To maintain vegetative growth plants are exposed to long photoperiods (normally > 12 h, preferably 18 or in some cases 24 h, Chandra et al., 2008; Chandra et al., 2015; Potter, 2015). Plants are supplied with vegetative fertilizer formula, comparably with higher nitrogen than flowering stage. Plants are exposed to a photoperiod
Stages of the marijuana plant growth cycle
Determination of plant maturity and optimum harvesting time is a crucial step of any crop. With cannabis, optimum harvesting time can be determined by visual observation and/or cannabinoids content analysis. Cannabinoids content increase with plant growth. With the onset of flowering, a tremendous increase in cannabinoids content is observed as compared to the vegetative stage. The plants are harvested at peak flowering stage, following one of two methods. In one of the methods, whole plants are harvested and processed, and in the second method, selected mature buds are harvested first and more time is given to lower branches to form buds to maximize the harvest.
Horticulturalists know that the key to success in any growing plant is understanding the lifecycle of the plant. This is also true with growing cannabis. Throughout every stage of growth, cannabis plants will have a constant need for water which the amounts will fluctuate with the humidity. When the humidity is high, plants use their leaves to absorb moisture from the air which results in less water drawn from their roots. On the other hand, when the humidity is low, cannabis plants will take more water through their roots.
It is difficult to be present for the entire life cycle of a cannabis plant. There are more innovative and technological methods for monitoring temperature and humidity levels. Contact SensoScientific for a free trial and to learn more about the most advanced wireless monitoring solution available for cannabis temperature monitoring.
1. Germination Stage: The first of the four stages of growing weed is the germination stage, which lasts anywhere from 24 hours to two weeks. The grower begins the process of cultivating marijuana by taking a mature seed, which appears to be light to dark brown and feels dry and hard, as opposed to an undeveloped cannabis seed, which is usually white or green and soft.
In the germination stage, the taproot will begin to grow, and two round cotyledon leaves flourish from the stem as the protective outer shell of the seed starts to open up to allow the plant to grow. As the roots and leaves begin to develop, the first stage of marijuana growth ends and transitions into the seedling stage.
Lastly, this marijuana seedling stage requires a lot of light - anywhere from 16 to 24 hours. The plant is considered a seedling until leaves with the full amount of fingers grow. Typically, cannabis plants have anywhere from five to seven fan leaves, but they can have up to 13.
3. Vegetative Stage: As the third stage of cannabis growth, the vegetative phase usually takes two to eight weeks, but it can last as long as 16 weeks. In the vegetative stage, weed plants grow at a fast rate with additional nutrients and carbon dioxide. The appearance of the marijuana plant changes, and the stem becomes thicker. There will be more nodes, branches, and leaves that have sprouted with a larger root system.
The plant grows vertically and begins to take on the shape of the marijuana plant. To grow in the vegetative stage, cannabis plants require both nitrogen and potassium, an abundance of light - 16 to 24 hours - humidity level of 50% to 70%, the temperature of 68 degrees Fahrenheit to 77 degrees Fahrenheit, and well-drained soil.
4. Flowering Stage: The final stage of the cannabis growth cycle is the flowering stage, which lasts anywhere from six to eleven weeks. The key to entering the cannabis flowering stage is the plant receiving less light. Outdoor plants usually take longer to flower because it depends on the daily cycle of sunlight and darkness. Growers can control indoor growing with less light.
In the marijuana flowering stage, plants thrive when there is a balance of 12 hours of light to 12 hours of darkness, nutrients of phosphorus and potassium, a temperature of 68 degrees Fahrenheit to 77 degrees Fahrenheit, and a medium humidity of 50%.
Cultivators notice resin and trichomes developing on the cannabis plant. They look for clusters of trichomes - the more trichomes, the more potent the strain. The amount of potency depends on how long the plant spends in the flowering phase. In the flowering stage, marijuana develops resinous buds, and when the buds mature, the plant is ready to harvest.
At this time, harvesting begins, and marijuana plants are cut into smaller branches to get to the resinous buds. Cultivators will hang the cuttings upside down in a dark, dry, and cool environment for one to two weeks as they dry. This drying process helps prevent mold.
After the four stages of marijuana growth, harvesting, and pruning, growers will prepare for the next season or yield of cannabis plants. They can either clone one of their plants or start the process over with new marijuana seeds. This completes the life cycle of the cannabis plant.
As the legalization of marijuana in the United States spreads, users have to decide whether they want to grow their own weed or purchase cannabis from a dispensary. Having an idea of the cannabis growth stages helps.
Whether you want to learn about the stages of a weed plant and appreciate them as a consumer or try your hand at growing, we hope this post on the four cannabis growth stages provides you with an understanding and a deeper appreciation of the marijuana plant life cycle.
The flowering stage is the final stage of growth for a cannabis plant. Flowering occurs naturally when the plant receives less than 12 hours of light a day as the summer days shorten, or as the indoor light cycle is shortened. It is in this stage that resinous buds develop and your hard work will be realized.
Lighting is one of the most critical factors in growing marijuana. Understanding how close or far away to position the light source from marijuana plants is essential to produce a healthy plant and maximum yield.
For marijuana seedlings, LED grow lights should be between 24-36 inches above the plant canopy (a plant canopy is: the tallest branches of foliage of your marijuana plants). Seedlings are delicate, and placing lighting closer can cause bleaching or stunted growth. Placing the light source at this height also avoids drying out the soil. At the seedling stage, less light intensity is best.
When marijuana is in the vegetative stage, it needs more intense light. The marijuana needs to build strong, healthy roots and stems to produce a productive harvest. Grow lights should hang closer to the marijuana plant canopy. The LED grow lights should be between 12-24 inches from the top foliage of your marijuana canopy. Monitor the plants closely to make sure they have enough light and not too much, which can cause adverse effects such as bleaching, discoloration, stunted or irregular growth. These effects can be addressed by adjusting the height of the LED grow lights.
Cloning marijuana plants is the process of taking cuttings from mature marijuana plants and re-planting them. These cuttings are not seeds, and require treatment much like vegetive plants. Place the LED grow lights between 12-24 inches away from the marijuana plant canopy. Keep in mind that they do not have a root base yet and need to establish that root base. It is best to start your LED grow lights further away and slowly work closer to establish that root base. Clones need to be observed closely for any adverse effects, as discussed earlier.
The flowering stage is the last stage of the Cannabis plant life cycle. This is the time when your plant will stop putting as much energy into leaf growth and will instead focus that energy on creating the flowers (buds), which are used for medicinal and recreational purposes.
Counting the Nodes is one rule of thumb, but also consider topping when you change the plants light ratio. The shorter the light cycle, the closer the plant moves toward flowering or seeding. You certainly do not want to top a cannabis plant during the flowering stage. By controlling the light, you can extend the vegetative stage of growth. Generally, when the lighting gets to 12 hours of sunlight and 12 hours of darkness, the plant goes into flowering mode, as that signals the plant that the season is changing.
In the vegetative stage, the plant is putting on height and pouring energy into the main stem. When you top a cannabis plant, the energy that it feeds into growth immediately shifts into healing, and the plant goes into recovery mode. Plants have a competitive need for resources, even though these plants are grown in a controlled environment, you are still dealing with the genetics of wild plants. It is, in short, a battle for sunlight. When you top at the terminal bud, the lower node suddenly has access to light and from that spot emerge additional cola. You have first stopped the upward momentum of the plant which is now forced to grow laterally.
2. The plant immediately goes into a recovery mode. Having the top portion of the terminal bud removed is traumatic. Recovery means growth so to compensate for the loss, the plant begins to grow and as it does, more cola emerges from the node just below the topping point.
The first thing to look at is plant health. A plant that is not getting enough light might have eight nodes but not be in excellent shape. Plants need to be robust, the main stem needs to be developing and the overall growth of the plant is even.
2) soil health needs to be optimal after topping. The plant will need more nutrients to spur lateral growth. Growing uses energy, so the plant must have access to good soil energy, which in this case is nitrogen.
For light cycles, the veg stage of cannabis growth continues to require 18 hours of light with 6 hours of darkness for photosynthesis purposes. Plants will also continue to benefit from higher spectrums of blue light during vegetative growth, which can promote even node spacing, and canopy uniformity. Because each stage of marijuana growth benefits from different spectrums of light, LEDs are quickly becoming the preferred grow light setup for their full-spectrum capabilities. 2ff7e9595c
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