Have you visited a cannabis farm before and felt attracted to the bushy marijuana plants with a potent and tempting smell? Not only do such plants scream of an abundant harvest, but the unique scent of the flowers tells you that the weed is full of flavor. Having such a farm is the dream of every cannabis grower. But how do you grow marijuana that can give off such a smell?
The smell of the buds contributes to the general quality of the weed. Similarly to how people judge a meal depending on the scent, the same is done on marijuana. You can find cannabis with buds that produce very intense and fruity smells while others have a strong skunk or diesel smell. The biggest problem today is that many cannabis growers, both with experience and without, prevent buds from developing to their best without knowing.
Keep reading as we guide you on what to do, to help your cannabis buds develop a strong and appealing smell. By the end of it, you will learn what you have been doing wrong and what you should never do.
Read More:
How important is the smell?
When a client wants to buy marijuana, the first thing they do is bring the container containing the weed close to their nose to determine the smell. Cannabis that does not smell does not sell. Therefore, if you are planting marijuana for monetary value, you need to ensure that you can produce a product that will always attract clients every time it hits the market. You cannot deny the importance of smell and taste when growing your cannabis plants.
What Influences the Smell and Taste of your Cannabis Plants?
The main factors that influence hoe your weed smells and tastes are the terpenes and terpenoids. They are formed in the trichomes in the flowers alongside cannabinoids. To improve the smell of your cannabis plants, you need to apply the right measures to increase the production of terpenes and terpenoids.
One of the best ways you can increase the number of terpenes and terpenoids is by applying a small amount of stress to the plants. You should only perform this if you have been dealing with marijuana for quite some time, and you know how to handle the plants with restraint. Any mistake can lead to a grow room full of dead plants.
The trick to this method is simple. You need to apply just the right amount of pressure consistently and for a continuous period. The best time to perform this practice is during the flowering stage of the plants, especially in the middle or end of the stage. With the right execution, you will maximize the production of terpenes as well as the trichome level, increasing the scent of the buds.
Another method you can incorporate is super cropping. It is where you break certain stems from your marijuana plant without creating any exterior damage. The process is super complicated and only suitable for practice by professional cannabis growers. Even with an exceptionally highly difficulty level, its benefits are high as well. Either way, regardless of the method, it is best if you start slowly, increasing with every positive change that you note. You should also ensure that the level of humidity is low during the flowering stage than any other stage. It helps increase the number of terpenes in the buds as well as increasing the potency of the marijuana. If your grow room is in an area with a high humidity climate, you should acquire a humidifier and ensure it stays below 20 percent during the last two weeks of flowering. You can also increase the number of hours your plants will remain in darkness to between the number of hours your plants will stay in darkness to between 48 and 72 hours a few days before you harvest. Another way you can stress your plant is by reducing the amount of temperature during the flowering stage. Since high temperatures are damaging to terpenes, you need to ensure that it remains below 80 degrees. When the grow room is hot, expect to harvest weed buds that are bland in both taste and smell. The flowering stage is the period in which there is an increase in the number of terpenes. It is especially so for the sixth and seventh week. Therefore, you need to keep everything cool throughout this period.
You should also note that each strain has its unique taste and smell linked to the genetics of the plant. You can boost this property by improving the growing techniques you use on your plants. It is, however, vital for you to know what smell you want your plants to achieve. Here are some of the primary growing elements that you need to improve to help the overall scent of your cannabis scent.
Using Nutrients
The type and amount of nutrients that you feed your plants can determine how your plants will smell in the long run. Most nutrients and supplements in the market help to boost the smell of the buds.
But how should you use them?
When your cannabis plants are in their flowering stage, you should only use bloom nutrients. These nutrients have a low supply of nitrogen and high levels of potassium and phosphorous. It is precisely the requirement for plants in the flowering stage. Since cannabis plants exert a lot of energy during the vegetative phase, they require to feed on more nutrients during the first weeks of flowering. However, for the last six weeks, the nutrients should also reduce since the plant ceases to develop new stems and leaves.
You should still be careful as on how you reduce the amounts of nutrients you give your plants. Remember, you do not want them to start starving, developing yellow leaves, and ultimately destroying your plant appearance and yields.
You should be systematic about it. Gradually reduce the number of nutrients, especially nitrogen during the last six weeks. When cannabis is exposed to high nutrient levels, extra nutrient deposits can attach themselves onto buds altering the taste and smell of the plant. Additionally, too much nitrogen may affect the size of bud, preventing it from growing big.
Using Smell Boosting Supplements
The use of supplements in the growing of cannabis has been a very controversial topic. Every year, numerous products get into the market, all with the claim of helping your plants achieve their very best. But how do you find and choose the best supplements for your plants? The best way is by selecting a supplement from the same company as that which produces the fertilizer you use. It will also help reduce any unwanted reactions.
The type of Light and Quality
If you are a dedicated cannabis grower, you know that you need to give your plants the right kind of light for the buds to grow to their potential in size, smell, and potency. The most common type of grow bulb for marijuana plants in their flowering stage is the HPS grow light. It is the best in boosting yield as well as producing highly potent buds. However, when it comes to promoting the smell, UV-B lighting wins the spot. There is clear evidence that UV-B light can help increase the levels of terpenes, thereby boosting the scent of the buds.
One major disadvantage of UV-B light is that it has negative impacts on both humans and animals. Therefore, you must protect yourself by wearing protective gear. The UV-B light triggers a natural stress response from the plants leading to the increase in smell and potency of the buds.
Using Living Soil
Living Soil is another name for super soil, which is an improvement to the usual kind of soil. It contains an active colony of micro-organisms that help improve the growth of plants. The organisms work by breaking down and feeding the nutrients directly to the roots of the plant. You do not have to worry about feeding the plants any other nutrients. The micro-organisms take care of everything for you. It may become a problem if you want your plants to reproduce faster. The speed of growth is slower than that of plants that receive liquid nutrients. However, your plants will develop buds that are more abundant and very fragrant when you grow through any other means.
Drying and Curing Your Buds
How you dry and cure your marijuana buds will lay a big part in determining the flavor, potency, and smell of your weed. You need to pay attention to the process and execute it without any rush if you want to get highly fragrant buds. You need to hang the weed upside down for about ten days in a room with a temperature between 60 and 70 degrees and an RH of 50 percent. If you stay in a dry place, the climate may be unfavorable for drying slowly. You, therefore, need to buy the plants sometime by trimming off the leaves around the buds to reduce the drying time.
You can tell if the buds are dry when you can snap them off the twig with ease. However, you should remember not to dry the plants completely since they require a small amount of moisture for the curing of the buds to be effective.
The curing process will help improve the smell of the weed. You should know that marijuana is ready to cure when it feels dry on the outside whenever you touch it. You should not begin the curing process when you feel any dampness when you touch the weed. Any attempts could lead to the development of contamination and mold. It would also destroy the smell and taste of cannabis. You should fill in the mason jars with the buds until they are 80 percent full. Within the first week, allow air into the jars a couple of times in a day. You should, however, be observant of the humidity level and ensure it does not move far from 62 percent RH. If you follow all the rules, after a month, your buds will be cured and having an improved smell.
Some tool you need for curing weed:
Mistakes to Avoid with Marijuana Smell and Taste
It is a common occurrence for cannabis growers, both professionals, and amateurs to destroy the smell and taste of their marijuana buds. Most of the time, it happens unknowingly. Here are some mistakes you should never do when handling marijuana plants.
One major mistake that growers commonly make is trying to speed up the drying of buds. This typical behavior destroys the quality of the cannabis buds, along with it, the smell and taste. When you try to speed up the process, nutrients, starch, chlorophyll, and other compounds get trapped in the tissues of the plant. When this happens, the weed loses its color, taste, smell, and even burn unevenly.
Another common mistake is the spraying of air-freshening sprays around the plants in a bid to hide the potent smell of the plants. It is especially more harmful if you do it during the flowering stage of the plants. Such sprays can compromise the scent and taste of your buds. You should avoid using them at all cost.
Choosing the Right Strain
Even with all the tips above, the most significant way to grow cannabis that has a fantastic smell and taste is by selecting the right strain to grow. It can be fair to say that marijuana buds with a potent smell grow from strains that can deliver such smells and tastes. Before making any decision on which strain to plant, you should conduct in-depth research on the different types of strains available and their aromas and taste. Whatever choice you make, you should be sure that it can withstand your environment, and it meets your taste and desire.
Some Best Strain You can Buy:
Summing up
By following the tips above, you can grow a top quality marijuana strain that has an incredible smell and taste. Even, so there is only much that you can do as most of the plants make up is determined by genetics. You should be on the lookout for strains that can deliver the smell you want. You should know that not all strains have a delightful fragrance. Some have very potent and dreadful scents. You should, therefore, be clear about what you want before you begin to plant anything.
Finally, when you are growing your plants, be sure to avoid any mistakes that may cost you your smell or taste. Follow all the steps required without any rush, and you will reap delightful harvests. Please share with us your thoughts on how else you can grow cannabis that has a potent smell.