The Cannabis Lifestyle
To Grow Or Not To Grow
Part Three/Four-Part Series: Flowering, Harvesting, Drying, and Curing By Alex Robles Do you feel that? The seasons are changing, the nights are getting longer and cooler. The days are getting shorter and your cannabis plant senses the end is near. This change in the photoperiod/light cycle is what’s going to trigger our cannabis plants’ flowering cycle outdoors. In this next section of “To Grow or Not to Grow” we’re going to talk about the cannabis flowering stage. We’re also going to cover the harvesting time, drying and curing of our buds. Sexing Our Plant — A well trained eye can spot signs of pre-flower on a cannabis plant about 3 to 4 weeks into the vegetative stage. An untrained eye must wait until the flowering cycle starts. Before we get too far into when flowering starts, let’s talk about sexing our plants. “Sexing” our cannabis plant simply means to figure out if a plant is female or a male before the flowering stage begins. The earlier we know the sex, the more time and money it’s going to save on soil, nutrients, and water during its lifecycle.
inside. A lot of cannabis varieties will go through what’s known as a “pre-flower stretch” and have a sudden growth spurt. This “stretch” is natural and as long as the plant looks healthy, without any signs of stress or deficiency, she’s doing exactly what she should be doing. You’re not going to need to change anything until you see actual signs of flowering.
Female Cannabis flower “Stigmas”
Weeks 3 to 4 — After that transition period, you’ll start to see the first signs of sex organs. The female cannabis will start to push out thin, whispy white hairs called “Stigmas” (mislabeled as pistils). These hairs are there to capture male cannabis pollen so they can start to make a seed. The Stigmas grow in the spot where the leafstalk meets the stock, stem, or branch and this is where the buds (flower) will begin to build. Buds are made up of a cluster of small flowers called “Raceme.”
The fastest way I’ve sexed a plant is to send a small genetic/ Nutrients — As the seasons change tissue/smear sample from a seedling to a testing lab and cooler temperatures move in, you Male Cannabis specializing in this type of plant test. These labs can test a may need to water less. Check your soil Pollen Sacks sample and tell me if it’s a boy or a girl. There is a small cost before you water. If your cannabis plant for this type of lab work. Typically, results are returned a few looks wilted and is drooping, it may need water. If the plant days after receiving the sample. just looks droopy, you might be over watering. The Beginning of Flowering — The first 2 weeks of flowering If you’re using bottled nutrients, check the manufacturer’s is known as a transitional period. Since the plant thinks that recommendation for the flowering cycle. winter is on its way, it will start to hormonally change deep Continued on Page 24 22 Cannabis by the Sea Fall 2021
