Weeds are some of the most resilient plants on the planet, and cannabis is no different. It can grow in many different (and sometimes hostile) environments whether you take care of it or not.
But if you’re interested in growing your cannabis plants with the intention of improving potency, taste, and yield, look no further.
While these techniques will most certainly improve the results of your growing project, it’s highly recommended that you have some experience when it comes to growing, as there are nuances to the process of putting your plants under stress that only the trained botanist will be able to catch.
With all of that said, here are 5 advanced growing techniques to improve your growing operation.
- Topping
When cannabis plants grow naturally, they look like Christmas trees, as they have a single main cola, with stems branching off of it. Topping your cannabis plants allows them to grow more thick and full, like a bush.
A naturally growing cannabis plant will focus the majority of its energy into the main stem, resulting in strong budding at the top with a single cola (the place the buds grow from), and leaving the lower levels of the plant to produce weaker buds.
Essentially, topping entails trimming the top off of the main stem or branch of your cannabis plant so that it produces more high quality buds. When you trim off the top of your cannabis plant, it will naturally redistribute growth hormones in order to produce two more branches in its place.
- Lollipopping
If you have properly topped your cannabis plants, then eventually they will grow enough laterally to cover the lower branches of the plant.
When this happens, lollipopping is necessary so the plant can focus its energy on growing those new top branches, since the lower branches no longer receive enough light anyway.
If done properly, your plant will resemble a lollipop, as there won’t be any excess branches below the top.
- LST (Low Stress Training)
Low stress training is a way to shape your plants in small increments over time. Essentially, when you’re performing low stress training, you gently bend the branches of your plant so that they grow in the direction of your choosing.
This technique is especially useful if your space is limited because you can shape the plant to fit the space you’re working in.
A simple example of low stress training would be fastening the branches to something stationary like a stake in the soil, and adjusting the ties as the plant grows.
- ScrOG/SCROG (Screen of Green)
The ScrOG method of growing your cannabis will greatly increase your plants’ growth efficiency and yield.
This method is based on the same principle used when topping your plants -focusing growth hormones on the top colas by eliminating lower branches and training the plant to grow laterally instead of vertically.
The screen of green literally entails placing a screen over the tops of your cannabis plants so that they don’t grow any higher, but instead of trimming the lower branches completely, you allow them to grow to the same height as the main branch, and keep the main branch from getting too high.
The ScrOG method will help you maximize your space, and ensure that every part of your plants are receiving enough light, air, and water.
- SOG (Sea of Green)
The Sea of Green method is possibly the simplest and most effective method of multiplying your cannabis yields.
Before cannabis farmers moved to indoor growing, they would harvest pounds of cannabis flower from plants nearly twenty feet tall. After years of trial and error, cannabis farmers have learned to maximize plant productivity indoors, without having to cultivate massive plants.
The SOG method, which you’ve probably seen pictures of, involves placing no more than two cannabis plants per square foot. The close proximity naturally keeps their lower growth under control, focusing energy on the bud site of each plant.
This method has been used to maximize yield, and decrease harvest time. If you don’t have a sea of plants, you can still reap the benefits of the SOG by topping your plants in the early growth stage, giving you plenty of bud sites to cultivate.
Conclusion
Once you’ve harvested and cured your cannabis buds, you’ll need to make sure they’re stored properly to preserve their taste and potency. You can read more about that here on Veriheal’s website.
Whether you’re running a new professional growth operation, or are just starting out on your own, we think you’ll be able to enhance your harvest when using any of these advanced growing techniques!
