What Does a Marijuana Plant Look Like? All Stages Explained

A huge 47 of the 50 United States have legalized marijuana in some capacity. As these new laws pass legislation, the demand for cannabis is likely to increase. It’s a perfect time to consider growing your own supply.

If you’ve never dealt with cannabis before, you may find yourself asking what does a marijuana plant look like? While most people recognize its leaves, there are other parts of its structure that many do not know. To learn about the cannabis’ growing process, keep reading.

Stage #1 – Germination

The cannabis life cycle starts with germination, which is when you plant the seed in the soil. The seeds should be firm and brown, not squishy or a whitish-green color. You do not have to worry about this part if you are starting with a clone.

At this point, you don’t need that big of a space for the plant. You should plant your seeds during the springtime and expect to harvest them in the fall if you plan on keeping them outdoors. When you grow them in an indoor, climate-controlled area, it does not matter when you plant them.

What Does a Marijuana Plant Look Like During Germination?

The first thing you will notice when the seed sprouts are the embryonic leaves. They are tear-dropped shaped, and they absorb the sunlight to ensure that your plant continues growing.

Stage #2 – Seedling

Your plants won’t grow too much between the germination and seedling stages, just enough for the stem to grow one fan leaf blade. Be careful of how much you water it at this stage. Because the plant is so small at this stage, it doesn’t need that much.

Overwatering could lead to mold, which could kill your plant. You’re also going to need to move your plant into a bigger space because the next stage contains the most dramatic growth spurt.

Stage #3 – Vegetate

At the vegetation stage, you should be able to determine the sex of the plant. Females have bracts, which wrap around their reproductive cells. They are long, often brown, and have hairs called stigmas growing out of them. You’ll need to move the male plants away from the female plants because soon they’ll be able to pollinate them, and their seeds will get into the female’s buds.

Stage #4 – Flowering

Finally, the buds or groups of buds, known as colas, will sprout on your plant. This budding occurs when the cannabis plant starts to get fewer hours of light.

You can speed up the flowering process if you are growing your plants indoors by shortening the amount of light they get during the day. Using a growth box, like the Phototron, will save you the hassle of turning on and off the lights yourself. Learn more about Phototron and the outstanding results it produces before you start growing cannabis.

If you are growing your plants outside, you’ll have to wait for the days to start getting shorter. You’ll know it is time to harvest when the buds have fully formed.

Expand Your Cannabis Knowledge

So, what does a marijuana plant look like? Now that you know, you can expand your knowledge even further. If you are interested in growing cannabis in your home, there are some techniques you should read up on to help prevent the smell from spreading. There are also plenty of recipes you can try once you have harvested your plants and want to reap the rewards.