Subscriptions - Maximum Yield Cannabis USA November/December 2020 | Page 30

tips from
OUR BUDS
WANT BIG BUDS?!
Start at the
Roots
by Chris Bond
The importance
of root health for
cannabis plants can’t
be understated. If you
want big buds, you
need thriving roots.
Just as a weak foundation won’t support
a building properly or for a long time, weak
cannabis roots won’t serve to support your cannabis plant.
The development of healthy branches, stems, nodes, leaves,
and flowers are all dependent upon a thriving root system.
Unfortunately, though, since you can’t usually see the root
system, it is often too late before root damage is noticed, and
usually the damage is irreversible at that point. By taking
a few simple steps, you can give your cannabis crop’s
roots all the nutrition and advantages they need to
support the production of those buds that you love.
First, let’s look at some of the basics of roots.
A Primer on Roots
Your cannabis’s roots perform many vital
functions. They help anchor the plant into the
ground or medium in which they are cultivated.
Without this function, the plants would require support
structures to keep them from falling over, especially
during flowering when the branches hold more
weight as the buds develop. Equally important, if
not more so, the roots serve as the conduit between
the water and food that your plants need and the
branches, leaves, and flowers that need them.
They absorb and distribute water and nutrients
to the plant through networks within the plant’s
vascular system, driven by capillary action. Thirdly,
they store the food created by the leaves during
photosynthesis and release it as needed during
critical periods of development.
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