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Cannabis embodies a yearly botanical cycle, wherein the wild variants undergo germination, growth, flowering, and subsequent senescence within a single year, adhering to the daylight fluctuations brought forth by the changing seasons. In the ensuing year, offspring plants burgeon from the seeds engendered by their predecessors. Notwithstanding this natural progression, through strategic interventions, one can indeed invigorate a plant post its flowering stage, manipulating it to commence a second production phase.
In the process of harvesting a fully grown cannabis plant, one should meticulously undertake the removal of the entire upper third section of the plant, encompassing all leaves, flowers, and stems. Concurrently, a discerning trimming of the central third is necessitated, wherein the colas are extracted while predominantly retaining the expansive fan leaves.
Moreover, from the basal third of the plant, it is imperative to excise the prominent terminal blossoms, whilst preserving all diminutive buds and leaves in their original state. Although these smaller buds may seem insignificant concerning their dry weight contribution, they play an instrumental role in facilitating the plant’s regeneration process. Hence, retaining a substantial number of small buds on the inferior branches is strongly recommended. It is noteworthy to mention that, defying the plant’s customary growth trajectory, the regenerative phase witnesses a heightened pace of new developments predominantly occurring at the lower branches.
The Principle Underpinning It
Following the flowering phase, it is imperative for the plant to re-enter a brief vegetative growth stage, fostering the development of additional branches and leaves, thereby priming it for a subsequent flowering cycle. To facilitate this transition back to vegetative growth, cultivators ordinarily modify the light cycle from a 12/12 hour pattern to an extended 18/6 (or up to 24/0) cycle, alongside reverting to vegetative nutrient schedules.
Immediately post-harvest, a significant quantity of nitrogen is typically dispensed, conveying a distinct cue to the plant to initiate vegetative growth anew. An imperative consideration during this stage is the reduced water requirements of the plant, owing to the significant fraction that has been eliminated during the previous process. As such, it is prudent to adjust the water distribution to roughly two-thirds of the amount that was administered immediately prior to the harvest period. Subsequent to a two-week period characterized by vegetative growth, the plant is anticipated to display vigorous new growth, aptly prepared to advance into the forthcoming flowering cycle.
To augment the revitalization process beyond mere adjustments in lighting and nutrient plans, several proactive measures can be executed. Particularly in the case of soil-based pot cultivation, transplanting the specimens into more spacious pots and revitalizing the majority of the soil can act as a catalyst for new root proliferation and vigorous vegetative expansion.
Benefits of the Approach
The foremost advantage of employing the regeneration technique in cannabis cultivation is the considerable time conservation. Given that the root and stalk structure remains intact and a number of branches are preserved, the usually extensive duration necessitated for vegetative growth can be substantially curtailed in the forthcoming flowering cycles. Consequently, a mere fortnight of vegetative growth proves sufficient to rejuvenate the plant, enabling the potential completion of a second harvest in a shortened timeframe, approximately eight weeks.
Preservation of the genetic lineage stands as another substantial rationale for opting for plant regeneration. When initiating growth from seeds, replicating every single specimen through cloning isn’t always feasible or expedient. Moreover, the flowering stage provides a richer insight into the plant’s inherent attributes and prospective value compared to the initial vegetative stage. Therefore, revitalizing plants post-flowering emerges as a judicious strategy, serving dual purposes: not only stimulating the plant to yield a more abundant bud but also facilitating cloning during the brief vegetative growth period preceding the subsequent flowering phase. Moreover, it permits the indefinite maintenance of the plant in the vegetative state, thereby allowing continuous cloning.
Additionally, through precise interventions, there might be potential to amplify the potency and flavor profile across successive harvests. As per certain narratives, the strategy of intermittently pollinating the plant during various flowering stages stands central to fostering this qualitative enhancement. The suggested approach entails keeping the plant unpollinated during the initial flowering cycle, followed by subjecting the blossoms to male pollen exposure in the succeeding flowering phase, post-reverting to vegetative growth. Through repeated cycles, the plant is anticipated to attain an impressive stature, yielding superior clones and blossoms. Nonetheless, this method is yet to gain widespread recognition and the exact mechanistic pathway underlying this potential improvement remains largely elusive.
Possible Drawbacks
One of the foremost disadvantages associated with the process of regenerating plants following their flowering phase is the diminished yield witnessed with each successive harvest. Furthermore, there is an observable decrement in the qualitative aspects with each harvesting cycle, although this phenomenon is contended by some who posit that it might be attributed to the application of incorrect methodologies, such as the continual accumulation of nutrients in hydroponic systems over a prolonged duration.
In addition, plants undergoing the regeneration process are invariably exposed to heightened levels of stress, necessitating a recovery period extending over several weeks before they regain their full vitality. This heightened stress level manifests in various symptoms including a noticeable decrease in the number of leaflets per leaf, the appearance of withered leaves, and an overall retardation in growth pace, which are prevalent indicators of the plant experiencing distress.
It is evident that the strategy of plant regeneration does not align with the preferences and capacities of every cultivator. Especially within hydroponic setups, the potential disadvantages seemingly outweigh the benefits, multiplying the avenues for potential setbacks. Moreover, the rapid pace at which vegetative growth transpires from clones in hydroponic environments essentially nullifies any prospective time advantages, rendering the savings practically insignificant in the larger scheme of operations. This suggests a careful consideration of the approach, weighing the potential gains against the inherent challenges and limitations, especially in contexts where optimization of both yield and quality are sought.
Revitalizing Exterior Flora
While the process of cannabis regeneration is considerably simplified in indoor settings, where meticulous control over lighting and other environmental parameters can be achieved, the regeneration of outdoor cannabis plants remains a viable option. This practice is typically confined to regions characterized by extended growing seasons, or those with minimal fluctuations in seasonal temperatures and photoperiods. For instance, in subtropical locales like Hawaii, there have been instances documented where cultivators have succeeded in sustaining plants over numerous years, consequently reaping several harvests within this timeframe. This methodical approach to cultivation leverages advantageous climatic conditions, fostering a potentially perennial cycle of growth and harvest, thereby optimizing the yield from a single plant over a protracted period.
Essentially, the cornerstone of triumphant outdoor rejuvenation lies in the extension of daylight duration. In instances where it is feasible to orchestrate the harvest of your plants around June (in the context of the northern hemisphere), a considerable timeframe is available to facilitate the plants’ transition back to a vegetative state for a number of weeks prior to the anticipated decline in light levels, which naturally triggers the onset of the flowering phase once again.
Mirroring the approach adopted for indoor plants, it is advised to completely excise the upper one-third of the plant, undertake a selective trimming of the central third, and predominantly preserve the lower third intact, with the exception of removing the larger colas. A crucial aspect of this process entails ensuring that the plant is subjected to ample sunlight and receives a generous supply of nitrogen, setting the stage for the plant to revert to its vegetative growth phase within an approximate span of two weeks. This strategic approach, grounded in the meticulous management of the plant’s growth cycle and nutritional regimen, aims to foster a successful rejuvenation, thereby maximizing the potential yield from outdoor cannabis cultivation.
Reviving Autoflowering Cultivars
While there are indeed accounts of successful regenerations of autoflowering plants, this topic is engulfed in substantial dispute and ambiguity. A section of individuals have managed to proficiently excise the central colas of autoflowering plants, sparing the diminutive buds, and have subsequently observed the proliferation of new blooms.
Nonetheless, there has been no definitive evidence to suggest that these plants can fully revert to the vegetative state, a fundamental aspect of the regeneration protocol. Additionally, the majority of testimonies concede that the newly manifested growth exhibits a retarded pace and yields lesser, indicating that this method potentially falls short in efficacy when compared to initiating the cultivation of new plants from the outset.
In summation, it seems that the regeneration endeavor can confer certain advantages under specific circumstances, such as when the objective is to retain unique genetic traits that were not replicated during the initial vegetative phase. However, for a significant portion of regular cultivators, the intricacies and exertion implicated in successfully regenerating plants render this approach largely impracticable. Thus, a careful evaluation is warranted to ascertain the viability of regeneration as a sustainable method in the cultivation of autoflowering plants.
