Yo, what’s good fam? It’s ya boy Dan here to break down the five stages of growing that sticky icky. Growing cannabis is a process, and it ain’t easy, but it’s definitely worth it. Just like any living thing, weed has different stages of growth that require attention and care. Let’s get into it.
FIRST UP: GERMINATING STAGE
The first step in growing cannabis is getting that seed to germinate (1-2 weeks). You gotta start with a quality seed, fam. Look for seeds that are dry and hard, with a light to dark brown color. Stay away from squishy, white or green seeds, they won’t make the cut. Once you got your seed, give it water and let it do its thing. Germination should take anywhere from 24 hours to seven days. When the seed cracks and the taproot pushes downward and the plant pushes upward, you know it’s ready to grow. The cotyledon leaves will sprout from the stem, soak up that sunlight and get ready to flourish.
NEXT: SEEDLING STAGE
During the seedling stage (2-3 weeks), your plant will develop more real-like leaves. At first, you’ll see one ridged finger on each leaf, but as it grows more fingers will sprout up. A mature plant should have around 5-7 fingers per leaf, but some can have even more. You want your plant to be short with heavy vegetation and bright green leaves. Keep an eye out for mold and disease during this stage.
MOVING ON TO VEGETATIVE STAGE
Next up is the vegetative stage (2-8 weeks), where most of the growth occurs. Your plant has been transplanted to a bigger pot to accommodate its fast development. Now is a good time to train and top your plant. As your plant grows, you should increase the amount of water it gets, but make sure to water closer to the stalk when it’s young and further away when it’s bigger so more is saved for the root tips. Vegetative plants love nutrients from healthy soil, so feed them with increased levels of nitrogen. And don’t forget to check for male or female pre-flowers at the nodes so you can separate them and avoid that pollen rub.
NEXT UP: FLOWERING STAGE
The flowering stage (6-8 weeks) is where things get exciting. When your plant gets less than 12 hours of sunshine a day, it will start to flower naturally, producing those sweet, sticky buds we all know and love. But be careful not to prune your plants until they’ve been in the flowering stage for at least two weeks, as it can irritate their hormones. Always stalk and trellis your plants, so they can support those buds they worked so hard to form. And feed them with blooming nutrients, but don’t overwater them.
FINALLY: HARVESTING STAGE
Harvesting isn’t part of the growing process, but it’s crucial to determine when to chop down those beauties. You want to get the best taste, aroma, weight, and effects possible. Keep an eye on those pistils – the white hairs on buds that eventually turn brown or red as the weed ripens. When they start turning brown, it’s time to check out those trichomes under a pocket microscope (you can cop one in our shop). Once those trichomes change from clear to cloudy, it’s time to harvest.
That’s the breakdown of the five stages of growing cannabis, fam. It ain’t easy, but with some care and attention, you’ll have some fire bud in no time. Stay lit!