The question every new grower ponders before putting cannabis seeds into soil: How long does it take to grow cannabis? While there is no one definitive answer, we do know an average seed-to-harvest timeline that you can expect. However, with anything organic, there are always X factors that come into play that can delay or speed up the process.
In this guide, take a ride with me, your buddy Greg, while I break down how long the most pivotal stages in cannabis seed cultivation take and what you can expect on your way to a bountiful harvest!
There’s no definitive answer on how long it takes to grow cannabis due to several different factors. However, fellow growers have determined the average at 3-5 months for indoor and 5-6 months for outdoor. That said, it’s important to keep in mind that not all cannabis seeds and grows are created equal.
The combination of warm temperatures, air, and moisture creates the right environment for cannabis seed germination. Germination occurs once the taproot emerges from the seed shell as a result of the aforementioned conditions, taking anywhere from 1-7 days, depending on the right conditions and the viability and health of the seeds. [1]
Once the taproot emerges from the cannabis seed, it attaches itself to the soil, eventually culminating in the first set of leaves to appear. The developing cannabis seedling then makes great use of light and just a small amount of water during its life as a seedling. Higher humidity in the range of 60-75% RH is advised for seedlings and plants in the early stages of veg growth.
Photoperiod plants typically start an 18/6 light cycle, while autoflowers run the same light cycle or higher (many growers use 24 hours of light). The seedling life cycle can take anywhere from 3 to 15 days before settling into the official vegetation phase. [2][3]
The vegetative life cycle can last a while because it’s a lot of work building out the support system for the big buds your weed plants are going to start producing soon. While autoflower plants only take about 3-4 weeks in total to finish up their particular vegetative life cycle, photoperiod plants take longer due to their larger physiology. Depending on the strain, weed plants typically mature in 6-9 weeks. [2][3]
Once the switch to a 12/12 light cycle happens—either indoors or naturally as a result of the declining sunlight later in summer—weed plants begin flowering with buds within 10–15 days. [2][3]
During this time, preflowers will begin to appear on nodes and branches. Weeks 3–5 of flowering will start to present small bud formations. One study examined 200 THC-rich indoor weed plants to figure out the average length it takes to finish flowering: the total being 57 days or about 8 weeks under a 12/12 light schedule. [4].
Regarding outdoor cannabis plants, early-flowering strains like indicas are ready around August–September, while sativas and others that take longer can finish up as late as October–November, depending on the region. [5]
Knowing your strain’s typical timeline can help you plan your cannabis grow cycle more accurately—especially when deciding whether to buy autoflower seeds or stick with photoperiod strains.
Determining when is the right time to chop your weed plants down is based on trichome color and can’t be pinpointed down to an exact window of time. Whereas other crops can be ripe for the picking based on fruit color and size, the trichome heads full of cannabinoids determine ripeness for cannabis.
Trichomes are only viewed effectively at a microscopic level. Having a digital microscope determines the ripeness of cannabis buds the best. The general rule of thumb is to harvest with a majority of milky white trichomes with only a smattering of brown or amber colored trichomes in the mix. [6]
Drying your harvested cannabis, however, is estimated to take a certain amount of time. This is the process of hanging the branches from the plant with those lovely cannabis buds attached to them to dry. Keeping the buds in a well-ventilated room around 65-70°F and 50- 55% RH is ideal. This process is called dry trimming, and it typically takes anywhere from 4 to 14 days on average. Wet Trimming is drying your harvest after you’ve already trimmed it, and can lessen the drying time to 4-5 days since there is less material to manicure. [7]
Once trimming is complete, it’s time to cure your freshly manicured buds to enhance the terpenes, aroma, taste, and quality. Curing can take anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks or longer to enhance terpene and cannabinoid content. Different strains cure differently and can affect the amount of time it takes, while environmental conditions can also play a part in the curing timeline. [7]
Burping, or opening the jars each day for a few minutes, brings in fresh oxygen and removes remaining moisture. Repeat the twice-daily ritual of burping your jars for the first week or two, eventually phasing the process out until humidity levels around 55-65% remain.
Well, that was an exciting ride down the cannabis seed-to-harvest timeline to figure out how long it takes to grow weed! Now that you know what kind of time commitment to expect, you can also determine how long it takes on average to complete each life cycle phase for a weed plant.
As mentioned, there are a lot of outlying factors that will also affect these timelines, so please don’t treat them as gospel! Keep a journal of how long each phase took during this grow to determine a baseline for your next one to improve upon. The keys to a high-quality harvest are in your hands, but the team at Multiverse Beans is always ready to help should you have any questions during any stage of the life cycle!
Looking to get started or speed things up? Buy cannabis seeds online from Multiverse Beans—your trusted source for autoflower, indica, hybrid, and sativa strains. Whether you’re new or seasoned, we’ve got genetics for every grow timeline and harvest goal.
Explore our premium collection of cannabis seeds for sale online and learn how to grow cannabis of your own today.
