by Nebula Haze
Many growers prefer to get a faster cannabis harvest, especially if all other things are equal! The longest part of a cannabis plant’s life is typically the time spent flowering/making buds. So speeding up the flowering stage is a sureproof way to get to harvest more quickly.
A shorter flowering stage can result in a faster cannabis harvest. Or choose all auto-flowering strains (learn more about cannabis autos) like these plants, which are typically ready to harvest just 2-3 months from germination!
But what affects the length of the cannabis flowering stage? For auto-flowering strains, which automatically make cannabis buds on their own, the time is almost purely determined by genetics. There isn’t much you can do to “speed up” an autoflowering cannabis strains. However, most cannabis strains are “photoperiod” strains, which means they need short days (or more specifically long nights) in order to start flowering and make buds. Therefore, most indoor cannabis growers must give their plants 12 hours of darkness and 12 hours of light each day to initiate budding, and continue with that 12/12 light schedule until it’s time to harvest. A 12-hour night is long enough to force almost any photoperiod cannabis plant to enter the flowering stage and finish maturing in a reasonable amount of time.
Learn more about cannabis light schedules and how they affectbudding.
Howeversome cannabis plants, especially Sativa and Haze strains which originate near the equator, can take 3+ months to finish flowering if they’re kept on a 12/12 light schedule. Yes, their buds can sometimes take that long before they are mature and ready to harvest.
Check out the example below. Sativa and Haze strains often get really tall and can take months in the flowering stage before buds are mature. These colas from a Malawi Gold (Chamba) plant are already huge and have been flowering for almost two months. But they still aren’t showing signs of stopping. This strain can take 4+ months to finish flowering if kept on a 12/12 schedule. Way too long!
If you’re growing a long-flowering photoperiod cannabis plant indoors, and want to “hurry it along” one of the best things you can do is reduce the light period so your plant is getting longer nights. For example, you could give your plants 13 or 14 hours of darkness each day (11/13 or 10/14 schedule) to hasten the plant. It “thinks” winter is coming and finishes up in less time.
Give cannabis plants longer nights to get buds to mature faster!
The downside to this technique is you will reduce your yields. That’s because you’re reducing the amount of light/energy received by the plant in two ways. First, you’re giving your cannabis plants fewer hours each day. So it’s kind of like they’re losing a meal each day. Second, your plant will be done budding sooner, so you’ll lose the weeks of budding it could have had, which would have also added to the final weight of your buds.
When Do I Harvest Cannabis Plants?
Because of the potentially reduced yields, it’s recommended to wait until the plant has been flowering for at least 8 weeks before you initiate longer nights. That gives your marijuana buds enough time to fully form before the plant gets reduced light each day.
What if buds keeps making more and more new pistils?
Jump to….
When to Harvest For Highest Potency
How to Get to Harvest Faster
Why are my cannabis buds taking so long to mature?
What to Expect Week-By-Week During the Flowering Stage
For Cannabis Problems & Symptoms…
FAQs
Switching from 12/12 to 14/10 shouldn't make a significant change, but it's still something to consider when you're making that decision. Give plants fewer hours of light a day to make buds ripen faster.
How long after switching to 12 12 will I see buds? ›
It is in Week 5 that your plants will really begin to show developed bud sites.
What makes buds grow faster? ›
More CO2—as much as 1,500 ppm—will amp up your plants' growth rate and yields. Pushing the level to as much as 1,500 ppm of CO2 makes the maximum amount available to your crop during the crucial period when the buds are forming and fattening up.
What is 10 on 14 off flowering? ›
10/14 Light Cycle: Some growers opt for a 10 hours of light followed by 14 hours of uninterrupted darkness during the flowering stage. This light cycle can be used to encourage earlier flowering or to maximize the potential yield of certain cannabis cultivars.
How long do buds take to mature? ›
To know how long it takes for buds to mature, it is important to understand the phases they go through and regularly monitor the trichomes. The ripening time will depend on the type of seed, although it usually ranges between 7 and 9 weeks.
Do buds grow more at night or day? ›
Your cannabis plants need a period of darkness to use carbohydrate energy stores that were tucked away during the day. At night, cannabis plants convert these stores into sugars, which continue to drive plant growth.
How do you know when buds are fully grown? ›
You will know that your plant is ready to be harvested when the colors of the pistils on cola buds turn from white to reddish orange and the trichome heads turn from transparent to milky to opaque and finally amber. The amber color indicates a higher CBD to THC cannabinoid ratio in its resin.
How can I increase my bud potency? ›
Crank Up the Blue, White, and UVB Lights
In order to get more potency in the flowering stage, you want to inspire your plant to produce more resin-producing trichomes. You do this by cranking up blue, white, and UVB lights to 100% and backing red down to around 50%.
What fertilizer makes buds grow bigger? ›
Phosphorus Plus by Hesi
This mineral fertilizer brand, Hesi, has created Phosphorus Plus, a product designed to grow bigger buds and obtain amazingly thick flowers from your cannabis plants. It gives your plants an extra dose of phosphorus and potassium during the end of the flowering period.
How to get rock hard buds? ›
Use the right nutrients: Nutrients play a crucial role in the growth and development of cannabis plants. During the flowering stage, cannabis plants require more phosphorus and potassium to produce denser buds. Look for a high-quality bloom fertilizer that contains these nutrients.
Days to 50% flowering(D50F) day Number of days between germination and the day when anthesis is observed in at least 50% of panicle length of at least 50% of replicate plants per treatment.
What is the best light cycle for flowering stage? ›
Light Requirements in the Flowering Stage
Most growers switch to a 12/12 light cycle, providing 12 hours of uninterrupted darkness followed by 12 hours of light. This light/dark ratio simulates the natural photoperiod of late summer and early fall, signaling the plants to start flowering.
What is days to 50 percent flowering? ›
Days to 50% flowering was determined by recording the number of days following transplanting (DAT) until 50% of plants in a plot had at least one open flower.
Should you trim fan leaves during flowering? ›
Remove fan leaves during flowering in much the same way you do during veg… Prune away large leaves that are overshadowing bud sites, as well as dead or dying fan leaves. Prune in intervals, giving at least a couple weeks between each session.
What do buds look like when ready to pick? ›
How Do You Know When Your Cannabis Buds Are Ripe? Your cannabis buds are ripe when approximately 90% of trichomes are milky white and 10% have turned amber color. Also, the buds are ready to harvest when around 50-70% of pistils have turned red, orange, or brown.
Which buds mature first? ›
Sometimes, buds can mature at different rates. In fact, many growers will harvest the topmost buds first, and then harvest the lower buds slightly later on.
Do buds get bigger last 2 weeks? ›
In the last two weeks, the buds will mainly mature and grow no more in size. The white trichomes (small resin-secreting stalks/hairs) on the buds will now slowly turn brown.
What should my buds look like at 2 weeks? ›
Week 2. In week 2 of flowering, you may spot the first white pistils growing on your female cannabis plants. These fine and wispy white hairs will develop at those locations where the big fan leaves meet the main stem. It is these fine hairs that will later become buds.
What week do buds get the biggest? ›
During Weeks 3 through 6, your buds will grow the most. You will see buds really develop in size between Week 4 and Week 5. By Week 6, your buds will look totally different in size from just two weeks prior. The room will also be very fragrant.
What should my buds look like at 4 weeks? ›
Mid-Flowering Stage: Bud Bulking Up (Week 4-8)
During the mid-flowering stage, you'll observe the buds starting to bulk up, accompanied by the emergence of numerous "stigmas" or white hairs. Often, these hairs are incorrectly referred to as "pistils." This is a critical phase to minimize any stress on the plant.
