Cannabis flowering stage: a guide for beginners
In this article, you can find information about Cannabis flowering, week by week, with photos and pictures. The flowering stage in Cannabis plants is the period when plants grow their buds. After some weeks of vegetative growth, Cannabis plants will be able to flower when the photoperiod switches. Learn how to take care of your plant in this stage to harvest quality buds!
When does the Flowering stage begin?
Flowering stage outdoors
Growing outdoors, plants will start the flowering stage when the days grow shorter, usually when Autumn is coming.
Flowering stage indoors
For Cannabis plants to enter the flowering stage in indoor crops, the photoperiod must be switched to 12 12-hour light / 12 hours of darkness schedule.
Autoflowering strains don’t need a photoperiod change to start flowering, their vegetative stage lasts around 4 weeks and then they switch stages automatically.
How long does the flowering stage take?
The duration of the flowering stage varies among different strains.
The flowering stage in Cannabis plants usually goes from 8 to 11 weeks, depending on the strain. It’s usually divided into weeks or three stages. The flowering period for Indica labeled strains is typically around 8 weeks, but it may take up to 10 weeks. Sativa-labeled strains may take up to 10-12 weeks. Typically, hybrid strains will take up to 6-10 weeks to fully develop.
How do I know if my plant is male or female?
Here’s a quick visual guide on how to tell if your Cannabis plant is male, female, or hermaphrodite. For more information and tips on how to find out, read our full article on determining the sex of a Cannabis plant.
Basic growing requirements for flowering Cannabis plants
Lighting
Light is very important in every stage of the Cannabis plant life cycle, but in the Flowering stage is key to keep a Photoperiod: 12 hours of light / 12 hours of darkness. Do not interrupt the dark periods by opening “just for a sec” your growing environment. Light pollution may cause your plant to slow the budding process or even to revegetate (go back to the veg stage) or start producing hermaphrodite flowers.
Temperature
Cannabis plants in the flowering stage thrive in temperatures around 18° – 26°C. Temperatures below this range may negatively affect the plant, or even kill it if it’s exposed to freezing temperatures for a long period. Temperatures under 17°C may slow the plant’s growth and very low temperatures (under 2°C) may damage the plant irreversibly. On the other hand, high temperatures negatively affect the plant as well. Temperatures over 28° C may cause problems such as stunted growth, burnt leaves, excessive water evaporation, excessive dryness, etc.
Humidity
As well as keeping temperatures within those “warm” ranges, taking care of the relative humidity in the growing environment is key. Relative humidity measures how much humidity is present in the air expressed as a percentage.
Humidity must be kept ideally between 40-50% in this stage. Higher levels of humidity may cause problems such as mold and fungi. Learn more about fungal diseases reading this article: https://growithjane.com/fungi-cannabis-plants/
Nutrients for Cannabis plants in the flowering stage
The main nutrients that the Cannabis plant needs to develop are Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K).
When the plant starts to bloom, the concentrations of P and K must be increased progressively, while the N concentrations are lowered. That is why there are specific fertilizers for vegetative growth and flowering.
Other secondary nutrients will be necessary for the correct development of the plant. These are Magnesium (Mg), Calcium (Ca), and Sulfur (S). Finally, the micronutrients are necessary but in a minimum concentration. These are Zinc (Zn), Manganese (Mn), Iron, (Fe), Boron (B), Chlorine (Cl), Cobalt (Co), Copper (Cu), Molybdenum (Mb), and Silicon (Si).
So which is the best feeding plan or nutrient application schedule for my plant? That’s up to each grower, but bear in mind you’ll need to add these nutrients, via foliar, liquid, or solid fertilizers. Even when growing organic, usually having your plant in plain soil is just not enough for the plant to produce big fat buds.
Several brands of fertilizers offer fertilizer kits specially formulated for each stage with the necessary nutrients. Start with the dose indicated by the manufacturer or even 1/2 lower to avoid saturation and gradually increase the amounts until the desired results are achieved.
Read this article to learn more about nutrients for Cannabis plants in the flowering stage.
Watering
Water your plant regularly with clean, safe water. Certainly, using chlorine-free or filtered water leads to better results. Always avoid overwatering and watch for good drainage. How to know when to water a Cannabis plant? A good test might be to stick a finger down a few cm or an inch into the soil and if it’s dry, then you’ll know it is time to water.
Ventilation
Ventilation and airflow are key for Cannabis plants to thrive and grow healthy. In this stage, they need air not only to breathe and grow their bodies but also good ventilation to avoid the formation of mold, fungi, and rot. A good fan moving the air inside your growing environment helps a lot, but beware not to point it directly at the buds. An exhaust fan is great for increased ventilation and air movement, this also helps lowering humidity. If the exhaust fan is not enough, a dehumidifier is the best and easiest solution for keeping humidity at range.
pH levels
pH levels must remain between 5.5 and 6.5 when growing in soil. Most nutrients are available for the plant in the growing medium only between this range of pH. pH levels out of this range may cause your plant to experience nutrient deficiencies and toxicities because the nutrients may be in the soil but the plant cannot absorb them.
Container size
The size of your container is always related to the plant’s size. Are you growing in your garden soil? In pots with soil? In buckets? Hydro? The bigger the container, the more chances you have to get a bigger plant. Remember to transplant your tree before the flowering stage begins to avoid stressing the plant or accidentally damaging it.
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Flowering stage in Cannabis plants week by week
Flowering initiation stage – week 1-3
From week 1-3 plants stretch and grow in size and height. This phase is also known as the transition phase, as plants experience drastic changes these days. Plants stretch and may double their size in this phase. The female Cannabis plant starts blooming by producing pre-flowers, their pistils look like “white hairs”.
Towards the end of the third week, the plant starts forming its bud sites in the plant nodes (where the main stem and the branches meet). Look for clusters of female preflowers.
All those places where white pistils have been growing are future bud sites. If you accidentally cut the preflowers along with the fan leaves, there’s a chance that that bud will stop growing. You may lightly defoliate your plant during this phase, but be careful not to touch or damage the forming bud sites.
Look at the color of the fan leaves and the general look of each plant to have a better idea of their health and needs. The fan leaves should be vibrant green, not too light or dark. For example, yellow and discolored leaves may indicate a deficiency, while dark and clawing leaves may indicate nutrient burn. Track these changes in the Grow with Jane app as soon as you notice them for a better chance of diagnosing your plants correctly and in time to heal them!
It’s also important to check for pests, mold, and fungi before our plants start making their buds. Most importantly, eliminating these at this point is usually easier than doing it later in the flowering stage.
Learn more about pests in cannabis plants https://growithjane.com/pest-cannabis-plants/
Learn how to get rid of pests in cannabis plants https://growithjane.com/bugs-cannabis-plant/
Mid-Flowering stage – week 4-5
From week 4-5 plants stop growing in size and start growing, fattening their buds and darkening their pistils.
- Humidity levels need to be lowered to 40-50%
- It’s best to slightly lower temperatures in flowering
- Temperatures with lights on 18-26 ° C (avoid high temperatures)
At this stage, you should continue to train your plant if you started some weeks earlier and you should be seeing some changes. In addition, if you need to tie or move your plants, remember that now they are putting all their efforts into growing buds, so any stress or damage may slow that process.
Remember to continue to move your lamp or plants so they maintain their adequate distance. Now your plants are growing at a fast rate and they need their feeding and watering schedule to be followed for optimal results.
It’s normal at this phase to see some old leaves yellowing and finally turning brown and falling. That’s because some nutrients are “mobile”, meaning that once the plant has absorbed them, they can be stored and distributed inside the plant as needed. So an old leaf may “send” nutrients to the newer ones and once the plant doesn’t need that leave anymore, it lets it die and fall. If you notice lots of leaves yellowing or any changes in color or texture in the new or old leaves, check for nutrient deficiencies or burn!
Late flowering / Ripening stage – week 6 to harvest
In the last few weeks, buds have gained the most weight. They are sticky to the touch and can be very smelly. You are very close to reaching your goal = harvesting!
- Bring down humidity levels: 45% if possible
- Increase the temperature difference (day/night)
- Temperatures with lights on 18-24 °C
- Start checking trichomes for signals or ripening to know when to harvest
- You can flush your plants 1-2 weeks before harvest
Most importantly, buds are now covered in trichomes, which are rich glandules for secreting THC and other cannabinoids. These are responsible for the stickiness in the colas. Depending on the strain and the breeding, these buds may have strong aromas, reminding of fruits, flowers, and spices for example.
In this stage of the Cannabis plant, pistils may show white, cream, and brown colors. They also start curling inwards and they get covered in trichomes. Similarly, trichomes also change colors and you should pay close attention to these changes because they are one of the best clues for knowing when is the best time for harvesting.
Flushing your plants (week 8-10)
Flushing a Cannabis plant is running a lot of water through its growing medium (soil, for example) to get rid of the excess salt and mineral nutrients. This action forces your plant to use up any amount of nutrients previously absorbed. The result will be buds with better flavor and aroma. The excess fertilizer in your Cannabis plant may result in buds that are harsh to the throat when smoked. Flushing with clean, room temperature water will help to get rid of fertilizer excess in the soil.
Two weeks before harvesting is usually a good moment to start flushing your plants and watering with water only and no fertilizers until the harvesting moment. You can water with 10%-20% more water than usual and see how your plants react, they shouldn’t look droopy and should recover soon. The excess water will slowly drain from the bottom of the pot.
A good visual sign is that, in the beginning, the water coming from the bottom of the pot will be dark and will gradually turn to a lighter color. By running this process in each plant, most of the salt buildup should flush away from the substrate.
Even though lots of fertilizer companies recommend flushing plants for two weeks before harvesting, many growers nowadays choose to avoid flushing altogether and still have good results. It’s a matter of personal choice and one must evaluate the growing conditions, the nutrient schedule, and the final results.
Harvesting Guide
Read the following article to learn exactly when to harvest your flowering plants, how to tell if they are ready by looking at trichomes and pistils, how to dry and cure your buds, and more! All are explained thoroughly, with pics and a Step-by-step harvesting guide.
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My plant just started biding two days ago how long should I wait to flush
Hi! The flowering stage may take several weeks according to the strain and growing conditions. Stick to a nutrient schedule for flowering and only start flushing one or two weeks before the expected harvesting date.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
all bottum leaves and fan leaves cutting in startingflowering? im a new growwer . expext addvice
Hi Dimuthu! You can cut some bottom fan leaves when the plant is flowering so it concentrates its energy on the top buds. Do not cut all the leaves as the plant needs them to grow. To get personalized advice on your case, please download our app from http://www.growithjane.com and contact us via in-app message, so you can also share pics and any info you think would be helpful. We’ll be happy to take a look! Thanks for commenting and happy growing!
You mentioned that budding usually begins towards August, but I’ve been reading that the plants don’t start budding until the daylight is reduced to 12 hours, which happens on September 21st. I’m growing outdoors, in a partially treed section of my yard. My plants are huge – about 4′ tall, 3-4′ in diameter, and there’s no sign of budding yet. While I am anticipating a late summer, we do get Frost’s – and even snow – as early as October, so I want to make sure my plants are done before the cold weather arrives. Should I be getting anxious? I did read an article about force-flowering, but with the way they’re planted (interspersed with my tomatoes), covering them for complete darkness will be challenging at best!
Re: flushing: this is only for chemical ferts, yeah? My plants are in holes that I backfilled 3:1 chicken compost:sand, so I shouldn’t need to do that, right?
Thanks 🙂
Hello Agnes, congratulations on your big ladies! The article says Cannabis plants start budding when Autumn begins, not August. In the northern hemisphere, as you say, Autumn starts on September 21st but in the southern hemisphere, that would be on March 21st. Anyway, those dates are just a guide, outdoors budding may start earlier or later due to the environmental and growing conditions.
For now, I’d suggest applying nutrients intended for the flowering stage. Chicken compost usually has a high Nitrogen concentration and may or may not have enough P. This is great for vegetative growth but in the flowering stage the plant needs less Nitrogen, and if present in excess, it may delay flowering. Try fertilizers (organics are great) with higher concentrations of P and K (Phosphorus and Potassium). Bat guano, fish meal, and kelp products are good options and there are many other organic sources, just be sure that NPK ratios are as follows: N (low) – P (medium to high) – K (high).
You don’t need flushing or watering in excess unless you see signs of nutrient burn in your plant.
I hope this helps and you can harvest before the cold season begins. Thanks for reading and commenting.
Happy growing! 🙂
Hello Alicia. Can you please elaborate more on Agnes’s comment above? I am in the exact same situation as she is. I successfully germinated 6 seeds in late April and early May and 3 of them are females. I’ve separated them from the 3 males and have repotted them in grow bags outdoors when they were 1 foot tall. My biggest female plant is 3 feet tall now and the other 2 are close behind. I live in the north east and the days don’t get shorter until October and by then it will be too cold for the plants to stay outdoors. It sounds like all I can do is force flower them, right? Please tell me when I should do that and how? I bought a grow tent to put inside so that my plants can get 12 hours of uninterrupted darkness but I’ll have to bring them inside every night then back outside during the day for 12 hours. Any advice? Is there a better way?
Hi Danielle! The best way would be to start and complete the whole flowering stage inside the grow tent with 12/12 hours of light and uninterrupted darkness, to avoid delays and to get a bigger yield. To do this, move the female plants definitely inside the tent when they achieve half of the desired size because they will continue to grow in the switching phase. Take into account the total height of the pot and the plant with some distance between the top of the plant and the grow light. That depends on each light but no less than 8″ for 150 W lights, 12″/ 19″ for HPS 400W lights. Plants growing too close to growing lights develop burns and other problems. Start applying nutrients intended for flowering one week before switching environments and light schedules.
Regarding the male plants, they are going to accidentally pollinate female plants in your area, so you may want to consider taking them out before that happens.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
If I haven’t defoliated my outdoor potted plants at all and I’m 5 days into switching to 12/12 is it too late or too early to do so? And when doing so should I be removing the smaller leaves starting from the bottom of the plants?
Hi Stephanie! I’d suggest starting next week with very slight defoliation, only if you notice your plant is growing very bushy. Do not defoliate if your plant doesn’t look healthy, this will only damage and delay yields.
– First of all, work with sharp scissors or scalpel, previously disinfected with alcohol, to avoid infections.
– Only trim the bottom big fan leaves that are not receiving any light, maybe some are turning yellow.
– The upper leaves, trim only if it’s laying on top of a budding site and it’s preventing light from reaching said bud or if you find big water patches on those leaves.
– Prune any small or dying bottom branches or leaves.
– Be extra careful not to damage any bud sites!
– Every leaf is valuable for the plant so you may cut only 5-10% of the total leaves at most for now.
– As plants do not grow more leaves on the flowering stage, almost every leaf you cut it’s not growing back and the plant needs those for functioning.
If later you need to pluck a leave now and then it’s fine, but once you’ve made this slight defoliation, wait at least two weeks before doing it again, only if necessary.
I hope this one goes smoothly, it’s better to do it gradually so they can continue to grow healthy.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
No need to flush. You would be doing your next grow a disservice. If done correctly it will age like fine wine. Your growing the best way possible don’t ruin it!