Here, we will cover the pre-flower stage; What not to do!
When your seedlings are 8-12 inches tall and about 4-6 weeks old.
So, let’s get started!
Then, in about 4-8 weeks of flowering, you will be ready to harvest flowers with a yield that you have never seen before.
Understanding marijuana-cannabis pre-flowering stage, cannabis 4 weeks of flowering and more
You can maximize marijuana yields by focusing on the right factors each week of the flowering stage. If you know what your cannabis should look like week-by-week, you’ll also be able to quickly tell if something is going wrong!
Knowing exactly when the cannabis flowering stage begins can be a very exciting time. Here is what to to do once it’s arrived!
Marijuana Female, Pre-Flowering
When growing female marijuana plants, you will notice that they begin to develop their pre-flowers near the end of their vegetative growth, which around 4-6 weeks.
Knowing where your cannabis plants are in their life cycle will dictate when to prune, train, and trellis your plants, as well as, when to plan for their harvest.
If you are looking for information on the pre-flowering phase of auto flower seeds and how those plants behave in the early flowering stage for growing medical marijuana outdoors, just know, watching your cannabis plants flower is both exciting and daunting. Many things can go wrong and through each grow you will learn more and more from the experience. It is wise to keep good records so you can make the necessary adjustments to produce an abundant crop.
It will be best for your results when you know how to identify the different stages of a cannabis plant’s growth and development and understand the timing of when things are to appear.
When does cannabis flower outdoors?
Without a doubt, flowering is the most important stages in cannabis cultivation. To understand the length of daytime hours and night time hours, or photoperiodic timing, of cannabis plants is much easier when they grow outdoors, because the timing is natural.
If you are confused about what to do during the pre and full-flowering period, read on.
Pre-flowering starts in the 4th week of vegetative phase
This is the stage when plants are not yet mature enough to bear flowers, but the little balls have already begun to grow-
Here Is the Pre-Flowering Stage Week-by-Week:
The Pre-flowering Stage: Week 1
- After your cannabis plant has received its first days of a 12/12 light cycle either indoor or outdoor, it will enter this stage. Have in mind, autoflower cannabis doesn’t depend on a light cycle to start flowering and will flower in an 18/6 light cycle. This is when you would add pre-flower nutrients.
The Pre-flowering Stage: Week 2
After 1 or 2 weeks, the plant should look like the above image and when this happens, it means that your plant has completely transitioned to the beginning of the flowering stage.
What About Autoflowers?
Autoflowers are faster and take only about 1 week , yet the process is the same and you will see the same signs as your plant develops.
The Flowering Stage
Around 2 weeks into the pre-flowering stage, your plant is ready to enter the next phase, which is the flowering stage. It doesn’t matter if you are flowering outdoors or indoors. In the flowering stage, you’ll see your plant start to develop the buds, which in the beginning look like creamy white hairs emerging from a green pod.
The Flowering Stage: Week 1
When your plant officially enters the flowering stage, the buds will start to take form and the small creamy colored hairs will multiply. With bigger buds comes an increased trichome production, this means that if it wasn’t smelling before, your grow tent will start smelling quite strong and delicious. This is when you would add flower nutrients.
The Flowering Stage: Week 2
The second week into the flowering stage is when the white hairs start getting long, by now the hairs should be all over the place, meaning that you will see a lot of them growing in every direction and in every bud site.
The Flowering Stage: Week 3
When your cannabis plants reach the middle of the flowering stage, in this case in week 3-4 of flowering, you will see a huge difference in the buds after every couple of days; This happens because the foundation of the flowers is established so now it’s just a matter of fattening up those beautiful buds. This is where you can begin to large bloom nutrients, that will fatten up your buds, even more.
The Flowering Stage: Week 4
By week 4-5 of flowering, if you’ve done everything properly the buds should be looking and smelling great, and if you’re keeping a good clean environment, they will remain healthy. Just keep an eye out for bugs and signs of deficiencies. Enjoy these moments of growth, as you feed and care for your plants in anticipation for a plentiful reward.
The Flowering Stage: Week 5
Week 5-6 of flowering marks the last week of the flowering stage, typically for most strains. If the genetics you’re growing take a bit longer you need to understand what that is.
The marijuana flowering stage is the final before harvesting. This is when you will notice trichomes oozing with cannabinol oils, and a smell that indicates the harvest is soon. Be sure to watch daily for infestation or white powdery mildew, reduce feeding and begin to flush with plain water.
Some Identifying features:
Small pear-shaped nodes appear on the stem if plant is female
There are small, round flowers on the stems that appear at the base of the leaf stem. This is where the flower -creamy hairs appear in the female plant. It starts out with 2 pear-shaped nodes.
If the plant is a male it will produce a cluster of pods with no hairs and soon will produce tiny yellow bananas like formations, popping out of the cluster of pods. The male plant is now in pollination stage and the pollen most likely has spread and pollinated the whole crop.
Eventually, the whole female plant will be covered in trichomes if it has been fertilized properly. If it does not become pollinated, then chances are high, that you will not get seeds. So, watch carefully for clusters at this time, in the pre flowering stage.
Male marijuana plants don’t have nodes with flower like hairs on the buds. Again, be vigilant at this time to watch things closely, as seeds can get mixed up, or could have been stressed. Just know, it is best to cull that male plant ASAP or your crop will be ruined.
When you see signs that the plants are in the pre-flowering phase:
When you see the flowering signs, it is time to count your blessings that you got this far with them. If there are no male plants present you should be good to go, unless your plants suffer with trauma, as this can produce seeds.
Once plants reach a particular level of maturity or size, they show signs that they are ready to enter the flowering stage.
This can be recognized by checking for the following:
- Increased resin production
- The plumping of flowering structures
- Change in color of bottom leaves from green to yellow or brown depending on seed type
Once the plant is ready for flowering, it’s best to prepare by using these steps:
- Remove the lower branches to allow more light, air circulation and space.
- Prune away any leaves that are touching other plants
- Prune away any leaves that are decaying
- Be careful not to prune too early or too heavily or the plant could get traumatized and stop growing and start producing seeds.
For breeding purposes, male plants may be removed.
As mentioned, male plants may be removed and placed in a separate location for breeding purposes. Female plants produce the cannabinoids. Male marijuana plants do not produce any of the desired cannabinoids, however, do create viable seeds. Male plants may be removed from the grow space to allow more female plants to thrive, which in turn will produce a higher yield. Be sure to move them off the property and very away from your females. Also, if you work around male pollinating plants, be sure to change your clothing before entering the space containing female plants, as pollen could be carried into the space and pollinate your female crop.
For medical marijuana, it is best to remove males if the tell tale signs start appearing.
The pre-flowering stage of cannabis is an important time in the life of healthy, potent plants. If you do get a male plant, that might make you happy because you will get hundreds of seeds, if that is what you want. It’s important to know how to recognize males to be able remove them far, far away to grow. Males will release pollen that some say can travel a mile to find a female.
Many professionals believe that the weed seeds that come from a feminized plant won’t be as potent, and that is debatable. Some experts say, if you’re growing for medical marijuana use, you will want to create an opportunity to grow potent seeds, in a more controlled way.
What about growing from marijuana plant clones?
There is a debate around the potency of clones. Clones are easier to estimate growth time before they bud because the genetics are already known, but one downside is that clones do not contain as much THC or CBD, some believe. However, if you are petrified to grow from seed, then growing from clones is the next best option. Or you can try to buy seedlings, just know you could pay a lot more for these options, because the grower invested time and money cultivating the seedling.
Another pre -flowering sign: Expect to see a surge in growth of the plants
This is when you want to put support systems in place like a trellis or a sturdy wire cage. In some locations, early summer can experience some significant winds and rainfall. Young plants are not strong enough to take a beating and could break, if not properly supported.
What is the cannabis flowering stage?
The cannabis flowering stage is an exciting time when you see your plants start the process of producing buds, the tiny hairs, as they develop into full, aromatic flowers. It’s during this stage that growers are able to determine when the best time should be to harvest their plants and possibly begin preparing for a second grow for that year. If growing autoflower seeds, outdoors and if the seasons allow for 2 grows, then go for it, if you are within legal limits of your state.
What are the first and last key steps to success in cannabis pre-flowering stage?
The first step is for growers to prepare their plants with a watering system and nutrient delivery system that provides all the necessary elements for healthy growth. The last step in this phase is to provide the plant with a light cycle that makes it grow the best.
There are many nutrient delivery systems on the market. It can be difficult to select a nutrient system that you feel comfortable with, that is affordable and that you can properly attend to for the life of the plant.
Many growers believe feeding marijuana plants with a regimented system of balanced nutrients designed for the right lifecycle because it helps plants grow strong, healthy, and voluptuous with higher yields. Once you have decided on the strain you want to grow, follow feeding instructions at each given stage.
Cannabis Flowering Stage
The cannabis flowering stage is the time between seed planting and when the plant fully matures. This period will last from 4-9 weeks, depending on the strain of marijuana, location, growing conditions, level of care and desired level of ripeness you like.
Though this stage can be long, this is when your plant will produce THC and CBDs, which are beneficial substances in cannabis plants.
What is a key step for success in cannabis pre-flowering stage?
A key step is to ensure the plant receives a lot of light.
The flowering stage is the final phase, before ripening of cannabis plant growth. The plant will stop producing new leaves and flower bud formations, to fully focus on plumping THC-rich trichomes.
As the marijuana plant ages, some say it will need less water because the leaves are no longer producing. The flowering stage typically lasts 4-9 weeks, but it can also last up to 12 weeks.
Related Marijuana Pre-Flowering Categories
Tips to consider when growing cannabis
The cannabis plant is a flowering powerhouse of colors, scents, and flavors. It has been used for centuries to provide relief from pain, muscle cramps and more recently, as a recreational substance. It is a plant that, in its natural state, is best to grow in the ground, according to some. But if you want to reap all the benefits, without any of the risks associated with outdoor cultivation, it is possible to successfully grow cannabis in an indoor environment.
We will cover the pre-flowering stage, benefits, and key steps to success for growing marijuana indoors in another post.
The cannabis plant is a weed and it does not require much maintenance as long as the grower waters it on a regular basis. It grows best in soil and can also be grown in soil indoors, as well.
Basic growing requirements for flowering Cannabis plants
- High quality soil or medium
- Plenty of filtered water
- Quality nutrients for each stage of development
- Adequate room in the grow space
- Appropriate lighting for both indoor and outdoor
- A clean grow space with a well-ventilated area for the plant to flower in
- Love, adequate attention, and patience
What is a key step for success?
To have a successful harvest, a grower must make sure he/she provides a suitable growing environment, plant essentials and nutrients.
For cannabis plants to produce THC, CBD and other cannabinoids in high quantities, they need high quality nutrients.
The flowering period will be marked by changes in growth patterns, as well as increased resin production in plants. In addition, there may also be a change of color from green to reddish brown or purple on certain parts of the plant.
In Conclusion:
Growing marijuana for health or recreational use can be a fun and rewarding experience, it also can be quite challenging for those that do not have a green thumb. Just know that anyone can learn how to grow, and we can find help for you. So, when you are ready, just click to connect and let us know which seeds you want, and we can let you know the best possible conditions to increase your harvest. We look forward to hearing about your amazing experience… PS- your experience could win you some free weed or free seeds… join the free newsletter to learn how.
