Stages of Cannabis Growth
Cannabis growth unfolds through a series of distinct stages, each with its own set of requirements, such as specific levels of light, water, and nutrients. Growing a cannabis plant can take anywhere from 4 to 8 months, depending on whether it’s cultivated indoors or outdoors. Indoor cultivation allows you to control environmental factors more precisely, and with the right conditions, plants can begin flowering within just a few weeks.
The success and quality of your cannabis plant largely depend on your understanding of these growth stages and the plant’s lifecycle. One critical component in maintaining healthy growth is air filtration within the grow room. This system plays an essential role in protecting plants throughout each stage by preventing mold, bacteria, and stagnant air. It ensures a constant flow of clean, filtered air 24/7, providing an ideal environment for healthy growth.
Air filtration systems work by drawing in and capturing airborne contaminants that could threaten plant health. By filtering the air, you create a cleaner environment for cannabis plants, from the germination of seeds all the way through to harvesting, drying, and curing.
Before diving into the various stages of cannabis growth, it’s important to first address a common question: Can you tell the sex of a cannabis seed? While it’s impossible to determine a seed’s sex just by looking at it, there are specially bred feminized seeds that have a 99.9% chance of growing into female plants.
Cannabis seeds remain dormant until exposed to water and light. They are resilient and can survive for extended periods in cool, dark places like refrigerators. However, temperatures that are too low or freezing can damage or kill the seeds. Cannabis plants are typically dioecious, meaning male and female reproductive organs are found on separate plants. However, some cannabis plants may develop intersex traits and are referred to as hermaphrodites, or “hermies.”
Only female plants produce buds, the harvestable parts of the cannabis plant that can be smoked, vaped, dabbed, or ingested. To maintain the quality of the buds, male plants and hermaphrodites should be removed before they can pollinate the females. If males or dual-sex plants are left in the grow room, they will pollinate the females, causing the plants to shift focus from bud production to seed production, ultimately leading to lower-quality buds and potential harvest loss.
