Understanding Cannabis Light Cycles

It’s common knowledge that flowering plants, cannabis included, need light to facilitate their growth. The light cycle for weed is an instrumental part of the plant’s development and a significant factor in your business yields. Hence, it’s crucial to understand how it affects the plant’s growth to use it efficiently.

Knowing how light affects your plants in the different growing stages of marijuana is crucial if you’re looking to grow your own weed. Essentially, there are two phases in the weed development process in which you should strategically monitor the cannabis light cycle; the vegetative stage and the flowering stage. 

Without proper management of your plants’ light cycles during these growth stages, your chances of getting a good yield are close to none. If you want to get started, this article highlights the lighting cycle for weed to help you understand how to grow weed properly. 

The Best Light Cycle For Vegetative Stage

The vegetative stage of cannabis growth is very vital for the success of your crops. Much like adolescence in humans, the vegetative phase in weed development is when the plant experiences most of its vertical growth. This stage can last between 3 to 16 weeks and focuses on establishing a solid root system, developing a strong trunk, and growing ample foliage. However, the plants don’t produce any buds at this stage.

During the vegetative stage, you’ll have to control the rate of plant development by manipulating the light cycle. The more light your plants receive in this phase, the better they mature and the bigger they become. The best light cycle for the vegetative stage is a minimum of 18 hours of light and 6 hours of darkness. Even so, if you want your plants to grow as much as possible, you could leave them under 24 hours of indoor lighting.

Cannabis plants don’t produce flowers until they start receiving 12 hours of continuous darkness. Therefore, marijuana plants can virtually stay in the vegetative stage forever if they keep getting more than 13 hours of light per day. 

Although light is essential for cannabis growth, it’s important to remember that other factors are also instrumental to their development. Thus, while it may be crucial to fine-tune the light cycles for indoor weed, it’s equally significant to maintain other essential elements for growing cannabis in your grow room. 

For instance, cultivators should regulate factors like the ideal humidity for cannabis growth and optimum temperatures for plant development. This is typically why many farmers cultivate their plants indoors for a few weeks before growing cannabis with natural light outside. 

The Best Lighting For Weed During The Flowering Stage

The flowering stage of cannabis growth is arguably the most exciting phase for farmers since they begin to see the fruits of their work. Depending on the strain, it can last between 8 and 11 weeks. For the crops to reach their full potential at this stage, you should maintain strict light cycles and spectrums. 

So, what is the light cycle for flowering weed?

Essentially, cannabis plants need 12 hours of full-spectrum light and 12 hours of darkness daily to begin flowering. Most indoor growers utilize the best light cycle for flowering stage after their plants have reached their desired height during the vegetative phase. 

Indoor weed farmers should ensure they mimic the natural growth pattern of their crops. For this reason, they have to manually ensure the plants receive 12 hours of light and darkness. Cultivating cannabis indoors also entails finding the best environmental conditions for keeping weed fresh.

Indoor cannabis farmers can take advantage of the red light spectrum during the flowering stage. These light fixtures are excellent for imitating the shallow angle of the sun during summer, which is when marijuana plants begin flowering. Doing this helps in the production of denser and more resinous buds.

On the other hand, growers who cultivate outdoors should let nature take its course. Even so, they must ensure their crops are not exposed to any light during their 12 hours of darkness. Exposure to floodlights and even street lamps could significantly disrupt the flowering period. 

Bottom Line

Whether you’re planning to grow weed indoors or outdoors, it’s crucial to understand the light cycle for cannabis. Doing this will help you define the best light schedule for maximum growth and yield from your crop. Similarly, indoor farmers must mimic other ideal environmental conditions, using tools like humidity packs for cannabis to increase the chances of success.

Cultivating weed can be a daunting undertaking, especially for novice growers. Furthermore, understanding the different light cycles can also be difficult and requires a lot of patience. If you stick to the tips highlighted above, you can be sure to find success on your way to becoming a successful grower.