by Nebula Haze
Do plant odors vary from day to day, say a real lot some and practically none the next?
YES, that is totally normal.
It is normal for cannabis plants to smell, and for the smelliness to change from day to day.
Cannabis plant odors may change a lot from day to day. Variability in day-to-day odor levels is normal due to the complex biological mechanisms involved. The smell may range from very strong some days to barely noticeable on others based on the following factors.
Factors that influence how strong your cannabis plants smell on any given day:
Temperature – Cannabis plants tend to release more aromatic oils (terpenes) in the air when the temperature is warm or hot. The heat causes the plant to metabolize faster and increases the intensity of odor compounds that give cannabis its distinctive smell.
Humidity – Higher humidity (especially above 60% RH) also tends to increase cannabis odor. Odor molecules are able to disperse and travel farther in moist air. On the other hand, dry air causes odors to dissipate more quickly. Think of how a wet forest has a strong smell but a desert has little smell.
Air circulation – Stagnant, unmoving air allows odor compounds to build up to higher concentrations around the plants. Venting out the stale air and bringing in fresh air is not just great for your plants and bud quality, but the extra ventilation reduces overall odor levels.
Light exposure – Cannabis plants produce more odor during the day and less at night when photosynthesis is not occurring.
Plant maturity (stage of growth)- Certain strains of cannabis plants smell while they’re still young and in the vegetative stage, but typically the odor is not too bad. However, by the time the plant enters the flowering stage and starts making buds, their distinctive cannabis odor increases significantly and continues to grow in intensity. The smell can by overwhelming for certain strains in the final weeks before harvest. As buds ripen, the plant is producing more smell-causing terpenes.
Strain – Some strains smell a ton, and some strains are relatively low odor (check out some low odor cannabis strains here). Some strains smell from a young age, and some don’t really smell until buds are close to harvest.
If you use proper smell control combined with a grow tent, as recommended below, you can hide the smell of your cannabis plants so that the smell is undetectable except for when the grow tent door is open. Unfortunately, even with the best carbon filter, when you open the tent, the smell will get out into the room. But if you’re quick to water you can essentially grow weed without any smells in the house ever.
What can a cannabis grower do about smells?
Want to make sure your weed plants NEVER smell? Check out our tutorial on how to stop marijuana plant smells in the grow room.
How to stop cannabis smells – No one will know you’re growing!
Use a carbon filter in a grow tent with an exhaust fan and no one will smell your plants even if they’re standing just a few feet away.
