Growth cycle and plant stages:
In this article, we’ll be talking about the life cycle of marijuana plants and the various stages of growth that cannabis goes through on its (relatively) short journey to adulthood and maturity.
There will be several
Growth cycle and plant stages:
In this article, we’ll be talking about the life cycle of marijuana plants and the various stages of growth that cannabis goes through on its (relatively) short journey to adulthood and maturity.
There will be several major milestones your plant experiences. Knowing what these big changes are before you get there will help give you a better idea of what you can expect as you take care of your cannabis crop. It will also help you keep an eye on health issues as they arise.
With this knowledge, you’ll be better able to fix problems because you would know what the plant is supposed to be doing in a best case scenario. That being said, sometimes you might run into a problem you just can’t fix.
For one reason or another, a plant just won’t grow, and nothing you do can change that. But let’s get started with the life cycle of the cannabis plant. It never hurts to know what to expect.
Every life stage that your plant will go through comes with its own challenges and difficulties. By informing yourself about the differences in needs and behaviors of your plant in the various stages you will be more prepared to deal with anything that comes along.
Cannabis uses sexual reproduction to create seeds and spread them. Each single seed is produced by two parents. The cannabis seed contains genes from both the female and the male plants. The exception to this is when seeds are produced by a hermaphrodite plant, but that is a complex process at-home growers don’t need to worry about.
Beneath the waxy coat of a seed hides a tiny dehydrated plant, just waiting to be exposed to moisture and warmth. Once gets water and heat, it sprouts. Otherwise, it grows too old and dies. This is why you can’t keep seeds forever (although some seeds keep better and longer than others).
Alongside the tiny plant, seeds also contain a store of calories to start the plant out on its journey. This is known as the endosperm.
Tip: make sure to download my free Grow Bible for more information about cannabis life cycle
Cannabis seeds will lie dormant until they are exposed to water and light. The seeds themselves are fairly hardy, and should be able to survive well in a dark, cool place, given stable temperatures. A fridge or cellar is perfect. The most likely way to cause damage to seeds is low temperature: a temperature below freezing can kill cannabis seeds.
Related article: What are marijuana seeds
When you’re ready to grow your plant, expose the seeds to light and moisture. The exposure to light and water will activate a series of hormones within the seed and kickstart the growth process.
A single root grows down and splits open the outer shell of your seed, then reaches downward into the soil in search of water and nutrients. At the same time (or just after), a green stalk will shoot upward and two initial cotyledon leaves will appear.
Life cycle: Germinating
There are different kinds of seeds. Cannabis plants are called cotyledons. This means they have two distinct leaves on their sprout, and they belong to the dicotyledonous group of plants. Read the article How To Germinate Marijuana Seeds for more info.
As a sprout, the cannabis plant has two meristems— one at the crown which is known as the “shoot meristem” and one at the root, known as the “root meristem”. The former will become stem and foliage while the latter will become the taproot.
Cell division occurs in the meristem cells of the plant. This is the foundation of plant growth. These multiplying cells occur throughout the plant but are heavily concentrated in the crown and the roots, where the majority of the plant growth occurs.
Typically, as meristem cells mature, they will solidify into a single type of cell: that is, they will become buds, roots, leaves or stems, but will exclusively produce those cells. Once a meristem cell has begun producing roots, for example, it will no longer have the ability to reproduce leaves or stems.
Despite this, it’s important to remember that meristem cells are essentially identical. It is only their location and the precise stimuli they are exposed to that make them react differently. This is an important distinction to keep in mind when cutting clones since the cells at the base of the cutting will become roots, and those at the top will grow into the rest of the plant.
Sometimes growers apply auxins like naphthaleneacetic acid to the plant. Auxins are rooting hormones which will help encourage root growth when a new cutting is just beginning to grow.
Information about storing marijuana seeds is also relevant and important for growers. Cannabis seeds contain the endosperm, and the tiny plant (comprised of the root, stem, and two leaves). Metabolically, the plant slows down and enters a static state, essentially putting itself into suspended animation. This allows the seeds to remain viable for long periods of time, but not indefinitely.
Tip: make sure to download my free Grow Bible for more information about germinating
All seeds are different, but, in general, cannabis seeds lose efficacy after a year or so. That being said, some could sprout even after a period of several years.
Moisture sprouts seeds
Moisture levels should be kept as lo