Unless you have already been growing your own weed, you might not have heard of cannabis larf yet.
Cannabis larf is a slang term that refers to the small, immature, and possibly undeveloped buds on the plant. Larf buds, also known as popcorn buds, can be found on its lower branches for indoor grows, or parts of the plant that received low light exposure and they tend to look wispy. On the other hand, when cannabis plants are grown outdoors, the larf may develop closer to the stems.
Compared to the cola, of the fuller flowers found in the upper canopy of the plant, cannabis larf have much less market value. In some cases, not always, larf is less potent when smoked or consumed.
Delarfing
Growers can minimize or reduce the growth of larf in order to make the most out of each plant. A procedure called delarfing can be done, which involves ensuring that the plant uses up all its energy to producing superior flowers in the canopy. Delarfing can also be achieved by constant pruning, training, and getting rid of plant growth that isn’t getting enough light.
Outdoor sunlight usually provides better distribution, but colas tend to form at the top and sides of the plants. If you have an outdoor grow, any excess heat can be controlled using a shade screen.
Other delarfing processes involve canopy management solutions, using more complex lighting systems, rotating plants, and supercropping. A pruning technique called lollipopping can also be used to prevent larf; lollipopping involves cutting off all the bud and foliage sites in the stalk’s bottom during the early flowering stage or late vegetative phase of the cannabis plant cycle. When you are able to keep the bottom of the stalk clean, you will end up with a cannabis plant that has little to no larf in the bottom, and a top heavy with colas.
Low stress training is another way to minimize them. This technique involves using a net or tying down the plant to the canopy level so that light will reach all the parts of the plant equally, preventing the growth of underdeveloped buds. However, low stress training is usually taxing and tedious to do since you have to train the plant every few days in order to get the best results.
High stress training can also be done, but take note, it’s an aggressive way that can risk damaging the plant. It involves mutilating or removing the stems with the intention of having an even canopy. When high stress training is done properly, it can make sure that all the lower branches and buds will be receiving the same intensity and amount of light. It will take 3 up to 4 weeks for the results to be seen and it requires significantly less work compared to low stress training. On the other hand, if done incorrectly or aggressively, it can cause serious shock to cannabis plants.
Doing these early in the flowering cycle of the cannabis plant will ensure that larf production is minimal if at all, to help make sure you grow a productive flower that is high in value and potency.
Not all growers delarf their cannabis plants; some still cultivate them on purpose with the intention of selling them at a discounted price. Growers can also use them to make certain oils or combine them with full-grown flower to get a bigger profit.
How to Use Larf Cannabis
If you happen to find larf on your cannabis plants, you can still make use of them. In fact, some dispensaries even offer popcorn buds or nugs in their menus. They may have a significantly lower production of terpenes and cannabinoids, but they can be bought at a great bargain and can be used.
Larf can also be appreciated by tokers who aren’t concerned about getting extremely high with potent THC levels. They are a budget-friendly way of stocking up and buying in bulk, or if you’re planning to smoke your friends out.
For example, a great way to make use of cannabis larf is to make cannabis oil out of it, which you can then use for making edibles. Alternatively, you can roll up larfs to make blunts and joints because they are a great way to produce fatter joints. Or, you could just use them the old fashioned way: load them all up into a small bowl and smoke it. The presence of cannabis larf on your plant enables you to do more than simply throw them away, and if you are on a budget when shopping at a dispensary, they’re an affordable means of making edibles and oils.
If you’re a home grower, it’s recommended to cure the larf just as you would the other flowers. Doing so is a critical step to ensure that it still has more potency and flavor as possible.
Conclusion
Larf are simply underdeveloped cannabis plants, though they still possess all of the qualities that the rest of the plant has except they are not as dense as colas. You can still consume them, smoke them, make hash, and make edibles and oils out of larf so there is no reason to waste them.
With the above mechanisms and techniques, it’s possible to reduce its growth if you are after potent and thick buds. If you are only learning how to grow cannabis, don’t feel despaired if you encounter some larf while growing. Just be sure to read up more on the proper ways to grow your plants, and learn how to prune and trim correctly.
HARVESTING BUDS, READ MORE...
