10 Tips To Grow Thick, Dense Cannabis Buds

Cannabis growers expect a lot when they start growing plants but one thing at the top of the list is dense buds with lots of resin. It's impossible to not fall in love with thick buds. They simply tell you that the grower is committed to his craft.

If you’re assuming that it takes superpowers to grow such buds, you’d be surprised to know that you don’t need to do anything extra special. Nature is marvelous like that. 

Once you understand how it’s done, it’s just a matter of time. But, sometimes the buds could disappoint you even if you have done everything possible. 

However, don't give up yet — you just need to know where you’re going wrong, and you’ll be a master of growing some of the most spectacular buds you’ve ever seen — all in due time. 

In this article, we will talk about all the factors that come together for you to grow some delicious thick or dense cannabis buds.

Why do Growers Love Dense Buds?

Cannabis growers don't aspire for thick buds just for their aesthetic appeal; it goes beyond that. Here are a few reasons why growers prefer thick, dense buds.

1. Weight: Almost every cannabis grower wants large yields. Naturally, if you harvest a lot of buds that are thick and dense, they will weigh more, translating to a huge harvest. It also ensures that the buds last for a long time, giving you the ability to experiment with the buds and, of course, save money.
2. Potency: Typically, dense buds are more potent. You’ll notice that the buds located at the top of your plant are often dense. So, it makes sense that since they get all the help to grow well, they are more potent. Conversely, this is also why popcorn buds, or those located on the lower parts of the plant aren’t as potent and don’t perform as you expect. 
3. Optimal space utilization: Cannabis growers are often looking for ways to optimize and increase the efficiency of their growing space. Since dense buds pack more weight and cannabinoids compared to small larfy buds grown in the same area, growers try to do everything possible to grow thick buds.
4. Market demand: Like growers, users also prefer thick buds since they translate to higher potency and are visually more appealing. They know that the buds are high-quality by just looking at them. Thus, the demand for such buds grows and cultivators try their best to grow them. 

Tips To Grow Thick, Dense Cannabis Buds

Without further ado, let’s just get to what you should do to grow large, rock-hard cannabis buds. 

1. Genetics

Genetics precedes everything both in our lives and in cannabis cultivation. Choosing the right cannabis strain is crucial to producing compact and high-quality buds. If you want to grow thick buds, you should choose strains that can do that. 

Cannabis boasts a range of strains with different genetics. You should understand genetics more than anything else because you can't win against it. For example, a grower who wants to grow one plant in his closet will not be able to manage it if he chooses a large plant like Moby Dick. Similarly, a grower with big aspirations for large yields will not be happy to grow a plant that’s meant to grow in a closet. 

Attempting to make a plant that typically has light and airy buds gain weight in its flowers is like trying to change traits in humans — it's just not possible. However, you should understand that having airy buds doesn't necessarily mean they're bad. Some of the best cannabis strains can produce light buds and they can offer a fantastic experience. 

Then, we have indica and sativa. While sativa plants typically produce buds that are slightly less dense and feathery, indica plants produce compact dense buds. This doesn’t mean that the buds of a sativa plant aren’t good; no, they are fantastic for those looking for a creative high. However, if you’re looking for dense buds, you’ll fare well with a hybrid or an indica. 

You also have to think about how much time the plant is meant to spend in the flowering stage. For example, autoflowers and fast-version strains grow and flower faster, and there’s a huge demand for such strains. You also get photoperiod strains that flower quickly. On the other hand, some strains need some extra time to finish flowering. Typically, their long flowering periods contribute to them developing dense large buds. Therefore, you must pay attention to the flowering time to get exactly what you want.

So how do you figure out which strain has the ability or the genetics to produce dense thick buds? It's very simple. You just take a good look at the breeder's description which tells you everything from its origins to the terpene profile. 

And just like you take a look at the reviews of a product on Amazon, do the same with cannabis strains and read reviews that give you an insight into another user's experience of cultivating that particular strain. 

In addition, and, no, we aren’t boasting, but Growdairies is meant to help you understand everything about a strain before you purchase it. So, simply search for the strain you want and take a look at the diaries that share a wealth of information about the strain. You literally have a visual guide to what you can expect down the road. You can also ask lots of questions if you have problems with your plant.

Last but not least, try and research more about breeders before purchasing the strain because reputable breeders put in a lot of effort to fulfill their customers' expectations. Such breeders also experiment with their strains for years so that they are stable before introducing them to the market.

2. Container Size

You may not have realized this, but the size and type of your container will also play a big role in determining how healthy and big your cannabis buds will be. Fortunately, there are various types of pots you can choose from. For example, rather than going for plastic pots that often cause waterlogging, you can go for fabric parts that allow more air circulation in the roots. Air pots also offer similar advantages. When the roots of a plant are happy, you can rest assured that the buds will be big and strong too.

Coming to the size of the pot, just remember that while small pots ranging from about 2-3 gallons are good for auto flowers, you will have to choose bigger pots that go beyond 5-6 gallons if you want to grow large photo-period plants. Keep in mind that there should be ample space for the roots to expand and support the structure of the plant.

Many growers assume that the larger the size of the pot, the more the plant grows. However, this is simply not true. You should choose the size of the pot according to the size of the plant because if you grow a large plant in a small pot or a small plant in a large pot you will not get the results you desire.

3. Growing Medium

Let's assume that you have the best pot that is simply perfect for growing big buds. However, it's of no use if you don't choose the right growing medium. The roots will be able to expand and grow healthy only if they have the right environment. This means that you must choose a medium that allows root development while providing access to water oxygen and nutrients.

There are various types of growing mediums that you can choose from soil to soilless mediums like coco coir, peat moss, rockwool, etc., and each type has its advantages and disadvantages. Many growers use soil simply because of its nutritive properties, richness in nutrients, and ease of use but many other alternative options have more advantages.

Typically soilless mediums like coco coir and peat moss allow the water to drain freely without letting the roots dry up quickly. This also prevents you from overwatering, which is a common problem among beginners. However, you will need to add extra nutrients as they are inert mediums.

It can be confusing to select the right growing medium at the beginning of your journey; however, once you experiment with various mediums and find out how they work for you, you’ll be able to customize it according to your own needs.

4. Lighting 

Lighting plays a huge role in growing dense cannabis buds, whether you grow them indoors or outdoors. When growing outdoors, you don’t have to worry about a thing when it comes to lighting since your plants receive natural sunlight. There’s no comparison to sunlight, which is also why the buds of plants grown outdoors are denser than those grown indoors. 

However, if you’re growing indoors, there are a few things you should keep in mind:

• Light Spectrum 

Cannabis plants prefer different spectrums at different stages of their growth. Typically, blue light promotes growth, so you should use it during the vegetative stage. Blue light will help the plant produce a lot of leaves, and strengthen the branches. On the other hand, the plants need more red light to indicate that it’s time to flower. Striking a balance between these spectrums is vital for development.

• Intensity

Intensity is the most important aspect of lighting. The more intense the light, the denser your buds. So, the grow lights you choose will determine whether you have the chance of growing plants with dense buds. Since you won’t be purchasing new grow lights frequently, research well and then choose the lights. We will discuss this below. 

Proper light intensity is essential for photosynthesis and metabolic processes in plants. Insufficient light leads to stunted growth while excessive light causes stress. Thus, you should maintain a balance to ensure proper vegetative growth and abundant flowering. 

Light intensity serves as the source of energy for photosynthesis which is the key process through which plants convert light into energy. This energy is crucial for producing sugars and other essential compounds that help the plant grow. It also helps the plant produce big buds. As you can understand, light intensity is critical for producing tight, densely packed buds.

Light intensity is also important at all stages of growth. In the vegetative stage, it promotes growth, so your plant gets a sturdy structure with resilient stems and lush foliage. If the plant is strong, it will produce good buds later, so you’re essentially laying the foundation at this point so the plant can support the weight of its heavy buds during the flowering stage. Thus, if the intensity of light is insufficient, the plants develop thin stems and less foliage. 

During the flowering stage — the part when the plant starts to develop those thick buds you want — intense light ensures that the plant directs its energy towards producing buds. This is the point where it not only determines the size and density of the buds but also contributes to developing higher levels of cannabinoids and terpenes that enhance the quality of the buds. 

However, you must remember to maintain a balance to prevent stressing the plants too much. You can’t choose lights that are extremely intense as you’ll risk burning the buds! For example, if you have a small 3x4 grow room, the plants won’t be able to handle a 2000w light. Instead, you should choose lights that suit the space.

• Choosing the Right Grow Lights

You can choose among many types of grow lights but the most common ones are HPS LEDs, fluorescent lights or CFLs, and LEC lights. If bud density is not your priority you can go with fluorescent lights as it is very difficult to produce dense buds with them. However, you can use it as a supplementary light to provide more light to the buds of the bottom of the plant.

Talking about intensity, HPS lights produce the most intense lighting. They penetrate the canopy efficiently and if you train the plants well, even the lower parts of the plant get sufficient lighting. But they also produce a lot of heat which will not be ideal if you are already growing in a hot climate. They are not expensive as an initial investment but they will get expensive later as they draw a lot of power as well.

The second option is to go with LEDs. While they were not as good as HPS lights earlier, there's been a humongous improvement in the field, so you can find many LEDs that are as good as HPS lights.

LEDs are very energy efficient and do not draw as much power as HPS lights. However, the initial investment will be expensive. Sure, there are many cheap LED lights available but be wary of such lights as you'll simply waste your money. You’ll not realize that something is wrong because the plants look happy even with such cheap LEDs; however, the buds will remain small and the yields will not be satisfactory. That's why, you must do research and only invest in high-quality LEDs with the right spectrum to achieve good results. 

• Positioning the Grow Lights

Apart from light intensity, you should also know where to place the lights so the plants get the best out of them. If you’re simply placing a grow light and praying for the best, you won’t get good results. 

To understand where to place the lights, you could get a lux meter. In a perfect world, you’d get a PAR meter, but that’s way too expensive for a home grower, so just stick to lux meters that measure the lux or the light that our human eyes can see. 

On average, anything below 15,000 lux means that your plants are asking for more light. They need anything between 15,000 to 50,000 during the vegetative stage and about 45,000 to at least 60,000 during the flowering stage. Anything beyond about 70,000, and you should increase the distance, although some plants may love it. 

5. The Vegetative Phase

Since the spotlight is on the buds when it comes to cannabis, many growers focus only on the flowering stage and do everything possible to take care of the plants. While it's good to take extra care of the plant during the flowering stage, you must not forget that the vegetative phase is equally important. 

Don’t make the mistake of underestimating the significance of the phase because the plant sets the foundation at this stage. Think of it like building a house. Sure, you should spend a lot of time thinking about the colors and the type of material you use to build it. After all, the aesthetic appeal is important. However, you should not neglect the foundation. Without that, the house will simply collapse. 

Similarly, the plant concentrates on developing its structure by establishing stems, branches, and leaves. This foundation is vital as it provides support for buds during the flowering stage. At this point, the roots also develop more. If the roots are healthy, you can expect good dense buds; however, ignore the vegetative stage and you’ll have the foundation wrong. 

6. Train When Necessary

You don’t need to employ too many training techniques to train your plant; however, you can train the plants as and when necessary. Whatever method you choose, ensure you do it correctly. Firstly, training helps your plant grow more colas than one as it breaks the apical dominance. 

You can start with topping to make sure the plant grows a few colas. Topping is nothing but snipping off the tip so the plant grows a few colas. You need to wait until the plant develops at least 3-4 nodes to top. If you top once, you get two colas; top twice, and you get 4. Once you get about 8, you should stop. Or, you’ll have a plant that has way too many bud sites with thin buds. Instead, let the plant focus on a few colas and you’ll get big yields. Also, remember that you should help the plant produce more colas only if it’s a big healthy plant. Smaller plants will not fare well if you top too much. 

Next, you can start with LST by bending the branches to the sides of its container. This method helps the lower parts also get light. As the plant grows, you can prune any leaves and branches that obstruct the light from getting to the bottom parts of the plant. Some growers remove the lower parts completely so that the plant focuses just on the parts at the top, known as lollipopping. If you have no clue what that is, just go ahead with what you understand. 

The goal is to stress the plant just a bit so that it puts more energy into flowering and developing bigger buds. You don’t need to stress it so much that it gets stunted! Some growers train their plants even during the flowering stage, but you don’t need to do it if you don’t have much experience. 

7. pH

No subject on growing cannabis is quite complete without the mention of pH. Right from the seedling stage, you have to take care of the pH. If you're growing in soil, try and maintain a pH between 6 to 7, whereas a pH between 5.5 to 6.5 will be good for hydroponics. 

You don’t need anything fancy, but you need to have a pH meter to accurately measure the pH. Don’t rely on strips because they are not accurate. Remember, everything else you do, including training, nutrients, light, etc., will go to waste if you don’t care about the pH because it’s the most important factor in determining the health of the plants. 

You should also get a pH Up and pH Down to adjust the pH whenever necessary. Adjusting the pH is important even if you’re growing in soilless mediums or using soil. Organic methods don't require you to check the pH as much, but you should still check it from time to time to ensure it’s not way off. 

When cannabis plants start showing deficiencies, the leaves typically start becoming yellow. However, before you try to rectify it, make sure it’s not a pH imbalance. Often, what looks like a nutrient deficiency could be a problem with the pH. 

8. Nutrients

Plants need nutrients at every stage of growth; however, you don’t need to use too much during the seedling stage. Start with a quarter strength of what’s recommended and continue only if your plants don’t show any adverse effects. 

Once the plant reaches the vegetative stage, you can start feeding full-strength nutrients to promote strong and healthy development. At this stage, photoperiod plants are more forgiving and handle nutrient deficiencies; however, take care not to allow any type of nutrient issues as the plant will be in the process of preparing itself for the flowering stage. 

Remember to stick to a proper schedule and feed the plants. Don’t randomly feed them whenever you feel like it. Also, they need more nitrogen at this stage, but since you’re probably not making the nutrients from scratch, try not to mess up the ratios. If you try to add more nitrogen somehow, the plant will experience an imbalance and experience toxicity. 

9. Flowering Stage

Next comes the flowering stage. At this point, you need to be very careful to avoid nutrient deficiencies as the plant will start to produce buds. A deficiency at this stage will seriously hamper their chances of producing big dense buds. 

Cannabis plants need more phosphorus and potassium at this stage, meaning you’ll have to use nutrients that are low in nitrogen. To help them a little, you can use bloom boosters that are nothing but supplements with ingredients like molasses, and potassium. However, be careful not to use too much or you’ll mess up the ratios again. 

Also, make sure the plant doesn’t experience stress at this stage. For example, a problem with the pH or nutrients or even water can impact the formation of thick buds. You should also be very careful about heat stress at this point. Since you’re focusing on the intensity of the light, you might place the plants too close to the lights. The buds could get bleached and the plants could lose their leaves if the distance is too close. 

The flowering stage is very important as this is the stage where the bud quality, density, and yields are determined. So, you should be on your toes to control the environmental conditions or you could have small, airy buds. 

You should also defoliate the leaves as much as possible to remove any leaves that are obstructing the light from reaching the buds. However, you should be experienced in doing this properly as even a small mistake during the flowering stage could mess with the quality of the buds. If you’re unsure, leave them alone and you’ll still get plenty of buds that are dense. 

10. Environmental Conditions

Cannabis plants are sensitive to sudden temperature changes, especially in the flowering stage. Extreme heat or cold can impact bud density and overall yields. During flowering, temperatures above 80°F (26°C) can result in the development of buds that are light and airy. Excessive heat may even cause foxtails, which negatively affect bud structure.

Conversely, it can’t be too cold either as it can produce small airy buds that lack density. Finding a balance and keeping temperatures between 65 to 80°F (18 to 26°C) is crucial, for bud development. While the temps can be slightly warmer during the day, it needs to be cool at night. 

Similarly, you need to keep the humidity in check too. While cannabis plants enjoy high humidity levels in their vegetative stage, it becomes problematic when they enter the flowering stage. Excessive humidity can result in various issues from mold to bud rot. So, you must maintain RH below 50% to ensure the buds become as dense as possible. 

Summary: 10 Tips To Grow Thick Dense Cannabis Buds

Growing high-quality cannabis buds is an art. It could be difficult at first, but you shouldn’t worry too much about it. Just take care of the factors mentioned here including the pH, nutrients, light, humidity, and temperature, and your plants will reward you with thick, dense buds.