A-Grade flower production schedule is the most intensive of all schedules. It necessary to use highly oxygenated potting soil for its production demands. We recommend a coir fiber base to your soil. The abrasive structure will not only hold oxygen well, it has little to no degradation value. See FONSAG INFRASTRUCTURE for more information.
PRE-TRANSPLANT STAGE (FRESH START):
Use clones if consistent production is necessary. Clones are in essence a branch with roots. They have the tendency bush out and will need your assistance with vertical extension. Make sure you have proper plant to soil ratio to promote rapid plant growth and extend this growth until transplant. Choose your starter container wisely. Look at your containers as a timer. Your pot will provide an ideal growth habit, but only for a period of time. Your mission is to capture any potential growth speed and transfer it as a counter balance for transplant shock. This will provide your plant the strength needed to grow fast upon transplant. If your plant stunts before transplant, start over. Plant growth speed is habitual. It is important to kick start your plants. Fast growth before transplant will transfer to fast growth after transplant. Examine internode spacing between branches. Branch spacing should exceed 3-4 inches vertical extension. Achieving this goal will lay the foundation for later developments; flower head spacing, canopy fulfillment, etc. Feed plants based on desired growth speed. Make sure this is a time event. Your starts will need small amounts of feed at the get go. Gradually increase feedings as your plants grow up.
TRANSPLANT STAGE (ROOT SPREAD):
The goal for any grower is to provide limited root shock to their starts. Plants are delicate in early stages. Set lights on 16 hours if your plants are growing indoors. Time transplant with a cool weather pattern. If this is not a possibility, transplant at night or build shade covers for each plant. If the only possibility is to plant in the heat of the day, acclimate the transplants first to direct light. FONSAG provides a combination of mycorrhizal, microbial, bacterial, hormonal, and enzymatic formulations to encourage early root production. It is imperative root mass development comes quickly. The onset of new root development births new plant growth. New sets of branches will stem off the main stock like clockwork. It is a timed event and difficult to slow or speed up. New root growth provides elongation between branch sites. Slow root growth promotes stunting response and will retard plant branch spacing. Internode spacing between branches can be a controlled measure. Transplant stage is your beginning position. Main branch spacing controls distance between secondary branching. Secondary branches determine final flower site position. It is wise to go for early plant elongation.
GROWTH STAGE (CANOPY FILL):
Pushing new growth is necessary for ideal branch internode spacing. In the growth stage, your main objective is to fill canopy without overfilling it. Canopy fill is the backbone for flower production. Certain varieties will naturally provide proper growth habits. Other strains will need to be pushed in the right direction. Standard grow techniques use labor to trellis/train and prune plants. Each strain has an optimal ratio of flower sites per square foot. Production potentials differ stain to stain. Each requires its own unique footprint; optimal distance between flower sites. FONSAG provides nutrient to help achieve a desired flower footprint. See PROGRAM ALTERATIONS to customize your schedule with canopy control using nutrient. Plant height also effects your production. A 3 1/2 foot plant height will yield quality buds without pruning or cleaning plants. A short plant will also produce less small bud. There are two common training methods to fill canopy. You can let your plants grow up naturally or fold them over to form a flat horizontal canopy. Both methods work. A natural canopy will need to be pushed wide using nutrient. A fold over will want fast vertical growth using nutrient. Once plants are folded, the vertical growth will transfer to ideal horizontal branch and flower site spacing.
TRANSITION STAGE (FLOWER SET):
The transitional stage is often overlooked. The importance of transition should not be taken lightly. In a short period of 2 1/2 weeks your plants undergo a stacking phase at the tips of all flower sites. As your plant transitions into flower, the branch production seen in the growth stage converts to flower stacking. The number of internode stacks produced in this time period will determine flower length. In this short timeframe, the foundation for flower structure and flower length forms. A tight flower structure is preferred in trimmed smokable flower production. An open flower structure can benefit oil production and fresh frozen extractions. FONSAG provides tools to manipulate and even extend transitional time. Stack control is being able to control flower length and tightness. See PROGRAM ALTERATIONS to control internode spacing, stack speed, and stage length.
EARLY FLOWER (PISTOL SET):
In the transitional stage, the first set of pistols sprout over flower regions. FONSAG early flower stage begins after the first set of pistols have matured and a secondary pistol set crops across the first. You will observe the first set of pistols retracting into their root forming calyx. Bud swelling is manufactured both by pistol count and calyx swell. Each simultaneously produced in early flower stage. Each delicate in nature. The slightest bit of plant stress will slow or cease pistol set or calyx swell. Your mission is to aid both processes by providing ideal circumstances for your plants. It is common to get excited when flowers start forming. It is common to pump phosphorus fertilizers as a response. The early flower stage only requires small amounts of phosphorus. Feeding to much results in salt lock. Salt lock is a common occurrence is early flower stages... and a deadly position to be in before buds swell.