Essential Tips on How to Transition From Vegetative to Flowering Stage

For those new to growing marijuana, transitioning from the vegetative stage to the flowering stage can be challenging.

Below, we provide essential tips to help you make this transition smoothly, along with key insights about the marijuana growing process.

Autoflowering strains do not require changes to light cycles to initiate flowering, as they transition to the flowering stage automatically after a certain period of growth. However, providing an optimal light schedule, such as 18-24 hours of light per day, can maximize their growth and yield

As a result, autoflowering strains produce significantly higher yields in indoor environments where light exposure can be optimized. 

Flowering a plant too early can impact the yield and potency in a negative manner. There is a period of time where it will be best to flower your marijuana plants.

Beginners might have to deal with accidental flowering during vegetative if they do not keep light cycles consistent.

How To Transition From Vegetative To Flowering

Transitioning from the vegetative stage to the flowering stage must be timed correctly.

Most seeds you purchase will include information on the recommended number of days the plant should remain in the vegetative stage.

In the same way, the seeds will often tell you how long the plant will stay in the flowering phase.

Keeping in mind that the vegetative stage is around 2 to 4 weeks depending on the strain of cannabis you are growing.

You want the plant to establish a healthy root system before transitioning to flowering so the plant can support itself.

Indoors, it’s important to consider the size of the container you’re using for growing. A general guideline is to allow about one week of growth per gallon of soil, ensuring the plant has enough time to establish before flowering begins.

Growing outdoors allows nature to naturally transition your plants into the flowering stage.

The vegetative stage for outdoor growing requires planting at the appropriate time of year. Starting seeds in the summer ensures that natural light cycles will support growth, leading to a harvest around October.

Indoor grows are going to be very different as you can plant the seeds at any point as you will be controlling the environment.

You will likely need to reduce the light schedule from 18 hours to 12 hours per day to initiate the flowering stage, which can last up to 10 to 11 weeks depending on the strain.

Autoflowering strains can grow indoors or outdoors and need no switches in light time. Take your time as a first-time grower to see if you can maintain the plants rather than worrying if it is time to put your plants into the flowering stage.

If you want to drive up the yield make sure your autoflowering seeds are of a strain like Amnesia Haze which has massive yields per plant.

Factors That Can Impact Yield And Potency

Seeds need to have strong genetics and should be of a strain that will thrive in your climate if growing outdoors.

There are states like Florida that might be too humid to grow a strain like OG Kush outdoors as the strain thrives in dryer environments that can be likened to Southern California.

Triangle Kush is an example of a strain that can grow well in Florida as the strain was originally bred there.

Nutrients should be used when growing in any condition as they can help your plants immensely. Too much of a good thing can be negative as you can actually damage them from adding too many nutrients.

Nutrient burn can happen on the leaves of the plant and can impact yield negatively.

Using too many chemicals or products near the harvest period can also impact the taste of your marijuana negatively.

Too much water is something that most people wouldn’t think could impact your yield in a negative manner.

Watering your plants during their dark hours is essential to ensure they can fully absorb the moisture.

Rainfall can also serve as sufficient watering for the day.

Additionally, it’s crucial to keep your grow tent well-ventilated to prevent excessive humidity, which can encourage mold growth on your plants.

Flowering your marijuana plants too early can lead to far lower yields. You want your plants to be strong before you start flowering them.

Research the strains that you are growing to make sure you fill your tent with plants that are similar to grow. This could also impact when you are supposed to plant your seeds outdoors if you want to harvest during the same time at the end of the season.

Growing Premium Cannabis Yourself

Learning to grow cannabis is a process as there are many factors that impact quality, yield, and potency.

Something as simple as seed genetics can set a grow up for failure as inferior genetics make for very sensitive and nondurable plants.

Finding seeds of the best quality is going to be of paramount importance. You should only rely on reputable seed banks online or seeds that you find at a dispensary.

The best seeds will have deep genetics and a lineage that makes it fun to grow. Trusting a seed seller on social media is a great recipe to grow a strain where you do not know what it is.

CTU offers top online marijuana growing classes so you can hone your skills from the comfort of home. Our courses will allow you to learn every phase of cultivating cannabis and even covers things like curing and clipping. Growing incredible marijuana can lead to more professional opportunities in a flourishing industry that can provide job security for yeasr to come.

Luis Cordova

Luis Cordova is a distinguished author, and renowned expert in cannabis cultivation, who possesses a Master’s degree in Plant Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Science. As a valued contributor to highly esteemed publications such as Cannabis Training University and Maximum Yield Magazine, Luis has emerged as a trusted source of guidance and knowledge in the cannabis industry. Having written thousands of informative articles, Luis is widely recognized for his comprehensive expertise on cultivating cannabis, both indoors and outdoors.