Whether you grow with autoflower seeds or feminized seeds, weed plants go through different stages. This is known as the cannabis grow cycle, the cannabis plant life cycle, cannabis growth stages, or weed plant stages.
When growing a marijuana plant, it's important to understand what your plant should look like at each stage of the strain's life cycle. Each stage of the weed plant is unique and, therefore, requires a unique approach when it comes to care. Think of aspects like light, water, and nutrients.
In addition, during the different phases, the plant provides important information for the grower. Such as if the strain is male or female, and provide information regarding the health of the plant.
Let's dig deeper into the stages of a weed plant!
The 4 weed plant stages
When growing weed, female strains and autoflowers will complete four stages before they are mature and ready to be harvested:
Weed plant stages: week by week explained
Below, we explain the stages of cannabis plants and give an indication of the average number of weeks the plant needs to successfully complete the specific phase.
Stage 1 (24 - 168 hours): Germination of the seed
The cannabis seed is the starting point. Cannabis seeds can be seen as a sleeping organism waiting for water to enter life. This process is called "germination" and takes an average of 24 hours, with a usual maximum of up to 168 hours (7 days).
In this stage, the seed will crack (or pop, as some growers might call it), and if everything goes according to plan, a tiny little root will appear from the seed. You are now on your way to growing a healthy cannabis plant.
Reading tip: how to germinate cannabis seeds?
Stage 2 (1 - 3 weeks): The seedling stage (baby weed plant)
When the root pops out of the cannabis seed and reaches a length of about 1.5 to 2.5 cm (0.6 to 1 inch), the seed can be placed in a growing medium and exposed to 18 to 24 hours of light when growing indoor plants. Outdoor plants are reliant on sunlight.
During this cannabis seedling stage, the roots will grow downwards and find their way into the medium. The shell under which the first leaves grow will grow upwards.
Reading tip: how to plant cannabis seeds?
Once the young seedling has reached the surface, the leaves will push the shell off, and small leaves appear to ensure the seedling receives sufficient sunlight. You now have a baby weed plant.
The first leaves often feature only one ribbed 'finger', but when becoming bigger, more branches appear, and leaves get 'more fingers'. Once the strain develops leaves with five fingers, we speak about a 'seedling'.
Healthy seedlings can be recognized by their short size and dense vegetation, where the leaves have a healthy, vibrant green color.
Note: During the seedling stage, the roots of your baby cannabis plant are still small, so it doesn't need much water to grow. Provide water in a gentle and controlled manner. This will prevent your young seedling from drowning.
The roots are located close to the trunk, so make sure to water your young seedlings close to the trunk. In addition, we recommend keeping your culture environment clean, as seedlings are fragile and susceptible to diseases like mold.
Reading tip: Your guide to the cannabis seedling stage
Stage 3 (3 - 10 weeks): Vegetative stage
Once the seedling stage has been completed, the marijuana plant will enter the vegetative growth stage (also known as the vegetative stage). During this stage, your marijuana plants require about 13 to 24 hours of light each day and will grow considerably.
We, therefore, recommend repotting the plant to a larger pot with healthy, nutritious soil. In that way, the roots have sufficient space, which is important for the strain to grow considerably in height and width.
As the plant gets bigger, it will need more water. Please do not forget that the water must be further infused from the trunk.
The marijuana plant growth phase lasts about three to ten weeks and depends on the species. Besides, indoor growers can control the cannabis vegetative stage, for example, by keeping the plant in the vegetative stage via the light scheme.
Once the strain reaches the end of the vegetative stage (the pre-flowering phase), the grower can get ready for the flowering stage, which is where female plants start to grow their lovely flowers. If you grow our feminized or autoflower seeds, you can relax a bit and enjoy the last of all the cannabis plant stages.
If you choose our regular seeds, this is the moment to determine the genus of the plant. For the cultivation of weed, the grower must separate the male plants from the female cannabis plants in order to prevent pollination.
Reading tip: how to recognize the sex of a cannabis plant
Stage 4 (6 - 12 weeks): Flowering stage
The final stage of the cannabis plant cycle is called the flowering stage. Flowering stages last, on average, six to twelve weeks. In this stage, the plant will develop its resinous buds. In nature, cannabis plants will start to bloom when the days get shorter (autumn).
Indoor growers get their plants to flower by adjusting the light schedule to 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness.
By the end of the cannabis flowering stage, the plant is ready for harvest. When the buds no longer produce new white hairs, which are called trichomes, at least 40% to 70% of these trichomes are no longer translucent and clear but amber or milky white.
Reading tip: when to harvest weed plants?
