The cannabis flowering stage is the 8-to-10-week period when a photoperiod cannabis plant shifts from building leaves to building buds. Indoors it starts the day you flip your light schedule from 18 hours on to 12 hours on. Outdoors it starts when natural daylight drops past about 14 hours. Expect a 2-to-3-week stretch right after the flip, peak bud bulking in weeks 5 to 7, and ripening from week 8 onward.
Get three things right and most flowering stage problems disappear: keep temperatures between 70 and 80°F (21 to 27°C), drop relative humidity from 65% early down to 45% by harvest, and add branch support before bud weight pulls colas sideways. Stop training after the flip. Confirm trichome readiness under magnification before you chop.
NOTE: This guide focuses on photoperiod cannabis. Autoflowers flower on their own age regardless of light cycle - see the relevant sections for autoflower-specific notes.
The cannabis flowering stage is the 8-to-10-week window when your plant stops building leaves and starts building buds. Indoors it begins the day you switch your photoperiod lights from 18 hours on to 12 hours on. Outdoors it begins when natural daylight drops past about 14 hours. Get the environment right, support the branches before they snap under bud weight, and stop trying to reshape the plant - the cannabis flowering stages reward execution, not improvisation.
This guide covers the flip, week-by-week milestones, the temperature and humidity targets that hold up under modern research, the branch support setup that prevents broken colas, and the five mistakes that quietly cap most home grows. Training decisions get locked in during low-stress training during veg. If you are still in veg and have not done the final transplant before flower, finish that first, then flip. Flowering is the last major stage, so for the full picture of how to grow cannabis start to finish, start with our beginner guide.
When Does the Cannabis Flowering Stage Start?
The cannabis flowering stage starts when the plant detects shortened days. Indoors that is a deliberate decision: you change your timer from 18 hours of light and 6 hours of dark to 12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark. Outdoors it happens on its own as summer turns to autumn and natural daylight drops past roughly 14 hours.
Photoperiod cannabis plants only flip on the light schedule change. Autoflowers ignore the photoperiod entirely - they start flowering on their own age, typically 4 to 5 weeks after germination, regardless of light hours. Most autoflower growers run lights 18/6 or 20/4 through the entire grow.
Pre-flowers vs true flowering
"Pre-flowers" are not the flowering stage. They are small calyx structures (sometimes with a few white pistils) that appear at the internodes during late veg. They tell you the plant is mature enough to sex - but they are not buds. Those first pistils are also the earliest reliable sign of a plant's sex. True flowering begins after the light flip, when you see white pistils popping at branch crotches across most branches, usually within 7 to 14 days of switching to 12/12.
How to know you flipped successfully
Within the first two weeks of the flip, you should see three signals: faster vertical growth (the stretch), white pistils emerging at most branch crotches, and longer internode spacing than late veg. If you are 10 days in and seeing none of that, check your timer first. A common failure mode is the schedule reverting after a power cycle, leaving the plant on 18/6 while you think it is on 12/12.
How Long Is the Cannabis Flowering Stage?
Most photoperiod strains finish flowering in 8 to 10 weeks. Indica-dominant strains lean shorter (7 to 9 weeks). Sativa-dominant strains lean longer (10 to 12 weeks), occasionally more for landrace haze genetics. Autoflowers compress the whole cycle into 8 to 12 weeks from seed - typically 4 to 5 weeks of veg-like growth and 5 to 7 weeks of flowering. Flowering is just one stretch of that arc, and the full cannabis growth stages timeline shows how long each stage runs for photoperiods and autoflowers alike.
Treat the strain pack timing as a starting reference, not a finish line. Breeders report flowering duration under their own conditions, usually hotter, brighter, and more controlled than a home tent. If your strain pack says "9 weeks," plan for 10 and use trichome inspection to call the chop, not the calendar.
What changes the timing
Three variables compress or stretch the schedule. Light intensity within plant tolerance speeds ripening; underlit plants drag past their stated finish. Mid-flower temperatures in the 70 to 80°F (21 to 27°C) range support a normal schedule; cooler late-flower temperatures lengthen ripening but often improve color and resin. Genetics matter most: modern polyhybrids can drift 1 to 2 weeks from their pack timing in either direction.
Why calendar harvesting fails
The pack number is an average across the breeder's conditions. Your tent runs cooler or warmer, your light intensity differs, your nutrient timing varies. The only reliable harvest signal is trichome maturation, confirmed under 30x to 60x magnification, not calendar weeks. We cover the magnified inspection process in the trichome inspection workflow.
Get the free Flowering Cheat Sheet
The three dials that decide bud density, the three ways to hold a branch up before the weight arrives, and the week-by-week from the flip to the chop. One page for the setup, one for the schedule. Printable, phone-friendly.
Get the Flowering Cheat SheetCannabis Flowering Stage Week by Week
Here is the full progression at a glance. Each week introduces a milestone - some big enough to show up overnight, others subtle until you compare week-over-week photos. The plant changes most visibly in weeks 2 through 5 and most slowly in weeks 7 through 9, when bulking and ripening happen at the resin level rather than the structural level.
Week 1: Transition
The plant is still acting like late veg. You will not see flowers yet. The biggest changes are internal: the photoperiod shift is triggering hormonal cascades that will drive the stretch and bud initiation over the next two weeks. Keep the environment steady. Maintain veg-like watering and feeding. Do not introduce new training or new nutrient products. This week is about not breaking anything.
Week 2: Pistils appear
Small white pistils start appearing at branch crotches - the V where a side branch meets the main stem. This is your visual confirmation the flip worked. Pistils look like tiny white hairs poking out of small green calyx structures. The plant is also beginning to stretch: expect 10 to 20 percent vertical growth this week.
Week 3: Stretch peaks and slows
The stretch hits its peak this week. Indica-leaning plants finish stretching around day 14 to 21. Sativa-leaning plants can stretch into week 4. Expect 50 to 100 percent total height gain from the flip. This is your last window for minor LST adjustments - tuck branches outward to keep canopy distance from the light even, but do not start any new training. Internode spacing is widening and bud sites are forming at every branch tip.
Week 4: Bud sites form
Vertical growth is essentially done. Bud sites at each branch tip now look like clusters of pistils with small green calyx swellings. The plant is committing energy to bud development rather than structural growth. Defoliation timing matters this week and next: if you plan to do mid-flower defoliation, day 21 to 25 is the window. See the protocol for mid-flower defoliation around days 21 to 25.
Week 5: Fattening begins
Buds noticeably swell this week. Each bud site changes from "cluster of pistils" to "small dense flower" with visible calyx stacking. Sugar leaves start producing trichomes. Nutrient demand peaks - phosphorus and potassium uptake increases sharply. If your plant is hungry, you will see it now in deeper green color shifts or premature yellowing on lower leaves. The first hints of strain-specific aroma emerge.
Week 6: Mid-flower bulk
This is the bulking week. Buds put on visible weight day over day. Trichome coverage extends from sugar leaves out across the bud surfaces. Pistils start changing from pure white to white-orange at the oldest sites. Branches start bending under bud weight - if you have not installed support yet, install it this week before colas start tipping.
Week 7: Aroma peaks
Terpene production hits its highest concentration this week. Your tent or room smells like the strain at full strength. Buds continue to bulk but more slowly than week 6. Pistils continue darkening - most plants will be 30 to 60 percent orange-amber by end of week. Trichomes are mostly clear-to-cloudy. Begin the trichome inspection routine now, even though you are not at harvest yet, to baseline how fast they are changing.
Week 8+: Ripening window
This is the harvest decision window. Most strains finish here or in week 9; some sativa-leaning strains push to week 10 or beyond. Pistils are 70 to 95 percent orange-brown. Trichomes are mostly cloudy with the first amber heads showing. Stop nutrients. Watering only. Confirm harvest readiness signals with a 30x to 60x loupe before chopping.
Outdoor adjustment note
Outdoor flowering is paced by your latitude and daylight curve, not your timer. Most growers in temperate zones see flowering trigger between mid-August and early September and finish between late September and late October. See the outdoor flowering timing guide for region-specific timing.
Ideal Environment for the Flowering Stage
The flowering environment differs from veg in three meaningful ways: temperature stays in a similar range but with a wider day-night swing, humidity drops progressively as flowering advances, and VPD targets shift up to compensate. Get these right and your plant develops dense, resin-heavy buds. Get them wrong and you risk bud rot, fluffy airy buds, or premature ripening.
Temperature: 70 to 80°F (21 to 27°C)
Aim for 75 to 78°F (24 to 26°C) lights-on, dropping 5 to 10°F (3 to 6°C) at lights-off. Above 85°F (29°C), terpene production drops and trichomes can volatilize2. Below 65°F (18°C), bud density suffers and ripening drags. Cooler lights-off temperatures in late flower can deepen color expression in genetics carrying purple traits.
Humidity: 50 to 65% RH (the modern range)
The older cannabis literature still cites 40 to 55% RH for flowering. That guidance is outdated. Modern best-practice from licensed-producer environments and university trials lands at 50 to 65% mid-flower, tightening progressively as flowering advances. Run 55 to 65% in early flower (weeks 1 to 3), 50 to 60% mid-flower (weeks 4 to 6), and 45 to 55% late flower (weeks 7 to 8) to balance terpene retention against bud rot risk. Late flower is the rot-vulnerable window because dense buds trap moisture inside; that is where the drop matters most.
VPD: 0.9 to 1.3 kPa
Vapor pressure deficit is the actual driver of transpiration. Aim for 0.9 to 1.3 kPa during flowering - 0.9 to 1.1 early flower, 1.1 to 1.3 mid-to-late flower. VPD calculators take your temperature and humidity inputs and tell you the deficit. Lower VPD (too humid for the temperature) slows transpiration and invites mold. Higher VPD (too dry for the temperature) stresses the plant and shrinks buds.
Light: 12/12 photoperiod and PPFD targets
Photoperiod plants need a clean 12 hours on / 12 hours off light schedule with no light leaks during the dark period. PPFD targets in flowering sit between 600 and 900 μmol/m²/s mid-canopy under common LED setups, with research showing yield gains up to 1500 μmol with CO2 supplementation3. Without CO2, do not push past 900 - you waste electricity and stress the plant.
Airflow
Strong continuous airflow under the canopy and through the bud zone is the single biggest defense against bud rot, powdery mildew, and stem weakness. The measured effect is larger than most growers expect, and how bud rot actually starts explains why it works. Aim for visible leaf flutter throughout the tent without direct wind blasting any one bud. Use one oscillating clip fan plus one floor or wall fan for a 4x4 (1.2 x 1.2 m) tent. Add a second clip fan for 5x5 (1.5 x 1.5 m) and larger.
How to Support Cannabis Plants During Flowering
By weeks 4 to 6 of flowering, well-grown plants carry bud weight their branches were not built to hold. The branches that handled this strain at week 1 are now supporting flowers 3 to 5 times heavier. Support is non-negotiable for any decent yield. The goal is to keep branches upright, distribute weight across multiple anchor points, and never have a branch snap because you waited too long.
Why support matters
Cannabis branches taper rapidly. The base is strong, the tip is weak, and the tip is exactly where the heaviest cola lives. Without support, a 100-gram cola at the tip of a pencil-thick branch will bend the branch 30 to 60 degrees by week 6, putting that branch outside the light's even-coverage zone and dragging it into the airflow shadow of the canopy. That cola loses density and increases rot risk.
When to add support
Install branch support no later than the end of week 4. Some growers install support at the flip on plants with a known stretchy structure. If your plant came out of veg with canopy structure built during veg or with a mainlined 8-cola structure, your branches will be more uniform and easier to anchor symmetrically.
Garden wire branch ties
Soft garden wire like the BudHuggers wraps around the branch about two-thirds of the way to the tip, then anchors to a fixed point below - typically a grommet on the pot rim. The wire holds the branch at the angle you set without crushing the cambium. A fabric grow pot with grommets like the BudPots gives you the anchor points; without grommets, you need to improvise with stakes or a yo-yo frame. This is where the work from veg pays off - BudClips placements from veg set the symmetric branch angles that make wire tie-downs cleaner.
Trellis netting (SCROG approach)
A horizontal trellis net positioned 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 cm) above the canopy at the flip catches stretching branches and locks them into a flat plane. By week 4 the branches grow through the net squares and the net supports each cola from below. Trellis works best when installed at the start of flower, not retroactively. It is the easier support method for tents with many plants because it does not require per-branch tie-down. For the full screen build, net height, and week-by-week tucking, see our step-by-step SCROG guide.
Stalk guy-wires
If the entire plant starts leaning - common in tall sativa-dominant strains in late flower - run two or three BudHuggers from the main stalk down to the pot edge at opposing angles. This holds the central column upright and keeps the canopy level under the light.
If a branch snaps mid-flower
If a branch breaks mid-flower, do not cut it off - a branch that is still attached can be splinted and saved, even this late. Support the weight, then follow our guide to fixing a broken branch during flowering for the exact splint-and-tape method using plant repair tape like the BudTape.
Watering and Feeding During the Flowering Stage
Flowering shifts nutrient demand. The plant stops building leaves and starts building dense flowers, which changes the ratios of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium it needs. Most home-grow problems in flower trace to one of three sources: overwatering as bud weight slows transpiration; running veg-strength nitrogen too deep into flower; or mistaking late-flower nitrogen depletion (which is normal) for a deficiency requiring more food. That last one catches almost everyone, so it is worth knowing why your lower leaves yellow in late flower before you reach for the bottle.
Watering frequency
Watering frequency drops as the plant approaches harvest. In a fabric pot, lift the pot to test weight before each water. Water when the pot is light - typically every 1 to 3 days mid-flower, stretching to every 3 to 5 days late flower as the plant slows transpiration. Always water to runoff (about 15 to 20 percent runoff volume) to flush salt buildup and prevent root-zone pH drift. Catch saucers should never sit in standing water for more than an hour. Overwatering in mid-to-late flower is the single most common watering mistake - the same schedule that worked in early flower starts saturating the root zone once bud weight slows transpiration.
NPK ratios for flowering
Drop nitrogen, raise phosphorus and potassium. Most flowering nutrient lines target around 5-15-15 to 5-20-20 NPK. Run the bloom blend full-strength from week 2 through week 6, taper to half-strength weeks 7 to 8, then stop feeding entirely the last 7 to 14 days before harvest (watering only). Excess nitrogen in late flower delays ripening and locks chlorophyll into the leaves, which carries through into harsher smoke4.
Calcium, magnesium, and the epsom salt question
Calcium and magnesium demand stays high through flowering. Calcium deficiency shows as brown-edged sugar leaves; magnesium shows as interveinal yellowing on mid-canopy leaves. Both deficiencies are common with reverse osmosis water or with synthetic salt fertilizers that lack Cal-Mag. Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate, 1 teaspoon per gallon / 5 ml per 4 liters) is a quick fix for magnesium only. It does not address calcium. A proper Cal-Mag supplement covers both.
The flushing debate
"Flushing" - feeding only plain water for the last 1 to 2 weeks before harvest - is contested. Proponents argue it forces the plant to consume stored nutrients in its tissues, yielding cleaner-tasting bud. Controlled trials have found no consistent flavor or potency difference between flushed and unflushed cannabis when harvested at the same trichome maturity. The practical rule: gradual taper to plain water in the last week and stop feeding when trichomes turn cloudy. Whether you call it flushing or tapering, the outcome is the same.
5 Common Cannabis Flowering Stage Mistakes
These are the mistakes I see most often in home grows. None of them ruin a plant alone, but stacked together they take 30 to 50 percent off a grow's potential.
Treating flowering like an extension of veg
Flowering is not "veg plus buds." The plant's hormonal balance, nutrient demand, and structural priorities all change at the flip. Keep running veg-strength nitrogen into week 4 and you delay bud initiation. Keep trying to widen the canopy with new training and you stress the plant during its most committed energy phase. Lock the canopy at the flip, switch to a bloom NPK ratio by week 2, and let the plant commit. For what a bloom NPK ratio should be and how to feed during flowering, we lay out the numbers.
Adding new LST after the flip
Training stops at the flip - first two weeks of flower max for any minor tucks. After that you support, you do not reshape. New BudClips placements on stretching branches at week 3 or beyond stress the plant exactly when it should be ramping bud production. If your canopy is uneven at the flip, that is the price of an incomplete veg. Resist the urge to fix it now; topping cannabis and structural training belong to veg, full stop.
Aggressive defoliation late in flower
Mid-flower defoliation at days 21 to 25 is a known technique with research backing. Heavy defoliation at week 6 or 7 is not the same thing. By late flower the plant cannot replace fan leaves before harvest, and removing them deprives the plant of the photosynthesis it needs to finish bud bulking. Light leaf-pruning to open up airflow is fine. Full schwazzing in week 7 is a mistake.
Light leaks during the dark period
Photoperiod cannabis needs an uninterrupted dark period. Even small light leaks - a power LED on a fan controller, a sliver of light under the tent door - can revert the plant to veg-like growth ("re-veg") or trigger hermaphroditism. Test for leaks: stand inside the tent during lights-off, eyes adjusted, and look for any visible light source. If you can see it, fix it.
Harvesting too early on calendar alone
The strain pack number is a reference, not a finish line. Plants harvested 1 to 2 weeks early have noticeably lower potency, lighter aroma, and less density. Confirm trichome readiness with a 30x to 60x loupe. The standard call: 80 to 90 percent cloudy trichomes, with amber heads starting to appear on the sugar leaves before the bud surface.
The Science of Cannabis Flowering
Cannabis is a short-day plant. The cannabis flowering stages are governed by photoperiod signaling, a stretch driven by plant hormones, and resin production by specialized glandular trichomes. Each of these has decades of plant-biology research behind it - cannabis-specific peer-reviewed work has grown rapidly since 2015.
Photoperiodism and phytochrome signaling
Plants sense day length through phytochromes, a family of light-sensitive proteins in leaf cells. Phytochrome exists in two states: Pr (red-light absorbing) and Pfr (far-red absorbing). During the day, light keeps phytochrome in the Pfr form. During darkness, Pfr slowly converts back to Pr. When nights become long enough that conversion finishes before sunrise, the plant interprets it as a short-day signal and begins flowering1. This is why even brief light interruptions during the dark period - the "light leaks" mistake - can prevent or revert flowering: they reset the phytochrome clock.
Why plants stretch (auxins and gibberellins)
The 2-to-3-week post-flip stretch is driven by gibberellin accumulation. Gibberellins are plant hormones that promote cell elongation in stems and internodes. The flip releases gibberellin synthesis from the photoperiod-mediated suppression it experienced during veg, producing the rapid internode extension you see in weeks 1 to 3. Auxins, produced primarily at branch tips, control apical dominance and the direction of growth. When apical dominance is intact, the central cola gets most of the auxin priority; topping or LST during veg redirects this hormone distribution5, which is why low-stress training produces an even multi-cola canopy.
Trichome biology and resin production
Cannabis resin is produced by specialized cells called glandular trichomes, which sit on the surface of sugar leaves, calyxes, and bract tissue. These glandular cells synthesize cannabinoids (THC, CBD, CBG, and others) and terpenes inside a sealed bulb at the trichome tip. Trichome maturation follows a predictable color progression: clear (immature, low THC), cloudy/milky (peak THC, dominant target for harvest), and amber (CBN conversion, more sedative profile). A landmark 2020 study6 mapped the morphology and metabolite trajectory of cannabis glandular trichomes through flower maturation, confirming the standard cloudy-trichome harvest call has biochemical support.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is the cannabis flowering stage?
Most photoperiod strains finish flowering in 8 to 10 weeks from the flip. Indica-dominant strains lean shorter (7 to 9 weeks), sativa-dominant strains lean longer (10 to 12 weeks). Autoflowers compress the entire grow cycle into 8 to 12 weeks from seed, of which 5 to 7 weeks is the flowering phase. Treat strain pack timing as a reference and confirm harvest with trichome inspection.
When does the cannabis flowering stage start?
Indoors, the cannabis flowering stage starts the day you switch your photoperiod lights from 18 hours on to 12 hours on. Visible signs appear 7 to 14 days later - white pistils emerging at branch crotches across the canopy. Outdoors, flowering triggers as natural daylight drops past about 14 hours, usually mid-August to early September in temperate latitudes. Autoflowers flower on age, not light cycle.
What is the ideal temperature for the flowering stage?
70 to 80°F (21 to 27°C) lights-on, with a 5 to 10°F drop at lights-off. Above 85°F (29°C), terpenes degrade and trichomes can volatilize. Below 65°F (18°C), bud density suffers and ripening drags. Cooler lights-off temperatures in late flower can deepen color expression in genetics carrying purple traits.
What is the ideal humidity for flowering?
Drop humidity progressively. Run 55 to 65% relative humidity in early flower (weeks 1 to 3), 50 to 60% mid-flower (weeks 4 to 6), and 45 to 55% late flower (weeks 7 to 8). The older 40 to 55% guidance is outdated - modern best-practice tolerates higher early-flower humidity for terpene retention and only tightens for the rot-vulnerable late-flower window.
Can I top during flowering?
No. Topping belongs to veg, full stop. Topping a flowering plant cuts off your developing top cola and forces the plant to redirect energy into recovery exactly when it should be committing energy to bud production. If your canopy is uneven at the flip, accept it for this run and plan better topping next time.
Can I do LST during flowering?
Only minor LST tucks in the first 2 weeks of flower, while the plant is still stretching. After that, switch to support, not reshape. Bending a hardened flowering branch risks snapping it or splitting the cambium. New training placements after week 2 of flower stress the plant during its most committed energy phase and rarely improve outcomes.
What week do trichomes form?
Trichomes start appearing on sugar leaves and around bud sites in week 4 to 5. Coverage expands across bud surfaces through weeks 6 and 7. By week 8 the trichomes are mostly cloudy with the first amber heads appearing on sugar leaves. Use a 30x to 60x loupe for accurate trichome reading; the naked eye cannot distinguish clear from cloudy reliably.
Why are my fan leaves yellowing in late flower?
Late-flower yellowing on lower and mid-canopy fan leaves is usually normal - the plant is mobilizing nitrogen out of those leaves and into the buds. This is called nitrogen senescence. Do not panic-feed extra nitrogen in late flower; it delays ripening. If yellowing hits sugar leaves or appears with brown spotting, you have a real deficiency. Otherwise, it is the plant finishing on schedule.
Should I flush before harvest?
Stop nutrients in the last 7 to 14 days, switch to plain water. Whether you call this "flushing" or "tapering" is a semantic argument. Controlled trials have found no consistent flavor or potency benefit from extended flushing compared to a simple late-flower nutrient taper. The practical rule: cut nutrients when trichomes turn cloudy and harvest at the same trichome maturity regardless of method.
What is VPD and what is the target for flowering?
Vapor pressure deficit (VPD) is the difference between the amount of water vapor the air is holding and the amount it could hold at saturation. It is the actual driver of plant transpiration. Target 0.9 to 1.3 kPa during flowering - 0.9 to 1.1 early flower, 1.1 to 1.3 mid-to-late. Use a VPD calculator that takes your temperature and humidity inputs.
Can autoflowers be supported the same way as photoperiods?
Autoflowers respond well to LST and branch support, but they do not tolerate topping or aggressive defoliation. Autos do not have time to recover from stress. Use branch ties (garden wire to pot grommets) and trellis netting freely. Skip the topping that photoperiod growers use during veg. Apply support at the first sign of bud weight on branches.
Why are my buds airy instead of dense?
Airy buds usually trace to one of four causes: light intensity below 400 μmol PPFD mid-canopy, temperatures above 85°F during mid-flower, low VPD (excessive humidity for the temperature), or premature harvest. Genetics also matter - some sativa-dominant strains produce naturally fluffy buds even under ideal conditions. Fix the environment for the next run; the current run will not redensify.
Where to Go From Here
The day you chop is the start of the post-harvest stage, which is equally consequential for final quality. Three short steps to lock in:
Harvest at confirmed trichome maturity (80 to 90% cloudy, first ambers appearing on sugar leaves). The full inspection process is in the harvesting workflow. Time-of-day matters too - chop at lights-on or early morning outdoor when terpene concentration in the trichomes is highest.
Dry at a controlled environment - the "60/60" rule (around 60°F / 60% RH) for 10 to 14 days. The drying environment at 60/60 guide covers the full setup including rack vs hang choices, airflow, and how to test for ready-to-cure dryness.
Cure for at least 14 days, ideally 30 days or longer for premium quality. Curing your harvest in jars with humidity packs (62% is the home-grow standard) preserves terpene volatility and smooths smoke.
If you want the branch support setup most of our flowering growers use, the BudHuggers are designed specifically for this stage.
Get the free Flowering Cheat Sheet
The three dials that decide bud density, the three ways to hold a branch up before the weight arrives, and the week-by-week from the flip to the chop. One page for the setup, one for the schedule. Printable, phone-friendly.
Get the Flowering Cheat SheetReferences
- Potter, D. J. (2014). A review of the cultivation and processing of cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.) for production of prescription medicines in the UK. Drug Testing and Analysis, 6(1-2), 31-38. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/dta.1531
- Chandra, S., Lata, H., Khan, I. A., & ElSohly, M. A. (2008). Photosynthetic response of Cannabis sativa L. to variations in photosynthetic photon flux densities, temperature and CO2 conditions. Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants, 14(4), 299-306. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12298-008-0027-x
- Rodriguez-Morrison, V., Llewellyn, D., & Zheng, Y. (2021). Cannabis yield, potency, and leaf photosynthesis respond differently to increasing light levels in an indoor environment. Frontiers in Plant Science, 12, 646020. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2021.646020/full
- Backer, R., Schwinghamer, T., Rosenbaum, P., McCarty, V., Eichhorn Bilodeau, S., Lyu, D., Ahmed, M. B., Robinson, G., Lefsrud, M., Wilkins, O., & Smith, D. L. (2019). Closing the yield gap for cannabis: A meta-analysis of factors determining cannabis yield. Frontiers in Plant Science, 10, 495. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2019.00495/full
- Magagnini, G., Grassi, G., & Kotiranta, S. (2018). The effect of light spectrum on the morphology and cannabinoid content of Cannabis sativa L. Medical Cannabis and Cannabinoids, 1(1), 19-27. https://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/489030
- Livingston, S. J., Quilichini, T. D., Booth, J. K., Wong, D. C. J., Rensing, K. H., Laflamme-Yonkman, J., Castellarin, S. D., Bohlmann, J., Page, J. E., & Samuels, A. L. (2020). Cannabis glandular trichomes alter morphology and metabolite content during flower maturation. The Plant Journal, 101(1), 37-56. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/tpj.14516
About the Author
Henrique Dias is the CEO and co-founder of BudTrainer. He is a mechanical engineer who also holds a graduate certificate in Commercial Cannabis Production from Niagara College in Ontario, Canada - the first college-level cannabis cultivation program in North America. Before founding BudTrainer, Henrique worked with Health Canada licensed cannabis producers, where he gained hands-on experience in cultivation, processing, and post-harvest management of cannabis at commercial scale. He started BudTrainer to bring that same level of craft to home growers through better-designed gardening tools and clear, science-backed education.
DISCLAIMER: Everything taught and sold by BudTrainer® is to be used strictly for legal purposes. We do not endorse the production of illegal substances and it is your duty to ensure that you are complying with the law. The words "hemp," "cannabis," "weed," and "marijuana" are used interchangeably to refer to the same plant (legal hemp with less than 0.3% THC) for the purposes of this lesson.
