Budding is a term used to describe a process that occurs during the teenage stage. You can think of it as the same thing that plants undergo in spring. The formation of buds means the start of something new whether it be leaves, flowers or even mature Dreadlocks.

There are two different types of budding.  Although they don't occur simultaneously, most people with African hair textures experience them at some point in their dreadlock development.

The first is characterized by the formation of a pea-shaped knot that develops about 3/4ths of the way down the dreadlock.

The second is the formation of little balls of hair at the end of the dreadlock.  These loose hair balls sorta dangle from the dreads and look lik
e shed hair that knotted up but never made it to the ground.

Many people think that they've done something wrong when they notice buds and often consider starting over.  Others pull the loose balls or cut them because they look undersirable.

DON'T!

Buds are a blessing.  The pea-shaped knots will eventually dissappear.  Although they are hard, they are not indicative of your final dreadlock Texture.  You will find that your dreadlocks will meet somewhere in the middle of their original Chewy (spongy) texture and the rigidness of the individual bud.

As far as the hair balls, do not immediately pull them off.  In some cases, the hair balls are securing the end of the dreadlock and keeping it from unraveling.  By removing it prematurely, you may be doing more harm than good.  

As your teenage locks become more and more stable, you can begin to remove the hair balls by gently pulling at them.  Others choose to let the hair balls remain because overtime, they, like the pea-shaped knots, reintegrate themselves back into the dreads.