced training and super cropping.
Phase 1 Snapshot Overview
Phase 1 starts with an adjustment period as plants get used to their new environment and watering schedule. These first few weeks are a delicate time, so keep an eye out for problems.
- This section then moves on to the following topics:
- How to set up a watering and lighting schedule and balance nutrients and PH levels
- How to train marijuana plants to take full advantage of the growth area under the grow light
- How to top cannabis plants to create more colas and increase the maximum yield of your grow
Phase 2: Late Vegetative Growth
Easier than it looks: a scrogging and defoliation guide
Phase 2 is a complicated phase, involving several high level gardening skills that, while risky, can significantly increase the quality and yield of your grow in the long run. Many growers who reach this stage feel uncomfortable clipping leaves and stems, bending tops, and generally repositioning plants so drastically. That’s ok. It’s all part of the process.
Scrogging is especially anxiety producing for many growers. Why? Because, if done right, the result is that the plants look uncomfortable and damaged for the first few days afterward. But don’t worry! They will bounce right back, and when they do, they will put on another third of growth to their total height.
Phase 2 Snapshot Overview
Phase 2 begins with a discussion of the various methods for training your medium sized vegetative growth marijuana plants and reasons behind each of them.
- This section then moves on to cover the following topics:
- How to scrog: how to set up a scrogging net and balance out the canopy height
- How to defoliate: how to remove excess foliage and why it matters for maximizing yield
- How to properly control pests and boost marijuana plant health
- How to adjust airflow and humidity, and avoid creating hot spots in the grow tent
Phase 3: Flowering Growth
At long last, flowers are blooming
Finally, after weeks and months of effort, the cannabis plants are ready flower. This is the most exciting phase of the entire growth stage because the plants will show their potential and produce the actual colas and buds that eventually get harvested.
Phase 3 is all about triggering flowering growth and then giving the marijuana plants the right amount of time to grow the maximum amount of buds they can. As the frosty colas form, the plants will put on the final third of growth and reach their total height. Another round of scrogging might be required, but at the end of phase 3, the plants will be ready to harvest.
Phase 3 Snapshot Overview
Phase 3 begins by discussing how to know when weed plants are ready to flower. Of course, autoflowering strains will automatically flower, but photoperiods need a little help to get going.
- This section then moves on to the following topics:
- How to induce flowering in cannabis plants by adjusting lighting and watering schedules
- How to determine the sex of a marijuana plant and look for signs of flowering
- How to perform a second round of scrogging and adjust canopy height to get even growth
- How to recognize bud rot, mold, and other signs of trouble
Free How-To Guide For Growing Marijuana
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