Knowing each stage is key to supporting your plant at its best, from beginning to end.
Stages of cannabis cultivation: one plant, many moments
Growing cannabis isn’t just about planting a seed and waiting. It’s an organic, cyclical process, full of visible and subtle transformations. Each phase has its own needs, timing, and its own particular magic.
Germination: the first breath of life
It all begins with a small signal: the seed opens and lets its root emerge. It’s a short phase, usually lasting between 1 and 7 days, but it marks the starting point for everything that will come later.
Seedling: the initial fragility
When the plant breaks the soil and the first cotyledons emerge, the seedling phase begins. Here it needs soft light, controlled humidity, and great care. Any excess—watering, heat, or fertilizer—can slow it down.
Vegetative Growth: Strength and Structure
From here, the plant enters a vigorous stage. Branches and new leaves appear every day, and its architecture begins to take shape. This is the ideal time to train, transplant, or apply techniques like LST. This phase can last between 2 and 8 weeks, depending on the genetics and the type of crop.
Flowering: The Long-Awaited Moment
The most exciting phase arrives. The plant’s energy shifts: it stops growing in height and begins to form flowers. Here, light, nutrients, and environmental control are key. This stage lasts between 6 and 12 weeks and requires constant attention.
Harvest: Reaping What You Sowed
When the trichomes are at their peak and the pistils have changed color, it’s time to cut. Harvesting isn’t just about cutting branches: it also requires drying and curing well to preserve the flavor, aroma, and potency of the cannabis.
Average length of the complete cycle: from weeks to months
Factors that shorten or lengthen the process
The total growing time can vary greatly. Some autoflowering plants are ready in just 8-10 weeks. In contrast, some sativas can take up to 16 weeks. The type of seed, the growing medium, the temperature, and the light all have a direct influence.
Differences between indoor and outdoor growing
Indoors, you control the pace: you decide when to change phases and can speed up or slow down the cycle. Outdoors, however, you depend on the seasons. The plant germinates in spring and is harvested in autumn, with a complete cycle taking between 5 and 7 months.
Key care instructions for each growing phase
Watering, light, and nutrients: how to adapt them according to the stage
Each stage requires adjustments. Seedlings need little water and dim light. In vegetative growth, the plant needs more nitrogen, intense light, and frequent watering. During flowering, potassium and phosphorus take center stage, and light should focus on warm spectrums.
Common mistakes when not respecting the plant’s rhythms
Forcing flowering early, pruning during flowering, watering as if all phases were the same… these are typical errors. Understanding each phase allows you to anticipate and support the plant without disturbing its balance.
How to know when to move from one phase to another
Visual signs and behaviors that mark the change
The plant speaks to you in its own language: new leaves, sudden growth spurts, the appearance of pre-flowers… Everything indicates what phase it’s in. Indoors, you decide the change in photoperiod; outdoors, the sun does.
Can flowering be forced or growth accelerated?
Yes, but with caution. Changing the daylight hours induces flowering indoors. And techniques like SCROG or topping can modulate growth. Of course, every shortcut has its price, and it’s worth knowing it well.
The complete cycle in perspective: what you learn every time you grow
Each grow is an experience. With each plant, you discover new nuances, improve your intuition, and understand more about the natural rhythms of cannabis. Knowing the entire cycle not only allows you to achieve better results; it truly connects you with the process.