Flowering time is the most anticipated stage for cannabis growers and refers to the stage when cannabis plants start to produce buds. Flowering time usually occurs after the summer solstice when the sun starts to set earlier in the day and is triggered by a reduction in light. Cannabis cultivators growing with regular seeds reduce the plant’s exposure to light to 12 hours a day or less, when it is time to trigger plants to enter the flowering stage.
Autoflowering seed strains convert to flowering time regardless of light exposure and typically experience a longer flowering time as they are in the vegetative state briefly. Different aspects may affect a plants flowering time such as light cycle, growing conditions, nutrients, and seed strain. Indicas usually have a shorter flowering time of about 7 to 8 weeks whereas Sativa strains have a longer flowering time of about 8 to 9 weeks or longer.