Cannabis Growing Stages

If you’re growing indoors, the timing of the seasons is irrelevant because you can grow whenever you want. For outdoor growing, the seeds are usually planted at the start of spring (or germinated indoors) and harvest happens at the end of summer or beginning of autumn. Use the date of the Spring Equinox (around March 21) as a reminder to start the growing process outdoors, and the date of the Autumn Equinox (around September 23) is a good indicator for harvesting time. By the Winter Solstice (about December 21), your plants should have been dried and cured.

It’s helpful to keep a journal from the time the seeds are sown till the plant is harvested. Not only will it help keep track of the plant’s progress, but it will offer valuable insight for future growing where you can avoid previous mistakes to maximize the quality of the buds. As part of your note-taking, include the conditions of the soil, the watering schedule, as well as the weather as all these factors are influential particularly when growing outdoors.

Whether you’re in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere, or growing indoors or outdoors, or using a hydroponic system, the cannabis plant’s growing stages will be the same. However, if you are cloning a plant or growing from a seedling, you will skip the initial growth stages.

The stages of the cannabis plant’s lifecycle can be classified into four stages from seed to harvesting, which are Germination, Seedling, Vegetative, and Flowering.

Germination

The growth of a cannabis plant starts with the seed, naturally. However, the quality of the seed is important. Healthy seeds will have varying shades of black and grey, which can sometimes have a marble effect. If you put the seed under good light, you should be able to see a waxy coating and if you give them a gentle squeeze, they should not break or bend. Seeds that you shouldn’t waste your time on will crack and are usually green or white in color.

Whatever growing medium or technique you’re using, the first stage is when the seed germinates after 3 to 10 days from planting. This means it has developed a tap root that grows downwards while the stem grows upwards. You will notice two round leaves have grown from the stem. The cannabis plant is now sprouted to become a seedling.

Seedling Stage

As the plant grows, its iconic fan leaves will be noticeable with more blades per leaf. The seedling will be a healthy, rich green color. At this stage, the roots are still small and don’t need a lot of water. Keep the soil moist but don’t overwater. Being a young plant, it is more vulnerable to mold and disease, so its environment should be kept clean with plenty of light. The seedling stage lasts between 2 or 3 weeks after germination.

Vegetative Stage

This phase can last up to 16 weeks depending on the strain you’re cultivating and the growing conditions. The vegetative stage of a cannabis plant is where the real growing starts. The foliage and the roots are developing, and this is a good time to top or train it if you’re using a trellis. Ensure the soil is healthy and that the plant is getting sufficient water added further away from the stalk to reach the expanding roots. You can add some nitrogen too at this point.

The sex of the plant will be noticeable so if you see any males are growing, they need to be removed or separated completely from the females.

Flowering Stage

The flowering stage can take 8 to 11 weeks and it is the final growth phase where it starts developing the resinous buds. The flowering stage will occur naturally when grown outdoors and starts to get less light towards the end of summer. If growing the plant indoors, you can initiate the flowering stage earlier by reducing the amount of light the plant receives.

While the plant is flowering, it’s advisable not to prune it because that will disrupt its hormones. The plant will also need some support to hold the dense buds. At this stage, you can add some phosphorus to boost its nutrient intake. Buds will normally develop towards the end of the flowering cycle and not when the flowering stage starts. Once the buds are fully matured, it’s time to harvest and reap the benefits of your hard work.