I am sitting here in my grow tent looking at my smaller buds and thought to myself, “How to grow big buds indoors?” So, I decided to do a little research on the matter.
I found out that there are many techniques to increase the size of your buds when growing indoors. Smaller buds typically form because of a lack of environmental controls in indoor growing spaces. Smaller buds form from issues like not enough of the right kinds of light, poor nutrients, low CO2 or improper humidity and temps.
The good news is that if you want bigger buds when growing indoors, a few changes to your indoor grow room can make all the difference. So, let’s look at some things we can do to increase the size of our buds grown indoors.
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How to Tell How Big Your Buds Will Be
There are a few indications of how big your buds will be based on visual inspection of the plant right before you send it into the flowering stage. The overall health of the plant is a key indicator assuming your plant is a female. If the plant is a male, then you will obviously have zero cannabis buds (see also ‘hermie’ plants).
Every plant starts with high-quality seeds. Many seed banks offer to ship to the USA legally but always make sure you use a reputable seed bank.
A healthy plant that is ready to bud will have zero signs of nutrient burn or deficiencies. Visually inspect the leaves and identify then try and fix the problem before flowering starts. Cannabis is far more forgiving in the vegetative stage.
If your cannabis plants do not have any signs of poor health pat yourself on the back. This is the first step in knowing that you have a good shot at thick and big buds is a healthy plant.
Lighting can also determine how big your buds will be. LED’s produce a wide range of full-spectrum light and do a pretty good job indoors with bud growth. Many consider HPS bulbs a good alternative during the flowering stage to also help buds along. Take a look at our ‘Best LED Grow Lights for 2022‘ article for ideas on grow lights that can work for you.
These grow light bulbs run hot, however, so keep in mind that if you have a small tent heat can quickly impact the size of your buds. LED grow lights, on the other hand, stay relatively cool and usually fall in line with perfect growing temperatures.
How to Make Buds More Potent
Big buds are not always the best if they aren’t potent. Sure, they may look great as Instagram posts, but will they produce the medical high that we can expect? Combining potency with big buds is what every indoor farmer wants.
The easiest way to help your trichomes form and produce a gaggle of THC is simple.
Nutrients or the perfect nutrient blend can help you achieve big buds with a high potency level whether your grow medium is soil or your marijuana plant is growing in a DWC system. Here are a few of my favorite nutrients for big (and potent) buds.
Best Cannabis Nutrients for Big Buds
All marijuana plants need nutrients in order to grow, and cannabis is no exception. If you’re one of the many people looking at growing your own weed for the first time, the sheer variety of nutrient options on the market can be very confusing.
Even your own personal setup can affect the types of nutrients that you should use and choosing the wrong ones can increase the risk of growing plants that are weak, lacking in buds, or simply just nowhere near the potency that you’re looking for.
Matters get even more confusing when you realize that cannabis plants have different life stages, and that means having different nutrient types for each cycle. Here are some of the most popular nutrients on the market, and how you should be using them for the best growth results.
Technaflora Recipe for Success
Beginners will struggle to find an easier product to use than the Technaflora Recipe for Success for increasing your yields. The reason why this is so popular and effective is that they make use of a mixing chart that tackles that otherwise tricky element of changing your nutrient input differently for each stage in the growth of your cannabis plants.
That means you don’t have to deal with the far more complicated method of adjusting nutrients on a weekly basis. Whether you’re at the cutting, seeding, or even flowering stage of your cycle, the Technaflora solution is ideal for more practical growing.
Fox Farm Grow Big Hydroponic
Fox Farm has improved on their Grow Big Liquid Plant Food to come up with this fantastic little option for hydroponic growers as opposed to growing in soil. Designed with purely hydroponic systems in mind, this is a very potent and fast-acting fertilizer in liquid form that can really make a difference to your plant growth.
Combine the Fox Farm with the perfect amount of light and you will easily see higher yields, heavy buds, and more potent cannabis.
Consisting of a recipe that includes both earthworm castings and Norwegian kelp, Fox Farm nutrients have always been an excellent way to promote healthier and sturdier plant growth, and this hydroponic option is an easy way to ensure that you get much higher quantities of buds and blooms in the final stages. As with all hydroponic systems, you’ll still need to make sure that your pH balance is consistent, but with a little care and attention, this is one of the best options on the market.
Botanicare – Growilla
For even bigger yields, Botanicare has always been a reliable source of quality nutrients, but there’s something special about the Growilla line. This is an incredibly simple formula to use, and it’s natural and organic dry base contains a wide variety of nutrients that will certainly show in your end results.
If you’re looking for lush vegetation, fast growth, and plenty of buds, then Growilla might be the best choice. Perfect for those with indoor setups, it’s always worth having a look at the options on the Botanicare store. For those with a decent level of knowledge regarding exactly what your cannabis plants need, then Growzilla is hands down one of the best nutrient solutions around.
Every grow setup is different, and the choice of nutrients that you opt for will have a noticeable effect on your harvest. Always pay particular care when it comes to buying the nutrients that you need because the wrong variety could lead to a very lackluster haul at the end of the growing cycle and that’s not how to grow big buds indoors for sure.
Small Plant With Big Buds
Growing indoors means small spaces, but you don’t have to sacrifice big buds. There are a few techniques on how to grow big buds indoors that actually increase the size of your cannabis buds and yet keep the plant relatively small.
My favorite technique for small plant yet big buds are combining low-stress training (LST) with early cropping.
Using pipe cleaners or garbage ties, you can easily tie down early branches in a pattern to suit your indoor growing needs. Young branches are flexible and can handle the stress of being tied down. You can train your marijuana plants to grow outward and keep them small.
The plants will still start to grow upward. Early cropping is important. You will want to top your marijuana plants accordingly. I recommend waiting a week between topping your buds to let colas naturally form.
If you are timely with the process you will develop a plant with sturdy branches that can handle the weight of bigger cannabis buds, yet you will slow down the branch growth as you put stress on the cannabis plant which will make for small plants with big buds and colas.
Growing Big Buds Fast
We all want big buds fast, but this is not always ideal. Patience is an indoor growers’ friend. There are however ways to make your buds grow faster and bigger. It does take some extra money to speed things up, which is a downsize.
Adding carbon dioxide (CO2) to the mix will help your plant buds thrive during flowering. Along with some of the nutrients mentioned above will also increase the speed at which your buds form. You will want to fertilize often. Some even use bat guano to give things a quick start.
I have even heard of turning off the lights for 48 hours before starting the 12 hours of light on and off with flowering.
Your plant’s indoor space should control a few key factors in making big buds:
- Type of grow lights
- The right nutrients at the right time
- CO2 levels
- The PH balance of water and PPM’s
- Temperature and humidity
- Training and Topping
- Patience
Cheap Indoor Grow Setup To Help Grow Big Buds
If you are curious about how to grow big buds indoors on a budget we created the shopping list below to help you get started without spending too much. Growing big buds indoors can get expensive, especially if you do not know what to buy when starting out.
Supplies for growing big buds indoors
If you are new to growing big cannabis buds indoors, these items are a must when it comes to your cheap indoor grow setup.
- A Budget Friendly LED Grow Light
For growing big buds on a budget we recommend the Bestva 2000w LED grow light.
For a 2000w LED grow light, this model by Bestva is affordable yet gives you the power you need for growing big buds indoors.
- 【HIGH YIELD & LOW COST】This 2000 watt led grow light designed with 1176pcs high quality LEDs, Compare with the traditional 2000 watt grow lamps, this light is brighter and efficient, but consuming only 200 watts.Perfect for 3x3ft,Max coverage 4x4ft.
- 【Excellent full spectrum】Infinite close to natural sun light adopts the latest high-quality LEDs technology diodes.This full spectrum led grow light designed with 3000K, 5000K, 460nm, 660nm LEDs. Which providing your plants with excellent full spectrum led grow lights.
- Reflective Mylar Grow Tent
A grow tent will set the growing environment up for success. Here we have chosen a light-reflective diamond mylar tent made by Mars Hydro’s grow tents division. The tent is durable and affordable.
The mylar construction allows for high reflectivity and the tent has minimal light leak. These tents come in different sizes and ultimately the space you have will determine which size you should purchase for growing big buds.
- UPGRADED ZIPPER FLAP FOR PERFECT LIGHT LOCKING: MARS HYDRO grow tent interior is highly reflective and density diamond mylar. An exclusive shade cloth is equipped on the stitching between zipper and canvas, avoiding any pinhole leaks. The 1680D canvas is double stitched, tear proof for perfect light locking and keeps 100% lighting beams inside
- STURDY METAL STRUCTURE AND EASIER SETUP: Crafted with stable metal poles, corner adapters and top bars, this growing tent is superior for its durability, neither rusting nor paint-falling. The thick and solid steel poles withstand more weight than other small grow tents. It's easy to assemble with pop snaps and holes, quickly build up your growing setup for hydroponic grow and gardening in minutes
- Inline Duct Fan With Carbon Filter
Air circulation is a must when it comes to growing big buds indoors. An inline fan can help move stale air out of the tent and bring fresh air in. At the same time, combining a carbon filter with the fan will reduce the smell of growing big and potent buds.
For a great inline fan and filter to help produce bug cannabis buds, check out this combo set made by Ipower. Everything you need comes included such as ducting, hangers, humidity and temp monitor and a quiet fan.
- 6 Inch 294 CFM Duct Inline Fan Blower: Composite fan blades and center hub which reduces noise and vibration.
- 6 Inch Filter: Dimensions: 6" Flange Ducting x 16" Length; Reversible flange. FREE Pre-Filter included: We recommend replace the Pre-Filter every 6 months to protect your filter.
These 3 items combined with the proper nutrients will give you a great start on growing big buds indoors. The only choices left are what medium to grow in such as soil or a hydroponic system.
And that is about it. The healthier the cannabis plant the bigger (and more potent) your buds will be. The art of growing all comes down to knowing what your plants need and when. Experience can be a key player in how to grow big buds indoors, but a little luck always helps.
Growing Big Buds FAQ
The weeks were big buds grow the most will depend on the strain during flowering. Expect somewhere between 5 to 7 weeks when flowering starts and buds have the most potential for growing fast. Topping Cannabis can easily increase yields as it exposes more of the plant’s surface to light. MJ colas might not be as big but will create several smaller colas in which your plants will yield more so than without cropping.What Week Do Buds Grow the Most?
How Do I Grow Bigger Buds Indoors?
Does Topping Increase Yield?
🌿 Join my "growing" community
of 5000+ happy
cannabis farmers! 👩🌾
Receive my weekly articles in marijuana growing,
from seeds to smoke!
— Morgan, 420GreenThumb 🌱