Various content you'll come across will all reference the key stages of a cannabis plant. The very first stages are the transition of your darling little seed into a tap root, a sprout, a seedling, and eventually a full on "plant" - cool right!?
Key Stages of Marijuana Plants
Seed / Germination
Germination is the process of 'activating' a seed. Cannabis seeds specifically are known as 'epigeal germination' because as the growing seed and cotyledons are pushed up out of the soil.
We have a full article on getting seeds & germinating seeds
Basically the seed is in a state of stalled life. Once the seed is exposed to water, which is absorbed into the hull and activates enzymes to activate and chain effect of life.
P.S. Not all plants start as a seed! Cuttings, or "clones" as the cannabis community calls them are spouted directly from the cuttings of another (often called 'mother' plant).
When it ends: As soon as a root emerges!
Tap Root
For those plants started as seeds, the first sign of life (outside a little swelling) is the emergence of a 'tap root.' For those germinating in water or paper-towel this is visible, and usually gorwn to 1/2 - 1 cm before planting. For those germinating in soil you will not see this stage.
What is important is that the seed is NOT sending UP a structure for light. It is sending DOWN a structure for firm footing and nutrients. The elongation of the hypocotyl (stem) causes the seed to be pushed up and out of the soil in our next stage.
When it Ends: As soon as the seed pushes above soil!
Sprout / Seedling
Is there a difference? Yes, only that from a seed (not clone) will ever be a seedling. But that seedling is also a spout - dig?
This stage is a plants first reach for light. The seed is pushed up and (ideally) shed exposing the first tender leaves known as the cotyledon. You'll notice these look nothing like a Marijuana leaf you know. The small pearl shaped leaves are there just long enough to jump-start the photosynthesis and sucrose generation.
Soon after the first true set of leaves will emerge as the stalk continues growing upwards. Each new growth is known as a 'node' where both new branches and flowering sites emerge.
When it Ends: Once 3-4 nodes (pairs) have established growth, I consider them out of the seedling phase, and ready for real light!
This plant above is just on the cusp, but not quite.
Vegetative
Once the 2nd or 3rd node arrives, usually after a week or so you can consider your little Seedling a plant. And the first half (or chunk) of that plant's life will be spent in this stage.
Vegetative state is all about GROWTH. Mostly upward growth, leaf growth. The plant wants to get itself as big as it can before autumn flowering begins. (the bigger the plant, the more flowers, the more seeds, the more offspring -- SURVIVAL!)
A Cannabis plant will stay in vegetative
state indefinitely, except for:
- 'autoflower' varieties, based on Ruderalis sub-species, automatically begins flowering 4-5 weeks into growth.
- 'photoperiod' varieties (all others) will only start flowering once darkness exceeds 10-12 hours a night. THis is why you hear many growers refer to 12/12, or "flipping to flower" is when they change lighting schedule to 12 hours light, 12 hours dark.
Flowering
Flowering differs for male and female plants (cannabis is Dioecious). Unless youre breeding for new seeds, you only want females as only the female flower is "marijuana."
Female flowering plants will emerge thin hairs known as bract or stigma, depending who's talking.
Pistils and stigmas are the female reproductive organs of the cannabis plant. The pistils are oval structures with a single ovule enclosed by bracteoles and bracts, and two hair-like structures growing at the tip called stigmas. The stigmas are that which serves to catch pollen
Those flowers will grow into the "hairs" you are familiar with on cured marijuana buds.
Harvesting
Harvesting, drying, and curing all comprise the final stage of a plants life, and worth of many dedicated discussions!
