Grower’s Guide to CBG Cultivation by End Use

Growing CBG-rich hemp offers unique flexibility – you can tailor your cultivation strategy depending on how you plan to use the harvest. Whether you’re infusing CBG into a new beverage, curing top-shelf buds for your personal stash, creating therapeutic topicals, or producing extract for oils, a few strategic tweaks will maximize your results. CBG Seed Source’s feminized strains like Double Black Label (DBL), White Buffalo, and Summit CBG provide high cannabigerol content with compliant THC levels, making them ideal for all these end uses. Below, we break down the best strain choices, cultivation tips (from timing your harvest to drying/curing methods), and post-harvest practices for each use case. The goal: help you get the most out of your CBG grow – whether you’re brewing a crisp CBG tea, rolling a smooth smoke, formulating a balm, or extracting pure CBG oil.

Best Strains for Beverages: When growing CBG for drinks (like teas, flavored seltzers, or mocktails), prioritize strains with complementary terpene profiles and solid CBG levels. Top picks include:

• Summit CBG – Up to ~14% CBGA, with a green-tea herbal aroma and mild nutty finish. This strain’s gentle terpene profile makes it ideal for infusions where you want a subtle, earthy flavor that won’t overpower the beverage. Think of Summit for a light cannabis tea or a botanical sparkling water.

• Double Black Label (DBL) – A CBG powerhouse (often 20–23% CBGA in flowers) with energizing floral and lemon notes. DBL’s hint of lemon (thanks to limonene terpenes) can add a natural zest to drinks. Its high CBG content also means more potent infusion material – great for maximizing cannabinoid dosage in beverages.

• White Buffalo CBG – ~18% CBG with a rush of cypress pine and black pepper in its terpene profile. The piney, crisp notes evoke flavors similar to hops; White Buffalo is a smart choice if you’re crafting a hop-forward cannabis beer or a tonic where a slight spice can enhance complexity. (For example, brewers might use a piney CBG flower to mimic a dry, IPA-like finish in a non-alcoholic beer.)

Cultivation Tips for Beverage Use: Growing for beverages means focusing on flavor, purity, and consistent cannabinoid content. Here are some tips to align your grow with drink-making needs:

• Optimize Terpenes for Flavor: Terpenes are the aromatic oils that give each strain its scent and can influence flavor and effects. To make your harvest attractive for beverages, encourage a robust terpene profile. Avoid excessively high temperatures or light intensity in late flower that could burn off delicate volatiles – CBG strains often prefer slightly gentler mid-flower light levels to reduce stress on trichomes. A moderate environment helps preserve compounds like limonene or pinene. These terpenes can be a value-add for beverage makers, who have found that infusing natural cannabis terpenes improves drink flavor and functional effects. For instance, a lemon-citrus soda could be enhanced by the limonene in DBL’s terpene profile, while a herbal tea might benefit from Summit’s tea-like notes. Focusing on terpene-rich cultivation (through proper nutrition, stress reduction, and curing) lets you market your flower as having unique flavors – e.g. “piney and crisp, great for hop-like seltzers”.

• Harvest at Peak CBG (and Aroma): Timing your harvest correctly ensures you capture maximum CBGA for potency and peak terpene levels for flavor. Monitor pistils and trichomes closely. Unlike THC-focused cannabis, CBG-dominant plants’ trichomes stay milky white even at maturity and rarely turn amber. A good rule is to harvest when most trichomes are cloudy and at least ~60% of pistils have turned brown/orange. This is when cannabinoid content is high and terpenes are well-developed but not yet degraded. Don’t wait for an amber tint that may never come – delaying too long can risk cannabinoid loss or oxidation without increasing CBG. In fact, CBG strains often finish earlier (around 7–8 weeks of flowering) compared to CBD strains, so be prepared for a slightly earlier harvest window. An earlier harvest also keeps floral and citrus notes brighter, which is preferable if those will end up in a drink.

• Ensure a Clean, Compliant Crop: Beverage-infused products require food-grade quality. This means your cultivation practices should minimize any contaminants. Use organic or mild fertilizers and always flush your plants in the last 10–14 days to avoid any chemical residues that could cause off-flavors in a tea or tincture. All CBG Seed Source strains are bred to stay well below 0.3% THC, so compliance is straightforward – but it’s wise to test your flower potency before using it in products, especially if you’re doing any concentrated extraction for drinks. Additionally, rigorously avoid pesticides and foliar sprays late in flower. Beverage companies demand safe, consistent input material, so producing cannabinoid-rich buds that are free of mold, heavy metals, or pesticides is crucial. Good drying and curing practices (discussed below) will also ensure your extract or flower doesn’t develop storage molds. Treat your CBG crop like a consumable herbal ingredient – because it is!

Post-Harvest Considerations (Flavor & CBGA Preservation): Once you’ve harvested for a beverage end-use, how you dry, cure, and store the crop will directly impact the flavor and potency of the final drink product:

• Drying for Flavor: For top-shelf smokable flower, growers often dry slowly at low temperatures; similarly, for beverage hemp, a gentle dry preserves aromatic compounds. Aim to dry in a temperature range around 65–85 °F (18–29 °C) with ample airfloworegoncbdseeds.com. This range is warm enough to dry the buds in a reasonable time (preventing mold) but cool enough to retain terpenes and “fresh” aromas. The longer you can dry without risking mold, the better the flavor retention. When the smallest stems snap instead of bend, the flower is dry enough to move to curingoregoncbdseeds.com. Avoid overdrying to a crisp, as terpenes can volatilize; the goal is ~10–12% moisture.

• Curing to Smoothness: If these CBG buds will be used in a brewed beverage (like loose-leaf tea or a dry hop in a beer), you’ll want to cure them much like smokable flower. Curing in glass jars or food-grade containers for at least 1–2 weeks will let chlorophyll and grassy notes diminish, resulting in a smoother taste. Open (“burp”) the containers daily initially to release moisture and prevent any stale or ammonia smell from developing. However, do not over-cure for too long in warm, humid conditions, or you risk losing the very terpenes you’ve preserved. Some growers have found that CBG-rich strains benefit from a shorter initial cure (about 7–10 days) followed by cold storage to lock in delicate aromas like linalool or bisabolol that degrade in prolonged humiditycbgseedsource.com. After a brief cure, you can transfer the dried flower to vacuum-sealed bags or jars and store in a cool, dark place until it’s time to process into a beverage. This method preserves both flavor and the acidic form CBGA exceptionally well.

• CBGA vs. CBG in Beverages: Decide whether you want CBGA or decarbed CBG in the final beverage, and handle post-harvest accordingly. CBGA (cannabigerolic acid) is the form present in freshly dried buds; to convert it to active CBG, you need to apply heat (decarboxylation). Many commercial beverage makers use CBG isolate or distillate that’s already decarbed for a consistent effect. If you’re creating your own infused drink, you’ll likely want to decarb the dried CBG flower or extract before mixing it in so that the CBG is active (non-acid) and more bioavailable. You can decarb by baking dried, ground buds on a sheet at ~240 °F (115 °C) for about 45–60 minutes (or until golden brown) – this will convert most CBGA to CBG. Tip: perform decarb in a well-ventilated area and consider covering the material (or using an oven bag) to minimize terpene loss, as those vapors are precious for flavor. If you wish to preserve CBGA (for a raw, “juiced” hemp beverage or a formulation that specifically wants the acid form for health reasons), skip decarb and avoid high heat at all stages. In that case, you must keep the dried buds and any extracts cold (store in the freezer if possible) to prevent slow natural decarboxylation over time. CBGA is relatively stable in a cool, dark environment – and interestingly, CBG in general is noted to be chemically stable, giving infused products a long shelf life (15–20% longer shelf stability compared to similar CBD drinks)cbgseedsource.com.

• Storage & Infusion Prep: Finally, store your processed CBG material properly until it’s used in a beverage. Well-dried, cured CBG flower should be kept in airtight containers away from light and heat. UV light and oxygen are enemies of terpenes and cannabinoids. If you’ve vacuum-sealed the flower, keep the bags in a dark pantry or a fridge/freezer for long-term storage. When it’s time to infuse, remember that purity is paramount for ingestible products. Use food-safe equipment and consider having your dried CBG flower tested for microbial counts if it will be added directly to a beverage without a kill-step. For most applications, though, you’ll be extracting the CBG into an oil, alcohol, or syrup first (which often involves a decarb step and acts as a pasteurization). By following these steps – growing strains with complementary flavors, harvesting at peak, preserving terpenes, and ensuring cleanliness – you’ll produce a CBG crop that’s primed for beverage infusion. The result will be drinks that are not only effective and compliant, but also genuinely enjoyable to sip, with the plant’s character shining through.

When growing for your personal stash, the priorities shift to bud quality, aroma, and smoothness. You want dense, frosty flowers that are a pleasure to smoke or vaporize – essentially, apply the same craft you would for top-grade THC or CBD buds, but with CBG genetics. Fortunately, CBG Seed Source’s strains are bred for exactly this purpose, producing smooth smokeable CBG flower with rich terpene profilescbgseedsource.com. Here’s how to choose the right strain and optimize your grow for the connoisseur experience:

• Double Black Label (DBL): If you’re after the strongest CBG flower for personal use, DBL is the star. It regularly tests over 20% CBGAcbgseedsource.com, meaning you get a potent dose of CBG per gram of bud. Yet with THC near zero, the effect is clear-headed. Users often describe CBG’s effects as calmly focusing and non-intoxicating, even gently energizing – hence the nickname “CB-Go” for its pick-me-up qualitycbgseedsource.com. DBL’s terpene profile brings an “energizing” floral bouquet with a hint of lemon zestcbgseedsource.com, which translates into a refreshing, light smoke. This strain is perfect for a daytime stash or for anyone who wants the therapeutic benefits of cannabinoids (like anxiety relief or focus) without the high of THC.

• White Buffalo CBG: For those who value flavor as much as effect, White Buffalo offers a unique pine-and-pepper terpene punchcbgseedsource.com. With up to 18% CBG, it’s plenty potent, but what sets it apart is the aroma: think walking through a pine forest with a dash of spice. This comes from terpenes like pinene (pine scent) and caryophyllene (spicy, peppery) in its profile. Caryophyllene in particular is notable, as it can bind to CB2 receptors and adds an extra layer of relaxation and anti-inflammatory effect to the experiencedrug-dev.com. White Buffalo’s smoke is robust and fragrant – a great choice for evenings or any time you want a more pronounced flavor. Many growers also love how its buds look: chunky, trichome-dusted, and with a classic skunky pine scent when cured. It’s a conversation piece in any stash jar.

• Summit CBG: If you prefer a milder smoke or are new to cannabis in general, Summit CBG provides a very gentle entry. Testing around ~14% CBGAstaging.cbgseedsource.com, Summit won’t be as strong as DBL, but it still delivers the benefits of CBG in flower form. Its terpene profile (green tea, nutty, earthy) results in a smooth, subtle smoke that’s less pungent than many strains – ideal for those who want something discreet or easy on the lungs. Summit’s effects are reported as calm and centering, with little to no sedation. You might choose Summit for mixing with other herbs (like chamomile or mint) to roll herbal spliffs, or simply for an anytime puff that won’t overwhelm. It’s also a good “social smoke” strain since it won’t get anyone high or lethargic, but can ease nerves.

Cultivation Tips for Premium CBG Bud: To grow CBG for personal smoking use, borrow the best practices from high-end craft cannabis cultivation. Your aim is frosty, aromatic, seed-free buds that burn cleanly and smoothly. Key tips include:

• Give Plants the VIP Treatment: High-quality buds start with healthy, unstressed plants. Ensure your garden has optimal light, nutrients, and environment control. CBG strains grow much like other cannabis; however, keep an eye on humidity in late flowering. The buds of strains like DBL and White Buffalo can get large and densegtrseeds.com, which is fantastic for yield but can invite botrytis (bud rot) if conditions are too humid or if caterpillars/pests get ingtrseeds.comgtrseeds.com. Prune lower growth (lollipopping) to improve airflow, and consider gentle defoliation of excess fan leaves around week 3-4 of bloom so that light penetrates and moisture doesn’t linger. This encourages bigger colas and less risk of mold – important since you can’t salvage moldy buds for smoking. Also, avoid any foliar spraying past early flower. By mid to late flower, you should be hands-off with anything except maybe organic IPM that won’t leave residues. This way your buds remain clean.

• Harvest at the Sweet Spot: Patience is key when judging ripeness. As mentioned, CBG strains won’t show amber trichomes as a signalgtrseeds.com. Instead, rely on pistil color and trichome cloudiness. A good plan: start checking trichomes with a loupe around week 7 of bloom. When you see mostly cloudy heads (with maybe a rare amber here or there) and your plant’s pistils have mostly turned from white to orange/brown, it’s time. Many growers find this is around day 50–60 of 12/12 for CBG varieties (though always go by the plant, not an exact number). Harvesting at this stage ensures maximum CBG content and a bright, uplifting effect. If you harvest much earlier (lots of clear trichomes, white pistils), you might sacrifice potency. If you go much later, you won’t gain CBG (it may actually start to decrease) and you risk cannabinoids degrading or the buds getting overripe and potentially harsher. Most CBG growers harvest when “most of the crystals are milky and ~60–100% of hairs have darkened”gtrseeds.comdutch-passion.blog. It’s also worth noting that CBG strains tend to finish faster than many THC strains, so don’t compare them to a 9-10 week bloom schedule; they might be perfectly done by week 8. Trust the trichomes!

• Handle With Care: Once your buds are ripe, treat them very gently during harvest and trimming. CBG trichomes are less sticky and more fragile than THC-rich ones, meaning they can fall off more easily during handlinggtrseeds.comdutch-passion.blog. Every one of those sparkly trichome heads contains your CBG and terpenes – you don’t want to lose them as “kief” in your trim tray unnecessarily. To minimize losses, hand-trim your buds with sharp, clean scissors rather than using aggressive machine trimmers. Machine trimming not only beats up the buds, it will leave a lot of kief behind (with CBG, sometimes a surprisingly large amount of dry sift can shake off)gtrseeds.com. Hand trimming may be slower, but it preserves the resin on the buds for you to enjoy. Consider trimming over a screen to catch any resin that does drop. Also, avoid excessive touching or tossing of the buds – gently place them on drying racks or hang whole branches to dry. By harvesting in the early morning (when terpenes are highest and resin a bit firmer) and keeping handling minimal, you’ll retain maximum potency and smell.

• Drying and Curing for Smooth Smoke: Proper drying and curing can make or break the quality of your personal stash. Aim for a slow dry over about 7–10 days. A common target is around 60°F and 60% RH (“60/60”) in a dark space, though anywhere in the 60–70°F (15–21°C) range and 50–60% humidity can work with monitoring. The idea is to let buds dry gradually – if it’s too quick (from very hot, dry air), terpenes will evaporate and the smoke may end up harsh. CBG buds dried in the mid-60s °F tend to retain their terpene profile beautifullyoregoncbdseeds.com. Use fans for gentle air circulation (not directly blasting the buds) and a dehumidifier or AC as needed to dial in conditions. When stems snap and buds feel dry to the touch (the small stems will snap, thicker ones might still bend a bit), it’s time to cure. Curing involves placing the dried buds in airtight containers (mason jars work great) to let moisture equalize and remaining chlorophyll break down. In the first week of curing, “burp” the jars daily – open them for a few minutes to release humidity and then seal again. This prevents mold and reduces that “hay” smell. Aim to cure for a minimum of 2 weeks for a smoother smoke, and 4–8 weeks for optimal flavor. Over this time, you’ll notice the sharp grassy notes mellow out and the true strain flavors (lemon, pine, floral, etc.) become more pronounced. Be mindful not to over-humidify during cure; if you smell ammonia when opening a jar, the buds were too wet – dry them a bit more. On the flip side, if they get too dry in cure (<55% RH), the curing essentially stops. You can use 58–62% RH humidity packs in the jars to keep things in the sweet spot, especially for long-term storage. As mentioned earlier, some delicate terpenes in CBG strains might degrade faster in warm, humid conditions, so after a month or two it’s beneficial to move well-cured stash to cooler storage (even refrigeration or freezing, properly sealed). This way, you can “pause” the cure and keep those volatile oils locked incbgseedsource.com. Many connoisseurs cure CBG flower on the stem initially and only do a final trim right before consumption to minimize oxidationoregoncbdseeds.com.

• Finish and Enjoy: With your buds dried, cured, and in glass, you’re ready to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Properly grown and cured CBG flower from these strains will be smooth to smoke – remember, there’s essentially no THC, so you won’t get the intense throat hit or coughing that high-THC dank can induce. The smoke should be aromatic and relatively gentle. (In fact, some users report CBG strains are less bitter or harsh than CBD ones, possibly due to CBG’s neutral base tastecbgseedsource.com.) Pack a bowl or roll one up, and you’ll likely appreciate the difference all that careful cultivation made. Store your stash in a cool, dark place (UV light will degrade cannabinoids and terpenes). Glass jars kept in a cupboard or a lightly refrigerated wine cooler are ideal for long-term stash storage. Under the right conditions, CBG flower can retain potency and flavor for many months. One perk of CBG hemp buds: you can share them with friends or medical users who want relief without intoxication. There’s no legal high THC to worry about (as long as you’re compliant), so it can be a very accessible wellness smoke. Enjoy the unique, clear-headed calm that these buds provide! And remember, every step you took – from strain selection to the cure – contributes to that final smoothness and efficacy. In short, treat CBG bud like fine wine, and it will reward you with a premium experience in your personal stash.

CBG for Topicals: Maximizing Therapeutic Cannabinoids and Terpenes

Using CBG to make topical products (like creams, balms, salves, and lotions) is an exciting way to leverage the cannabinoid’s wellness benefits. CBG in topical form may help with inflammation, pain, and skin health without any psychoactive effects. In fact, CBG has shown potent antibacterial properties (more so than even CBD or THC) – it was the most effective cannabinoid against MRSA staph infections in one study. It also has anti-inflammatory potential, which is great for soothing muscles or irritated skin. Additionally, certain terpenes from cannabis can enhance topical efficacy: for example, beta-caryophyllene (abundant in White Buffalo’s peppery profile) selectively binds to CB2 receptors in our skin and contributes to anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. With these points in mind, here’s how to cultivate and process your CBG crop to make potent, high-quality topicals.

Best Strains for Topical Production: When growing for topicals, cannabinoid content is king – you want as much CBG (and CBGA) as possible per plant, since it will ultimately be extracted into an oil or lotion. Terpene profile is a secondary factor (mainly for aroma or added therapeutic synergy). The following strains stand out:

• Double Black Label (DBL): The high CBGA levels (often ~20%+) of DBL make it a top choice for extraction-bound harvests. More CBG in your buds means a more potent oil infusion or isolate yield. DBL also has a mild, pleasant terpene profile (floral with a hint of lemon) that can give your DIY salves a light natural fragrance without being overpowering. If you plan to add your own essential oils to the topical, DBL’s modest terpene profile won’t clash. In short, for maximum cannabinoid per square foot, DBL is ideal – you’ll be able to infuse stronger creams for relief of muscle soreness, joint pain, etc., with fewer plants.

• White Buffalo CBG: This strain brings a one-two punch of strong CBG content (~15–18%) and terpene-enhanced benefits. White Buffalo’s terpene mix of pine (pinene) and pepper (caryophyllene) isn’t just aromatic – these compounds have their own therapeutic effects. Pinene has a fresh scent and may have antimicrobial properties, while caryophyllene is actually a cannabinoid-like terpene that can activate CB2 receptors in the skin to reduce inflammation. In a topical formula, some of White Buffalo’s spicy, foresty aroma may come through (which can be quite pleasant, akin to natural liniments that use pine, peppermint, or clove oils). More importantly, its caryophyllene might synergize with CBG to enhance anti-inflammatory action on sore muscles or dermatitis. If you’re formulating a muscle rub or a skin balm where you don’t mind (or actively want) a herbal scent, White Buffalo is a superb strain choice.

• Summit CBG: While Summit’s lower CBGA (~14%) means you’ll get somewhat less total cannabinoid, it could still be used for topicals if its other traits fit your needs. Summit has a very mild, nutty-earthy aroma, which could be beneficial if you want your topical product to have minimal cannabis odor. Perhaps you plan to scent the lotion with lavender or citrus – using a strain like Summit ensures the underlying hemp extract won’t have a strong smell that competes. Summit’s gentle profile could be a good option for making cosmetics or daily-use skincare (like a CBG face cream) where a lighter touch is desired. That said, you might need a bit more plant material to reach a given potency compared to DBL. If yield is a priority, blending Summit with a higher-CBG strain in your extraction is one way to balance potency and terpene subtlety.

Cultivation Tips for Topical Use: Growing for topicals is somewhat similar to growing for extraction (discussed in the next section) because in both cases you’ll ultimately extract compounds from the plant. The differences are that with topicals, you might care a bit more about terpene retention (for aroma/entourage effects on skin) and you definitely care about avoiding contaminants (since any pesticides or molds could cause issues if applied to skin). Keep these tips in mind:

• Maximize Resin Production: The more resinous (trichome-covered) your buds, the more cannabinoids and terpenes they carry into your topical. Standard practices to boost resin apply: ensure ample potassium and phosphorus during flowering, consider using supplements like kelp or humic acids that can stimulate terpene production, and maintain proper light intensity. However, note the earlier tip from advanced growers: CBG strains often do well with slightly reduced peak light intensity – they don’t need to be blasted with extreme PPFD to yield well. In fact, too much light or heat can stress the plant and possibly reduce overall resin. Aim for optimal light that keeps plants thriving but not burning (watch leaf temps and VPD). Another trick: some growers use a mild drought stress (“dry-back”) late in flowering to potentially concentrate cannabinoids, but be cautious – too much stress could also degrade terpenes. It’s a fine balance. If you have the ability, you might also try giving plants 48 hours of darkness before harvest, a technique some say increases trichome output (anecdotal, but it doesn’t hurt cannabinoid levels). The main idea is to get thick, frosty buds since those trichomes will become your infused oil.

• Time Your Harvest for Potency (and Pathogen Avoidance): For topicals, you likely want every bit of CBG you can get, so harvesting at full maturity is recommended. As discussed, once trichomes are fully cloudy and pistils mostly brown, CBG content is at its peak. There’s no advantage to leaving the plants in the field longer – CBG levels won’t increase further, and you risk the plant’s health degrading (which could invite mold or mildew). In fact, some studies suggest CBG varieties accumulate most of their cannabinoid content by week 7, and leaving them out too long can lead to a rapid decline in plant health and increased botrytis risk. For a topical grow, this means be vigilant as harvest time nears. If you see any botrytis (grey mold) forming in dense colas, cut those out immediately and consider harvesting a touch earlier on the remaining plants – a little less yield is better than a moldy crop. You cannot use moldy material for topicals (or any product) since it’s a health hazard. Keep an eye also for pests like caterpillars if growing outdoors, as they can hide in buds and cause rot. It’s often better to harvest “on time” or slightly early than too late in terms of plant wellness. The good news: all the usual visual cues (milky trichomes, orange hairs, swollen buds) still apply. Harvest when buds are at peak size and resin, but before any significant deterioration. If you’ve kept them healthy, this will coincide with maximal CBGA levels.

• Dry and Cure for Cannabinoid Retention: When drying CBG for extraction or topical use, you have a bit more flexibility than for smokeable flower. Your end product (a salve or oil) won’t be smoked, so chlorophyll or a bit of extra dryness won’t impact “smoothness” in the same way. However, you do want to preserve cannabinoids and (to some extent) terpenes. Thus, an ideal approach is to dry the buds in a similar environment as you would for smokable (around 60°F, 55-60% RH) for 5-10 days, but you don’t necessarily need a prolonged jar cure afterward. In fact, once the buds are dry (stem snap test passes), you might proceed directly to extraction or decarbing. Extended curing in bags or bins can be acceptable if you need to store the material, but keep it cool and sealed to prevent cannabinoid loss over time. One advantage here: if a slight “hempy” smell remains, it’s not a big issue – you can mask or complement it with added essential oils in the topical formulation. The main concern is to avoid any mold in storage. So ensure the buds are fully dry (<= 12% moisture). Shucking the flowers off the stems before final drying can speed up the process and reduce storage bulk – since you’re not preserving beautiful whole colas for sale, you can remove big stems and even do a coarse trim (fan leaves) at harvest, then dry just the useful buds. This yields higher-quality biomass for infusion.

• Maintain Purity: Topicals are applied to skin (sometimes broken skin), so purity is critical. As a grower, you should be even more strict about avoiding contaminants than you would for smokeable flower. Do not use any fungicides or pesticides that are not absolutely necessary and approved – and none at all past the early flowering stage. A good IPM strategy is to rely on beneficial insects or organic sprays early on, and then nothing but environmental control in late flower. After harvest, handle the dried buds with clean gloves and store in food-grade containers. If you’ll be sending the material to a processor, ensure they test it for any residual solvents/pesticides (some states mandate this for topical products). Essentially, treat it like something that will go into a skincare product, meaning it should be as clean as a culinary herb.

Post-Harvest and Processing for Topicals: After you’ve grown and dried your CBG-rich herb, how you process it will determine the potency and quality of your topicals. Here are the key steps and considerations:

• Decarboxylation: Most topical formulations will benefit from activated CBG. Decarboxylating converts CBGA in the plant to CBG, which can then interact with the body’s receptors more effectively. While some people make “acidic” topicals (with CBGA) aiming for antioxidant or specialized effects, the majority of uses (pain relief, anti-inflammatory creams) likely get better results with CBG. So, plan to decarb your dried CBG material. You can do this before extraction (e.g. heating the dry flower in an oven), or after extracting a crude oil (heating the oil extract to decarb). Many DIY topical makers find it easiest to decarb the ground buds in the oven first, then infuse into oil. A common method: spread the lightly ground buds in a thin layer on a baking sheet, cover with foil, and bake at ~240°F (115°C) for about 1 hour. Stir/shake gently halfway through for even heating. By the end, your buds should be a bit darker and very aromatic (you’ll smell terpenes). Keep in mind: you will lose some terpenes during decarb, because heat drives them off. That’s okay, as CBG itself has no smell and you can add external essential oils later. If you wish to retain more native terpenes (maybe you want White Buffalo’s natural aroma and benefits in the balm), you could decarb at a slightly lower temp for longer (say 220°F for 2 hours) or use a sealed container (mason jar method) to trap some volatiles. In any case, decarb thoroughly to maximize CBG – laboratory tests show you want to convert as much of that ~18-20% CBGA into CBG as possible. An alternative path for advanced extractors is to perform a cold extraction that preserves CBGA (skipping decarb) and incorporate that into a product. But if the topical will be subjected to heat in making (like mixing into melted oils), it likely will decarb then anyway. For simplicity, assume decarbed CBG.

• Extraction/Infusion: Once decarbed, your CBG can be infused into a carrier. For topicals, popular carriers are coconut oil, olive oil, sweet almond oil, or even ethanol (for tinctures). If you’re doing a simple fat infusion (e.g. crockpot or double boiler method), you can place the decarbed CBG buds into the oil and heat on low (~< 160°F / 71°C) for a few hours. The goal is to dissolve the cannabinoids into the oil. CBG dissolves readily in oils and alcohols. After infusing, strain out the plant material – what remains is CBG-infused oil. This can then be incorporated into your salve or cream recipe (often combined with beeswax and other ingredients). If you have access to more advanced extraction (like making a concentrate via ethanol or CO₂ extraction), you might produce a CBG crude or distillate. In that case, decarb might happen during the distillation step. For home growers, though, a simple oil infusion works fine and avoids the need for solvents. One tip: adding a spoon of sunflower lecithin to your oil when infusing can improve cannabinoid uptake into the oil and later bioavailability on skin.

• Preserving Therapeutic Terpenes: We touched on caryophyllene and pinene in White Buffalo – these could augment your topical’s effects (caryophyllene, for instance, is effectively a natural skin-active cannabinoid itself). To preserve such terpenes, keep your infusion temperatures as low as possible. Using a closed infusion (lid on) can help trap some volatiles that might otherwise evaporate. Even so, expect that some of the lighter terpenes (like any citrus notes from DBL) might not survive the heating. You can decide if you want to “reintroduce” terpenes by adding a drop of essential oils to your final product. For example, if you want a peppery aroma to highlight the caryophyllene, you might add a couple drops of black pepper essential oil (which is rich in caryophyllene) to your salve. Or add pine or eucalyptus oil to complement a mentholated muscle rub. Since we’re focusing on the cultivation side: just know that the terpenes you worked to preserve through careful drying are mostly to benefit the entourage effect, and secondarily the scent. Some will carry through if you treat the plant gently; others you can simulate with essential oils later. The CBG, however, will definitely carry through as long as you decarb and extract properly. And that’s the main star for therapeutic action.

• Final Product Quality & Storage: After making your topical, you’ll have a certain concentration of CBG per volume. For example, if you infused 10 grams of 20% CBG bud into 200 mL of oil, theoretically you have up to ~2,000 mg CBG in that batch (though actual yield is a bit less). This is a strong infusion you can dilute or use directly in a recipe. Store any unused infused oil in a dark jar in a cool place. It should last for months, but potency might slowly decline. The infused oil, like the beverages, benefits from CBG’s stability – many cannabinoid products with CBG are noted to have excellent shelf life. If you made a batch of salve, also keep it in a cool, dark place (a fridge is great to extend freshness). The oils and waxes can go rancid if left in heat or light too long, and cannabinoids can still degrade eventually. Typically, a well-made balm can last 6–12 months potency-wise.

• Using CBG Topicals: While this is slightly beyond cultivation, it’s worth noting: CBG topicals are non-intoxicating and can be used liberally. They may help with localized pain (like arthritis knuckles or sore backs) and skin issues (inflammation, possibly psoriasis or eczema). Some research even suggests CBG’s antibacterial power could help with acne or wounds. By growing your own CBG and turning it into a topical, you have full control over the ingredients and strength. Many commercial CBD/CBG topicals are under-powered, but you can make yours as potent as needed. Given the effort you put into cultivation – choosing a high-CBG strain, harvesting at peak, and carefully extracting – you’ll end up with a farm-to-skin remedy that’s truly artisanal. Enjoy the process, and feel free to experiment with combining CBG with other natural botanicals for even greater effect (for instance, a salve with CBG plus arnica or menthol, etc.).

In summary, growing CBG for topicals means focusing on cannabinoid-rich, clean buds. Strains like DBL and White Buffalo ensure you have high CBG content and potentially helpful terpenes like caryophyllene. Harvest on time, dry well, decarb, and infuse – and you’ll have a golden CBG extract ready to turn into soothing topical products. With CBG’s promising benefits and your careful cultivation, your homemade cream or balm could be something truly special for pain or skincare.

CBG for Extraction: Harvesting High-CBG Biomass for Oils and Isolates

Finally, let’s talk about optimizing your grow for extraction – that is, when your end goal is to produce CBG concentrates such as crude oil, distillate, or isolate. This scenario often applies to larger-scale cultivation or any situation where you plan to process most of the plant material (including buds and even sugar leaves) to extract cannabinoids. The measures of success here are high overall yield of CBG per acre (or per plant), ease of processing, and compliance. Because you’re not preserving whole flowers for display or smoking, you can make some different choices in cultivation and post-harvest. The bonus is that CBG isolate (pure cannabigerol) is still relatively rare and commands a premium in the market, so growing for extraction can be lucrative if done right. Here’s how to maximize your returns.

Best Strains for Extraction: In general, the higher the CBG%, the better for extraction purposes – more target compound and less waste material per batch. You also want stable, reliable genetics so that your crop is uniform in cannabinoid content (important for scaling and compliance testing). The top choices are:

• Double Black Label (DBL): This is the workhorse for CBG extraction. With up to ~23% CBGA in the flowers, DBL can produce a tremendous amount of CBG isolate or oil from a given harvest. Farmers have lauded it as a high-yielding, high-CBG strain perfect for commercial production. DBL’s resin yields and dense biomass make it ideal for large-scale runs – whether you’re doing CO₂, ethanol, or hydrocarbon extraction. Another advantage: DBL consistently stays under THC limits at harvest, so you can let it go to full maturity without fear of “going hot.” When processing thousands of plants, that compliance stability is crucial. If your goal is kilos of CBG isolate, you can’t go wrong dedicating a majority of your field or grow space to Double Black Label. It was bred to produce high CBG and high biomass simultaneously, which is exactly what extractors want (lots of resin on lots of flower mass).

• White Buffalo CBG: While a bit lower in CBG content than DBL, White Buffalo (~15–18% CBG) is still a strong contender for extraction – especially if you value versatility. White Buffalo produces quality smokeable buds (for dual-purpose markets) and also yields a terpene-rich extract. If you are an extractor who might sell some premium flower and extract the rest, White Buffalo lets you do both. It also adds diversity to your cannabinoid profile; its extract will carry more distinct terpenes which some full-spectrum oil customers appreciate. For pure isolate production, those terpenes will be stripped away anyway, but the CBG yield from White Buffalo is still substantial. Including a strain like White Buffalo in your cultivation can hedge against any one strain’s quirks and gives you the option to target multiple product types (e.g., an infused oil with a specific terpene profile vs. neutral isolate). Additionally, from an agronomic perspective, diversifying strains can protect against crop-wide issues – pests or diseases might hit one strain harder than another. So, having White Buffalo alongside DBL can be a smart strategy for an extractor-grower.

• Summit CBG: With around 14% CBGA, Summit yields the least CBG of the three per pound of biomass. For pure extraction purposes, it might not be the first pick due to that lower potency. However, Summit could still play a role if, say, you have seeds or clones of it and want to put them to use for extraction. The cost to grow Summit vs. a higher CBG strain is the same, but you’ll get fewer cannabinoids – so it’s about economics. One niche scenario for Summit is if an extractor is specifically creating a broad-spectrum CBG product where a mild flavor is desired. Summit’s extract will have a gentle, tea-like terpene profile that might need less post-processing to deodorize. Also, Summit might mature a bit earlier, which could stagger your harvest (harvest Summit first, then DBL later) to manage workflow. Generally, though, if extraction is the sole goal, you’ll lean heavily on the higher testing strains. Summit can be extracted, of course, but expect slightly lower returns or use it to complement other biomass.

Cultivation Tips for Max CBG Yield: When farming for extraction, you might shift from a “craft” mindset to a “production” mindset. The appearance of individual buds is less important than the total biomass and cannabinoid content you can get. Here are strategies to get the most CBG out of your crop:

• High Density Planting & Canopy Management: In extraction grows, especially outdoors, many farmers plant at higher densities (more plants per acre) because they don’t need each plant to be a huge showpiece – they just need total biomass. Feminized seeds like those from CBG Seed Source allow you to plant densely without worrying about males. Focus on optimizing your canopy to capture all available light. This could mean planting more plants closer together and not doing as much topping or training (which is often done to increase bud quality/size for flower sales). If growing outdoors, consider row spacing and plant spacing that balances plant size with total numbers. For example, rather than 5-foot-tall bushes spaced widely, you might grow 3-foot plants spaced tighter and end up with a similar yield but finishing faster and easier to harvest mechanically. Indoors or in greenhouses, you might utilize a sea of green (SOG) approach – many small plants driven to a single cola – to maximize cola production that can be easily shucked off for biomass. The goal is a uniform field of buds that can be harvested efficiently. Keep in mind, however, that good airflow is still needed to prevent mold. So don’t pack them so tightly that air can’t circulate. Prune minimal foliage that isn’t contributing to buds, and consider trellising or support if plants get heavy (you don’t want them lodging or touching soil).

• Fertilization and Growth Rate: For extraction, push your plants to achieve vigorous growth and high flower weight. Use a well-balanced feeding program with ample Nitrogen in veg to build structure, and heavy Phosphorus and Potassium in bloom to swell those buds. Strong, healthy plants will yield more cannabinoid-rich material. One advantage here: if a few fertilizer salts remain in the plant at harvest, it’s less critical than for smokeable flower (since you won’t be combusting it). However, it can affect extraction purity and the extract’s taste (important for full-spectrum products). It’s still wise to flush the crop for at least a week or two prior to harvest to reduce nutrient residues. This also ensures a cleaner extract and less gunk in your extraction equipment. Moreover, clean input material results in clearer distillate and isolate. Many extractors will carbon filter or winterize out impurities, but it’s best to avoid introducing them. So aim for a balance: feed aggressively during bulking, but flush at the end. Monitor plant health – pests or disease can reduce yield and complicate extraction (e.g., powdery mildew on biomass is a nightmare, as it can contaminate extracts). Use preventative IPM and keep the field clean of weeds that could harbor pests.

• Harvesting Techniques: Harvest timing for extraction can be slightly later in the window compared to smokeable flower. A bit of extra time can maximize weight and ensure every last bit of CBGA is produced. Remember the guidance from Oregon CBD: for biomass, it’s ideal to harvest toward the middle or end of the peak ripeness window. In practice, once you see trichomes are all cloudy and buds are fat, you might give an extra few days to let any small lowers catch up. There’s a trade-off: don’t wait so long that degradation starts or that bad weather hits. If you’re outdoors and a big storm is forecast, it’s wiser to chop a bit early than to lose the crop to mold – “losing a chunk of your crop to mold isn’t worth waiting on a percentage point or two of cannabinoid”. For extraction, you can also take advantage of methods like mechanical harvesting if your scale permits. Some farmers use tobacco or hemp combines that cut and even thresh the plant. However, caution: CBG trichomes can fall off with rough handling. Mechanical harvesting can cause a lot of kief (resin glands) to shake off, which is literally loss of yield. If using such equipment, try to collect the kief or adjust machines for gentler handling. Alternatively, many will hand-cut the plants or cut whole plants at the base and hang dry (especially if going for a dual-use model where some tops might be sold as flower). You could also “top” the plants – take the best colas for any smokeable market – and then a week later harvest the rest as biomass. This staged approach, hinted in some hemp guides, lets you maximize returns (sell premium tops, extract the rest). If purely extracting everything, you might cut and field-dry plants on trellises or nets if climate allows, or bring them into barns for drying. Some large ops chop and immediately chip/shred the plants fresh to be dried as loose biomass. Be aware that trimming isn’t necessary for biomass – sugar leaves have CBG and will be extracted, so no need to manicure. Just remove fan leaves (they have negligible cannabinoids and just add to extract volume). You can even include the upper small leaves and trichome-coated trim in the extraction input. Everything with trichomes is fair game for the extractor!

• Post-Harvest Biomass Handling: Dry your biomass thoroughly to about 8-10% moisture for safe storage and efficient extraction. Industrial hemp dryers (conveyor or batch dryers) can be used. Just keep temps moderate – do not exceed ~200°F (93°C) during drying, because at that point you’ll start burning off cannabinoids. Many processors dry around 100–130°F to quickly get rid of water without volatilizing too much CBG or terpene. If you dry in natural air, do it in thin layers or small branches to avoid mold in the middle. Once dry, shuck the flowers off stems (if not already done) to reduce bulk. Stems don’t contain meaningful cannabinoids and will only dilute your extraction potency. You can use a hammer mill or grinder to mill the dried biomass to a consistent particle size (usually coarse grind) before extraction – this increases extraction efficiency. Now you have “CBG biomass” ready for processing. If you won’t be extracting immediately, store the dried biomass in a cool, dark, dry place. Large turkey bags, vacuum sealed bales, or totes with desiccant packs are commonly used. Avoid prolonged exposure to air – oxidation can slowly reduce potency. Some big operations inert-seal their biomass (nitrogen flush) but for a small grower, just keep it airtight.

• Extraction and Yields: While the specifics of extraction are beyond growing, it’s worth noting outcomes: A well-grown CBG crop like DBL can produce biomass testing ~15%+ CBG after drying (some of the weight is lost in drying). When extracted, a decent ethanol or CO₂ process might recover, say, 75-85% of that cannabinoid. So from 1 kg of 15% biomass (150 g CBG), you might get ~112–128 g of CBG in the crude. Further refinement to isolate yields nearly pure CBG crystals but with some processing losses. Still, you could expect roughly 100+ grams isolate from that kg in this hypothetical, which illustrates why starting with high-CBG strains is financially smart. If you had only 10% CBG biomass, that same kg gives 100 g CBG before losses – perhaps ~70–80 g isolate. Multiply over a field, and it’s clear how a few percentage points difference in the plant can mean kilograms more isolate produced. This is why using top genetics like DBL is crucial for extraction farming. It’s literally more product for the same labor and land. Also, higher potency biomass means less volume to handle per gram of CBG – saving on extraction time, solvents, and storage. All of these efficiency gains underscore: start with the best CBG seeds. CBG Seed Source prides itself on stable genetics; their strains are known to produce consistent results every run. Consistency is key for extractors scaling up.

• Market and Compliance: Ensure you stay compliant with hemp regulations through harvest. Even though these strains are bred to be low THC, test your crop as required by law (usually when flowers are nearing maturity). With CBG varieties, THC often remains extremely low (sometimes 0.0–0.1% total), so passing compliance testing is easier than with CBD strains – one of CBG’s big advantages. Still, don’t neglect the paperwork. After extraction, if making isolate, the THC is removed entirely, giving a 0% THC product – a huge plus in the market. CBG isolate is in high demand for its use in various formulations and because it’s rarer than CBD. In fact, CBG isolate can fetch a higher price per kilo than CBD isolate due to its scarcity. By successfully growing and extracting your CBG crop, you’re tapping into a niche, premium market. Emphasize the quality of your starting material when talking to buyers – e.g., “organically grown, high-CBG biomass from Double Black Label genetics, lab tested for purity.” If you have partnerships, perhaps collaborate with a processor to create value-added products (some growers supply their biomass to make a co-branded tincture or vape, for instance). The beverage sector we discussed is one outlet for isolates; others include tinctures, softgels, and even CBG powder as a supplement.

In summary, to optimize for extraction: grow the richest CBG genetics, cultivate aggressively but cleanly, harvest efficiently, and preserve your yield through careful drying/storage. This will set you up to produce large amounts of CBG extract. The combination of high-yield strains and good farming practices means you truly get “the yield you deserve” from your feminized hemp seeds – all CBG and virtually no THCcbgseedsource.comcbgseedsource.com. The end result can be jars of pure white CBG isolate or liters of golden CBG oil, ready for formulation. And knowing it all started from your well-tended field of CBG hemp is a rewarding feeling for any grower-processor.

Conclusion: Tailoring Your CBG Grow for Success

As we’ve explored, the way you cultivate, harvest, and handle your CBG hemp can be optimized depending on your end-use goals. By choosing the right CBG Seed Source strains and adjusting your strategy, you can produce: fragrant CBG flower perfect for brewing into wellness beverages, craft-quality buds for your personal enjoyment, therapeutic biomass rich in CBG and terpenes for topicals, or an abundant harvest for efficient extraction into oils and isolates. A few themes emerged across all use cases – harvest timing is crucial (watch for those cloudy trichomes and don’t expect amber), proper drying/curing pays off in potency and flavor, and CBG genetics make it easier to stay compliant while still hitting high cannabinoid levels.

Ultimately, CBG is a versatile cannabinoid that offers growers a lot of possibilities. You can get creative: perhaps dedicate part of your garden to each purpose (some plants for a home-brewed CBG tea, some for smoking, some for making salves, some for experimenting with extraction). With strains like Double Black Label, White Buffalo, and Summit, you have reliable, feminized seeds that will consistently produce high-CBG, low-THC flowers every time. These stable genetics mean you can plan your grow with confidence – knowing, for example, that DBL will deliver the punch needed for extraction, or that White Buffalo will always bring that piney goodness for your topical.

Growing with the end in mind not only improves the quality of the final product, but also makes the cultivation process more rewarding. You’ll find yourself making decisions in the grow room or field that directly enhance your intended outcome (be it adding a bit of darkness to preserve terpenes for flavor, or pushing an extra week to maximize CBG for isolate). This intentional approach is what turns a good grower into a great producer of tailored CBG products.

We hope this guide has provided both educational insight and practical tips to help new and intermediate growers succeed. CBG may be “the mother of all cannabinoids,” but it’s the nurturing by the grower that brings out its best. Whether you’re clinking glasses with a homemade CBG brew, savoring a smooth CBG smoke, relieving aches with a CBG salve, or refining CBG crystals in your lab, the journey starts in the soil with thoughtful cultivation. Happy growing – and may your CBG harvests be bountiful, potent, and perfectly suited to your needs!