House and Garden Bud-XL uses enzyme processes to extract sugars from the large bracts to store them in the fruit or flower of the plant. Start adding Bud-XL to the nutrient after the first flowers are formed. This is the period that the big bract loses its function. By adding Bud-XL you ensure that the plant's energy is no longer used for keeping the bract, but is directed to forming flowers and fruits. Simultaneously, Bud-XL extracts sugars from the bract and transports them to the fruit. Use in conjunction with Shooting Powder for best results.