Lighting Cycle

Natural sunlight is the best form of light for growing plants but, their life cycle can be better controlled with artificial lighting. The life cycle of the marijuana plant is determined by the hours of light per day. A young marijuana plant tends to grow fast if it is grown under continuous light for the first two months of its development. Although lamps should be kept as close as possible they should never be allowed to touch the plants. The best light for plant growth emits high intensities of blue and red bands. The amount of light you need to supply your plants depends on the size of the garden, at least 20 watts per square foot is recommended. Plants entering the vegetative stage enjoy up to 22 hours of light per day with 12 hours of less required for flowering.

The more light you give your plants the faster they will grower. You should also use a fan to cool down your plants if the lights in a small grow room raise the temperature too much. If there is insufficient lighting in the grow room plants will often grow tall and thin in search of the light. It is important to not wake you plants by switching on the lights if they are in the dark period of their daily light cycle. Although easy to control, the daily light photo period is the single most important factor in the growth of your plants.

Patience Pays Off

Don't harvest too early! Although it may be hard to see the buds and resin forming at a rapid rate without feeling tempted to chop them down do not do it. The problem being that another 25% of the weight will form in the next two weeks. Wait until the plants have totally stopped growing and the white pistils are at least 50-75% brown. Premature cannabis harvest can result in poorly dried marijuana and badly cured buds. Patience and restraint will result in a much more potent plant. Expert indoor marijuana growers should inspect their pot plants twice a day to determine when their weed plants should be harvested, dried and cured.

Indica plants have a week long window of harvesting opportunity before they become less potent. Sativa plants have a much longer harvesting time depending on the desired effect. Sativas often take 30-40 days longer to flower than indica plants. Plants should be hung upside down in a cool, dry, dark place for at least 48-72 hours. A small fan should be used to create air circulation. These critical final steps are the difference between amazing cannabis and poor quality. By demonstrating restraint and patience a grower will be rewarded with great product.

Remember, the later you crop your plants the more you may increase the likelihood of bacteria and fungal problems such as molds and mildews. It is only in the event of these types of problems, should your plants be harvested immaturely.