# Flowering stage

> The reproductive phase of the cannabis life cycle, from the switch to flowering until harvest, during which the plant stretches, builds buds and ripens resin.

- Canonical: https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/flowering-stage.html
- Also written: flowering phase, flower stage, bloom, bloom phase, flowering period, in flower
- Glossary category: Plant biology
- Status: Draft: awaiting expert review · Updated: 2026-10-31
- Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/), attribute "GenetixBay cannabis glossary"

The flowering stage is the period when a cannabis plant produces its inflorescences. In [photoperiod plants](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/photoperiod.md) it begins when the night becomes long enough; in [autoflowers](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/autoflower.md) it begins at a set age. It ends at harvest, or, for seed crops, at seed maturity.

## In practice

Indoors, a typical photoperiod flower runs 7-10 weeks for most [hybrids](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/hybrid.md) and 11-16 weeks or more for some long-flowering equatorial types. It falls into rough phases:
- **Transition and stretch (weeks 1-3)**: rapid elongation, often 50-200% height gain, first clusters of stigmas.
- **Bulking (weeks 3-6 or so)**: bud mass and [trichome](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/trichome.md) density build fast.
- **Ripening (final 2-3 weeks)**: bracts swell, [trichome heads](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/trichome-heads.md) turn cloudy then partly amber, fan leaves may yellow.

Climate shifts with it: [RH](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/relative-humidity.md) typically drops from about 50-60% early to 40-50% late to protect dense colas from botrytis.

House position: the last weeks are when the plant packs on most of its final weight and resin. Keep feeding ([taper nitrogen](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/nitrogen-taper.md) rather than starving the plant) and keep the lights on. See [the flush debate](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/harvest-cure/flush-debate.md).

## Don't confuse with

- **Pre-flowering**: early single flowers at nodes during veg.
- **Flip**: the act of changing the light schedule.
- **Senescence**: the ageing at the end of flower, not the whole stage.

## Related terms

[Photoperiod](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/photoperiod.md), [Autoflower](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/autoflower.md), [Pre-flower](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/pre-flower.md), [Senescence](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/senescence.md), [Harvest window](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/harvest-window.md)

## Read more

- [The cannabis life cycle, stage by stage](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/basics/life-cycle.md)
- [Building a cannabis feed by stage: ppm targets per element and how to hit them](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/nutrients/feed-by-stage.md)

## Sources

1. Spitzer-Rimon B, Duchin S, Bernstein N, Kamenetsky R. 2019. Architecture and florogenesis in female Cannabis sativa plants. Frontiers in Plant Science 10:350. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2019.00350
2. Aizpurua-Olaizola O, Soydaner U, Öztürk E, et al. 2016. Evolution of the cannabinoid and terpene content during the growth of Cannabis sativa plants from different chemotypes. Journal of Natural Products 79(2):324-331. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26836472/