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The most awaited moment in the breeding process, i.e. the flowering phase of marijuana
After the germination, seedling and vegetative phases, it's time for your cannabis to flower. Observing the increase in size and dimensions of the plant is pleasant for every lover of these plants. It can be said without a doubt that marijuana flowering stage is the most awaited period for every self-respecting breeder. What should you prepare for during the marijuana flowering process? What could go wrong? What can be done to make the plant bloom as best as possible? In this entry, we will try to answer these and other questions about the flowering period of marijuana.
WARNING! Cannabis is illegal in Poland, and its possession or cultivation is punishable by 3 to 8 years in prison. This entry is not intended to encourage breaking the law. All content related to the cultivation and processing of marijuana is for educational and interesting purposes only. Currently, more and more countries in the world allow their citizens to grow marijuana for their own use, but Poland is not one of these countries yet.
Marijuana flowering – the beginning
When is cannabis ready to enter the flowering phase? Everything depends on type of genetics and many external factors. In case of varieties photoperiod the most important stimulus that brings the plant into flowering is amount of light or in other words – the length of day and night. When the plant begins to receive less light during the day, it slowly enters the flowering phase, thus ending its vegetative phase.
How is the flowering phase of autoflowering marijuana different?
Automatic varieties, also known as vending machines, they spontaneously go into the flowering phase. You could say that they have programmed flowering. The length of the day and night does not matter here, but only the specific time that must pass for the plant to reach maturity and start producing flowers. Automatic machines are undoubtedly a great option for those who are late in growing crops (inappropriate time of year), but they will not be suitable for those who, e.g. want to create marijuana clones.
Outdoor afaza flowering marijuana
Plants grown outdoors with marijuana seeds outdoor, begin their flowering at the end of summer, when the nights become longer and the days shorter. Most outdoor cannabis hybrids enter the flowering stage at 14-15 hours of light per day.
In the case of varieties grown in conditions indoor, under artificial lighting, it the grower decides when he wants his plant to flower. Many growers deliberately extend the growth phase to obtain larger bushes and, in the next stage, larger harvests. A bit of knowledge and, of course, experience are necessary.
Marijuana flowering week by week
The first weeks of the flowering phase
Interestingly, the first sign that the plant is starting to bloom is its sudden, accelerated growth. Some genetics can even double in height in this first week! This rapid pulling of plants can be tamed by using LST training, which will help spread the stems evenly so that the upper parts of the plant do not take away light from the lower ones. The so-called canopy.
About the second week of the flowering phase it is worth supporting the plants with nutrients with higher concentrations phosphorus and potassium. There are ready-made mixtures available on the market containing all the minerals necessary for the development of large, strong buds. During the entire flowering period the plant responds well to lower temperatures at night, it would be best to keep the temperature around 24-26 degrees during the day and at night 16-18.
Female cannabis plant
Male cannabis plant
Beginning of the flowering phase
For growers who use regular marijuana seeds, the second week of the flowering phase, will be crucial to get the hang of it quickly what gender do the plants have? It is right after the bushes suddenly increase in size that you should look for boys among girls. Female hemp where flowers are formed they will begin to produce long, narrow, light pistils. Male individuals they will produce in the same places small, green, oval pollen sacs. If we care about the plant's buds and do not want it to pollinate and produce seeds, we should quickly isolate the male plants from the female ones. In case of purchase feminized marijuana seeds, there is no such problem.
3-4 weeks – Marijuana flowering stage
Next, third week of flowering, it's time to gradually stop the plant's growth and start producing buds. During this period trichomes begin to appear, and the size of the plant's calyxes increases.
Until the fourth week of flowering the cannabis should have stopped growing completely to be able to put all its energy into developing the buds. The scent begins to appear, the buds gradually increase in size, and the number of pistils and trichomes increases. In case of indoor cultivation, at this stage you should take care of lower air humidity (40-50%), and also the appropriate one ventilation. The air around the plant must be exchanged so as not to create a favorable environment for the development of bacteria or mold.
Marijuana's peak flowering period
The next weeks of flowering are continuous increasing the trichome layer, bud weight and number of white pistils. We are talking about the peak flowering period here. Mature buds have more trichomes and darker pistils. At this stage, it is worth taking a look at whether the plant is deficient in nutrients or in excess. Depending on the size of the buds and the condition of the plant, you can add nutrients again. For further production of valuable flowers, hemp needs additional phosphorus and potassium, also calcium.
Very often it is needed at this stage plant support. Fresh buds gain a lot of weight, so be careful not to let the plant fall over. Depending on the structure of the buds produced by hemp, they may be more or less resistant to molds or pests. But regardless, it's worth it at this flowering time (4-6 weeks) reduce further air humidity in the room (30-40%).
You should also be careful during this period do not stress the plant. Now any stress can cause the plant to stop developing flowers or (in extreme cases) produce hermaphrodites, i.e. female flowers that will start producing pollen to produce seeds.
Last 2 weeks of flowering
What do the last weeks of marijuana flowering look like? In fact, the sixth week begins the final stages of cannabis flower production. From this period, mainly trichomes are observed for approximately 2 weeks. It is the color of the trichomes that informs the grower about the appropriate harvest time. Previously transparent trichomes mostly turn milky white, but amber trichomes are also visible. This is a sign that it's time to cut down.
The last two weeks of flowering are also the time when it is worth washing out excess nutrients from the soil. Thanks to this, the plant will have time to use up the reserves stored in the buds. This procedure, called flushing, greatly improves the taste of marijuana. You can read more about flushing here.
Marijuana flowering time
How long does marijuana flower? It all depends on the type of genetics. There are varieties with longer and relatively short flowering times. On average, hemp takes about 8 weeks to bloom, however, there are varieties of which the whole cycle including germination, vegetative phase and flowering phase is only 60-70 days!
Marijuana varieties with a long flowering time (9-11 weeks) certainly require more patience from the grower, but the results achieved in terms of the quantity and quality of the harvest may be worth the time and effort invested.
How to make marijuana flower faster
Since we know what factors influence the flowering phase of cannabis, we can make it happen faster. It will be necessary photoperiodic genetics and cultivation under artificial lighting. Then all the power is in the hands of the grower. Indoors, to get the plant to flower, it is best to provide it 12 hours of light to 12 hours of darkness. It is good to maintain this light cycle until the end of the marijuana flowering phase.
It should be remembered that shortening the vegetative phase will only save us time, but it will certainly affect the plant's efficiency.
Reducing the flowering time of marijuana
Is there a way to plant it produced inflorescences faster? The flowering phase can be accelerated, but, as we wrote previously, this will always have a negative impact on the final effect, i.e. the number of harvests.
Less light per day will shorten the flowering period
When the amount of light per day is reduced to 11 or 10 hours, the cannabis will respond by producing buds faster. Therefore, the total flowering time should be shorter than normal.
Adequate nitrogen levels in the soil will prevent delayed flowering
Throughout the entire growing cycle, cannabis needs nitrogen. Both its deficiency and excess can be harmful to these plants and thus make it difficult for them to enter the flowering phase and for the proper development of buds. It is assumed that amount of nitrogen in the substrate at best it should be within the range 130ppm-150ppm. Ensuring this parameter is guaranteed faster entry of the plant into the flowering phase (after changing the photoperiod), and thus shortening the entire flowering time, sometimes even by a week.
Marijuana flowering week by week
Many growers share theirs week by week reports of hemp cultivation on the growdiaries international website. Thanks to this type of websites, people who can legally grow hemp in their country can exchange observations, tips and ideas related to cultivation.
Marijuana flowering day by day
Day by day reports from cannabis cultivation they are most often used to create time-lapse films, the so-called time lapsee. In this type of videos, available e.g. on YouTube, you can watch the entire marijuana development cycle at an accelerated pace. See for yourself how nice it is to look at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfkqq_-odGU - Zkittlez Auto Fastbuds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FfoZpV2VPY - Purple Lemonade Auto Fastbuds
Marijuana flowering phase – summary
The flowering period of cannabis is one of the most exciting times of the entire crop. Every grower who wants to get the best harvest should not only be patient, but also have a little knowledge about this plant. Despite the possibility of shortening the flowering time, it is worth giving the plant more time so that the quality (taste, smell, effect) and quantity of the harvest are as good as possible.
