What is the Process of Growing Marijuana?
The cannabis plant passes through several processes before its beautiful buds flourish. Seeing how the cannabis plant transforms during its growth stages can be quite exciting. If you’re keen on the different processes of cannabis growth, then this article will be helpful.
The key stages of Marijuana growth Cycle
There are four critical stages of cannabis growth, and at each stage you need to ensure that the plant receives enough nutrients and lighting to thrive. The cannabis plant is an annual plant, which means its complete lifecycle can surpass a year. Nonetheless, most cannabis species will grow indoors in about 3 to 5 months.
- Germination
For seeds to germinate successfully, they will need to be of high quality when buying seeds to ensure its high quality by checking if its dry, hard, and brownish.
The best way to germinate your cannabis seed is by using a paper towel. The germination process can take about 24 hours, but some varieties may take up to 7 days. Also, sativa seeds tend to germinate quicker than indica seeds. After germination, the seed husk disappears, and the first two leaves form, which is where the next stage begins.
- Seedling
This stage is where the grower needs to keep a keen eye on the plant. You have to be sure about how you water or fertilize the young plant. The use of excess or no water can hamper growth.
Most essentially, you will need to provide sufficient lighting for your plant. The best way to offer lighting is through LED grow lights that are full-spectrum and very affordable. Adequate lighting and water are necessary for the plant to develop stronger roots and bright leaves.
The leaf structure and the number of leaflets often depend on the type of cannabis plant that can be sativa or indica. During the seedling stage, the leaves will only have a single leaflet. When the number of leaflets increases to about 5-7 per leaf, then the seedling stage is over. It will take about 2 to 4 weeks for the seedling stage.
- Vegetation
It’s at this stage where the plant proliferates. The plant can grow up to 5 inches in just 24 hours. Nitrogen supply is also necessary as it helps provide chlorophyll and protein.
Since the plants are beginning to increase in size, its water and amount of light intake will also increase. It would help if you had to provide your plants with the best grow lights during the growing process.
The length of the vegetation stage depends on the type of cannabis plant. But usually last for about 2-3 weeks for professional growers.
- Flowering
This is perhaps the longest stage of the growing process (4 to 12 weeks). It comes in two sub-phases: pre-flowering stage and flowering stage. The pre-flowering stage occurs when during shorter days when the plant receives less light.
It’s at this stage where you know the sex of your plant. Female plants are recognized from their flowers or buds while the males produce pollen. Knowing the sex of your plants allows you to quickly isolate the females from the males to avoid the production of seeds.
The pre-flowering stage also requires a sufficient amount of watering. You can use potassium and phosphorus-based nutrients for quick and healthy buds. Towards the end of the flowering stage, you start seeing matured buds with milky pistils and a pungent smell.
Bottom line
Growing marijuana from seed to bud highly depends on the type of marijuana and environmental control. Applying the growing process in real life can be challenging for novice growers, but it is also a great learning experience that yields heavy benefits.
