Growin’ that Purple Fire: A Guide to Raisin’ Dope Purple Cannabis

Yo, what’s up fellow growers? Every one of us has dreamt of harvesting some big, juicy purple buds at home. But how do you make it happen? Let me tell you, there’s a right way and a wrong way to turn your weed purple. So, listen up and learn how to manipulate the colour of your cannabis like a pro.

What Causes Cannabis to Turn Purple?

Now, let’s get into the science behind it all. All plants have natural pigments. For most plants, including cannabis, the dominant pigment is chlorophyll. Chlorophyll not only helps plants photosynthesize but also gives them their green colour. However, plants also have other active pigments such as carotenoids and anthocyanins. In the absence of chlorophyll, plants use pigments like anthocyanins to absorb sunlight and photosynthesize. These anthocyanins naturally absorb all wavelengths from the sun except those in the indigo spectrum, which gives plants their purple colour. Hence, purple cannabis plants get their colour because the dominant pigment in their leaves and flowers are anthocyanins.

What Parts of Cannabis Can Turn Purple?

There are four main parts of your cannabis plant that can turn purple:

• Pistils: These are the fine hairs that pop out of your buds and let you know they’re female. These generally start off as a creamy white colour and turn orange/red/brown as plants mature. But it is possible for your plant’s pistils to turn pink or purple, and this colour will remain after you harvest, dry, and cure your buds.

• Calyxes: The small pods that make up your buds are called calyxes. Cannabis flowers are actually made up of hundreds of these small calyxes stacked on top of one another. As the flowers mature, the calyxes open and reveal their pistils, which are designed to catch pollen from male cannabis plants.

• Leaves: The fan and sugar leaves of your cannabis plant can also turn purple. However, they usually won’t have a large effect on the final colour of your buds since you’ll likely trim away most of the leaves during your post-harvest work.

• Trichomes: Trichomes are the tiny crystals that cover your buds. While they usually start off clear and become opaque and then amber later on, it is possible for them to turn purple too.

Ways to Turn Your Weed Purple

Now that you know how NOT to go about growing purple weed, let’s dive into a few pointers on how to maximise your chances of harvesting some eye-catching purple buds this season:

1. Start With the Right Genetics

Genetics play a huge role in determining the final colour of your plants. So if you’re set on growing purple weed, shop around for purple strains as they’ve been specifically bred for their unique colour. Remember that your buds will lose some colour after trimming, so opt for strains with the most vibrant purple pigmentation.

2. Adjust Your Temperatures

While you might be eager to watch your plants turn purple, this usually only happens once they finish vegetative growth and start flowering. After your plants enter their flowering stage, try dropping your nighttime temperatures. Colder temperatures cause chlorophyll to break down and can encourage your plants to produce more anthocyanins. Ideally, you want there to be a difference of 10–15°C between your daytime and nighttime temperatures.

The Wrong Ways to Turn Your Pot Purple

There are other ways to manipulate the colour of your plants but most involve depriving them of certain nutrients which we do not recommend doing. Even if you achieve some purple colouration using these methods, it will likely be detrimental to quality, flavour, and potency.

Many people mistakenly believe that the best way to turn cannabis purple is by depriving them of oxygen. However, depriving your plants of oxygen or carbon dioxide won’t improve your chances of harvesting purple buds. Feeding your plants more nitrogen also won’t change the colour of your plants unless you overdo it and end up burning them.

Some growers also use food colouring to dye their plants but we highly recommend you avoid trying it out at home. Finally, changing your plant’s light cycle, watering schedule or grow medium also won’t increase its chances of turning purple nor will yelling, screaming or singing at them.

Genetics: The #1 Reason Weed Turns Purple

Remember fellas – genetics and temperature are the two main factors affecting the colour of cannabis plants. If you’re dead set on growing purple weed, make sure you invest in the right genetics from the get-go.

At ILGM, their expert breeders have bred some killer purple strains so don’t forget to check them out:

1) Purple Punch – an indica variety bred from Granddaddy Purple and Larry OG genetics boasting a THC concentration of up to 25%.

2) Granddaddy Purple – a classic purple strain that originated in the US, featuring ultra-frosty and dense indica buds with a THC level of up to 23%.

3) Blackberry Kush – a hybrid between Blackberry and Afghani that delivers high levels of terpenes wrapped in a stunning purple package with around 20% THC.

Alright homies, there you have it – everything you need to know about growing some dank-ass purple weed at home! Don’t forget to share these tips with all your fellow growers out there too!