Terpenes are the aromatic compounds that give cannabis its unique flavours and aromas. They are also thought to enhance cannabinoid absorption and offer therapeutic properties.
However, terpenes can be difficult to quantify and many growers are still not sure how to maximize their impact. That’s why it’s important to understand the role they play in cannabis cultivation.
Temperature
The temperature in your grow room plays a significant role in the development of cannabis plants. Too high temperatures can stunt growth, while too low can affect bud color, trichome production, density, and smell.
The vegetative stage of cannabis cultivation requires moderate temperatures in the range 68-83degF (20-28degC). In the flowering phase, it’s best to keep your temps slightly cooler to ensure optimal bud color, trichome production, and density.
Temps over 80degF (26degC) can stunt flowering and reduce the quality of buds. This is especially true when growing in a hot and humid climate.
A higher temperature will also attract pests like spider mites and white powdery mildew. Heat can also encourage nutrient burn, which can damage roots and foliage.
Another important consideration is the relative humidity in your grow room. Too low of a humidity level can cause fungus and mold to grow, while too high can dehydrate the plant.
When you’re growing cannabis, the ideal humidity range is 40-60%. A good way to measure this is with a hygrometer.
Temperature fluctuations can also affect the plant’s growth patterns and how quickly it grows upwards. Warmer nighttime temperatures tend to slow down upward growth, while maintaining slightly lower temps during the dark period will encourage your plant to grow as fast as possible!
There are many other factors that play a role in cannabis cultivation, including light, CO2, and terpenes. It’s crucial to understand the effects of each in order to achieve a successful harvest.
The correct temperature will not only affect your plants’ growth, but it will also impact the terpenes and cannabinoids present in them. Keeping the temperature just right will ensure a high-quality harvest and optimal bud color, trichome production, texture, density, and aroma.
Aside from these effects, the correct temperature will also make it easier for you to dry and cure your cannabis. A professional dry/cure is one of the most important parts of the cannabis cultivation process, and a properly maintained grow space will be better equipped to produce top-shelf buds.
Light
Terpenes, after cannabinoids, are the most important compounds found in cannabis and are responsible for its many distinct aromas and flavours. They’re also important for medical patients who are looking for specific strains that contain the terpenes that are most effective for their ailments.
They’re responsible for a number of important functions in the plant as well, such as increasing trichome size and stimulating resin secretion. This can be especially useful for growers who are trying to produce higher-quality buds with high terpene and cannabinoid levels.
In addition, terpenes have been shown to interact with cannabinoids to increase their therapeutic effects. This is why many growers are now breeding varieties that have higher terpene levels than they’ve been previously.
Several factors influence the amount of terpenes a plant produces, including its growing environment and the time of day it’s being grown. As a general rule, plants have more terpenes during darkness and before sunrise and less terpenes at the end of the light cycle.
To maximise terpene production, it’s best to grow cannabis in native soil. This type of soil is pristine and provides the perfect pH and alkalinity levels for optimum nutrient uptake, photosynthesis and overall health.
Another way to improve the terpene levels of a Cannabis plant is by adding extra CO2 during flowering. This causes the plant to produce more ethylene, which is a hormone that helps the trichomes grow larger and secrete more resin.
Lowering temperatures during the last two weeks of flowering can also stimulate the plants to produce more resin, as it signals them that winter is coming. This can help increase the quality of the buds that are produced and can lead to a faster, easier harvest.
Using the right kind of lighting in Cannabis cultivation can make a huge difference in your results. By investing in a system that can measure the quality and quantity of light, you’ll be able to save on energy costs and increase your yields.
A good system can also be used to measure the PAR of a plant, which allows you to know if the growth is uniform across the entire canopy or not. This can help you determine when to increase or decrease your light intensity. In addition, a system can help you ensure that the light your plants receive isn’t too harsh or too soft. This can prevent plant stress and disease while helping you grow healthier, stronger, more yielding Cannabis.
Humidity
The role of humidity in cannabis cultivation is a critical component of keeping plants healthy, vibrant and producing their best crop. Not only does it impact nutrient uptake, it also impacts the rate of transpiration – which affects the quality of plant output.
The ideal RH varies across the life cycle of a cannabis plant, and is based on its unique needs as it grows. During the vegetative phase, seedlings and young cuttings benefit from higher levels of humidity to aid in their development.
In this phase, the optimum humidity level should be between 70 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. High levels of humidity help the plants retain their moisture, preventing water loss and ensuring a strong root system and healthy growth.
During flowering, the ideal RH should be slightly lower than during the vegetative phase to encourage maximum bloom. Temperatures should be gradually lowered by about 5 degC during this period, signaling to the plants that frost is near and that they need to focus on making resin to protect their buds.
If the humidity is too low, the roots will be unable to absorb sufficient water and this can cause a “nutrient burn.” The brown tips of the leaves that are characteristic of nutrient burn are caused by too much evaporation from the plant’s leaves as it attempts to draw enough moisture from the air to survive.
Another key reason for maintaining a proper level of humidity throughout the lifecycle of a cannabis plant is to prevent molds and mildew from growing. These fungi thrive in free moisture and can quickly become a problem when a grower isn’t controlling the humidity in their facility.
There are several ways to combat these issues, but one of the most effective is to invest in a dehumidification technology. These systems are proven to decrease energy consumption, increase crop quality and improve overall plant health. They are also designed to ensure a consistent humidity and temperature throughout a grow room or greenhouse, helping to maximise production with little or no input from external weather conditions.
CO2
The terpenes that cannabis plants produce are an essential part of the flavour and aroma of marijuana. They provide a range of effects, including pain relief, relaxation and euphoria. The terpenes are also important for the growth and development of the plant.
The amount of terpenes that are produced by a strain depends on a number of factors, such as the climate, soil and fertilisers used and the age of the plant. It is therefore crucial to make sure that the growing environment provides the right conditions for optimum terpene production.
To maximise the terpene production, growers should use high-quality soil and water. This will ensure that the plants get the best pH and alkalinity levels, maximise nutrient uptake and keep photosynthesis at optimal levels.
In addition, they should increase the potassium levels during the flowering phase to stimulate the production of more terpenes and cannabinoids. Potassium is an essential mineral for the synthesis of sugars that contribute to terpene production.
Another important factor for terpene production is light. Different lighting systems have different spectral outputs and therefore have an impact on the terpenes that a plant produces.
For example, the red spectrum is more effective at stimulating terpene synthesis than the blue or white spectrum. This can be especially useful for boosting terpene production during the last 72 hours of a flowering cycle, when a plant is not producing a lot of terpenes.
During this time, the plant is using all of its energy to form buds. Lowering the CO2 level in the atmosphere triggers the production of ethylene, which is a hormone that helps the trichomes to put more energy into resin secretion and to enhance the terpene content.
While it is possible to increase the production of terpenes through different methods, the best results are achieved by increasing the amount of terpenes that are naturally present in a plant. This will ensure that the end result is a more balanced strain and improve the user’s experience.
