8 Tips for Growing God Bud Cannabis [Grower’s Guide]

Canada produces some of the finest weed in the world, and God Bud is one of its best exports. This Canadian strain is a potent cross of Hawaiian and Purple Skunk. It has a THC content that ranges between 14% to 22%. Although it’s regarded as a balanced hybrid, God Bud leans towards the indica side and is a popular medicinal strain.

God Bud was created in British Columbia by BD Bud Depot. It has won a variety of awards, including the High Times Indica Cup in 2014. Users laud its cerebral yet calming and relaxing effects that aren’t sedating enough to cause couch lock.

Its sweet, earthy flavors make God Bud a treat for the tastebuds. Many medicinal marijuana users say it can help with chronic stress, headaches, pain, and even insomnia. In this guide to growing God Bud, we’ll give you some helpful tips to help you achieve a successful harvest.

1 – Growing God Bud Inside & Outside

The bad news is God Bud is a difficult strain to grow. Therefore, novices would be better off beginning their cultivation journey with an easier strain to grow.

God Bud is high maintenance, but you can use either hydroponics or a soil setup.

God Bud is high maintenance, but you can use either hydroponics or a soil setup. It grows well both inside and outside, but the start-up costs will be higher if you opt for the former. If you grow it indoors, the yield will be approximately four ounces per square meter planted. In comparison, a significant number of strains will produce four or five times that amount. On the plus side, God Bud has a fast flowering time of just seven to eight weeks.

If you grow outdoors, you can get away with growing God Bud in colder climates. However, it is essential to keep humidity levels on the low side. In general, keep the temperature between 65˚ and 80˚ Fahrenheit, and beware of temperature drops. It yields just three ounces per plant and is ready for harvest by the middle of October.

2 – Pruning Your God Bud

The plants and buds of this strain grow extremely dense. Therefore, you need to ensure your grow room has excellent airflow and is not too humid. Otherwise, there is a risk of the crop developing bud rot or powdery mildew. Once your God Bud starts to look ‘bushy,’ it is time to start pruning.

Typically, growers look to prune their marijuana plants a few days before forcing them into the flowering stage. Don’t prune more than three weeks into flowering, or else you risk hindering the plant’s growth. High-quality weed grows where the plant gets the most airflow and sunlight, which is on the outside of the plant. Ideally, the plant will direct energy to its top. We recommend narrowing your pruning focus to the following three areas:

1. Bud sites near the bottom of the main stalks.
2. Leaves that are yellowing and dying due to lack of light exposure.
3. Branches low down on the plant receiving minimal sunlight.

Rather than pruning everything in one session, it is best to work in intervals to prevent stressing the plant. After successfully pruning your plants, you will be amazed by a sudden growth burst a few days later. The God Bud plants will develop lots of resin during the flowering stage, which you can use for high-potency hash.

3 – Organic or Chemical Fertilizers?

God Bud requires heavy feeding, but the question is: should you use organic or chemical fertilizers? Bear in mind that the marijuana plant has been growing for tens of thousands of years. Up until relatively recently, it thrived without the need for chemical fertilizers. It wasn’t until 1840 that experts championed nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (the famed N-P-K combination) as essential nutrients for plants.

Pros & Cons of Chemical Fertilizers

Pros

• You can use precise ratios that result in larger yields.
• Marijuana plants use these nutrients quickly, leading to faster growth and an increase in THC production.
• You can purchase chemical fertilizers anywhere, and they are relatively inexpensive.

Cons

• Chemical fertilizers do nothing for the quality of your soil. In fact, soil quality diminishes over time.
• It is easy for novices, in particular, to overuse fertilizer and kill plants.
• When soil quality is compromised, nutrient runoff occurs, which means wasted nutrients and contamination of the surrounding environment.
• Chemical fertilizers are created using nonrenewable resources. Producing nitrogen requires a lot of energy and is terrible for the environment.

Pros & Cons of Organic Fertilizers

Pros

• The nutrients are released slowly, which reduces the risk of overfeeding.
• Not only do you improve the soil, but you also boost the quality of your plant’s flowers. It is common for growers to discover that their cannabis tastes and smells better.
• Organic fertilization can take place year after year. In other words, you should be able to use the same soil ten years from now without a reduction in quality.
• Organic fertilizers are sustainable and renewable.
• This type of fertilizer also remains in the soil, which means a lower risk of nutrient runoff.

Cons

• It takes time for plants to absorb organic nutrients, which is a problem if there is suddenly a nutrient deficiency during the flowering stage.
• Organic fertilizer needs microorganisms to break down nutrients. This is a slow process in cold climates.
• You could inadvertently attract pests that are harmful to your plants.
• Although organic fertilizers are more expensive than their chemical counterparts initially, the financial benefit will be seen over several years.

It is also important to note that organic fertilizer is probably a better option for novice growers. Chemical fertilizers rely on precision, meaning you can’t make alterations or mistakes without your crop suffering the consequences.

4 – Making the Most out of Bat Guano

One of the most popular organic soil amendments is bat guano, which is bat feces! Growers collect the guano of bats that consume insects or fruit. Bat guano has several beneficial properties for marijuana plants, including acting as a fungicide, inoculant, and fertilizer. As it contains enormous amounts of ‘fauna’ (decomposing microorganisms), bat guano is also filled with beneficial bacteria.

You can either add the guano to your soil when it is dry, or else you can add it gradually by creating bat guano tea. Here is the recipe and quick instructions on how to apply it:

• You need 3.5 liters of water for every three tablespoons of guano.
• Mix four parts cold water to three parts warm water to help dissolve the guano.
• This equates to 2 liters of cold water for every 1.5 liters of warm water.
• Add the guano to the water and continuously stir while doing so.
• Leave the mixture for at least eight hours and up to two days.
• Place a loose cover on the mixture, adding air holes if necessary.
• Feed your plants 3-4 times a week, although you can feed more frequently if the soil has good drainage.

5 – Answering the pH Question

In general, you need to use slightly acidic water when watering marijuana plants such as God Bud. The rule of thumb is to ensure the pH of plant soil stays in the 6.0 to 6.8 range.

If you are using a hydroponic setup, the pH level drops slightly to 5.5 to 6.5. If the soil’s pH drifts outside the ideal range, there is a strong possibility of nutrient lockout. Consequently, your plants will be unable to absorb these nutrients correctly.

However, as more becomes known about growing cannabis, these pH levels are more guidelines than strict criteria. In reality, watering without rigid pH regulation will not kill your plants as long as these periods are short. It is far better to water your plants with an ‘incorrect’ pH level than not to water them at all.

This is especially the case when growing weed outdoors because the high-quality soil has enormous populations of microorganisms present. They are responsible for pH regulation in nature and nutrition management; however, the picture changes when growing marijuana indoors. As there are many variables and conditions that that are human-made, it becomes much more critical to regulate pH adequately.

6 – Your Grow Room Lighting Options

When growing God Bud indoors, you need to provide the crop with adequate light. Here’s a brief reminder of the different lighting schedules:

• At least 18 hours of continuous light a day during the vegetative stage.
• 12 hours of light, 12 hours of continuous darkness are needed when you want to force your plants into the flowering stage.

Check out our guide to the most common lighting options for more information.

7 – Five Mistakes Novice Growers Must Avoid

While God Bud isn’t suitable for novice growers, we know that some prospective marijuana cultivators will dive right in. Here are five common mistakes to avoid.

#1. Placing Grow Lamps at the Wrong Height

If your lighting is too high, your God Bud plants won’t receive enough light to satiate their enormous appetite. As a result, they expend energy and grow skinny in a bid to reach out for more light. The resulting plants will be so weak that they may be unable to support their weight.

If your lamps are hanging too low, you could cause light burn and damage the quality and quantity of your yield.

#2. A Failure to Flush

In the marijuana community, some growers believe flushing should only occur as a desperate last-ditch measure. In reality, ALL growers should flush their plants a week before harvest. The process improves the quality of weed because it removes excess chemicals from the plant.

#3. Incorrect Feeding

Do your research, and you’ll discover that some marijuana strains handle excess feeding better than others. For example, God Bud is classified as a heavy feeder, meaning you can feed it regularly with less likelihood of adverse effects.

Overfeeding causes nutrient lockout, which eventually kills plants. Underfeeding is also deadly; a tell-tale sign is yellow, drooping leaves.

#4. Ignoring Health & Safety Procedures

We have heard countless tales of grow rooms being destroyed because growers failed to adhere to basic health and safety regulations. Remember, you have heat, water, and electricity in the same area! Perform regular checks on the grow room and ensure the electrical cables are all safely stored away out of reach. Also, make sure not to overload power sockets with your lighting setup.

#5. Talking Too Much

Although medicinal marijuana is now legal in the majority of states, growing it isn’t legal in all of them. Even if it is legal, there is no need to go around boasting about your crop. All you’re doing is inviting thieves to steal your bud. Remember, most marijuana sells for at least $200 an ounce, so it’s an attractive target for criminals.

8 – How Much Will It Cost Me to Grow God Bud Indoors?

There is no question that indoor growing is more expensive. Here are some things that indoor growers need for a successful harvest:

• Feminized seeds
• Pots
• A growing medium, e.g., organic soil or hydroponic setup
• Fans
• Tent
• Filter
• Lighting
• Ventilator
• Humidifier or dehumidifier, and a host of other equipment!

This is before you include your electric bill! As a general rule of thumb, you can expect to grow 0.5 grams of weed per Watt of light. However, with the God Bud strain, you will produce less than this.

Let’s say your yield is 12 ounces because you have planted God Bud across an area spanning four square meters (three ounces per square meter, remember). Although the price will vary, you could potentially get an ounce of God Bud for $300. This means you will save money if your setup and the total cost are less than $3,600. Of course, you should also take the time you spent cultivating the crop into account.

If you have a decent-sized grow room and follow our growing tips, it is worth your while growing God Bud.

In other words, if you have a decent-sized grow room and follow our growing tips, it is unquestionably worth your while growing God Bud (as long as it is legal in your state!). However, some people have grow rooms of approximately one meter squared. In that case, growing God Bud is more expensive than purchasing it in a dispensary because it is a low-yielding strain.