From Seed to Flower

STORY BY ADAM STERN

From SEEDPHOTOGRAPHED BY NATE BLAIS to FLOWER

A Cannabis Plants Lifecycle

In the cannabis industry many people discuss seeds, flowers, bud, harvest, strains, and so much more. Within this article we will discuss the different stages of a cannabis seed’s lifecycle and the different stages a cannabis plant goes through before harvest.

The average plant’s growth from seed to ready to harvest plant ranges on several different factors from indoor to outdoor grow, what type of seed you are starting with, water and lighting methods, geography, and so much more. On average a plant’s lifecycle is anywhere from 2 and a half months all the way up to 6 to 8 months depending on crop yields, plant sizes and other factors mentioned earlier. Experienced cultivators and grow operations with clone ready seeds and a fully stocked facility can cycle plants as quickly as 10-12 weeks, cycling through several harvest, strains, and stages within different grow rooms or greenhouses.

The four most common and understood phases on a cannabis plants lifecycle are the germination, seedling, vegetive, and lastly flowering, after which the plants are harvested, dried, tested, and processed.

Germination

(1 day to 2 weeks) There are many ways to determine whether a cannabis seed is viable for growing a quality product, lead growers and cultivators within the industry spend lifetimes learning how to properly pick and create seeds and clones that create the high quality (and highly potent), products that we enjoy within the market today. As many former hippies would say “this ain’t your parents weed” and that is very true.

The processes that go into creating and picking the proper seeds and growth methods are far more advanced and controlled which is why our germinated seeds are so important to the industry to continue to provide high quality products for flowers and manufactured goods.

Once you have picked your seed and are ready to water, it should not take too long for a good quality seed to begin to germinate, or sprout. Once the seed has begun to show signs of life it’s time to plant the seed, again the type of soil, indoor outdoor, lighting all varies depending on the growers preferences.

Seedling

(2 to 3 Weeks) Once your plant begins to show signs of life and begun spouting and germinating, it’s time to plant the cannabis Seedling. This process can range from 2 to 3 weeks with an experienced grow

team, and we start to see real signs of life from the plant. At this point the cannabis seedling looks nothing like images we expect to see from a marijuana plant, it usually will start with two leaves sprouting from the stem with more leaves beginning to form from the center stem. Under the soil the plants roots are beginning to form and take shape and your plant has officially entered the seedling stage of life. This can be one of the most crucial stages as the plants are highly susceptible to mold, disease, overwatering, and over/under lighting. All these factors are again carefully monitored by an experienced grow team to ensure safety and quality standards.

Over the course of 2 to 3 weeks your seedling will continue to develop its roots and the flowers will begin to look more like the traditional cannabis plant with rigid leaves and begin sprouting more leaves as well as begin its vertical growth and lifecycle into the Vegetative State.

Vegetative Stage

(3 to 10+ Weeks) As your plant moves from the seedling stage to the vegetation stage the plant is moved from smaller nursery sized planters to larger full-sized planters to ensure the roots have room to grow and provide a base for your plant as it will begin to grow quickly. This is the stage where the cannabis seed starts to look like a true cannabis plant and will begin to grow and sprout new leaves and vertical growth rapidly before the plant begins to flower.

Again, each stage and each plant are closely monitored by a team of growers with years of experience determining how much water a plant gets, the PH balance, the type of nutrients and lights, and each grower and team has their own preference that create artistic flowers with unique names and terpene percentages.

Another important aspect to be mindful within this stage of the plant’s lifecycle is determining the gender of each of the plants and removing all male plants from the vegetative room, if this is not done there is a chance the male plants will pollinate and contaminate the flowers that are later harvested and dried to create the product of either flower or manufactured edibles, tinctures, and more. If all the male plants or pollen sacks are not removed in time, there is a chance your plants will begin to mate, and the flower will become covered in seeds and will not be a viable harvest.

Flower

(6 to 8+ Weeks) The flower stage can be one of the most remarkable and important stages within the plants lifecycle as we will begin to see the results of your week or months of hard work and care. As the cannabis plant moves from vegetative to flowering stages you will begin to see the marijuana leaves create sticky resonated flower buds. As we take a closer look at the flower, we can start to tell different features of the plants based on the color, stickiness, and clusters of trichomes (the little white hairs we see on the end of cannabis flowers and bud). All these factors will determine the affects of the flower, the strain, and the potency of the flower, these factors also affect the taste and flavor of each of the flower; some may have a lemony taste while others are much earthier.

This stage is highly dependent on timing and duration, the longer a flower is left to sit the more potent each bud can be, but on average the plant is ready to be harvested within 8 weeks. Harvesting and processing each of these flowers is not an easy process. For those who have touched or handled flower pre harvest or even a fresh flower after harvest, can be very

sticky, messy, and the stems can be hard to process and dispose of. Each state has different waste management and treatment methods to ensure the communities safety and to ensure the byproducts are properly cataloged and disposed of. The harvesting and drying procedures can take anywhere from 3+ days depending on the drying rooms and flower density.

The flowering stage is one of the most colorful and vibrant, as well as quite pungent, from the greens, reds, purples, and whites this stage it is clear why the cannabis flowers are considered an artform to many within the industry. The slightest changes in temperature, water, and climate can have amazing affects on the plants and create truly unique and wonderful products. Many growers spend their whole lives combining clones and plants to create some amazing and unique flowers and products that may only be sampled once in a lifetime. Understanding the process, time, dedication, and passion that goes into each and every one of these plants is truly astounding, and to think of where the flower started to where it is now it truly amazing. Whether you love, hate, or are simply trying to understand the industry, there should be no doubt that growing cannabis flower and products for the country is an artform that takes generations of knowledge and skills to create the wonderful and varied products we are able to pick up at our local dispensaries.

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