The Art of the Bush: How to Grow a Powerful, Productive Cannabis Plant
When you’re growing cannabis, you don’t want a sad, skinny Christmas tree. You want a powerful, dense, and vibrant bush. Why?
It’s simple. A plant’s leaves are its lungs. They are the solar panels that absorb light and power the entire operation. The more healthy leaves and branches your plant has, the more energy it can create, and the bigger, denser, and more potent your final harvest will be. A bushy plant is a powerful plant.
Recommended Strains
Alien OG
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THC: 22% - 28% -
Type of seed: Feminized -
Phenotype: 35% Sativa / 65% Indica -
Flavor: Citrus, Herbal -
Day to flower: 8 - 10 weeks
Alien Og Regular
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THC: 18% - 22%
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Type of seed: Regular
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Phenotype: 50% Sativa / 50% Indica
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Flavor: Citrus, Lemon
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Day to flower: 8 - 9 weeks
The Toolkit: How to Build a Bush
A cannabis plant’s natural instinct is to grow straight up, focusing all its energy on a single main stalk. This is called “apical dominance.” Our job as growers is to break that dominance and force the plant to grow outwards instead of just upwards, creating a wide, even canopy with multiple, equal-sized main colas.
Here are the two main ways we do it.
1. The Chop (Topping):
This is the most direct approach. You simply take a clean pair of snips and cut off the very top of the plant’s main stem, right above a set of nodes. This shocks the plant. It immediately stops sending energy to the top and redirects it to the two side shoots directly below your cut. Those two shoots will then grow upwards to become two main colas instead of one. Do it again, and you’ll have four. It’s that simple.
2. The Bend (Low-Stress Training – LST):
If you don’t like the idea of cutting your plant, LST is for you. This technique involves gently bending the main stem over until it’s parallel with the soil, and then tying it down. This simple act tricks the plant. The lower side branches are now exposed to more light and think that they are the main top. They will begin to grow upwards aggressively, creating a wide, bushy plant with a whole canopy of colas.
Promos & Deals
Refining the Beast: The Lollipop & The Gym
Once you’ve built your bush, you need to refine it and make it strong.
The “Lollipop” (Pruning):
This is a pro-level technique that makes a huge difference. Once your plant is well into its vegetative stage, you want to remove all the lower branches and leafy growth from the bottom 30-60cm (1-2 feet) of the plant. This does two amazing things. First, it forces the plant to stop wasting energy on that lower “larf” that will never get enough light, and instead send all its power to the top colas, making them bigger and denser. Second, it creates a clean, open space at the base of your plant, which dramatically improves airflow and prevents pests from simply crawling up from the soil onto the lower leaves.
The “Gym” (Airflow):
A plant sitting in still, stagnant air will grow weak. You need to give your plants a workout. A couple of oscillating fans creating a constant, gentle breeze in your grow space does more than just prevent mold. It forces the plant’s stems to exercise. They will become visibly thicker, harder, and more robust as they fight against the breeze. This is crucial for building stems strong enough to hold the weight of the massive buds you’re about to grow.
And remember, a dense, bushy plant is a perfect hiding place for pests. You must be vigilant. Regularly inspect and clean the undersides of the leaves, where pests love to lay their eggs. A clean plant is a healthy plant. When you Cultivate this way, you’re not just a grower; you’re a personal trainer for your plants, building a true Homegrown champion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is a bushy cannabis plant better than a tall, skinny one?
Because a plant’s leaves are like its lungs or solar panels. A bushy plant has far more leaves and branches exposed to the light, which means it can generate much more energy. This leads to a stronger plant, more bud sites, and a significantly larger and more potent final harvest.
What is “lollipopping” and why should I do it?
Lollipopping is the technique of removing all the branches and leaves from the bottom portion (about 1-2 feet) of your cannabis plant. This forces the plant to send all of its energy to the top colas that receive the most light, making them much bigger and denser. It also improves airflow and helps prevent pests.
Why is good airflow so important for my plants’ structure?
A constant, gentle breeze from a fan forces your plant’s stems and branches to constantly resist the movement. This “exercise” makes them grow significantly thicker, stronger, and more robust, which is essential for them to be able to support the heavy weight of dense, resinous buds later in the flowering stage.
What’s the difference between “topping” and “LST” for making a plant bushy?
“Topping” is a high-stress technique where you cut off the main top of the plant to force it to split into two. “LST” (Low-Stress Training) is a gentler method where you don’t cut the plant, but instead bend and tie down the main stem to encourage the side branches to grow up and out. Both lead to a bushier plant.
