{"id":1227,"date":"2020-04-29T00:23:10","date_gmt":"2020-04-29T00:23:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/cbd\/understanding-marijuana-plant-stages"},"modified":"2026-02-22T15:12:20","modified_gmt":"2026-02-22T15:12:20","slug":"understanding-marijuana-plant-stages","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/the-plant\/understanding-marijuana-plant-stages","title":{"rendered":"Understanding marijuana plant stages"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The hands-on, sensory pleasure of planting a garden is an experience like no other. Whether you have a green thumb or not, you can grow a marijuana garden at home by understanding the essential life cycle of the plant.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cannabis plant experiences growth throughout six distinct stages: germination stage, seedling stage, vegetative stage, flowering stage, harvesting stage, pruning stage, and finally a preparation stage for the cycle to start again.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here we outline each of these important stages in the growth of a marijuana plant and share how you can oversee each one to optimize your crop. Measuring the nutrient feed is the best way to ensure that you are not overloading your plant with any one element or skimping in one area either.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\tThe marijuana growth cycle<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Beginning with tiny seeds and culminating in rich harvests, the marijuana growth cycle can last between 10 and 26 weeks, or as much as half the year.  Therefore, growing your own cannabis entails a sizable commitment of time and effort, but the rewards may be equally abundant. In three to six months' time, you can raise a crop to serve you with plant-based medicine, recreational enjoyment, or both. The marijuana you grow can transform into smokable, edible, and topical treasures that may offer a combination of physiological and psychological benefits.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cannabis plant requires differing amounts of nutrients as it grows. There are three primary nutrients for the cannabis cultivator to understand: nitrogen, potassium, and <\/span>phosphorus. Nutrient packages often label these big three components as NPK , based on the chemical symbols for each one. In addition to these most vital nutrients, there is another trio of secondary nutrients to be aware of: magnesium, calcium, and sulfur. Finally, marijuana requires an array or micronutrients which tend to appear naturally in soil. Some of these micronutrients, or trace elements, include zinc, manganese, iron, boron, chloride, cobalt, and silicon.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The key is balance when nourishing a weed plant. All-in-one mixes tend to be too broad, while overloading with one single nutrient, even those in the NPK group, could be hazardous to the plant's health.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\tWhere to plant cannabis<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are three main locations where cultivators plant cannabis: outdoor, in a greenhouse, or indoors.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Outdoor cultivators often begin to grow their plants in the spring to prepare for a fall harvest. Choosing the right soil is perhaps the most vital component for outdoor cultivators. Choose a soil chock full of plant nutrients and organic materials, including microbes, earthworm castings, and forest humus. Some soils are even classified as \"super soils\" because they minimize or eliminate the need for liquid nutrients. Overall, an investment in cannabis-compatible soil is the biggest investment for the outdoor cultivator.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One other option to consider is to start growing marijuana in a greenhouse. A greenhouse provides the bright sunlight necessary to raise a healthy plant while offering better environmental controls. For example, darkness is key during certain growth stages, and a greenhouse gives you the control to use blackout shades or roof covering systems. Cannabis also receives protection from the elements in a greenhouse, as well as from animals and pests. However, a greenhouse is an expensive undertaking and not ideal for the budget-conscious grower.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indoor cultivators have the flexibility to plant their cannabis seeds any time of year, as long as long as indoor conditions are managed with regard to temperature, humidity, light, and air quality. Light management is especially important as plants cannot survive without the right amount of photosynthesis. In an outdoor garden, natural sunlight does all the work, but indoors you'll need to invest in a lighting system, such as LED lights or high intensity white light.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\t\t\t

\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"indoor\n\t\t\t<\/a>Photo by: Gina Coleman\/Weedmaps<\/cite>
Indoor cultivators have the flexibility to plant their cannabis seeds any time of year, as long as long as indoor conditions are managed with regard to temperature, humidity, light, and air quality.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\t\t\t