Get Growing in 2026 style of plant, you may have to repeat the training and pruning until about weeks 4-5( at the latest). At this stage, the plant will finally stop growing in length and really just focus on the buds the rest of the time.
The plant is made up of Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary buds. When you make a flat bud canopy and prune off all the lower junk( small budsites), all sites will now be primary, meaning all buds will be quite uniform, trimmed with less effort, and dry more evenly. They will also all be“ Top Buds.”
It Is Now Time to Harvest— Trim, Dry, and Consume!
ALL TOPS
Not Ready Ready to Harvest
Ready to Harvest
Remember that all varieties grow differently. Let the plant tell you what it wants. Do not get discouraged by a small or“ not great” harvest; it could simply be the plant’ s variety and nothing you did wrong.
The most important thing is Do Not Mess with Your Plants All the Time. Look at them daily, keep up on their watering, and prune a few times. That Is All!
Weeks 3-7: Keep an eye out for heavy buds weighing down branches. Some varieties are more prone to this than others. If I ever have this issue, I like to support my branches with Yo-Yo hangers.
Determining Plant Maturity— When is it time to Harvest?
During the flower stage, the plant develops its buds; MYTH BUSTED! Many people think you need to count days or buy microscopes to look at trichome formation to assess when the plant is ready to harvest— Not True. Simply look at the“ hairs.” Those white hairs that the plant sprouts out at the bud sites will change color and retract, indicating maturity. That is all you need to look at to determine when it is ready to harvest. I like to harvest when the buds have reached about 94 % or more color change.
Tip: When you think it’ s done, wait several days— lots of sugar and fattening will happen!
As always, please feel free to come out to Emerald Garden’ s Growers Club if you’ d like to talk to me in person and get advice on your grow. It’ s every Tuesday to Thursday from 4-8 p. m. at 6532 Blue Ridge Cutoff.
Scan the QR code to see more of Gerry’ s How-To videos. Gerry is also available at Emerald Garden Grow Supply for Free personal grow consultations. He’ s happy to help walk you through your grow from seed to harvest!
Gerry Donovan, the owner of Emerald Garden Grow Supply, Raytown, MO, says,“ I am not a plant Biologist nor a Chemist. I do not have any formal cannabis plant education, as that was a non-existent thing before today’ s world. I do, however, have a passion for cannabis, which words fail to describe. I’ ve traveled throughout Europe, including Amsterdam, Spain, and Canada, where I not only ventured into the world of seeds and genetics but also continued my quest to learn as much as I could about Growing the Plant. I continue to expand my knowledge via grow seminars and cultivators’ conferences and, most importantly, through simple discussions with other growers. Over the last 22 years, I’ ve developed my own Grow Methodology through trial and error with love and passion. I hope to guide you on the pathway to enjoying the best cannabis you have ever consumed— your own homegrown!” Cannabis – Education – Wellness.
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