As a marijuana grower, you’re always wondering how to make the most out of your seeds. All cannabis cultivators want to acquire a large number of yield come harvest time. While there are some strains that can only provide a satisfactory number of yield, there are still techniques to help increase the harvest.

One procedure is topping, and it’s a method involving cutting the very top of your plants. In doing so, it promotes more lateral growth. In this post, we’re going to give you the necessary information you need to help you understand topping.

Importance of Topping Marijuana

Traditional growing methods let cannabis plants focus the core of its energy pools on the main stalk known as cola. Most first-time marijuana growers will see one dominant cola with small stalks surrounding the center of the plant. These stalks produce small buds which impact the size and quality of the yield.

If left to their natural growing traits, indoor marijuana plants may require more maintenance than initially intended. Growers need to constantly adjust the lighting fixtures so the light and heat won’t be too near the tallest colas. The lower stalks, on the other hand, will be at a longer distance than the norm from the lights. Without proper topping methods, leaving indoor plants with traditional growing methods may lessen the size and quality of the final yield.

Topping can help multiple problems regarding cannabis cultivation. The process entails growers to help their plants redistribute growth hormones during the development or vegetative stage. Hormones from the main stalk will deliver new offshoots and stalks to the other areas of the plant.

Other Ways to Increase Marijuana Yields

Topping is only one of many tried-and-true techniques of increasing marijuana yields. Other training methods include:

• Fimming – An intense take on topping but requires more expertise in maintaining marijuana plants.
• Lollipping – A technique to prune the lower branches and leaves. It creates a satisfying shape to help the plant concentrate energy to the upper, flower-bearing area.
• Monster Cropping – A process to help create multiple flower heads for each plant in the crop. It works best with the Sea of Green (SoG) and Screen of Green grow area setup.
• Super Cropping – Using this method, growers can boost lateral growth along with bud production by using low-stress methods for each plant.
• Low-Stress Training (LST) – LST requires topping while stressing the plant. This technique also helps in increasing the amount of light taken by each plant.

How to Top Marijuana Plants

The premise behind topping marijuana strains is to cut off the main stem. It results in the plant splitting in two. With the two growth tips that remain, both stems will now develop new flowers by harvest time. Each stem has the chance of turning into a bud or cola come flowering stage. However, it still requires proper maintenance practices from growers to provide quality and healthy yields.

Marijuana growers may top their plants once or a few times as long as the strain can still handle the stress. In doing so, it increases the number of bud sites. Make sure that you adjust your grow lights (when growing indoors) for all cola’s to receive the same amount of light. Also, it helps the plant grow with a flat and wide appearance.

It’s a suggested move to top marijuana plants when they’re still young. To top plants while in their early development stages can cause them to grow multiple colas. Furthermore, the growth patterns take place at roughly the same time. In doing so, it lets growers enjoy more yield within the same space under a grow light setup. However, don’t top too early and you risk harming or even killing the strain.

You can top your plants by either using your fingers or a pair of pruning scissors. By the end of the day, it falls to a matter of personal preference. Pruning scissors may make cleaner cuts but it may not be an ideal choice for topping young plants. Conversely, you can top marijuana strains as early as 1 week into their vegetative growth with your fingers. Still, novice growers may have some difficulty in using their hands to top plants.

Remember, cannabis plants are bendy and flexible during their development stage. The longer they stay in their vegetative stage, the thicker their stems and shoots. You may want to wait for 6 weeks into their vegetative phase for your plants to mature enough so you can use pruning scissors. Pinching the stems of plants is most effective for young cannabis strains.

Topping marijuana is a stressful endeavor for your plants. The strains require a 1 to 2-week recovery period at the least before you can proceed to the final stages of the harvest. Always allow a sufficient amount of time for your plants to heal, especially if you want to prune them further. One rule of thumb to follow if you want a speedy recovery is to feed your plants with additional nutrients. Vitamin B and silica are ideal during the healing stages and make sure to feed these nutrients immediately after cutting.

The Pros of Topping Marijuana Plants

The number one benefit of topping marijuana strains is the significant amount of yields by harvest time. Veteran growers already know of the immense potential of topping regarding the number of yields. You can also combine topping with other training methods like the Screen of Green and Lollipopping techniques.

Another incentive is it helps facilitate an even canopy. Topped plants will fill the lateral grow area. Natural growth for marijuana plants may race up vertically. Topping plants won’t fully curb the vertical growth but spread the plant in a wider area.

The Cons of Topping Marijuana Plans

Topping marijuana plants isn’t the perfect cultivation technique to produce better yields. It might be an ideal method for many growers, but it does have some shortcomings. First, the process will always create an open wound. If you don’t administer immediate care, then it may put unwanted harm to your plant. Like wounds on human skin, topping can invite fungi and other microbial pests to enter your plant.

While there are some drawbacks to the method, there are ways to prevent side effects from happening. You can speed up the recovery of the wound by giving your plants immediate care like feeding them vitamins.

The Right Time to Top Marijuana Plants

Most cannabis strains are ready to top when they start developing three to four nodes. As a rule of thumb, growers should wait until plants have five to six nodes before topping. When cannabis strains have five or six nodes, they’ll recover quicker than plants with three or four nodes. It’s because the plant is in a more mature state when they have more nodes. More nodes mean a larger photosynthesis area.

Some growers may prefer to wait until they see some roots appearing at the base of the pot before proceeding to the top. Roots signify that strains are already at an established stage so they’ll recover quicker.

The deciding point for early topping depends on the chosen strain. There are rigorous-growing marijuana strains which can handle early topping without developing issues. Conversely, there are some marijuana plants that will only benefit from topping at a specific point.

Researching will be your ultimate weapon to know the right time to top plants. Some strains may not present problems when topped at their early development stages. Still, there are marijuana plants that require you to wait a few more weeks before you should top them.

After topping the main stem, it’s still possible to do topping once or twice more depending on the strain. Make sure that there’s an ample recovery time to do the next topping procedure. Once the plant establishes lateral branches, topping is possible to promote a bushy structure. It’s an essential procedure for some training techniques like the Screen of Green method.

When is it Not Possible to Top Marijuana Plants?

As mentioned in a previous segment, topping should be done at certain times during your plants’ vegetative phases. Never top your plants during the flowering stage. Once the strain starts to flower, it cannabis strain changes its physical makeup. Also, the nutrient requirements differ during the flowering phase as the plant now focuses its energy pools to bring you yields.

Once you start switching to a 12-hour light and 12-hour darkness period, topping can cause unwanted stress to your marijuana plants. If done in this manner, it may cause you to acquire fewer yields come harvest time. Topping during the flowering stage may force the plant to use its energies to repair itself as opposed to giving you quality yields.

The Difference Between Topping and Fimming

Topping and fimming are similar stress training methods to help increase marijuana yields. However, fimming presents higher stress to your plants as compared to topping. It requires a better understanding of your chosen strains and the whole process of growing marijuana before you should attempt the procedure.

If done successfully, fimming can bring forth more than four new top colas. Despite difficult in using fimming, it’s still a recommended procedure for micro-growers. Still, it’s best to use it on only one to two plants at a time.

Both stress training practices are ideal only during the vegetative stages of your plants. Fimming is slang for an “F*ck I Missed” approach so it favors a less precise method as compared to topping.

Things to Consider When Topping Marijuana Plants

There are cannabis strains like a Kush that may have eight to ten internodes at best at the time of flowering. Topping these marijuana plants should be kept to a minimum. These plants tend to enjoy large single pineapple-looking colas instead of spreading the buds in the grow area.

Also, many Indica strains like to crowd with other large buds. These marijuana plants may have a chance of rotting or accidentally snapping after topping because some growers might cut off a bud cluster.

Another thing to consider when topping marijuana plants is using the technique on auto-flowering strains. Marijuana plants with ruderalis properties like Amnesia Haze may grow tall when left to its natural growing habits. Most Sativa strains can handle a top or two during the early development stage without causing difficulties in growers if any.

Always consider the health and vigor of your chosen strains before considering topping or any stress training method. After all, the entire point of topping is to help you achieve quality and sizable yields. The plants should still achieve normal growth patterns even after topping. Also, the flowers during the time of harvest should still show a lush green color for most strains.

It’s not a good idea to top slow-growing strains. Also, if there are plants with accidental damages, don’t continue to add to the pain endured by the strain. Only top recovered or healthy plants. Marijuana strains that have difficulty transpiring may not take the additional stress brought by topping or other similar techniques. As a result, their growths may become stunted which will lead to fewer yields.

Healthy marijuana plants, on the other hand, can quickly recover with the right topping methods. Don’t forget to feed your strains the right nutrients immediately after topping. Don’t be complacent when using this stress training method on your plants even if they’re healthy. Expert and gentle topping are still vital to achieve quality and sizable yields.

Also, using scissors may be a more suitable option for most marijuana growers than pinching the stems of plants with your hands. Properly cleaned pruning scissors enable cleaner cuts as opposed to using your bare hands. Novice growers who don’t practice clean pruning may give their strains unwanted infections during topping.

Finally, practice makes perfect. It may take some time to get used to properly topping your marijuana plants. Always consider your options before doing any stress training methods on your cannabis strains. By reaching the end of this post, you should now have a clearer idea on how to properly top your marijuana plants. We hope our guide helped you in achieving a better understanding of the procedure to lessen the possibilities of mistakes.

As many people realize the significance of marijuana for medical and recreational purposes, some opt to grow their own plants either for personal use or business goals. If you are one of them, you should establish a strong foundation of growing skills. Then, you should begin with an exclusive guide which will surely make this business worth investing.

After purchasing grow light and tent, you are one step closer to planting your cannabis seeds. However, it is a must to focus on critical things such as having the perfect grow tent ventilation system. This page will help you grow marijuana plants successfully considering the room or tent ventilation system.

The Importance of Proper Cannabis Grow Tent Ventilation

In the first place, you might be wondering why you need to cannabis grow ventilation system or simply grow tent ventilation. If you are planting marijuana indoors, there is a possibility that you miss some key elements. One of them is the sunlight. Appropriate sunlight is a crucial factor in most plants in order to thrive.

This condition usually occurs in various urban settings and indoor gardens. Thus, a grow tent and grow lights play a vital role in the survival and growth of your indoor cannabis plants. These things can help a lot in reflecting the necessary amount of lights needed by the seeds or plants.

Unfortunately, there are few issues from using these things. One of these problems can be the heat buildup caused by the production of LED light in a small isolated area. Then, it leads to the need for marijuana grow tent ventilation.

On the other hand, ventilation is essential for all grow tents because it can prevent the production of mold. It takes place when the tent becomes humid and moist. No grower desires to see this unsightly thing as mold contaminates the plants particularly the seeds. The key is to ensure that your grow tents are well-ventilated. If you have done this correctly, you can avoid such common problem easily.

Marijuana Grow Tent System Checklist

You already know the essence of proper ventilation in grow tents. The next step of the process is learning the different equipment and tools in controlling the humidity and temperature within your marijuana grow tent.

Please take note that these are only suggestions. You may be confident in your cannabis growing skills. But, it is still helpful to consider these tools and equipment for your grow tent.

• Oscillating Fan – This equipment is very useful to grow tent ventilation. What makes it more beneficial is that it is cheaper compared with other extractor fans. Moreover, an oscillating fan keeps air fresh and moving within the marijuana grow room.

• Extractor Fan – There are various kinds of extractor fans which vary according to the size, specifications and quality level. Generally, an extractor fan is a convenient tool inside your grow room. It works by pulling out the hot air from your tent. Then, it will pump fresh and cool air in it. This type of fan is a bit pricey yet it makes a great investment in maintaining the ventilation of your grow tent.

Tip: If your grow tent is big enough (more or less 48 inches x 48 inches x 80 inches), look for a six-inch extractor fan for best results. Finding the right extractor fan for your tent makes a great difference in keeping humidity and temperature within your tent.

• Carbon Dioxide Injection – Basically, all plants should breathe in carbon dioxide (CO2) to thrive and grow. This is the reason why considering the sufficient amount of carbon dioxide inside your cannabis grow tent is a must. If you have this extra tool, you are increasing the chances of growing healthy plants and good harvest.

• Dehumidifier – Dehumidifier is an ideal tool used to get rid of humid inside your marijuana grow room or tent. There are three main functions of a dehumidifier: dehumidifies prevents bacteria, and removes hair and dust. If your grow tent is spacious enough, adding this thing can be a good investment. You should know that not all dehumidifiers are equal. You must spend some time researching for the perfect type to guarantee proper ventilation of your grow tent and excellent growth of your plants.

• Thermometer – This handy tool is highly essential in times when you are not sure about the temperature inside your grow tent. By using a thermometer, it is easy for you to adjust fan speeds and the lights to obtain a proper temperature for your marijuana plants.

On the other hand, there is also a myriad of grow tent accessories to choose from various stores. These can be:

• drying net or drying rack;
• rope clip hanger;
• wall mount fan;
• duct vent blower; and
• organic carbon dioxide generator (hydroponics)

These tools and equipment are also available in the best online dealers. You can also search and walk around to check some of the most trusted local and international stores. These products are not must-haves. However, they are extremely helpful in times you are doubtful of your cannabis growing knowledge and skills.  

Setting Up Your Ventilation System

As mentioned earlier, there are three major factors you need to consider when growing marijuana especially if you do it for business. These important considerations are water, air, and light. However, there are other vital elements you need to check as you set up your grow tent ventilation.

Whether it is the level of carbon dioxide, the smell, humidity, temperature or the ventilation, you need to arrange these factors perfectly. This way, you can create the best environment for the plants. It may seem a big step at first, you will surely reap the fruit of your labor. Thus, you should not forget every detail provided in this article. Here are the details of key elements you need to know in maintaining and creating an ideal growing environment for the marijuana plants and seeds.

1. Temperature – Generally, the right temperature for cannabis plants usually ranges between 68 and 77 degrees or 20 to 25 Celsius. However, you need to research the level of temperature for the type of cannabis strain or variety you want to grow.

Extreme heat can cause major destruction to your plants. It can also be the reason why your plants tend to grow weak and have heartburn. According to some pros, the best temperature for indoor growing should be 75 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. It should not be lower than 64 degrees or beyond 86 degrees.

For a grow tent, learn about the standard size of the exhaust fan if you want to invest in it. If possible, choose an exhaust fan with a filter. This filter helps control the smell of marijuana plants. See to it that you will purchase a grow tent ventilation equipment that matches your needs and standards.

1. Carbon Dioxide – Plants consume carbon dioxide quickly. However, you should be very mindful of your indoor system. The amount of carbon dioxide within your grow tent can affect the photosynthesis process which is essential for the plant growth.

Bear in mind that if you do not intend to add more CO2 into the room or tent, you must allow the ventilation or exhaust fan run all the time with lights on. This way, you pave the way for quick photosynthesis.

Furthermore, you can keep your plants dry and cool by ensuring enough carbon dioxide level within the grow tent. Your ventilation system determines your success in indoor growing. Apart from this aspect, you can add a good electric system or power outlets. Consider these processes as an investment. Soon, it will give you an abundant yield and healthy cannabis plants.

1. Humidity – The average humidity level should be at least 40% and a maximum of 70%. You can measure the humid levels within your grow tent using a hygrometer. There may be other tools or equipment that can measure humidity, expert growers often choose an electric hygrometer. It is because they find it more precise with automatic functioning for better control over humidity.

Now, what will happen if your grow tent has low humidity levels? Here are some of the consequences:

• Cannabis plants become stressed;
• High risk of stagnant growth;
• Attraction of mold, pests, and mildew; and
• Death of the yield.

To maintain and secure the health of your plants, make it a habit to check humidity and temperature factors in the grow tent. Otherwise, you will fall into a growing disaster experienced by some cannabis growers.

If there is too high humidity within the grow tent, expect the following results: too wet grow room, lockout or burn of nutrients, the decay of roots, and nutrient deficiency. On the other hand, too low humidity level can cause curling leaves, too dry growing room, stunted or small plants, wilting leaves and attraction to spider mites.

1. Airflow and Ventilation – Most growers know how difficult it is to control air movement and aeration in indoor growing. However, you cannot just ignore these two essential factors because they are as vital as light, water and nutrients.

Proper airflow gives you a stable supply of temperature, carbon dioxide level, humidity and aromatic nature control within your grow tent. For ventilators, see to it that these will be spaced out to various locations in your grow tent. Doing so helps the air to move around and maximize the efficiency level of the ventilation units.

Additional Tip from Experienced Growers

Just like human beings, plants sleep and wake up. As the grow lights are turned on, they also wake up. If the grow lights are turned off, they go to sleep. Furthermore, they have two cycles of growth which are flowering and vegging.

This is where controllers (timers and scheduling) come in place. It means that you need to turn the lights off and on for a certain time. It will depend on the stage of growth or cycle they are in. Thus, you should also be familiar with two terms in this aspect. These are the following:

• Mechanical – Using the timers is simple and they run on an exact time as you set them. With these things, you can also take control of the A/C units, fans, grow systems and all those that can be turned on and off.
• Smart Controller – The second term you should learn is the smart controller. This refers to the activation of the airflow devices, watering and hydroponic pumps, lights and all things inside your grow tent. It works by setting the temperature and the humidity levels, carbon dioxide emitters, feeding times, and more. In other words, using smart controller makes the growing process more efficient. You can assure that the plants will not get sick or not infested.

In this part, you can also encounter two more terms which can help a lot in growing your plants. These are the PPM and pH levels which refer to the things present in the water and nutrients when feeding your cannabis plants. The PPM or parts per million refers to the soluble matter and mineral concentration in the plant. On the other hand, the pH levels of a water source tell about the alkaline and acidity level of the water.

Know what your cannabis plants and seeds need. Whether you are a novice or an experienced grower, you should already be aware that not all marijuana plants survive in the same condition. With this guide to grow tent ventilation, you can get tips from experts. This also implies that you can lower the chances of risking the health of your plants. At the same time, you can save money as you know what you should provide right from the beginning of the process.

Final Thoughts

Your grow tents serve as useful tools for urban and indoor gardening. However, having these tents alone with no proper setup will lead you to disastrous cannabis growing. If you choose to plant indoors, you should plan and prepare for specific details of the process.

If you cannot equip your cannabis to grow room with these ventilation accessories, find at least an oscillating fan as a minimum. To keep your seeds or plants healthy, make sure you consider this guide to marijuana grows tent ventilation. Then, you will see an abundant harvest in the future.

Sexing a marijuana plant is to know the gender of your plants as they enter the flowering stage. Knowing which of your plants is male or female is important to the overall yield of your grow room.

How can you sex your cannabis plants? Let us answer this question by looking at the identifying traits of a plants gender and explain the significance of male, female, and hermaphrodite plants.

Determining the Sex of Marijuana Plants

It is important to note that every regular and autoflower cannabis seeds have a chance to grow into a male or female plant. The plant’s gender will become apparent when it enters the flowering cycle. At this time, their sex organs will grow and gain the characteristics of either a male or female plant.

The key word when it comes to spotting a female plant is hair. This plant will grow buds that have a pair of white hair or pistils sprouting from the top. In addition, the pistils and upper part of the bud will have tiny hair sprouting around it.

On the other hand, male plants will grow bulbous pollen sacs. The shape of these sacs is the same as the ones with the buds. However, these buds will only appear to grow big over time and not have a pair of pistils coming out at the top. The sex organs will also have no small hair surrounding the top like the female sex organ.

You may encounter a plant that will have both male and female sex organs. This type of plant is a hermaphrodite and is a common phenomenon among cannabis plants. For all intents and purposes, most herm plants are treated as male plants. What is interesting to note is the shape of a hermaphrodite’s male organ, which looks elongated instead of being round. This is why breeders call the flowers bananas.

Other Methods of Sexing Marijuana Plants

While waiting for your plants to develop its sex organs is the tried and true way of identifying their gender, some breeders find signs of a plant’s gender throughout its growth cycle. One method is to check on the growth pattern of the plants.

Male cannabis plants usually grow taller than female plants and have a thicker central stalk. The thick stalk trait is to provide more support to the top of male plants. In addition, males usually have fewer branches and leaves than female plants. Meanwhile, female plants have thin central stalks and complex branches full of numerous leaves.

Some breeders found a way to identify a seed’s sex during the germination period. If the taproot shoots out of the sides of a seed, it may turn into a male plant. Should the seed grow its taproot from its top or bottom, it may grow to a female plant.

Take note that the two methods in identifying a plant’s sex are not accurate. Do not take out a plant from your garden right away if it has a thick central stalk than other plants or its taproot sprouted from the side. The plant may still turn to a female one when it enters the flowering stage. What you can do instead is to mark the plants that have early characteristics of male plants. When your plants enter the flowering period, you can give the marked plants a close check for any production of pollen sacs on their branch joints.

A sure-fire method is to create clones from the plant and allow it to go through the vegetative phase in a short time. This method involves cutting a sizable part of your plant and allow it to grow in a medium. When the clone grows into a plant in a few days, expose it to a 12/12 daylight to nighttime schedule. This will force the plant to enter the flowering phase and show its gender earlier than the mother plant.

The method works because clones have the same traits and genetics as the mother. This also includes the gender of the mother plant. In order to perform this test, you will need a separate indoor grow area with a grow lamp. This will let you expose only the clones to the 12/12 lighting schedule. It is also important to label the clones and the mothers to avoid any confusion once the clone shows its sex organs.

Understanding the Difference Between the Three Genders

The main difference between the three types of the plant comes down to the bud producers and pollen makers. Female plants are your former type of plant while males and hermaphrodites make up the latter. If you are only looking to cultivate cannabis plants for their high-inducing buds, you will only want to have female plants within your garden.

You might be asking if the pollen sac of male plants are consumable or can still be smoked. To answer your question, the sac is consumable. However, it will not have the same psychoactive effect or potency as the buds from female plants. Only female plants produce a significant amount of cannabinoid that is equal to their strain. Cannabinoids such as THC and CBN are responsible for a marijuana weed’s effect. Unfortunately, male plants do not produce the same amount of cannabinoids as its female counterpart.

Hermaphrodites are slightly complicated in a way that it can still produce the same type of bud as its female counterpart. This is only possible if there are a few male flowers and more female buds surrounding the plant. Should this be the case, you can extract the male bananas with a tweezer coated in rubbing alcohol. Upon cutting the organ, spray the flowering area with water to remove the pollen. Continue monitoring the plant for any male organs to sprout out of it. If a herm plant happens to have too many bananas and few buds, consider discarding it or harvest its pollen in a separate room.

Concerns with Male and Herm Plants Growing with Female Plants

As soon as you find any male or herm plants in the garden, you will want to discard or place the plants in a room that is away from the rest of your female plants. Allowing even one male or herm plant in your grow space can lead to unwanted fertilization of the female ones. Pollinated female plants will stop building up its buds with various cannabinoids. Instead, it will focus all of its energy on producing seeds within its buds.

Unless you are looking forward to creating a batch of seed for a specific strain, you will want to separate the females from pollen producing plants right away. This is not to say that it is not worth your while to make your own seed from your favorite strain. However, there is an efficient way of producing seeds and buds at the same time. It is important to note that a single female plant can give you more than 20 seeds when pollinated. Simply allowing male plants to pollinate all of your bud-producing females will be a waste of your time and effort.

Growing and Producing Feminized Seeds

You have no control over the gender of a regular seed, including autoflowering ones. They will grow into a male or female plant regardless of the type of nutrient you feed them or how you germinate the seeds. If you want to nearly all of the seeds to turn female, you can move the odds to your favor by cultivating feminized seeds instead of regular ones.  Feminized seeds have the genetic coding to grow into a female plant because it has two mothers.

While feminized seeds are available in most seed banks, you will often find fem seeds for popular strains. Fortunately, you can make your own batch of feminized seeds for your favorite strains. To do this, you need to chemically force a female plant to become a hermaphrodite.

Before attempting to turn a plant into a herm, you need a separate grow room to cultivate the designated plant that will produce the pollen. Accidental pollinations are not the only reason to separate a designated herm plant from the rest of your female plants. The reason is more on your safety as well as the health of anyone who will smoke your marijuana strain. This is due to our use of colloidal silver to make our herm plant.

Colloidal silver is small particles of silver floating around a solution of water. It is important to note that the substance is not toxic since people drink them as a nutrient supplement. However, marijuana strains that are exposed to colloidal silver become unsafe. On the other hand, the pollen from a herm plant that will go through the chemical process will be safe to use on other female plants.

When the designated female plant enters the flowering phase, spray the flowering site of the plant once a day with colloidal silver. Make sure to pick a bottle that has at least 30 PPM of silver. Keep spraying the plant for a period of two to three weeks. You will soon see the plant grow pollen sac on its flowering site. Continue applying the substance until the sac looks like it is full of pollen.

Collect the pollen and store it in a sealable bag. Allow the sac to dry so you can easily free the pollen from its confine. Place another designated female plant to produce the seeds in a separate growth room. Apply the pollen to the calyx of the plant with either a paintbrush or cotton bud. You should see the calyx bulge in size over time. In six weeks after pollinating the calyx, the seeds should be ready for harvest.

Natural Creation of Hermaphrodite Plants

Another method of producing a herm plant without the use of colloidal silver is through the Rodelization process. The method is simple since it involves allowing the female plant to flower beyond the peak harvest point. This triggers the female plant’s natural instinct to protect the next generation by growing its own pollen sacs in order to pollinate its buds.

When the pollen sac of the female plant appears to be ready to crack open, collect it with a sealable bag and store it for future female plants. Because this method involves the creation of pollen, it is advisable to have the designated female plant to flower in a separate room to avoid accidental fertilization.

The main issue with the Rodelization process is how the seeds it produces may become regular ones. Female plants that grow male characteristics tend to provide a gene that makes its offspring grow male traits. In addition, female plants may not grow pollen sacs as it continues to flower after the peak harvest point. Even if they do produce pollen, the amount you get is significantly less than herm plants that went through the colloidal silver treatment.

Keeping the Plants from Turning into Hermaphrodites

Apart from genetics, female plants can turn into hermaphrodites if they are under severe stress due to environmental factors. This includes exposing the plant to an excessive amount of heat, which can occur during summer or placing HID lamps too close to the plants.

Physical damages can also stress out female plants to turn into a herm. This type of damages includes over pruning the plant or taking a large cutting for cloning purposes. Seedlings are also easy to stress out when transferring them from two different containers. Doing so can aggravate the roots of young plants.

Failing to water the plant regularly or preventing the medium from drying can also lead to stress. Lack of water can stunt the growth development of the plant and make it think that it is in danger.

Pests are another factor of hermaphroditism because they can aggravate the plant’s structure. In addition, use of potent pesticides on the plant to control an infestation of insect can also have the same negative effect.

Overall, you can avoid growing hermaphrodites by practicing proper cultivation ethics. This includes providing the plants with proper air ventilation or circulation to keep it cool in any environment. Another is to sanitize its surrounding to lower the chances of a pest infestation.

You now know the best way to sexing marijuana plants as well as differentiate between the three genders. Separate the male and hermaphrodite plants from the rest of your growing garden to prevent any of your buds to turn into seeds. If you want to produce your own seeds, cultivate the male or hermaphrodite plant in a sealed room to prevent any pollen from reaching your female plants.

Marijuana plants emit an odor especially when these are flowering. The smell of the plant when the buds are there will fill the air with the aromatherapy. The aromas emitted by the cannabis plant might sometimes be overwhelming. It’s a good thing to take the time to study this air circulation and exhaust tutorial for your marijuana grow room as that is one of the ways to ensure the optimal growth and development of cannabis plants.

Plants Need Air

We need to breathe to live and marijuana plants also need air. And enclosed room without open windows or door like those of storage rooms can be stuffy. If a plant is left is an enclosed room, it may survive but it will not thrive. Air is vital to a plants growth, as vital as the air that we breathe.

A marijuana plant has strong aromas. The smell will fill the air of a grow room. If the area is enclosed, the aroma will linger in the air. If you enter it to nurture the plant, it the smell might be overpowering.

It just makes sense to ensure that there is proper air circulation for an indoor area, even if it is just an ordinary room that you use for your home like the kitchen. It is good for you who needs to breath in the oxygen air. It is good for the plant that needs to ‘breathe’ the carbon dioxide in the air. The air that we breathe is made up of 21 percent oxygen. The other 78% is nitrogen. Then there is a small amount of carbon dioxide which is also known as CO2 and other gases.

A grow room requires a ventilation system. This is just as vital as having lights and providing the weed with nutrients. Proper ventilation will maintain the necessary atmospheric conditions – CO2 levels, temperature, and humidity – of the indoor garden. All of these factors contribute to the growth and development of the cannabis plant. When these factors are correct, the plant will have the optimal conditions for accelerated growth.

Plants Love Fresh Air

Many cannabis plants growing in the wild such as the Afghan weed strains that are found at the mountainous region of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. These plants, like many other weed strains, thrive when there is fresh air.

That kind of fresh mountain air might seem difficult to achieve when one lives in the city that has polluted air. Yet, the wonderful thing about having a grow room is that it is possible to control many factors such as the air circulation through the air quality might not seem right because of the pollution.

Polluted Air

Note that polluted air does have a larger amount of carbon dioxide as in the city, it is typically the fuel that burns from vehicles that contribute to the CO2 levels. This is not to say that polluted air is a good thing but it is not bad for the marijuana plants because these ‘breathe’ carbon dioxide.

Advantages of Proper Air Circulation and Exhaust

When you create the right atmospheric conditions in your grow room, the plants will reward you with a bountiful and beautiful harvest. To nurture a plant that is silent and undemanding required gardening skills like irrigation and defoliation. To care for it by giving it the basic needs such as light and air can make a plant thrive. You don’t want your cultivated cannabis to not do well as it does take a lot of time and effort plus expense to grow a marijuana plant.

If you are ready to set up your grow room to achieve the optimal conditions, you must be ready to spend a little or tackle the tasks by doing it yourself using innovative materials.

Accelerated Growth

When a plant is given the right growing conditions, it will prosper and get to grow at an accelerated rate. The symphony of nature that you create in the grow room to include the ventilation will aid the cannabis strains to grow vigorously. If there is no or limited air circulation, the carbon dioxide in the room is low and that will prevent the plant from growing properly and prospering.

Larger yields

If you have proper ventilation, a plant can give larger yields. When the harvest per plant is larger, it can save you from cultivating another plant. For example, your chosen indica plant yields an average of 500 grams. If the yield can be increased by just a bit, such an additional 100 grams, if you have 4 marijuana plants, you have an extra 400 grams.

Better Yields

When a plant experiences accelerated growth, the buds will be better as these can become bigger and achieve uniformity in size.  It is not just ventilation that will make those potent buds achieve maximum potential, it is the harmony of your nurturing care such as defoliation and the other conditions in the grow room. Keep in mind that a quality harvest is a goal – and that means that the buds are nearly the same size and shape, have a healthy color, and other factors that indicate good crop productions.

Humidity and Temperature Control

There is water vapor in the grow room and that has to be dispersed. The air circulation will do the task of dispersing that water vapor. It also works to get rid of hot spots in the area as the heat will be distributed evenly. Aside from the air circulation bringing in the supply of fresh air, it also aids in controlling the humidity. Dispersing and diluting what is in the air is what ventilation does.

Prevention of Common Plant Diseases

There are ideal growing conditions for marijuana plants. If the area is too humid, a plant will be susceptible to mold and mildew, just like what happens in a bathroom.

Prevention of Pests

Stagnant air will make those awful fungus gnats, spider mites, and other creepy crawlies want to turn the grow room into an insect kingdom. If the topsoil is damp, the insects will like to breed on it. When there is good air circulation, the topsoil will be dry and it will discourage the insects to use it as a breeding ground.

Stronger Plants

When the growing conditions are right, a plant will be stronger – yet there is a direct effect to the plant that good air circulation provides The light breeze created in the grow room will make a plant sway slightly. This will strengthen the plant, especially the stem, as it bends, The effect of the wind stress outdoors can be damaging but without wind, it is unnatural. A plant naturally sways because of the wind and the ideal grow room will provide controlled wind stress.

Different Kinds of Ventilation

All grow rooms have walls but there might be differences in these walls. There has to be a door and this might be screened. There may be windows, existing exhaust fans, and air conditioning. And, what if your grow room is an aquarium or cabinet?

There are calculations that can be made to get the required amount of fans necessary in an enclosed space. That is for advanced setups, like those who do commercial marijuana crop production indoors.

The various kinds of ventilation options can aid you in your study of what to do and make it less costly to place air circulation and exhaust in your marijuana grow room.

Mechanical

Fans bring air in and out of a certain space. There is the exhaust which is just going out, also known as the passive system. There is the balanced that has both air supply and exhaust fans.

Natural

A room is designed in such a way that there is no need for fans for proper air circulation for normal use. Yet note, that the enclosed space of a grow room might require more ventilation than what is available as there are elements in the air that are not ideal for the marijuana plants. These elements include the water vapor that’ll add to the humidity level and the odor which might be unpleasant for you.

But, if the space has that light and breezy air, you might also have to add fans to use when it is not that way or secure the area to cover the openings when the wind is too strong and the weather conditions are not good for the plants like when it is too cold.

Mixed mode

This is also known as a hybrid. This is the kind of ventilation that has both mechanical and natural.

When You Just Need the Basics

If you have a grow room and are dead serious in creating the ideal growing conditions, you would require a sophisticated setup. Advanced growers and those who do commercial cultivation would have to budget for this expense.

Yet, as a home cultivar that wants to provide the best care possible, great growing conditions can be achieved with just the basic setup.

What you will need are exhaust fans and oscillating fans.

An Exhaust Fan is Also Known as an Extractor Fan

It works to blow out the air. When the air goes out, it takes along odors and water vapor, among other things. The exhaust fan serves to make the air circulate which does affect the room temperature such as getting rid of the heat. An enclosed area can be a hot box or super cold. There is another kind of fan that also works in sync with an exhaust fan. This kind is known as ducting fans. These can be placed in the ducting that’ll serve to channel out the air from the enclosed area.

An Oscillating Fan is that Common Electric Fan

There are different types such as a stand fan, desktop fan, and a ceiling fan. These come in various sizes and the intensity of the wind it can create also varies. There are oscillating fans that are stationary in function, meaning that it will just blow air one way, while there is one which has the fan part turning to the left and right to blow air in the direction it is facing.

Systems: Passive Air Intake and Active Air Intake

In a passive manner, all that is required is an exhaust fan. There is no air intake fan that will bring in the outside air. The way that the outside air will enter would either be through a duct or an intake hole, such as a small window, or small holes created in the wall. To make this passive system work, the air intake opening should be larger than the duct or exhaust hole. It is possible to create a number of intake holes for there to be enough suction like placing air intake openings on the different sides of the grow room.

The active intake is another option that is typically used for large sized enclosed areas. To apply this system, all that is needed is to place an air intake fan. That makes one fan blow in the air while the other one blows it out. The size of d air intake fan does not have to be much larger than the exhaust fan when creating this system.

Air Change

When ambient air is brought into an enclosed space intentionally, be it by natural or mechanical means, it will change the indoor air quality. This displacing and diluting of what is known as the indoor pollutants is done for more reasons than air circulation. It can provide dehumidification and thermal comfort.

When You Have Air Conditioners

If there is an air conditioning system such as that of centralized air conditioners or those stand-alone ones, there might be a need for an exhaust fan to aid in the air circulation so that the indoor air pollutants will go out.

It is possible to place a small split-type of aircon to use for air intake and that would also address the temperature control.

An aircon is the most common and easiest way to control grow rooms atmospheric conditions. It can get rid of the excess heat and even maintain the desired temperatures for optimal growth. It can also address the humidity control.

Design before You Create Ventilation

Fans and air conditioners cost money. You have to plan what to do before you start buying any appliance. The first thing to consider is where to place the appliances or how to work it out with the existing air openings. Then, you might have to take into consideration the electrical supply needed to run the fans such as sockets. Plan it well so you won’t waste your time and money.

You can do research online to find out what kind of oscillating and exhaust fans are available. You can also make an assessment of the room and use what you have. You can also ask an architect or other professionals to aid you in planning the air circulation and exhaust system. Make your dream marijuana grow room come true by investing your time and money wisely by planning.

Grow tents are always essential when cultivating cannabis indoors. The market is now full of almost unlimited options to choose from. Such options can easily lead you to confusion. This guide will help you on how to use grow tents.

Why Should You Use Grow Tents?

Grow tents let the home cannabis growers have a confined space that will protect the growing plants. Also, you do not need to remodel your property or construct anything to accommodate your grow.

Likewise, tents streamline the whole growing process. That’s because they are easy to set up. They also give support to hang fans, lights, and any other equipment. They promote ventilation, too.

Aside from buying grow tents, you should also think about the requisites. Prepare the needed materials first for hassle-free setup.

What are the Basic Requirements in Setting up Grow Tents?

Though some grow tents have extra features that are making them stand out, all models work in the same manner. Grow tents are transportable frames that have a sturdy reflective fabric. It works as a cover.

Basically, that is what you should expect from grow tents. However, manufacturers aim to give extra features designed to help growers in cultivating weed indoors.

For a good setup, you should consider these things:

Energy Efficiency

Grow tents need LED grow lights. The lights will stimulate the warmth to accumulate inside. Thus, you must also install some ventilation fans that can help regulate the temperature.

These two energy-consuming features are commonly available in different grow tents. When you buy them, make sure you consider the price of energy needed for your proposed setup. That’s how you can plan things accordingly.

Pest Control

Unfortunately, there are pests that can breed even inside the grow tents. When you want to cultivate veggies and fruits which are more susceptible to pests, think about intercropping. It is an organic pest control technique that can help you keep your crops safe from pests. You can also try any other safe and eco-friendly pest control techniques.

Essential Lighting

Grow tents often allow growers to customize the volume of light that you can put in them. You should do some research and find out more regarding the best light conditions for your plants. From there, you can start doing some experiments to find the exact amount of light which will ensure the ideal conditions in your grow tents.

Temperature

Aside from lighting, the temperature is also a crucial condition in grow tents. It needs ventilation and continuous monitoring. Most plants need the temperature between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. It can be up to 85 degrees Fahrenheit but more than that is dangerous.

Most plants like a higher temperature and will thrive well under a slightly warmer condition. The temperature should be consistent. Be sure the daytime temperature is always in the consistent range. Also, the off-lighting temperature should stay between 10 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit. Consistency is the main key here.

Carbon Dioxide

The carbon dioxide level has a direct connection with the plants’ growth rate. By getting the right amount of carbon dioxide needed, plants will grow faster. However, increased carbon dioxide can cause the temperature to escalate. It is a critical issue that you should address as soon as possible.

Choosing the Best Grow Tents

The main key when choosing the right grow tents for your needs will depend on what type of plant you want to grow. Your tents’ size is among the most important things to consider.

If they are too big, you will be wasting your money on most things, such as electricity for fans, lights, pumps, and so on. If the tents are too small, space will be overcrowded that causes the plants to compete for water and nutrients. It may affect a lot their potential to grow.

Remember, the form will always follow function when choosing grow tents for cannabis. You don’t need to buy grow tents with too many ventilation holes or the ones that are bigger than your needs.

Steps to Follow in Setting up Grow Tents

Once everything is ready, you can start setting up your grow tents by following these steps:

Step #1. Assemble Your Tools.

Here, you will need the following:

• Wire cutters (you can also use pliers that can cut cables.)
• Flathead screwdriver
• Scissors or a box cutter
• Tape quantifier

Also, don’t forget your personal needs. You may bring a fan or your favorite thirst quencher.

Step #2. Building Your Grow Tents

Your first job is to construct your grow tents. You may ask for help from someone if you can’t do it alone. You should get your stands up in 30 minutes. Grow tents may have two or three length sticks. Split your vertical rods into two bits.

Look for the provided instructions in the package or on the web. That will include building the base and forming one wall at a time. You must put up your grow tents in the open space in the meantime using grow-mates.

Also, make sure you have:

• A lighting program and a cord
• Carbon filter with a pre-filter
• Inline fan
• Notch light hangers (two for each machine)
• Two duct clamps
• Timer
• Ducting
  
  

Step #4. Set up the Ventilation System.

Setting up the ventilation system is a straightforward process. There are several standard settings. However, you should hang the filter and fan out of the grow tents. It can be the ideal solution for small to midsized carbon filters.

This will increase the growing footprint. Also, it will bring the air inside the tents through the filter, letting the air move faster. It will help in eliminating unpleasant odors while allowing fresh and clean air to penetrate the tents.

When carbon filters are too huge, and you can’t hang them in the tents’ ceiling, you should set them on the floor within your tents. The only potential problem here will be their ability to draw more warmth to your crops when they are busy. In fact, they occupy much space.

Putting the strainer and buff outside the tent is the least ideal solution. It can conserve space, but it can cause some drawbacks. One of these is the fan can cause more noise due to its position.

To set up the ventilation system, get the pre-filter and slip it on your carbon filter. Fasten it by using the extra elastic rings. Perform it based on your preferred installation technique from the 4th step. Follow the succeeding steps provided for installation A, B, and C.

Measure 5A (Hanging Inside the Tents)

With the elastic nylon straps in the kit, hang the inline lover by using the elongated end. Point it to where the kayak exhaust hole is. Make sure the lover is in the center to keep it balanced.

Use the extra nylon straps in your grow kayak set. Hang on your carbon filter by using the flange pointing to where the inline enthusiast is. Make sure as well that the enthusiast is in the center to keep it balanced.

Gauge the distance from the head of your filter lip to the head of your inline enthusiast lip. Cut this ducting period using the cable and box cutters.

Fasten one end of the ducting you cut to the enthusiast’s lip with a clamp. Secure the other tip of the ducting in the carbon filter lip. No more bolt needed.

Run the remaining part of the ducting from your preferred rotor hole. Attach the other tip at the end of your vertical enthusiast by using a strand. Run the fan’s electric wire from the nearest tent wire hole behind the crate.

Measure 5B (Placed Inside the Grow Tents)

Put the carbon filter on the ground at your preferred location. Next, put the inline fan aside from the filter. Use the tapered tip pointed outside in doing this.

Make sure the enthusiast’s lip is within the filter lip. Fasten it using one to two packs of transparent ducting tape. You need to buy it.

Twist the ducting to the enthusiast’s lip and fasten it using the ducting clap. Let the ducting run from your preferred expansion tent emitting opening. Also, allow the lover cable to run from the nearest wire hole behind the crate.

Measure 5C (Putting It Apart from the Grow Tents)

Put the gathered carbon filter on the floor in your preferred location out of the grow tents. Place the inline fan and filter by using the tapered tip pointed down.

Secure the enthusiast using one to two transparent tape packs. The kit doesn’t include it.

Change the ducting in the enthusiast by using the casing clamp. Let the ducting run to the grow tents venting hole.

Step #6. Hang Your Lighting System

Hanging up the lights in the grow tents is easy. The only problem is how to keep the cords out of the way off the floor.

By having 2 ratchet hangers, hook a crossbar close to the top of the cage along with the pins connected to the ratchet connectors in those hangers.

Put the pins attached to the string ends of these ratchets to equal lengths. Place the hook in one of the hanger mounts of the light system.

Run the mild system power wire from the nearest tent wire hole behind your grow tents. You can also adjust the lighting’s elevation by tapping both the rachets and hangers.

Some Tips for Lighting Your Grow Tents

Change the way your light elevates is crucial while your plants grow. Make sure you check the given recommendations for your lights. Damages can occur when you are not careful. In case you are not sure of what you’re about to do, don’t hesitate to seek help. Don’t splash the water in the lighting gear like the ballasts.

You must conduct new HID bulbs for 12 hours or longer in their first start-up. This will boost the lifespan of the bulbs. When changing the bulbs in the HID lights, do not touch the glass with your bare hands. Also, don’t do it when your hands are oily as it may cause harm to the bulb. Wear some gloves to prevent it.

Step #7. Install a Fan or Light Timer

Change the mild system wire in one facade of the timer. If you want to install a timer for the enthusiast as well, plug it in a fan electric wire in the timer’s opposite side. Otherwise, just plug it to a power supply. Follow the instructions for using a timer in setting up occasions.

Assessing the Problems

Before you turn the lights and fan on, make sure you double check the electric connections and any dangling straps or hooks. Inspect everything in an hour to see how it changes the ecological things from your grow tents.

Make sure the airflow is enough. Likewise, ensure the lights are not outrageously sexy. It is a good idea to make sure there are no light leaks.

Feel free to ask for help from a friend or someone in your house. It’s normal to see some pinholes of light leaks out of the grow tents. After all those things, you can start planting your crops.

Maintaining Your Grow Tents

While you grow cannabis, you should also pay attention to your grow tents. Cleaning them regularly is a simple way to maintain them. Do this especially before you begin planting new plants. Wipe the surfaces using hydrogen peroxide or bleach. This will eliminate the lingering diseases or germs in the grow tents. Make sure you thoroughly scrub the pots and even the components that you plan to use in the next growing season.

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Setting up grow tents for cultivating cannabis indoors is now more common. It is a brilliant option for growers who want more control over the environmental factors to ensure growth and increased yield.

Grow tents are invaluable assets. However, you must set them up correctly to make sure they run at their best. Follow the provided tips and steps above to ensure your success in growing cannabis indoors by using tents.