by Jorge Cervantes
Twelve Week Grow Scenario
Week One: First Week of Vegetative Growth
Light/dark: 18 hour day, 6 hours night
Light intensity: 400-watt lamp to 24-30 above tender plants.
Temperature: 75F day, 72F night
Humidity: 60% day, 60% night
pH: 6-6.5 pH soil, 5.5 pH hydro
Water: Keep growing medium evenly moist s that roots stay wet but still have enough oxygen to take in nutrients. Be very careful not to overwater the limited number of roots or let tender roots dry out. Irrigate with enough water so that 10-20% flows out the bottom of the container. Do not let plants sit in standing water.
Do: Keep growing medium evenly moist.
Don’t: Overwater and make soggy soil.
Fertilizer: Use your favorite “grow” nutrients for seedlings and use as per manufacturer’s instructions. Use any additives suggested by the manufacturer.
Growth Characteristics: During the first week of vegetative growth, plants develop a strong root system. You will see signs of upward green growth to. Now it is very important to keep plants from suffering water and temperature stress. Be careful and water only as needed.
Week Two: Second Week of Vegetative Growth
Light/dark: 18 hours day, 6 hours night
Light intensity: 400-watt lamp to 24-30 inches above tender plants
Temperature: 75F day, 72F night
Humidity: 60% day, 60% night
pH: 6-6.5 pH soil, 5.5 pH hydro
Water: Plants need a little more water now. Keep growing medium evenly moist. Be very careful not to overwater or let tender roots dry out.
Fertilizer: Use you favorite “grow” nutrients with higher levels of nitrogen growth as per instruction. Add any additives suggested by the company.
Growth Characteristics: During the second week of vegetative growth plants will continue t develop strong root systems, and green leafy growth increases notably. Now it is very important to keep plants from suffering water and temperature stress.
Week Three: Third Week of Vegetative Growth
Light/dark: 18 hours day, 6 hours night
Light intensity: 400-watt lamp t 24 inches above plants
Temperature: 75F day, 72F night
Humidity: 60% day, 60% night
pH: 6-6.5 pH soil, 5.5 pH hydro
Water: Plants need 16 ounces or more of water per week. Keep growing medium evenly moist. Continue to monitor water levels carefully to avoid overwatering and underwatering.
Flush on Friday of the last week of vegetative growth. Plants will need a good flushing to wash out any built up nitrogen in the growing medium. Leach plants in 4-inch pots with 3 times the volume f water as the volume f growing medium to wash out any built-up nitrogen in the growing medium.
Transplant: On Sunday, transplant clones and seedlings into 3-gallon containers. Transplant just before lights go out so plants have all night to recover from the shock. Move lights up to 24 inches or more above plants for a day r two until transplant shock is over.
Growth Characteristics: During the third week of vegetative growth, plants will continue to develop strong root systems, and green leafy growth increases substantially.
Week Four: First Week of Flowering
Light/dark: 12 hours day, 12 hours night
Light intensity: 400-watt lamp to 18 inches above flowering plants.
Temperature: 75F day, 72F night
Humidity: 50% day, 50% night
pH: 6-6.5 pH soil, 5.5 pH hydro
Water: Plants need 25 ounces or more of water each week. Keep growing medium evenly mist so that roots stay wet but still have enough oxygen to take in nutrients. Continue to monitor water levels carefully to avoid overwatering and underwatering.
Fertilizer: On Monday, switch to your favorite “bloom” nutrients with higher levels of potassium and phosphorus to stimulate bud growth; use per manufacturer’s instructions. Add any additives suggested by the manufacturer. Pay special attention to the dosage calendar.
Growth Characteristics: The first week of flowering growth, plants will recover from transplanting and develop roots and green leafy growth. Stems start to elongate as plants start to prepare to flower.
Diseases and pests may appear their ugly heads now. Inspect foliage and soil surface for signs of two most common problems, fungus, and spider mites.
Week Five: Second Week of Flowering
Light/dark: 12 hours day, 12 hours night
Light intensity: 400-watt lamp 18 inches above flowering plants
Temperature: 75F day, 72F night
Humidity: 50% day, 50% night
pH: 6-6.5 pH soil, 5.5 pH hydro
Water: Plants need one quart (1L) or more of water each week. Avoid overwatering and underwatering.
Fertilizer: Use your favorite “bloom” nutrients with higher levels of potassium and phosphorus to stimulate bud growth as per instructions. Add any additives suggested by the company, such as PK 13.14, for example.
Growth Characteristics: The second week of flowering growth plants will continue to develop root systems and green leafy growth increases. Fast-growing roots could start to poke out container drainage holes. Stems will elongate more this week.
Diseases and pests will continue to become more of a problem if the room is not kept clean. inspect foliage for signs of spider mites and other pests. Check soil surface for signs of fungus gnats.
Week Six: Third Week of Flowering
Light/dark: 12 hours day, 12 hours night
Light intensity: 400-watt lamp to 18 inches above flowering plants
Temperature: 75F day, 72F night
Humidity: 50% day, 50% night
pH: 6-6.5 pH soil, 5.5 pH hydro
Water: Plants need 1.5 quarts or more of water a week. Keep growing medium moist. Avoid overwatering and underwatering. But if growing in soil, you may need to water every other day or when soil surface is dry about an inch deep.
Fertilizer: Use your favorite “bloom” nutrients with higher levels of potassium and phosphorus to stimulate bud growth as per instructions. Add any additives suggested by the company.
Growth Characteristics: The third week of flowering growth plants will continue to develop roots and green leafy growth increases. Stem elongation continues but at a slower rate now. White fuzzy pistils on female plants will multiply and become more and more prominent. Remove plants with male flowers. Take clones now to pre-grow them for the next 8-week crop.
Diseases and pests will continue to become more of a problem if the room is not kept clean. Inspect foliage for spider mites. Check soil surface for signs of fungus gnats.
Week Seven: Fourth Week of Flowering
Light/dark: 12 hours day, 12 hours night
Light intensity: 400-watt lamp to 18 inches above flowering plants
Temperature: 75F day, 72F night
Humidity: 50% day, 50% night
pH: 6-6.5 pH soil, 5.5 pH hydro
Water: Plants need 2 quarts (2L) or more of water per week. Keep growing medium evenly moist. Monitor water levels carefully. Growing medium could start to dry out daily from now on.
On Friday flush plants with 3 times the volume of water as the volume of growing medium to wash out any built-up nitrogen in the growing medium.
Fertilizer: Most manufacturers advise to increase fertilizer dosage this week. Use your favorite “bloom” nutrients with higher levels of potassium and phosphorus to stimulate bud growth as per instructions. Add any additives suggested by the company.
Growth Characteristics: During the fourth week of flowering, plants will continue to develop roots but much more energy is put into flower / bud formation. Elongation continues but at a very slow rate. Calyxes with pistils continue to develop and buds fill in and growing really starts to get exciting now!
Plant seeds for next crop.
Diseases and pests will become problematic if the room is not clean. Inspect foliage for spider mites and other pests. Check soil surface for signs of fungus gnats.
Week Eight: Fifth Week of Flowering
Light/dark: 12 hours day, 12 hours night
Light intensity: 400-watt lamp to 16-18 inches above flowering plants.
Temperature: 75F day, 72F night
Humidity: 50% day, 50% night
pH: 6-6.5 pH soil, 5.5 pH hydro
Water: Plants need 2.5 quarts or more of water per week. Keep growing medium evenly moist. Watch water levels carefully and avoid overwatering and underwatering.
Fertilizer: Use your favorite “bloom” nutrients with higher levels of potassium and phosphorus to stimulate bud growth as per instructions. Add any additives suggested by the company.
Growth Characteristics: The fifth week of flowering, the plant will develop roots but much more energy is put into flower / bud formation. Stem elongation continues but at a very slow rate. Calyxes continue to develop and buds continue to fill in. Large older leaves may start to yellow now.
Diseases and pests will become problematic if the room is not kept clean. Inspect foliage for spider mites and other pests.
Week Nine: Sixth Week of Flowering
Light/dark: 12 hours day, 12 hours night
Light intensity: 400-watt lamp to 16-18 inches above flowering plants
Temperature: 75F day, 72F night
Humidity: 50% day, 50% night
pH: 6-6.5 pH soil, 5.5 pH hydro
Water: Plants need 2.5 quarts or more per week. Keep growing medium evenly moist. Monitor water levels carefully to avoid overwatering and underwatering.
Fertilizer: Use your favorite “bloom” nutrients with higher level f potassium and phosphorus to stimulate bud growth as per instructions. Add any additives suggested by the company.
Growth Characteristics: This is the sixth week of flowering growth. Plants put much energy into flower / bud formation. Stem elongation continues, but very slowly. Calyxes with white fuzzy pistils continue to develop, and buds start to put on weight. Larger leaves continue to yellow and discolor.
Remove bottom branches that impair air circulation between plants to guard against fungus.
Diseases and pests will become problematic if the room is not kept clean. Inspect foliage for spider mites and other pests and diseases. Check soil surface for signs of fungus gnats.
Week Ten: Seventh Week of Flowering
Light/dark: 12 hours day, 12 hour night
Light intensity: 400-watt lamp to 16-18 inches above flowering plants
Temperature: 75F day, 72F night
Humidity: 50% day, 50% night
pH: 6-6.5 pH soil, 5.5 pH hydro
Water: Plants need 2.5 quarts or more of water a week. Keep growing medium evenly moist. Watch water levels carefully to avoid overwatering and underwatering.
Fertilizer: Use your favorite “bloom” nutrients with higher levels of potassium and phosphorus to stimulate bud growth as per instructions.
Growth Characteristics: During the seventh week of flowering growth, plants put energy into flower / bud formation. Stem elongation virtually stops. Calyxes continue to develop and buds really pack on weight; buds start to get hard and plump! Large leaves continue to yellow and discolor. Leaves around buds may show burned tips and become brittle, especially if given high doses of fertilizer.
Stress will slow growth, yellow and discolor foliage, and burn leaf tips.
Diseases and pests will continue if the room in not kept clean. Inspect foliage for spider mites and other pests and diseases. Check soil surface for signs of fungus gnats.
Week Eleven: Eighth Week of Flowering
Light/dark: 12 hours day, 12 hour night
Light intensity: 400-watt lamp to 16-18 inches above flowering plants
Temperature: 75F day, 72F night
Humidity: 50% day, 50% night
pH: 6-6.5 pH soil, 5.5 pH hydro
Water: Plants need progressively more water, 2.5 quarts or more per week. Stop watering 3 days before harvest too start removing water from growing medium, and plants will dry faster.
On Monday flush plants with 3 times the volume of water as the volume of growing medium to wash out any built-up nitrogen in the growing medium.
Fertilizer: Stop fertilizing this week and apply plain water to wash out built-up fertilizer from growing medium. Some growers stop fertilizing 10 days befre harvest to allow plants to use all the fertilizer so that buds, when smoked, do not taste like fertilizer.
Growth Characteristics: This is harvest week! During the eighth week of flowering plants will continue to develop roots but much more energy is put into flower / bud formation. Calyxes with pistils continue to develop, and buds put on more and more weight until harvest. Large leaves will be yellow, and smaller leaves could be discolored with dark tips.
Diseases and pests: Cut out any bud mold you find. Nothing can be done for latent spider mites and other pests. They will bunch up at the top of buds or escape out the end of the drying line.
Week Twelve: Drying
Once harvested, the crop must be dried. Manicure buds and hang them on lines or set on screens to dry. Store buds in airtight containers to preserve freshness.