Understanding the cannabis flowering stages can be tricky, but with practice it becomes more (dare I say it) natural.
Take the time to learn the fundamentals and practice; once you know what you are doing, it gets easier over time.
I can’t say this enough:
The marijuana flowering stage is essential to the life cycle of a marijuana plant.
- What are the first signs of the flowering stage?
- When to flower cannabis: How to trigger the flowering stage
- What do buds look like when they start to form?
- Nutrients during the start of the marijuana flowering stage
- Maintaining healthy plants while flowering cannabis
- Training during the first signs of the flowering stage indoors
- The second month of the cannabis flowering stage
- Identifying the sex of your plants
- Female first signs of flowering stage
- Conditions in your grow room
- Pruning your plants during flowering
- Watch those pH levels while flowering weed
- Preventing nutrient burn
- The last 2 weeks of flowering: what to expect
- Preparing your plants for harvest
- Know when to harvest
This guide will teach you about marijuana flowering and explain the stage so that you can be a better grower.
It will also detail every exciting milestone and provide tips on how to optimize this time to produce potent buds and high yields.
Keep reading or jump ahead to your favorite section.
After an entire season of caring for your plants, it is reasonable to think you can relax during the marijuana flowering stage.
This, however, is one of the worst things you could do, as flowering cannabis needs just as much attention – perhaps even more than the earlier stages.
During the vegetative stage, a cannabis plant grows just like its common name – a weed! It was only concerned with growing new stems and leaves and did so rapidly.
The vegetative stage is straightforward, and possibly one of the easiest times for a grower.
During that time a marijuana plant can recover from just about anything.
If you happen to run into problems (such as an infestation or injury), you can nurse your plant back to health with a little TLC.
But the cannabis flowering stage is not as easy.
Not only do cannabis plants grow differently, but they are also a lot more sensitive.
Here is when all your training is going to be put to the test because there is very little room for error.
You’ve already invested so much time and effort into your plants, don’t ruin the harvest this late in the game.
What are the first signs of the flowering stage?
Despite the name, the cannabis flowering stage doesn’t start with the formation of flowers.
Flowering occurs a few weeks into the flowering stage. In fact, it doesn’t even correlate to when you induce flowering.
In fact….
Instead, the cannabis flowering stage begins when the plant notices a change in light. This is how it knows winter is coming.
Many people mistakenly think that this change means a decrease in light.
Actually, the change is measured by an increase in the amount of continuous darkness.
Soon after the strain’s threshold of darkness is met, the plant will grow rapidly, gaining height and stretching.
Some weed plants may even double in height during the first two weeks of the flowering stage.
The stages of flowering week by week
In the first 1-3 weeks a plant will produce new stems and leaves, but at the end of the month that growth shifts to bud formation.
‘In most strains, the first signs of female flowers appear one to three weeks after introducing flowering with the 12-hour photo period.’
Jorge Cervantes
The beginning of the flowering stage is dedicated to growing all the necessary parts for a bountiful harvest; any problems during these crucial weeks will impact a plant’s yield.
If plants are grown outdoors when your weed plants flower depends on the time of the year and your location.
Some strains may start the flowering stage earlier, while others may have an extra-long threshold for darkness, causing them to stay in a vegetative state longer.
If you are growing indoors, changing your grow lights will trigger the change.
At the start of the flowering stage, the internodes (those spaces between the leaves) decrease, and the plant’s growth slows down.
It will continue to grow upwards. It may seem like your weed plant stopped growing, but there is a lot of growth occurring in those first few weeks.
Pay careful attention and give your cannabis plants the right amount of nutrients at this time.
Looking for marijuana seed deals? Subscribe to our seed deals to gain access to weekly deals on marijuana seeds!
When to flower cannabis: How to trigger the flowering stage
If you are growing outdoors, the flowering stage will begin naturally. However, sometimes you might want to induce flowering.
Why would you do this?
The only reason you would induce cannabis flowering is if you want your plants to finish growing sooner so that you can harvest a lot earlier.
In this case, you will merely simulate darkness for 12 hours a day so that your cannabis plants know it is time.
A blackout sheet over your plants or greenhouse can be used outdoors to simulate darkness, which will induce flowering.
Indoor marijuana growing systems
Growing indoors is different.
In an indoor cannabis grow setup, the cannabis flowering stage will not begin naturally. You provide sunlight via artificial lights and change the lighting schedule to kickstart cannabis flowering.
A cycle of 12 hours of darkness and 12 hours of light will tell the plant that it is time to flower.
But there’s a catch.
You’ll need to ensure your plants receive absolutely no light for 12 uninterrupted hours.
If that darkness is interrupted for even a few seconds, weed flowering will be delayed or cause your plants to become hermaphrodites.
You may also need more or less than 12 hours of darkness, depending on the strain. Some strains need as much as 14 hours of darkness!
Autoflowering cannabis strains
Autoflowering strains are the exception to this process.
They don’t need continuous darkness to start their flowering stages. Instead, they begin flowering after a predesignated amount of time.
Buy autoflowering marijuana seeds
- Easy to grow
- Amazing experience
- Grow guide available
- Guaranteed results
That’s not all …
These strains grow faster as well.
The vegetative stage of these types of strains typically lasts for 3-4 weeks, meaning their flowering stage should begin after around one month of growth.
What do buds look like when they start to form?
Not sure if your weed plant is flowering?
If it has, you’ll start to notice some interesting changes in your plants. It may take a couple of weeks, but your plant will stop growing and start flowering.
During its flowering stages, you’ll see that it is no longer producing leaves, but instead small white pistils that will begin to grow rapidly along the surface of the plant.
You’ll also start to notice flowers growing on the buds.
Here’s the deal:
Now is the time to pay special attention to these flowers.
This is when your plants start to clearly reveal their sex.
During this time, males create a pollen sack, while females begin to develop pistils.
The male plants may also continue to grow taller while the females do not. This is so they can drop their pollen onto the female pistils.
The first signs of the flowering stage outdoors
Let’s talk about sex.
During this time, both male and female plants will produce flowers.
Male flowers are smaller with a yellow, red, purple, or pale green color while female flowers will have two hairy, white stigmas.
If you want your cannabis plants to produce potent, THC-rich marijuana, pay attention during this stage of the cannabis flowering.
This is when you should look for those male plants and remove them from your garden. If they fertilize your females, it will be too late.
But that’s not the only thing to look out for.
In addition to the emergence of flowers, you’ll also notice that the internodes have extended.
You may also see some leaves covered in a thin, transparent resin. It will look like your plants are stretching and covered with dew.
This resin is a teaser of what’s to come but isn’t worth sampling yet, so don’t get too excited just yet.
I can’t say this enough:
Be patient!
By the end of the first month of the cannabis flowering stage, a transition stage where your plants enter flowering, you may notice small clusters forming from the female flowers.
These clusters are called buds.
They are the same buds that you will eventually harvest (yay!), but they are not quite ready.
You’ll need to do a bit more work before it is harvest time.
Nutrients during the start of the marijuana flowering stage
You’ve entered the flowering stage, so pay attention.
Your plants will need a different set of nutrients than before now that they’re going through the different stages of marijuana flowering.
Phosphor and potassium are now the priority, and your plants will need enough of it to keep up with all the rapid changes that occur during marijuana flowering.
Unfortunately, many growers mistakenly increase these nutrients too rapidly while decreasing the nitrogen too soon.
Phosphor and potassium are important, but so is nitrogen. If your plant does not get enough nitrogen, it could develop a deficiency.
Buy nutrients for your marijuana plants
- The best way to treat a lady
- Fertilizer. Plant protector and Grow kits
- All the nutrients you need from seedling to harvest
- Suitable for all growing mediums
Keep in mind,
The cannabis flowering stage is hard on marijuana plants.
Your plants are going to be very sensitive to both their nutrients and the environment, so keep an eye on them.
Pests and diseases could be fatal at this point, and there’s still at least a month to go.
Maintaining healthy plants while flowering cannabis
Here’s the deal,
Your plants should be full, lush, and green when trying to form buds; otherwise, the quality of your harvest will suffer.
Any discoloration (such as yellowing leaves from a nitrogen deficiency) or other signs of stress should be nursed back to health before beginning or inducing cannabis flowering.
If you use nutrients, use a flowering formula during the first month of flowering.
Do not change your nutrient solution until there are obvious signs of flowering. You should see many stamens and pistils.
Use the correct nutrients
Flowering formulas are designed to meet the high demands of the flowering period, but a vegetative formula will make sure that your plants have the nutrients that they need to flower successfully.
Ensure the best nutrients for the flowering stage, check out my Bergman’s Plant Food fertilizer set for an all-in-one solution. Including a feeding schedule from seedling to flowering!
So use the vegetative formula until you know you are flowering for certain. Then once you reach the flowering period only use them for the first month, if possible.
Do not overfeed your plants
Nutrients should not be used in the final weeks of flowering.
If you notice a few leaves falling off, do not be alarmed. This is normal, but only in areas where the plant is shaded (such as lower leaves).
These leaves do not matter as your plant is now diverting its energy to the top of the plant and the formation of buds.
Learn to recognize common marijuana deseases. Also read “Diseases on marijuana plants“
However, if you notice discolored leaves or a rapid loss of leaves, you may be giving your plants too much fertilizer, or it may have a disease that needs immediate attention.
Training during the first signs of the flowering stage indoors
If you’re growing indoors and plan to train your cannabis plants, the first month of the flowering stage is the time to do it.
Why would you do this?
Training helps maximize the space in a grow room, and it can also increase your final yield.
During the beginning of the flowering stage, the stems are flexible and can be bent without breaking. However, as the stage continues, they will become woody and unable to be trained.
This technique of gently bending stems is called low-stress training. During this process, stems are bent and trained to grow outward instead of just up.
When practiced, it provides a flat even canopy for cannabis plants so that more of the plant is exposed to its light source.
Buy indoor marijuana seeds
- Easy to grow
- Amazing experience
- Grow guide available
- Feminized seeds for guaranteed bud
People who successfully grow know how to train their cannabis plants.
Low-stress training can increase your yields by as much as 40%. Just remember to only train during the first month of the cannabis flowering stage, while the plants are stretching.
The second month of the cannabis flowering stage
As the flowering cycle continues, you’ll begin to see more leaves, branches, and buds. Everything will grow wider and thicker.
Your plant may even start to look like a Christmas tree with the bottom leaves growing out further than the top.
This is a good sign of a healthy mature plant.
What’s actually going on?
The second month is when cannabis begins to look ready for harvesting. The number of calyces on the plants continues to rise.
That transparent resin from the first month darkens and develops a strong odor. The buds expand and extend. My free little Harvest Guide PDF gives a perfect idea of when to cut your plants.
Support your favorite lady
All this growth can lead to problems; if you are not prepared. Your plant will be bearing a lot of weight and may need support to stay upright. Those colas are heavy!
What can you do?
One way to help it is with a trellis system made of string or wood. You could even use a metal spring system that adjusts the weight of the plant as it matures.
That’s not all to look for.
You may also notice some of the bottom leaves turning yellow. This is because the plant is putting its energy into the leaves and buds that are getting the most direct light.
Most of your plant should still be green, however.
Tip: make sure to download my free Grow Bible for more information
What else can you do?
Keep an eye on the airflow. Make sure your plants receive plenty of circulation during this time. This is particularly important when growing indoors where there’s poor air circulation.
Marijuana plants grow wide during this period, and they have likely grown closer together. A lack of airflow can easily lead to mold, bacteria, and fungal infections.
Identifying the sex of your plants
You may have already identified and removed the male marijuana plants before the cannabis flowering stage began, but that doesn’t mean you are necessarily out of the water.
Watch out for sneaky hermes!
It’s not uncommon for a hermaphrodite to develop during the flowering stage. These plants have male sex organs that will pollinate your precious female plants. That’s why it is important to check your flowering marijuana again just to be certain that none of them have hermied.
Female first signs of flowering stage
As mentioned before, the female first signs of flowering include the formation of buds and stigmas. If by the second month of flowering, there are any males left in your garden, it’s almost too late.
At this point, the female plants will be producing sticky, THC-laden buds, that, if fertilized, the THC loses potency.
If you spot a male flower characterized either by their clearly male pollen sacs or their yellow banana-like shape, remove the entire bud site to ensure no pollen escapes. Just one could fertilize your entire crop.
Why does this matter?
Unfertilized buds (“sinsemilla”) are highly valued by many marijuana users. These buds are more potent because a fertilized female stops focusing its resources on growing its buds and will grow seeds instead.
An unfertilized female plant, on the other hand, will produce more THC than any other variety of plant.
This is simply because it focuses more of its attention on vegetative growth rather than reproduction.
Males also produce THC, but at a much smaller volume than females.
Therefore, if you want to grow the most potent buds, pay attention to the sex of your plants and keep your females unfertilized.
Conditions in your grow room
Indoor growers have unique challenges once the weed flowering stage is under way. Now that your marijuana plants have grown larger (and extremely close to each other), they need a different environment to say healthy.
You’ll want to adjust the air temperature, and humidity in your grow room to prevent disease and encourage vegetative growth.
When there is light, keep temperatures between 68ºF and 77ºF (20ºC and 25ºC) near the foliage and 68ºF (18ºC) at the roots. Read our cannabis temperature tutorial in case you have any questions or need more information on this topic.
Remember, higher temperatures require accordingly higher levels of carbon dioxide. In darkness, you can let the temperature drop down to about 68ºF (18 degrees Celsius).
At the beginning of the flowering stage, lower the humidity to around 40-50%. You can drop it to 30% or more in the second month to force the buds to produce more resin.
This is lower than what was needed during the vegetative stage, and it is essential to the success of your cannabis plants when growing indoors.
The humidity must remain below 50% during the flowering stage, so use a dehumidifier if necessary.
Know how to perfectly time your harvest so you can maximize your yield. Download our free mini harvesting guide.
Signs of a problem while flowering marijuana
Remember those yellow leaves I mentioned earlier? A few are okay, but too many in your indoor setup might indicate a serious problem.
Excessive leaf yellowing could be a sign of a nutrient problem or light burn – and both are easy to do during the cannabis flowering stage.
Another sign of light burn is foxtailing. This is when a new bud (called a spire) emerges out of the side of an old bud. If you see this, it’s not normal, and it’s not good.
It means the heat or light in your grow room is wrong. Improper conditions like this can discolor your buds and possibly evaporate your THC.
Pruning your plants during flowering
Prune your plants during the second month of its marijuana flowering stage. You should have finished any low-stress training, and your plants would have stabilized their growth patterns.
Some growers still try super cropping at this point, but it is not recommended because many plants will not have enough time to recover from the stress.
The best growers know how to prune their plants.
It’s not necessary, but some growers prefer to do it to optimize their cannabis plant’s vegetative growth.
This is because it saves the plant energy and helps ensure that the majority of light and nutrients go to the most promising buds.
Pruning can be challenging if you don’t know what you’re doing. Check out our full guide on how to prune marijuana plants!
How do you prune?
- Remove leaves that will not thrive
- It’s okay to prune any of the buds that are in the shadows
- Do not prune leaves that are in the shadows but are still thriving
You shouldn’t prune too many leaves because your plant isn’t going to grow many of those leaves back. Plus, you need them to absorb light and keep flowers developing.
Trimming Your Leaves & Defoliation
Cannabis defoliation is the removal of excess leaves from your plants.
As leaves turn yellow, you can remove them. They’re yellow because they are not thriving and energy is being devoted to the flowering parts of the plant.
Just make sure you don’t remove any green leaves— those are still producing valuable energy!
Some growers practice defoliation by removing some of the leaves off a plant to expose buds to more sun. However, this is a risky thing to do.
The leaves are what help the plant mature, and even if a leaf is blocking your flowers from direct light, chances are, they’re still doing their job.
A healthy leaf protects the health of an entire plant, so unless the leaf is dying or dead, leave it alone and let it do its job.
Watch those pH levels while flowering weed
Flowering cannabis plants are sensitive, and one issue that can be easily overlooked is pH. Many marijuana plants suffer from incorrect pH levels, specifically in the root area, and it can be fatal.
Monitoring the pH level is essential regardless of your growing medium or setup. Signs of a pH problem include wrinkled or curled leaves or what may be mistaken as a nutrient deficiency.
Whenever there is a problem, always start by checking the pH levels near the roots to see if that is what’s causing the issue.
In soil, the pH level should be between 6.0 and 7.0. In hydroponic systems, it should be between 5.5 and 6.5.
PH testing is useful at every stage of growing, and should not be overlooked during the flowering stage. The good news is that testing pH levels is quite easy and inexpensive.
Regardless of where your plants are in their growing progress, you should buy yourself a pH testing kit.
Preventing nutrient burn
PH isn’t the only thing to be concerned about.
Nutrient burn can also have an impact on flowering marijuana as your plants are very sensitive to any errors at this point.
Regardless of the type nutrients you use, whether it be organic compost or store-bought chemicals, you have to be careful not to overdo it.
Too many nutrients can burn your plants and cause an unpleasant taste. Plus, during the last few weeks of flowering, there isn’t enough time to repair the damage.
Nutrient burn will cause the tips of your plants to look burnt. Some signs of it, especially in the beginning parts of the flowering stage are okay, but if the burn begins to show in the “fingers” of the leaves, you’ve gone too far.
What should you do?
The best way to reduce this risk is to limit nutrient use to only when there is a clear nutrient deficiency.
Then, introduce nutrients gradually. You’ll also want to check the pH first, to make sure that the issue isn’t actually related to pH instead of nutrients.
The last 2 weeks of flowering: what to expect
Wondering if you are done yet?
The flowering process generally takes about 1 to 2 months, but you may find that some strains go an additional two weeks.
Because there is no set number of weeks in cannabis flowering, you must be prepared to recognize the signs.
Tip: make sure to download my free Grow Bible for more information
Maturity is the most sought-after stage in the cannabis life cycle. When you’ve reached this point, you’re just days away from being able to harvest.
So, are you done?
You will know that the plant is ready to be harvested because the calyces and pistils will swell up and start to turn red.
The resin continues to accumulate, getting stickier and heavier with every passing day. The flowers draw together and close up any remaining space.
The final weeks will bring about a considerable increase in THC production on or around the buds.
This is actually a great thing for your plants (and you, of course) because THC is a mild, natural pest deterrent to keep any bugs away from the flowering plant.
This is one reason why THC has such a powerful odor.
Here’s a tip: If you aren’t already using carbon filters, now is the time to do so. You won’t be able to mask that smell.
Preparing your plants for harvest
A vital thing to remember — for your own health, as well as the quality of your buds — is to flush out your growing medium between 1-2 weeks before you harvest.
Plants need this process to irrigate and rinse minerals and nutrients out so that it is safe and enjoyable for use.
You want to completely remove the nutrients you have been feeding your plants — whether chemical or organic — so that none of it remains in the consumable product at the end.
Generally, this should happen about two weeks before the flowering stage ends (in the second month of flowering), but it could vary by the medium used.
Rock wool, soil, and coconut fiber require two weeks, but if you’re using clay pellets, even a week of water rinsing will clean out the substrate.
Here’s how to flush your plants:
- Use neutralized water (water with a balanced pH level)
- Test the water before giving it to your plants
- Water your plants with this water
This water can also help in the case of a pH imbalance in the soil, or if you have a nutrient toxicity issue.
When you harvest will have a huge effect on the end product.
While the actual timeframe depends upon the strain, desired results, and your own personal preferences, most strains are ready to be harvested after a two to four-month growing cycle.
Know when to harvest
For a more energetic high, harvest on the earlier side. For a relaxed high with that classic couchlock feeling, harvest a bit later.
Just don’t harvest too late or too early, or you may end up with too subtle of an effect or a type of high that is undesirable.
A quick guide to harvesting
Generally speaking, when at least half of the pistils on the plant are red, you are ready to harvest.
Here are some more signs:
- Resin that is thick, and easily visible to the naked eye
- A plant that is very heavy with buds, with some of the leaves turning yellow.
- Trichomes that are mostly white and milky, as can be seen with a microscope or magnifying glass.
Patience is key to timing the harvest right.
Sometimes harvesting needs to happen a little earlier than planned, especially if your plant is unhealthy.
If your buds look burnt or discolored, or you’re leaves are showing signs of disease, and it is getting worse, it may be better to harvest a little early.
A bountiful harvest starts with choosing high-quality seeds. Grab yours now from our wide seed selection.
Buy high-yield marijuana seeds
- Easy to grow
- High yield guaranteed
- Beginner-friendly
- Well rounded experience
If you do need to harvest your plants early and it impacts the quality, sometimes curing can fix it.
Go here to learn more about curing marijuana
As you can see, the flowering stage is an exciting period in the marijuana life cycle that leads to everyone’s favorite time – harvest.
By paying careful attention to your plants and getting plenty of practice, you can learn to grow the most potent, highest-yielding marijuana around.
Happy growing!
Frequently Asked Questions about cannabis flowering stages
Why do indoor plants need total darkness to prevent flowering?
Marijuana is sensitive to certain light spectrums. Indoor lighting includes spectrums that could stimulate flowering, while spectrums produced by the moon do not. For more on light spectrums read this article about the best light schedule for growing weed.
How do you know when to start flowering?
How long your plants remain in the vegetative stage is up to you. However, you should keep in mind that they will grow even larger during the flowering stage, so make sure you have space. For more on the vegetative stage, read this article.
How long can you use nutrients?
Nutrients can be used throughout the grow cycle, which ends about two weeks before they are ready to harvest. About two weeks prior to harvest, you should stop adding nutrients and possibly flush your plants. Learn more about nutrients in this article.
How long is the flowering stage outdoors?
When it comes to the standard photoperiod strain of cannabis, the duration of its flowering stage can vary due to environmental factors, training methods and genetics. Usually, the average duration of the flowering stage outdoors is around 8 to 11 weeks.
How long is the flowering stage indoors?
Generally, when it comes to indoor growing, the duration of the flowering stage is shorter compared to when you’re growing outdoors. The average is around 7-9 weeks, with the exception being some sativa strains.
I’m a first time grower, I’ve got an autoflower that I topped, she’s got buds growing, about 6 weeks old, when should I switch to just flower on light? Now? A week more maybe?
Hi Melissa,
Thanks for your comment. If your light has a veg and bloom function, you can put both one as soon as the plant starts flowering! Your plants will appreciate the extra spectrum of light of the bloom function, but will also still be able to benefit from the veg function!
I hope this helps!
Kind regards,
ILGM
What would cause small spotting on leaves?
Very good read. Thanks for all that generous information
The only way to go..
some bullshit in this post. in nature moon is giving light bouncing it from sun and there is no complete darkness there. so few seconds of light in the indoor won’t make a difference
i need help with my plant it is looking maybe like nutrient burn pls help
Hey John,
Check out this article, I hope this helps!
https://www.ilovegrowingmarijuana.com/nutrient-burn-in-marijuana-plants/
I’m listening and learning. Thank you.
HI everyone :
This is my first indoor grow and will share my mistakes and corrections. I good feminized seeds online was right move. I bought coco coir for my soil and put into 5 gal. buckets was first mistake was impossible to keep PH correct lost 2 seedlings before i bought Fox Farm Happy Frog soil and added some coco coir to the soil mix and put into 5 gal. bucket. Transplanted the one surviving seedling into the new soil and it started growing healthy leave buy the end of third week it had its true leaves out “7 finger” i germinated another seed different strain and it has grown well along with the other plant. I could have topped off the plants bud decided will let grow normal height being my first grow. I bought a good grow tent and 5000 W LED light I started flower lighting 12 on 12 off at the end of week 5 and changed to fox farm tiger grow and big grow nutrients at the beginning of week six my shade leaves started to bend inwards claw feet i should have flushed the soil before changing nutrients once i gave a good soil flush the leaves went back to normal. The Happy Feet soil is already nutrient rich and PH balanced when i increased the flowering nutrients it made the soil nitrogen rich. small mistake but is how we learn lol. I am now on week 8 and every branch has a nice bud started on them i have time set for 7am to 7pm night when i turn on at 7 i open up front of grow tent to allow better air exchange and use my halogen work lights for increased light spectrum both plants seem to like it the lower branches get more light so should get better yield . I hope this helps anyone new to growing . enjoy your high William S.
I’ve cut back my lights to twelve on twelve off 10 days ago some shade leaves have a slight curl need more information on ph testers how to use and where to get one
Love you guys never been a better site than this ordered seed and they came quickly and undamaged I’ve been growing forever and I wish you’d have been around in the 60’s when first started youngsters should read all your book it will help them not make mistakes I made when I was younger thanks so much for all your doing to educate the young ones and also myself
What temperature should the soil be for indoor plants? Just curious if the soil needs to be 68 to 75 degrees F or the soil. Thank you!
in a newcomer so its been enjoyable reading all u stories, thankyou
Thanks for information
My plants have buds all over now but I noticed some bugs can i spray with sospy water? Do I leave it on or wash off right
How long is the flowering stage on male plants and what are the signs to look out for to harvest
Thanks so much. This has been a fantastic first time grow experience. Everything I did in my grow I learned from this site.
This is my 2nd year of growIng plants. I started in April instead of August this time.
I grew super shrunk last time and purple haze this time. The plant are 4 feet tall and looking very good. The wife wants me to cut them down but I have a few more weeks to go..
I’ll have enough for a couple years as I’m the only one that uses it.
What should I do in flowering stage, growing outside and there is a lot if rain?
Can I put outdoor plants in grow light at knight?
You can if you don’t get 18 hrs of sun per day in veg if they’ve started to flower they only need 12 hrs of light
I’ve grown pot for years, but not really knowing what what to do. This is the first time I studied the internet to get it right. Having some experience I was able to use many of the growing techniques super crop lollipoping ect. I’m finishing up using your article as my guide for harvest. Your article is excellent. Thank you.
Latest scribe was very useful.The three girls are six feet and growing a inch a day on my back porch.Legal to grow four plants per house now.My wife & I both receive your reports and find them useful.
Hey buddy I really appreciate you great information I’m excited about flowering
I bought 20 gold leaf seeds, and planted some on 4/15/20, 5/15/ 20 and 7/4/20. The first crop is 46″ tall and bushy but not one flower on them,in 120 days. The second crop is about 37″ tall very green and no flowers in 90 days.. I thought gold leaf was an auto flower and feminized seed, could I have gotten some bad seeds.
Ok ,so I noticed some pistons. I believe it’s female. What’s my next step?HELP!
I loved it.
After reducing to 12/12 light/dark and the buds are forming…do I go back to 24 hour light or leave at 12/12. Indoors.
Informative
Hi there,I’m a new grower ,have 4 gmo cookies going on 3 weeks into flower,
Feeling anxious I gave them a cocktail of nutrients and molasses…bad bad things happened to the flower..I’m so mad …
Anyways all around the flowers the lil leaves are dead …can i save 3 months of growth…??
Can I grow my plant outside and bring it inside and put the grow lite on it ?
I have some Gorilla Glue I purchased from ILGM and they are AWESOME!!!!!. I grow indoors and by reading and adjusting my girls are beautiful. Thank you ILGM for everything btw in veg state I do 16/8 and during flowering I do 12/12 and keep my humidity @ 30%. My girls are bangin
How many times will white hairs come out in budding phase
Gg#4. Six female, 4 gg#4 with balls starting. In week 8 of flower, started flushing all two days ago. Don’t have another room / area to separate and finish.
Even thought about putting the Hermes in total darkness for 48.
My plant just started flowering 2 weeks ago. The flowers aren’t growing fast and I am growing indoors. I’ve been given the nutrients like you recommend. The weather is starting to get warmer should I put them Outdoors? To get the buds to grow faster
hey thanks for your article I really appreciate it I read through it several times. Very helpful thanks again
Thanx. Happy Growing.
Beautiful plants til started flowering and added the Bloming stage They started burning. Flushed coupla times no change The leaves areall mostly dead
Great info. Thanks
When switching to flower will my plant go in shock if I switch the light cycle over night or should I gradually cut back the hours till flower
Have a gorilla glue Autoflower I purchased from you growing very well what I have issues why I think is shoes we’re about two hours before light goes off at droops down stays that way until about two hours after the light comes on and then it comes back up I didn’t know what could be the problem have quite a bit of light on them everything checks out fine has been doing that 2 weeks after start growing so
Thanks for All your growing knowledge
James, Kier, Both of you need to go here: support.ilovegrowingmarijuana.com open an account and allow out helpful members and expert staff work on your issues. Hard to say without pictures. See you there.
I have a question. I am in the 3rd and 1/2 week into the Flower stage. I changed the lights on 06/21/19 the summer solstice. I used an 18 he dark and 6 hours of light. If I change to a 12.12 schedule now? would it shock my plants If I do? Or would it be ok so long as the change is made while in the light is on? Thanks for any information.
Hi I’m indoor grow my plants are 3weeks into flowering I have 2 plants ones growing taller then the Other, left ones thick and Fat(smaller)Bigger flowering buds heads and right ones Skinny and long(Higher) small flowering buds heads..why is This
I would like to download the free grow guide plz
Hi Craig, you can get it here: https://growbible.ilovegrowingmarijuana.com/the-marijuana-grow-bible-free-original/
I got fruit flys . Help.
All your tips have helped me grow and I’d like to share a pic of my two plants, were could I post pics at?
What do you think about araroa 707
I’m an indoor grower and I’ve perched all my seeds from ILGM , I’ve got 8 different varieties and I’m going to start 6 plants at the end of July . I’ve planted 4 last year all from ILGM and all came to full flowering and were fantastic . Now I’m going for the 6 plants I’m allowed in Oregon , I will keep you all posted . And a big thank you to ILGM your seed come vary quickly and I’ve got them in my refrigerator cool and dark till I use them . Thank you all again .
Been growing since the70s and have learned alot over the years. At one point I used miracle grow all the way thru till I cut my plants for drying. Now I have found a better way. For veggie stage I mix in a gallon of water 1 quarter tsp amonia, 1 half tsp baking soda and 1 tbs Epsom salt. You will not believe the results. And its super cheap! For the flowering plants I use fish emulsion one tbs per gallon of water. Results are amazing! For the first time i’m using led full spectrum. At first I didn’t think it would work. Not enough heat. I was very wrong! It seems less heat helps my plants and I don’t have to worry ABOUT how close my light is to the plant. It’s AWESOME! Kudjos to whoever come up with the led plant light!
I use canna classic flores a+b for grow and bloom. Usally veg only goes for a month anyway. It has prevented cal mag deficiency from my grow. Last crop I didn’t get a single yellow leaf.
re ask
Everyone says that indoor plants must remain in total darkness during the dark phase, but outdoor plants are never in total darkness, can you explain the difference?
I’m using a 450w LED lighting system with a flowering switch, indoor grow, WW auto seeds. I had 1 plant that germinated and is 6 weeks old using 20hr on/4hr off. It’s roughly 2 ft tall but bushy.
What should I look for to determine “when” I should flick that flowering switch ON ??
chachi,
You have to decide on how big you want the plant at finish. Plants stretch 2-3 times the size it is when flowering is induced (throwing the switch). If you have limited space you want to flower with at least 2/3 of entire space between plant and lights.remaining. In general; Plants are in veg for 1-2 months then flowered if adequate space is available.
Happy growing 🙂
You don’t EVER want to have 70% humidity! That’s terrible advice! WTF!?
Dick,
Old school growing, I agree never use that high RH in flower. However; New science and using high power LED and C02 and also a higher temperature is being used by some with success. I would never probably use 70% but, science is evolving and a lot of what we used to teah is more of a guyidline now. Happy growing.
However; IN general, I agree with you after reading the article, and I will forward this as a typo to the editor. Thanks.
Thanks for your post on growing! I’m sure you will be a lot of help to a new grower, because I’m new at it!
Hi I have a 40 day old low flyer it’s got 6 fan leaves and it appears to be starting the flowering stage it’s about 8 inches tall is this normal
Mike,
We would need to see a picture. Not knowing the genetics or grow methods severely limits our ability to give you an informed answer.
Try joining our ILGM support forum and we will be glad to help you find the info you seek. 🙂
Happy growing
Nevada is very hot will need to a.c. my green house
So I am first time grower and on the 6th week of flowering and I have several questions:
1. I am growing Gold Leaf and 1 plant has started getting golden all around the plant, like leaves and pistils are a light golden color. Should I stop using nutes and flush or wait until the end of 6th week, this Saturday?
2. My other 2 flowers are bigger than the one mention above but had a calcium deficiency last week, got some cal-mag fertilizer that seemed to have solved the problem. Do I extend the fertilizer period to make up for the problem or flush this Saturday and stop using nutes all together?
The nutes i am using are:
Tiger Bloom
Overrdrive-advanced nutients
Thanks!
I f using hydrotank. And on 1st generative period I on 7th day can I go bk as I Think I shudnt be on flower stage. As I have no white flower just kinda looked like it. I’m scared as used fruitful feeds I cropped away its growing still I’m flushing tank once wk and feedback twice wk
Katie,
See above reply. 🙂
Hi, thanks for your blog! It is truly a fountain of information that I can understand. I’m a new-bee with a new blog.l
Also I’m a 71 year old retired married great grand-mom, who is dabbling in just a couple of plants for personal use. I planted my first seeds. Not sure how they will be, believe me it wasn’t done by the book. Also I have been dabbling with the thought of investment also. That’s going to be more tricky than growing. Thank You
Most welcome Kay and happy growing!
Kay,
You should join our forum. We have many mature, retired professionals and med patients who I think you will find interesting. 🙂 And; We are always willing to help out and share growing advice to all who come. 🙂
Peace, lw
Katie,
I am sorry. I cannot decipher what you are trying to ask.
Vreg stage comes 1st. You should not be cropping plants until you have experience to do so. Flower stage comes 6-10 weeks after planting seed/.
You have much to figure out. You should join our support forum, and we will help you grow successfully, from start to finish.
Happy growing 🙂
I have to apologize. I cannot make any sense out of your post. Please try again and separate your thoughts. Help me help you. Thanks 🙂
hello my plant in flowering stage day40 in soil and reason travel and light off problem spider meet spray abamactin i dont know this problem badeffect to myplant?
[…] The second cause is environmental influences, which usually materializes as stress. Essentially, as soon as the plant “knows” that the conditions for flowering are too difficult, it will gain the traits of the opposite sex to pollinate its own female flowers by growing male pollen clusters, therefore shortening the flowering period. […]
I have a question. I am about to try my first scrog grow and I don’t have a clear idea of what most growers use and the method of getting rid of runoff. Maybe someone can point me in the direction of a video on how set up a scrog grow. I will appreciate any advice at all. Happy growing. Keep it green.
Hi Pat, Check out this article: https://www.ilovegrowingmarijuana.com/growing/scrogging/, it has a video!
[…] cannabis plants begin their flowering phase somewhere between one week and a month earlier than the females do. They do not develop as many […]
[…] is able to take in the most nutrients and water. You will want to reduce the humidity level in the flowering stage since mold has a tendency to flourish in high humidity environments. With age, there is a higher […]
Mr Bergman’s ilgm nutrients work great all by themselves. I would recommend these for anyone to have healthy lush plants. Just follow the instructions and no problems. For me anyways. I Love ILGM seeds and nutrients
[…] the article Flowering Stage For Indoor Marijuana Plants for more […]
[…] bit of background knowledge. For starters, a bud is the growth that pops up during a plant’s flowering phase. Although marijuana plants’ leaves also have a THC content, the buds have a far more […]
Redneckpotsmoker,
This is really hard to answer. If you have been keeping it outside only for the daylight hours; You are already on a short photo period. The only reason to reduce the photo period, would be to induce flowering. This should happen naturally outside, due to the fact that days are getting shorter, and Autumn is approaching fast. 🙂
Thank you for the kind comments. We are glad you have found use for the information provided in this Blog. Feel free to join our support forum in order to find many informed growers that are always willing to help a brother out! 🙂
Sorry latewood, I spelled your name wrong!
k capoferri,
When you see the phrase, “from start to finish”, this means that you can use this nutrient throughout the entire grow. This has nothing to do with the final “flush”; Or, what you read as stopping the application of nutrients. We stop applying nutrients the last 2 weeks of the grow period, in order to allow the plant to use up stored nutrients, resulting in better tasting Marijuana. 🙂 Hope this helps you . Peace “)
I have a plant first time growing growning its on 55th day and about 3 foot tall ever since I sprouted it its been going outside at 8 in morning I bring it in at dark and it stays in my closet till next morning should I keep doing this or do I start shorting its light time now have pic can send of it to
I am usually to runinng a blog and i really admire your content. The article has really peaks my interest. I’m going to bookmark your site and preserve checking for brand spanking new information.
hi ILGM, i’ve been reading your articles on every aspect of growing your seeds. you say to stop using nitrogen near end of bloom stage. the manufacturer of my hydroponic grow box says the product sent with the grow box can be used from start to finish. the product “Moon Dust” is 19-8-13. i’m confused. can you please advise. this is my first grow. thanks. kc
I’ve used moondust several times, its like Lakewood stated, last two weeks stop and flush, or when you get to flowering stage use less or get a good bloom nutrient. Ive used 1/4 tsp for a complete grow with dust, last 12 days flush, perfect ww autos. 1/4 tsp from start in one gallon hydro, perfect. I’m trying what Robert recommends next. I think the seeds with nutrients package he offers, looks to be a no brainer! Go for it. Sd
bayou critter,
I have trouble understanding 1/2 of your post, but as far as nutrient lines. Use what you feel comfortable with. Happy growing.
[…] to know that it is common for the leaves of marijuana plants to turn yellow around the end of the flowering stage when the plant is lacking nitrogen because it is producing […]
[…] your plant exhibits signs of phosphorus deficiency when it is in its flowering stage, it’s very important to make sure that the leaves nearest to the buds remain green. This is so […]
[…] the plants growth will slow down. In contrast, the leaves will also be smaller. When in the flowering stage the buds begin to die off and the whole plants growth may slow […]
[…] a bit of background knowledge. For starters, a bud is the growth that pops up during a plant’s flowering phase. Although marijuana plants’ leaves also have a THC content, the buds have a far more concentrated […]
[…] the flowering stage, you will want to create your own version of sunrise and sundown. So again you are reducing your […]
Hi everybody, new to this group. On my 1st indoor grow, getting alot of advice from here, thanks.
On the,.25th of June I will put my indoor plants in the Flowering stage. I have bought the open sesame, bud bloom, & cha ching. How long after I go to 12/12 should I start giving them these nutrients.
Thanks man for all of the correct input you’ve been more helpful then anyone else & the info is rt. on the money,Peace brother n be well Medicaided!
Terry, I do not totaqlly agree that Outdoor plants are never in darkness; However, I have not got an answer for you; To be honest. If you are talking about the Moon; I cannot come up with a good theory, as of yet.
I will tell you though; If you do not grow your induced indoor plants in total darkness, you could develop hermaphroditic plants.
The question on LED is off topic here. It is a matter of choice. I use HID lamps. Please post lighting LED question in our support forum in order to get more efficient responses, from LED growers. 🙂
I use 1000w Led with my 1000w HID now and it only saves electric and not as intense. I have done Led harvest, but didn’t knowtice much of a difference. Only thing different is how dense it was, you dense buds with HID over LED
are led lights good or bad?
LED lights are super great for planting. 1000 watts is perfect! Quiet, and has built in fan to keep heat low. The lumens are what 1000 wats equals, whatever that is. And molasses water, keeps them dark green and strong. Good carb for soil by increasing microbes,which feed the roots!
How to get rid of tiny little fruit flys
fly sticky roll strips
a small bowl with a couple tablespoons of vinegar. Cover with plastic wrap and poke hole in the wrap with tooth pick.. Flies check in but can’t check out…
Everyone says that indoor plants must remain in total darkness during the dark phase, but outdoor plants are never in total darkness, can you explain the difference?
whats up peeps well I get really good results from a giant flouresent good heavy bud but can someone tell me
if fox farm is a good fertilizer solution anyway let u all know seems like I was having betterresults with the earth juice so guys tell me wht ya think growing in dirt
I prefer Fox Farms potting soil it’s excellent if used dirt for your medium ingrowing. And I really like the Technafloral line. It really helps you keep your pH the same every time you feed your plants. Also, you can add other nutrients to Technafloral to enhance size and resin production, i.e. Big Bud, Bud Factor X, Bud Igniter, etc. Best of Luck! I started with the Fox Farms series in fertilizers. It did a good job but I found the Technafloral method gave me three times larger buds and resin production. Just remember to feed, water, water. And if you continue that rotation your plants will be well flushed and there will be no build up of nutrients.
I have great success with Earth Juice Seablast indoor in soil. Oily Cann for cal/mag.
Marijuanna is only sensitive to Red and Blue spectra of light. The light at night(moon light) is green and does not affect your plant or so i am lead to believe…
Lol
My plants are in wk.4. My budlets are small .I’m outdoor grow. 12 on 12 off. Using tiger bloom. Fert. I dont know why the budlets are so small ,I’ve got pistols. White . Still waiting for them to fatten up .Am I doing something wrong ,They are 3 ft tall .bushy and green leaves .They look healthy. Help please.
give it time
Cannabis has been growing outdoors for thousands of years they have evovled to regions and adapted. The moon is almost always present so it adapts. Indoors sudden changes in light in dark periods interrupts this period and stressing the plant in bad ways.
I have always left a low -lux light on in my rooms 24hrs/day. It allows a more natural experience, as well won’t leave them so prone to being light-shocked if the photo-period is interrupted.