Professional Marijuana Grower July-August 2019 Issue | Page 26

benefi cial microbial population. They also simply give the plant access to more carbohydrates. A large num- ber of fl avor enhancing additives also contain amino acids which contribute to the overall health of the plant. Providing the plant with sugars and/or increasing the plant’s overall health indirectly helps increase terpene production. There are also nutrient additives that are specifi cally designed to increase terpene production and are advertised as such. These additives utilize naturally occurring plant compounds that are bio-os- motic potentiators. These compounds encourage plants to up their production of terpenes and essential oils. In other words, they make cannabis plants increase their production of trichomes. Feeding Regimen for Terpene Production Let’s get growing naturally The last few weeks of the fl owering stage is a critical time for terpene production in cannabis plants. As stated earlier, a plant creates terpenes to protect itself and to increase its chances of successful reproduction. This explains why a cannabis plant expends the most energy on producing terpenes during its fi nal stages of fl owering. And this is just one of the reasons why a can- nabis grower should reduce or alter his or her feeding regimen during the last stages of fl owering. The vast majority of a cannabis plant’s terpenes are found in the trichomes on the fl owers or buds. Particular elements, such as nitrogen, are known to slow down fl ower for- mation. This reduces the production of trichomes and, in turn, the production of terpenes. A balanced nutrient regimen with a reduced amount of nitrogen should be used throughout the fl owering stage. It is important to completely eliminate nitrogen from the feeding regimen during the fi nal two weeks of fl owering. This will help promote larger fl owers and more trichomes/terpenes. Temperature and Humidity for Maximizing Terpene Production To see the full line of Age Old products and find a dealer near you please visit: www.tradewindsgarden.com 26 • Professional Marijuana Grower The atmospheric conditions of an indoor garden or greenhouse can also signifi cantly impact the terpene production in cannabis plants. For example, the high temperatures from an artifi cial light source can actually damage terpenes and essential oils. This is one reason why it is recommended to lower the operating tempera- ture of a fl owering room during the last couple weeks of fl owering. Generally speaking, the optimal operating temperature for growing cannabis is 75-80 degrees F. During the last couple of weeks of fl owering, some growers will drop the temperature range by 5-10 de- grees F. This reduction in temperature will slightly stress the plant (which actually increases terpene production) and protect the terpenes from being damaged by exces- sive heat. A gardener must be careful to not drop the temperature too low, as operating temperatures below 60 degrees F can be counterproductive and reduce yields. It is also important that there is not a differential July/August 2019