Plants are always fighting with each other to get the best source of nutrients, sunlight, water, and more. Because of that, it is necessary to thin your plants to allow them to have more space, air, water, and nutrients for each individual plant to grow to its fullest potential.
Thinning
Thinning cannabis plants is a process in selecting the most vigorous seedlings to grow. As a result, the final product—fruits, vegetables, and others alike—will be much more plentiful. Although it is commonly used by gardeners who grow plants and vegetables, cannabis plants can also be thinned.
Benefits of thinning
To some people, thinning may seem illogical. In their minds, the more plants they grow, the more they produce. However, this isn’t always true. When plants grow, they will naturally compete for air, space, water. If too many plants are fighting with each other, it will negatively affect the plant’s ability to produce a harvest.
That said, thinning cannabis allows for higher-quality produce. Also, it will allow all the plants to grow evenly, creating an even canopy. An uneven growth will cause shorter plants to absorb much less light than the taller plants, while still stealing resources such as water and nutrients from the soil. Thinning also allows the plant to grow tougher and become more resilient to diseases and pests. A crowded space means that there will be less airflow between the plants. If grown indoors, it can cause the room to become more humid, promoting the development of mould and other unwanted growths.
Thinning cannabis plants
The hardest part when it comes to thinning is knowing which seeds to keep and which to throw away. In most cases, if a plant lags behind the rest in its initial growth phase within the first two weeks, it is a sign to get rid of it. However, it is good to note that male cannabis plants will grow faster than female ones, so don’t be too hasty when it comes to cutting. Thinning the smallest and weakest looking plants even after a few weeks of growth will also help, ensuring that the fuller plants will continue to strive.
Another thing to keep in mind when thinning cannabis plants is to keep an eye out for plants that look limp or sickly, most likely caused by fungi. Such sickly-looking plants should be taken out immediately.
When actually trimming the plant, make sure that you cut as close to the ground as possible. If, in any case, you accidentally cut a healthy cannabis plant, simply use it as compost as it is packed full of nutrients that will promote growth. Also, if the patch looks too crowded even after some thinning, you can prune the plants. Don’t worry about losing out on the harvest, as pruning also promotes faster growth.
By putting effort into thinning your cannabis plants, you can be confident that your harvest will be plentiful. That said, if you’re finding it hard to get rid of thinned plants immediately, you can simply grow them in another batch away from your healthier plants.
If you are looking for rqs, hemp or cbd seeds, get in touch with Coffee Shop Seeds to see how we can help!