Possibly the most common question that most first-time cannabis growers ask is “How long does it take to grow weed?” This is indeed very common for anyone anticipating his first harvest! Whether you are planning to grow weed for recreation or cultivating medical cannabis for a particular medical condition, you need to know how long you need to grow any strain. Understanding the life span of a strain will help you provide the ideal growing condition that you must provide to your precious cannabis plants.
How Long Will Weed Grow?
Different cannabis strains, different growing times. As there are many different strains of weed, each one of this is unique and has different growing requirements. Some types of weed like regular cannabis may take around 10 to 12 weeks to flower and hence around 12 or more weeks till the buds are ready for harvest. According to Wikipedia under cannabis cultivation, the flowering phase could even take up to 22 weeks in pure indica strains while pure sativas have shorter flowering times.
Autoflowering cannabis plants, on the other hand, will flower in just 7 to 9 weeks or even less. This means that your buds will be ripe and ready for harvest in 8 or more weeks. This quick flowering times and improved harvest times makes auto cannabis plants more popular compared to its regular counterparts.
When it comes to the type of strain, some strains will be ready for harvest in just 9 weeks while there are some strains ready for harvest in about 12 or more weeks. These fast-growing strains are therefore more preferred by people who grow cannabis as a business opportunity.
And of course, the manner in which cannabis grows also makes a difference. Growers agree that when you grow cannabis indoors, you will be able to monitor your plants’ growth better and you will be able to manipulate its growth and development. This could enhance growth and make cannabis growing rate faster. Meanwhile, outdoor growing can take time because you are leaving everything to nature. Consider that there are times when there is no rain and the climate becomes dry; any kind of change in the environment can directly or indirectly affect the rate of growth of your cannabis plants.
This is why if you want to grow cannabis faster or at least grow healthier plants; you must follow an indoor growing system.
Growing Cannabis Indoors
If you live in a place where growing cannabis is not legal then there is no reason to grow your crops outdoors and risk being reported. You really need to grow cannabis indoors.
Indoor growing is just like being a God. You will provide everything that your plants would need from food to sunlight and doing so, improves your plants’ chances of survival. Indoor growing makes it easier and a lot faster to grow cannabis.
Growing your cannabis indoors will let protect your plants and take good care of these from seedling to harvesting. You will be able to check on their well-being and be able to handle various cannabis plant conditions like under watering and nutrient deficiencies at once.
It’s hard work but even experts agree that it is really worth it. Those that have grown or cultivated cannabis before say that it is really quite easy to grow weed even when you are at home. This is because the cannabis plant is very resilient and can be grown indoors or outdoors, even in any climate.
What You Need to Grow Cannabis Indoors
- Cannabis Seeds
- Grow lights (LED or HPS lamps)
- 2 small fans (USB fans)
- Grow tent or a grow cabinet
- Pots and growing medium (soil, coco coir, etc.)
- Carbon filters
- Fertilizer
You can buy these individually or you can purchase a complete set. All of these are available in an online marijuana growing site or you can find these from local cannabis growing supplies store.
Indoor Growing Using Grow Cabinets or Tent
Grow tents and grow cabinets may be commercially made or homemade. If you are a first-time grower it’s smart to rely on ready-made growing cabinets that already has everything you need to start growing indoors.
Grow tents that you can buy online have complete equipment such as lighting, fans, pots, and reflective material so you can immediately grow cannabis at home. Inside a grow tent, you will be able to start growing your plants from the seedling stage to harvest time. This could take anywhere from three weeks to four weeks depending on the strain you are growing.
If the growing environment is right and you have viable seeds, it could take around a week for seeds to sprout and about two to three weeks when our seedlings are ready to be transplanted to the growing medium.
Characteristics of a Good Growing Tent
A good growing tent must keep the light in so with efficient reflective panels on the inside panels of the cabinet. This must have a good door to prevent light from escaping. An efficient grow tent must be able to keep the strong smell in with an exhaust system removing the smell. Finally, growing tents should be easy to set up. This must have a locking mechanism to keep your plants safe especially when harvest time nears.
Equipment You Need to Grow Your Weed Fast Indoors
All About Your Grow Lights
Indoors, your plants will be completely dependent on indoor lighting to grow and make more yields. As a general rule, the better your lights are, the more your plants will grow and give you more yields. And when it comes to the best grow lights for your plants, the most popular currently are HID lamps, CMH lamps and LED grow lamps.
But despite these different types, many growers still prefer LED lamps. This is the most updated type of grow lights because it is energy efficient. You can purchase LED bulbs in different wattages yet the only downside to this is that this is the most expensive type of lighting.
Growers agree that what you spend on bulbs can be earned from the savings you’ll get in the future. It would take time to change the bulbs too so you will again save money from this. There are about two different kinds of LED light bulbs: cheap and expensive ones. Cheap bulbs may have dim and inefficient lighting and can grow only small buds. Having inefficient lighting will only slow down plant growth.
Meanwhile, top quality and expensive bulbs will provide radiant and good continuous lighting to your plants. This can produce the best harvest and even improve growing times.
Giving Your Plants the Best Ventilation
To grow healthy cannabis plants faster, your plants need fresh air. You need to maintain the ideal humidity inside your grow tent or grow space because poor ventilation may result in the growth of molds, pests, and mildew.
One of the most common types of mold is powdery mildew. This can plague cannabis gardens, slow down plant growth and even completely ruin harvests. It is quite difficult to spot this because these can affect plant leaves from the underside. Most growers discover this when it’s too late making their buds useless. To prevent this you must maintain the ideal humidity levels inside and indoor growing area.
Getting the Best Growing Mix for Faster Growth
There are different kinds of pot for growing cannabis but the most common nowadays is a fabric pot. These pots are recommended by cannabis growers because this will let excess water drain from the soil mix and the roots of your plants. Fabric pots also allow oxygen to reach the roots better and this can also help plants grow quicker than usual.
When looking for the right soil mix, select a sandy clayey type of soil because this soil is great in absorbing more water and nutrients to benefit your plants. This kind of soil will also let excess nutrients and water drain from the roots of the plants.
Use Only the Best Viable Cannabis Seeds
After considering and buying your growing lights and fans, you must now consider the Cannabis Seeds that you will grow. The key to growing good and healthy plants is to buy good quality seeds. Rely on reputable online or local seedbanks.
And although there are bag seeds or seeds with unknown origins, it is not recommended to grow these. Bag seeds are less likely to grow well simply because you don’t really know what you need to do. Different strains have different needs; always keep this in mind.
How to Germinate Your Seeds
The most important question at this stage is how many seeds do you need to grow? The answer depends on the size of your growing area and whether you are using regular Cannabis Seeds or autoflowering seeds.
If you are growing regular Cannabis Seeds, you might get 50% females and 50% males. You must sow more seeds to be able to compensate for the possible male plants that may grow. You will remove males later so make sure to grow more plants as possible.
If you are cultivating feminized Cannabis Seeds then you have more control over the number of plans you will grow. It is recommended that you sow 12 seeds for a growing area that can fit 10 plants. The only thing you may need to keep watch at this time are seeds that are non-viable. So as much as possible, grow as many seeds as you can in case you get more duds or non-viable seeds.
Jiffy Pellets for Faster Germination Rates
One factor that affects the speed of growth of most cannabis plants is the seed’s germination rate. Basically, older seeds take a long time to germinate (may take longer than a week!) while younger or fresher seeds may only take two to five days.
To make germination easier use Jiffy pellets. These are easy to use and are more preferred than other growing mediums. The first step is to soak these pellets overnight in water so that these will absorb more water and double their size.
In the morning remove the pellets in water and then drain these until you get a damp pellet. Get one pellet and place one seed inside. Usually, there is a small hole or slot in the middle of the pellet where you just pop the seed in.
The pellet contains all the nutrients that a seedling needs to grow therefore you don’t need to feed seedlings any fertilizer at this time.
Time to Place Seedlings in the Grow Cabinet or Tent
Your seeds will sprout at around 5 days inside the grow pellet. Once you are done placing every seed inside a Jiffy pellet, place these inside the grow tent or cabinet. Power on the grow lights and place these over the pellets for 18 hrs.
Power off your lights for about 6 hrs. to give your plants nighttime environment. Cannabis plants naturally need darkness because roots grow in the dark. You can use a timer to automatically power on and off the grow lights.
Roots will soon sprout from the pellets and new leaves will escape from the pellet. These are signs that the plants are now ready to be placed in their new home. A larger and more spacious container.
Transplanting seedlings to a larger container is very stressful to the young plant. This is why there is no need to remove the seeds from inside the pellet. Just pop the entire plant/pellet in the soil. Dig a small hole in the middle of the soil, about two to three inches deep. This is where you will place the pellet.
Place more soil to cover the seedling and compress this lighting using your hands. Place this underneath strong grow lights. Water your newly transplanted seedlings at least once to two times a week. As much as possible, water only when the soil is dry; never when the soil is wet or damp to avoid mold and mildew growth. There should be water draining from the holes under the pot. This means that excess water has been removed from the soil.
Determining the Time it Takes for Weed to Grow in Different Stages
The Cannabis Vegetative Stage “5th day to 4th week”
There are two stages of a cannabis plant’s life: the vegetative or growing phase and the flowering phase. During the vegetative stage, the plants veg out or grow taller and wider and this according to the type of strain you are growing.
During the vegetative stage, you must maintain a specific growing schedule. Follow 18 hours light and 6 hours darkness for 3.5 weeks. A 24 hour light schedule is also recommended but this can be very costly. So instead of a 24 hour light schedule, start with an 18/6 schedule to ease energy costs.
The Cannabis Flowering Stage “3.5 to 4th week”
The flowering stage is exactly what it is. It is the time when cannabis plants (male and female plants) show off their flowers. It will take around 3.5 weeks for your plants to finish growing and after this, it will cease growing and concentrate all its energy to make buds.
So at this time, you can switch from an 18/6 light/dark schedule to a 12/ 12 schedule. At this time, flowers will start to show. The first buds will appear about 4 weeks when your plants are under 12/12 light/dark schedule.
Both males and female plants will create buds but these are quite different from each other especially in appearance. Females will grow buds with whitish hairs sticking out from them. Male plants, on the other hand, will grow balls and sacs that have pollen inside.
At this point, it is very dangerous to leave male plants in your growing area because males will pollinate the female plants. When you remove male plants your females will now be able to grow unfertilized marijuana buds that we all know and love.
Fertilizer for Cannabis for Faster Plant Growth
There are fertilizer mixes especially made for cannabis plants. These are ready-made products which can be used either for the vegetative phase or flowering phase. You must use the right fertilizer on your plants to avoid any nutritional problems.
Should you use commercially-prepared mixes or a homemade plant food mix? If you are new to feeding your plants, a commercially-prepared product will reduce costly feeding mistakes. You can buy these in most online or local garden supplies stores.
Get Faster Harvests and Better Yields with Autoflowering Feminized Marijuana
Expert growers say that if you want to simplify the growing process for weed, you need to invest in top quality autoflowering seeds. These seeds are simply seeds that were created to flower without changing the plant’s light cycles. With this kind of seed, you can grow cannabis without worrying about male plants.
Getting to Know Autoflowering Cannabis Seeds
Autoflowering Cannabis Seeds are seeds that can speed up the growth of your plants. Autos will flower in just 7 to 9 weeks. At this rate, you can have your plants ready for harvest earlier.
Auto seeds will also flower no matter what light schedule you put your plants in. Most growers and breeders say that autoflowering cannabis is the best for novice growers because these are very easy to grow. And whether you are growing recreational or medicinal reasons, it is definitely easier to grow autoflowering Cannabis Seeds than regular seeds.
The Origin of Autoflowering Cannabis
Autoflowering seeds were initially spotted in the near-frozen parts of northern Eurasia. This is a harsh place to grow cannabis however cannabis plants are very robust. Cannabis stains are mixed with a strain called Cannabis ruderalis.
This plant does not wait for warm weather which sativa and indica strains need to grow flowers. These plants will flower according to its own internal growth schedule and this is not the amount of light that it gets every day.
Why Use Autoflowering Feminized Cannabis Seeds?
Autoflowering seeds have a very short life span and therefore grow faster than other strains. You can even grow two outdoor crops in a year as long as you provide the best growing environment for your plants.
If you are growing autoflowering cannabis indoors, plants will fully mature as quick as 9 to 10 weeks. And depending on the strain, you may even get auto plants that are resilient to many types of diseases, mold, and mildew.
Anyone new to growing cannabis can start cultivating their first crops with autoflowering seeds. Not only will you be able to harvest early but you will be free from common worries of growing marijuana plants.
Giving Your Autoflowering Cannabis Plants the Right Amount of Light
Autoflowering plants have higher cannabinoid content without the need to expose your plants to intense lighting. Regular marijuana strains will require strict monitoring of the light intensity and light periods as well as dark periods. Cannabis seeds use light to create flowers because these seeds are based on the amount of light that the plants receive.
With autoflowering seeds, it’s a different story. These plants will complete their life cycle without the need to place these under alternating 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness. Autoflowering plants will even be able to handle light pollution and therefore is a good option for growers who live in places with short summers.
The Ideal Light for Faster Better yields for Auto Plants
Is there a kind of growing light for cultivating autoflowering seeds? It is recommended that you use a strong lighting option like HPS or LED lamps. These produce intense and even lighting that will be able to improve growth and yields.
HPS is high-intensity lighting that is very bright and very hot. This is very effective in supporting faster and healthier plant growth but can leave a hole in your pocket. On the other hand, LED lighting will provide intense light without high electricity bills. LED bulbs also last longer or will burn longer compared to other lamps, therefore, it will take a long time before you need to replace this.
Cultivating Fast-growing auto Cannabis Plants
Autoflowering seeds are perfect for novice users. The common factors that affect regular growth of sativa and indica plants are avoided when you grow autoflowering feminized seeds. With autos, there is no need to provide good lighting so that your plants will flower plus there is no need to grow more plants and remove male plants.
When it comes to the ideal growing environment, autoflowering Cannabis Seeds require an environment between 75 and 86 degrees. Marijuana plants can grow in warmer or colder temperatures, however, as the climate becomes warmer, it is more likely the plant will grow faster and reach its full growth size. Why do cannabis plants grow well in warmer climates? Because warm air contains more water vapor which is perfect for your plants. Reducing humidity will help you control mold growth as well. If you grow cannabis plants in a growing room or cabinet you can check on your plants regularly and monitor these constantly as well. You must also consider reducing the temperature ten degrees at “night” or when your plants are at the dark period. Never reduce more than ten degrees because this can harm your plant and result in smaller plants and very little yields.
Simple and Easy Growing
Aside from these factors, autoflowering Cannabis Seeds are really simple to grow. You just have to ensure that your plants get a lot of light, water and maintain the ideal growing temperature. As your plants reach the end of the growth cycle, you need to prepare it the same way that you prepare regular plants.
Feeding your autoflowering plants fertilizer mixes is sometimes not recommended. These plants are already in such stress to flower at a particular time and any mistake in feeding could be drastic to your plants.
As much as possible test your soil first or test pH of the soil that you intend to use to grow your plants. Feed your plants the correct nutrients according to the stage of development of your plants. During the growing stage, your plants require more nitrogen to develop healthier and more leaves, stems and thicker roots. But during the flowering stage, fertilizer should have higher potassium and phosphorous to boost yields and have lower nitrogen content. Your plants will now grow flowers so these won’t need nitrogen anymore.
Just like regular plants, it is recommended that you use commercially-prepared nutrients or fertilizer to prevent very costly mistakes. You may also want to use nutrients ideal for autoflowering plants only so be sure to specify this when shopping for the right nutrient mix.
How to Purchase Autoflowering Cannabis Seeds
You need to make sure that the autoflowering seeds that you buy from a local or online seed bank are really what they are. So to be sure and to avoid any worries, buy only from reputable seed banks. This way, you will be confident that you are buying healthy viable seeds that will grow into healthy, high-yielding autoflowering plants.
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