HOW LONG DO PHOTOPERIODIC CANNABIS SEEDS GROW?

When preparing for the cannabis growing season, one of the first questions to consider is whether to grow photoperiod or autoflowering plants. For many years,photoperiod sensitive cannabis was the only option. In this article, we'll break down exactly what photoperiodic varieties are, what they offer, and how long they take to grow.

What are photoperiodic cannabis varieties?

Photoperiodic cannabis plants are the source of most cannabis available on the market. Photoperiodism means determining the length of light to which a plant is exposed. Photoperiodic cannabis plants are thought of as cycles of alternating light and darkness.

It is no secret that cannabis plants need sunlight (or illumination) to grow and flower. They need it to carry out photosynthesis. The photoperiod of a cannabis plant is dependent on it getting the necessary hours of light to develop properly. Most photoperiodic cannabis varieties will flower when they have been in the dark for at least 12 hours. For faster growth, light cycles where the plant receives more light than darkness (20h/4h) are best. Once the stem reaches flowering stage, it should receive an average of 15 hours or less of light.

For plants grown outdoors, this means that they will start flowering in late summer and will be suitable for harvesting in September or October. Indoors, it is up to the grower to shorten the light cycle to 12 hours on and 12 hours off to mimic the changing seasons.

The difference with other varieties is that the development of photoperiodic cannabis seeds depends on the amount of light they receive. This makes them ideal for indoor growers who can easily influence growth with lighting. However, photoperiodic cannabis seeds also develop well outdoors if they receive enough daylight.

Growing photoperiodic cannabis varieties

Plants in this group can differ greatly from each other, but they share some key features. Photoperiodic varieties are better than autoflowering varieties in terms of size and yield. They are slightly more difficult to grow than autoflowering varieties, but the extra effort is usually worthwhile. Read the following information on the characteristics of photoperiodic varieties:

Appearance

Photoperiodic cannabis plants tend to be taller and wider than autoflowering plants. This is mainly because they have a longer growing season than autoflowering plants, which means that they can grow significantly in height and weight during the growing season.

Sativa plants are tall and have fan-shaped leaves with slender tips. In contrast,indica plants are more robust and have fan-shaped leaves with broad tips.

Harvest

Photoperiodic plants give different yields. Sativa-dominant varieties usually produce more flowers than indica varieties. A photoperiodic plant can also be kept in a vegetative state until you are sure it has the strength and structure to produce buds efficiently.

When grown, growers can expect sativa varieties to produce around 500-600 g/m² indoors. Indica varieties typically produce 400-600 g/m² indoors. Outdoors, most varieties reach 400-2000 g per plant, depending on the species.

Difficulty

Photoperiodic varieties require more care and attention. Growers need to plan in advance how long they want to grow the plant and prepare for changes in light cycles accordingly.

How long do photoperiodic cannabis plants grow?

If you are growing a photoperiodic variety, then it needs at least 8 weeks in the growing season to reach a certain height. Once the grower is happy with its growth, they can take it from the vegetative phase to the flowering phase by changing the light cycle.

Photoperiodic cannabis plants are generally more demanding to care for and require supervision and monitoring of various factors. However, this also allows you to manipulate the plant and keep it in the vegetative phase, giving you the opportunity to correct any mistakes before buds start to grow.

Cannabis sativa is native to the tropics. Therefore, these varieties respond very well to plenty of sunshine and a long growing season. Sativas are therefore less sensitive to changes in daylight hours because day and night are approximately the same length around the equator. Many sativa varieties can be grown from the start on a 12/12 day/night regime. Once their vegetative growth phase is over, they will flower under the same daylight regime without any problems. The disadvantage is that sativas usually grow more slowly and take longer to flower.

Unlike Sativas, indicas come from more northern regions. They respond more quickly to a 12-hour photoperiod and flower faster. This is due to the fact that they have adapted to growing in climates where cold sets in quickly once daylight starts to shorten. Some indicas flower on a 14/10 or 13/11 day/night cycle, but it depends on the variety.

In general, photoperiodic plants can be expected to have a growing season ofthree to 16 weeks and flowering for another eight to 12 weeks.

Growing photoperiod cannabis indoors

If you are growing photoperiod cannabis indoors using artificial lighting, care must be taken to adhere to the light cycles. Indoor growers usually use timers to keep their plants on a strict schedule. Although lighting needs may vary from variety to variety, indoor plants generally have a 16/8 light/dark regime during the growing phase and 12/12 light/dark during the flowering phase.

Growing cannabis with photoperiod outdoors

When growing photoperiod cannabis outdoors, it is important to have a good understanding of the light cycles in the area and how they change during the growing season. Use online sunrise and sunset calendars to find out when you will get the most sunlight and when your plants will get enough light during the growing season. This will make it easier to time seed germination, planting and harvesting.

Is photoperiodic cannabis a good choice?

Photoperiodic cannabis varieties have been developed to mature according to the light cycles during the growing season. During the growing phase they like long days and plenty of light, but as the days get shorter and the nights get longer, they begin their final life cycle and start to produce flowers. Deciding whether to choose photoperiod seeds for your next grow depends on the conditions you can create for them and your personal preferences. If your environment allows for adjustable light cycles, plenty of room to grow and careful control, then a photoperiod plant will produce a larger crop and thicker buds. Whether you choose to grow indoors or outdoors, paying close attention to the light needs of your plants is a crucial step to growing cannabis successfully.