From Seed to Sale — The Lifetime of a Cannabis Bud
Cannabis growth includes a series of stages that plants go through during their life cycle. Each stage is a technical process that requires its requirements. A cannabis plant grows between 4 and 8 months, depending on the growing conditions. To attain high-quality cannabis bud, it takes knowledge to succeed at each growth stage. As cannabis adult use has been made legal in Arizona, let’s learn more about the life cycle of cannabis from seed to sale.
The seed
The seed is the element starting the life cycle of a cannabis plant. The better the quality of the seed, the better the quality of the plant of cannabis you will end up with. Healthy cannabis seeds have a hard and dry texture. On the other hand, their color goes from a light to a dark brown.
It can be challenging to get access to high-quality cannabis seeds due to various reasons, such as the growing environment or the packaging conditions. Other cons of using seeds are that they take a long time to grow and develop some genetic variation. For these reasons, most commercial growers prefer using cuttings instead of seeds.
Cuttings are parts of a healthy full-grown cannabis plant that are replanting. They are taken from female plants known to produce the coveted cannabinoid-filled flower. The male plants of cannabis only produce pollen and seeds.
When growing a new plant from cuttings, it produces genetically identical plants. These plants will have the same characteristics as the mother plant.
The seedling
After planting the seed or cuttings, they are planted in a damped starter cube with low light and high humidity. The roots develop, and a tiny sprouted plant is obtained. It then becomes a seedling over 2 to 3 weeks.
Once the seedling is obtained, it is moved into a larger cube. The young cannabis plant is transferred into a slightly larger cube two more weeks of growth later.
The vegetative state
The plant enters a vegetative state as soon as it passes the sledding stage. Previously the plant was moved into a larger base because, during this phase, its root system needs enough room. The plant grows upwards and outwards by controlling the amount of light it receives. The vegetative state lasts up to 4 to 6 weeks.
During the vegetative state, topping can also be realized. It consists in cutting off the top end of the stem to free up more energy for the lateral growth of the plant. It can then develop more buds.
When developing more buds, it is important to remove the male plants if the seeds are not feminized. The male plants would pollinate the females, producing new seeds instead of flower buds.
The flowering
Cannabis flowers grow in autumn. In order to make the plant believe that it’s almost autumn, the light is reduced. The plant is prompt to bloom and produce the desired bud by reducing the daylight to 12 hours. It takes between 7 to 10 weeks for a plant to bloom.
The harvesting
The harvesting is the final stage of growing the cannabis plant. The flower or bud of the plant is covered with tiny, glistening hair-like glands, which are called trichomes. They contain the plant’s active ingredients called cannabinoids. The plants also contain terpenes which give the scent, taste, and effects of cannabis.
After harvesting the plants, they are cut, and the cannabis buds are separated from stems and leaves. They are then inspected and trimmed.
The drying
In this stage of the process, the fresh cannabis is dried by being left on racks for 2 weeks. Two more weeks are necessary after putting it in loosely sealed plastic bags. They allow retaining the terpenes and controlling the humidity to balance moisture levels.
To ensure high-quality end products, the bags are opened and stirred or burped and then are resealed, and thus, every day. After the end of the drying process, the buds of cannabis are stored by size.
The testing and processing
A sample of cannabis buds is sent for a quality test. Once they are considered appropriate to sell or consume, they are packaged and put in the store.
You know now the complete process of producing cannabis. As you can see, it takes various technical steps that ensure the highest quality of cannabis buds for medical or recreational use. Take a look at our specials to find our daily deals, vendor specials, and more!
