How Long Does It Take to Grow Weed Indoors? [2 to 4+ months]

Last updated Jan 20, 2024

by Nebula Haze

“If I start growing cannabis today, how long until I’m holding my homegrown weed?” This is one of the most common questions we receive from curious soon-to-be indoor cannabis growers. How long does it really take to grow weed? What’s the cannabis growing timeline? The short answer is…

Infographic: The timeline of a cannabis plant's life, by GrowWeedEasy.com. This cannabis growing timeline works well for indoor growing, and applies to both autoflowering and photoperiod marijuana strains.

The Average Indoor Cannabis Grow Takes 2-4+ Months

  • Autoflowering Strains: 2-3 months
  • Photoperiod Strains: 3-4+ months

The long answer is: from Day 1 of your weed plant’s life to actually smoking your harvest, it can take… 8 weeks – 6 Months! That’s a huge range, right? That’s why most cannabis growers won’t give you a straight answer. The truth is, multiple different factors can affect the total time it takes until you have ready-to-smoke homegrown cannabis buds in hand. As you can see by the ranges, these factors can change you growing timeline by days, weeks, or even months.

Ultimately, How Long it Takes to Grow Marijuana Depends on the Strain, Desired Plant Size, and Grow Style.

Ultimately, How Long it Takes to Grow Marijuana Depends on the Strain, Desired Plant Size, and Grow Style.

This article will give you the total time breakdown, so you can plan out the details of your grow in order to achieve the harvest times you desire:

Today I will show you how to plan your cannabis grow so it takes the amount of time you want!

How long until you can harvest your cannabis buds? Usually 3-4 months.

What Factors Influence the Grow Timeline?

There are the 3 main factors that affect your cannabis growing timeline:

  • Strain (Genetics) – This is the most important factor to pay attention to when it comes to how long it will take to grow cannabis.
    • Autoflowering strains: These are a relatively new type of strain which growers can buy online. Autoflowering cannabis plants start making buds automatically on their own after a short vegetative period of just 3-4 weeks, then buds mature on a set schedule. Most autoflowering strains are ready to harvest about 2-3 months from germination.
    • Photoperiod strains: Traditional photoperiod strains give you control over the length of the vegetative stage and won’t start flowering until you “tell them” to. However, the strain does determines how long it takes for buds to mature after you initiate the flowering/budding stage. Most photoperiod strains have a flowering stage period of about 8-10 weeks, though the range of possibility with various strains is about 6-12 weeks.
  • Desired Plant Size (bigger plants need more time!) – This doesn’t apply to autoflowering strains, but when it comes to photoperiod strains, the grower decides how long the plant remains in the vegetative stage. If you want to grow big plants that produce big yields, you must think about letting your plants stay in the vegetative stage to get to the proper size. Therefore, the amount of time needed in the vegetative stage depends on the desired final size of plants. On average for most strains, cannabis plants about double in height after you initiate the  flowering stage, so plants should stay in the vegetative stage until they’ve reached half the final desired size.
  • Grow Style – If you’ve got an excellent cannabis grow setup, plants grow fast and healthy, minimizing the amount of time needed in the vegetative stage. When it comes to the flowering stage, genetics takes over and your setup can’t do much to speed up the process at that point.

A bigger cannabis plant can produce bigger yields than a smaller cannabis plant. As a grower, you want to let plants reach half the final desired size in the vegetative stage, then immediately initiate the flowering stage. Since most cannabis strains about double in size after that point, this helps ensure your plants are the right size (not too big, not too little) at harvest.

Jump to the Section of the Tutorial You’re Interested in:

  1. Before You Start Growing Weed – Get seeds and supplies so you’re set to start growing!
  2. Time Needed to Grow Weed, From Seedling to Harvest 
  • Germinate Your Seeds (1-7 days) – Learn about fail-proof methods to germinate perfectly in soil/coco or hydro.
  • Vegetative Stage (3-8 weeks, depends on strain & desired plant size) – In the vegetative stage, the cannabis plants are growing just stems and leaves. On average, most indoor growers vegetate their plants for 4-8 weeks. Seedlings are able to start flowering as early as 3 weeks from germination, but the resulting plants will be tiny. Most growers choose to let plants vegetate for longer because giving them more time to grow results in bigger plants, which tend to produce bigger yields as long as you have enough light to cover all the bud sites. That being said, you can still produce quite a bit of bud with a lot of small plants growing at once as long as you fill up your grow space.
  • Flowering Stage (average 8-10 weeks, depends on strain) – This is when plants start making buds. The length of the flowering stage depends heavily on the strain/genetics, with an average of about 8-10 weeks for most strains. Some strains are bred to have very short flowering stages (for example, most auto-flowering strains will naturally start flowering at around 3 weeks old and some are ready to harvest just 5 weeks later, for a total of only 8 weeks from seed!). Other strains take months in the flowering stage before they’re ready to harvest. Typically, longer-flowering strains produce higher yields and short-flowering ones tend to produce lower yields. Buds that are exposed to more light-hours have more time to fatten up, though that’s not always the case.
  1. Post-Harvest (This is when the smell/taste/look you love shows up) (1-2+ weeks) – After buds are harvested, they are dried for about a week then placed in glass jars to “cure” for 2+ weeks in order to achieve the best quality. This post-harvest processing dramatically improves the taste, smell and the perceived potency of the buds. It also reduces the chance of buds causing headaches or unpleasant “speedy” effects. Don’t skip this step! It will account for nearly 50% of your final bud quality! Learn how to dry & cure your buds to perfection.

A diagram showing the growing timeline of a cannabis plant, from seed to harvest

If you choose the right cannabis strain, you could be smoking your own buds as soon as 2 months from germination!

Your very own homegrown cannabis buds in hand

The life and timeline of a Photoperiod cannabis plant (infographic).

This infographic shows the timeline of an indoor cannabis grow, including how long it takes for each stage of life. Mainly aimed at photoperiod cannabis strains.

Download the infographic

Indoors vs Outdoors: Cannabis Growing Timeline

Indoor Growing: It takes 2-4+ months on average to go through the life cycle of a plant when growing cannabis indoors. You have a lot of control over your timeline, especially if you have dependable strains and knowledge of the process.

Outdoor Growing: Photoperiod cannabis plants are ready to harvest in mid-to-late Autumn, whatever time that is where you live. Autoflowering plants stay on a similar schedule indoors or outdoors.

When growing outdoors, the timeline to grow a photoperiod strain depends on your location. Specifically, the length of nights where you live. Photoperiod cannabis plants need long, dark nights to make buds. Most photoperiod cannabis strains start making buds in late summer, and are ready to harvest in mid-to-late Autumn (whenever time that is in your location). Therefore, most outdoor cannabis growers plant in the spring after the last frost, giving their plants as much time to get big as possible before the plants naturally start making buds in late summer when the nights get longer.

When growing cannabis indoors, you’re in control.

When growing cannabis indoors, you're in control. Like this cannabis plant in a mini DWC under a tiny LED. Big yields in a tiny space, fast harvest.

 

Before You Start Growing Weed

Total preparation time needed: Up to a few weeks

Here’s the breakdown…

Get equipment: 1 day – 2 weeks
This includes purchasing your equipment and/or waiting for it to show up in the mail. This goes much quicker if you buy everything locally, for example at a hydroponics shop or specialty gardening center. Once you have your marijuana growing supplies, you need to setup your growing area and equipment. A standard setup should take an afternoon at most. Depending on how you purchase your equipment and how quickly you get set up, you could be ready the same day. Or it might take closer to two weeks if you’re ordering online and have to factor in shipping time.

Check out proven examples of new grower shopping lists to learn exactly which supplies you’ll need to grow cannabis successfully.

Get seeds or clones: 0-4 weeks:
If you’ve found seeds in your bud or have instant access to genetics (like knowing a grower or buying seeds/clones locally from a dispensary), you’re already good to go. If you order seeds from a seed bank, it typically takes a few days to a week for seeds to arrive if you order within the country. If you order seeds from overseas, you should expect to wait 1-4+ weeks to get seeds. Shipping time depends on the shipper and how fast the mail gets delivered. Sometimes seeds get caught up in a country’s customs, or on a delivery ship, for weeks. Make sure to always order from a trustworthy seed vendor to ensure seeds arrive quickly and discreetly.

Although each of these cannabis seeds look different, they're all viable!

 

Time Needed to Grow Weed, From Seedling to Harvest

Total growing time needed: 2-4+ months on average

Here’s the breakdown…

Seedling Stage
Germinate your seeds: 1 – 7 days
Seedlings can sprout in as little as a day, but by 3-5 days, most seeds should be good to go. Occasionally, a seed might take as long as a week to germinate, especially older seeds. However, after a week a seed is unlikely to germinate. At that point, it’s likely a dud. If you have access to cannabis clones, you get to skip the whole germination step because a c.

Learn my fail-proof method to germinate your seeds in soil/coco or hydro.

Watch a quick gif animation showing the planting of a cannabis seed for germination, then patting the soil down gently

Cannabis seedlings grow faster in small containers, but they will need to be transplanted

Vegetative Stage
Vegetative Stage:  4-8 week average (but if you want big plants, it may take longer)

If growing with auto-flowering strains, your plants will automatically start flowering when they’re about 3-4 weeks old. You don’t really have much control over this.

For traditional (photoperiod) strains, the length of the vegetative stage is a matter of personal preference because the plant will continue vegetating, growing only stems and leaves, as long as it’s getting short nights. Most indoor growers give their photoperiod plants 16-24 hours of light a day to get them to stay in the vegetative stage. With photoperiod strains, you as the grower are the one to ‘flip the switch’ and get your cannabis plant to start making buds and enter the flowering stage by giving them long night periods. Note: Most photoperiod cannabis plants won’t start flowering until they’re at least 3 or 4 weeks from germination even if you give them flowering conditions, but other than that you are pretty much in total control and get to choose how long your plant spends in this stage.

When you start with a cannabis seed, even with an auto-flowering plant, you will always have at least 3-4 weeks of vegetative growth before any buds start forming no matter what you do. Here is an example of 3-week old cannabis seedlings.

Wait, how do I switch my plant from the vegetative stage to the flowering stage?

  • Give long dark nights to make buds grow: Photoperiod cannabis plants start flowering (making buds) when you give them long dark periods every day, which simulates the long nights of late summer. You’re “telling” the plant that “winter is coming” and they better get flowering before it snows!
  • Put lights on a timer with a 12/12 schedule: Most growers put their grow lights on a timer set to a 12/12 schedule (12 hours on, 12 hours off) to automatically turn the lights on and off. As long as you prevent any light from getting to your plants during their ‘night’ they will start making buds within 1-3 weeks.

Growers generally allow their plants to stay in the vegetative stage from a few weeks to a few months in order to let plants get to the right size.

The size your plant achieves in the vegetative stage has a very large effect on your final yields since bigger plants produce more bud sites than smaller plants. However, you need enough light to cover all the bud sites or they will never develop properly. Light is like food for bud growth!

These vegetating cannabis plants are all about 4-5 weeks old from germination. Your plants may be bigger or smaller at the same age, depending on their care.

Some aggressively vegetating pot plants - healthy and happy!

To give you an idea as to what your FINAL marijuana plant may look like depending on how long it spends in the vegetative stage…

 

This plant didn’t spend any time in the Vegetative Stage. It was given 12-12 lighting almost immediately after sprouting. It’s so small that it spent its whole life in a solo cup, and its only light came from fluorescent lights. I weighed down the bottom of the cup so it didn’t fall over. It ended up yielding about 0.75 oz.

This marijuana plant was given 12-12 light from seed to force the plant to start flowering right away

 

These auto-flowering plants spent about 3 weeks in the vegetative stage before they automatically started flowering, and were ready to harvest just 5 weeks later. They were about a foot tall at harvest and yielded approximately 2 ounces each. Read the step-by-step tutorial to grow plants exactly like this.

Auto-flowering plants just before harvest

This marijuana plant spent about 6 weeks in the vegetative stage before being changed over to flowering and yielded just over 6 ounces at harvest. View the complete grow journal with instructions on how to grow your plant so it looks just like this at harvest!

Original Amnesia in regular light

 

These cannabis plants were vegetated for about 8 weeks before being flipped to the flowering stage. Although they were grown in the exact same conditions from seed to harvest, their final heights are remarkably different because their strains had vastly different genetics. The smaller plant produced 6.6 ounces, while the big plant produced 9.3 ounces. Strain can make a big difference! Learn about growing different strains together.

Example of growing different marijuana strains together

These cannabis plants were vegetated for about 9 weeks before being flipped, in the exact same setup as above, and produced over 10 ounces each. Besides an extra week of veg, the biggest difference between this grow and the one above was simply the strains.

A view of the cannabis grow tent on harvest day! These two plants each produced over 10 ounces of bud

This human-sized plant (one of my very first plants) spent a little more than 3 months in the vegetative stage before I realized I needed to turn it over to the flowering stage. It then spent another 12 weeks in the flowering stage before it was ready to harvest because it was a long-flowering strain. It got way too tall for its space (taller than me!) and started falling over. However, despite the huge size and more than 5 months of growth, it only ended up yielding about 6 ounces. This is because it was under weak CFL grow lights. Though there were a lot of buds, the lack of strong light made them airy, without a lot of weight. Click the picture for a close-up. 🙂

Example of a cannabis plant that got too tall and needed to bent over in order to continue maturing until the proper harvest time

 

Some people put their seedlings or clones right into the flowering stage if they want to harvest quickly though this makes for extremely small plants. For example, super-stealth growers who are growing in small hidden spaces – like out of a computer case – would want to put their seedlings into flowering nearly right away to keep their plants as small as possible. It’s also important to remember that container size and grow lights make a big difference. Small containers constrain the roots and keep plants from getting as big as they could, and small lights prevent buds from fattening up as much as they could.

I personally recommend at least 4 weeks in the vegetative stage with 18+ hours of light each day for the best results. Plants that are forced to start flowering sooner than 4 weeks don’t yield much compared to how much work you put in. That being said, keeping plants relatively small does have some benefits!

A good rule of thumb…

Your plant will likely double in size (maybe a bit less, maybe more) from when you first put it into the flowering stage; this is known as the Flowering Stretch. So make sure you end the vegetative stage before your plant reaches half the final height you want, or your cannabis plants may outgrow your grow space during the flowering stage!

 

Flowering Stage
Flowering Stage:  (average 8-10 weeks, length depends on the strain/genetics)

Here’s the breakdown…

Flowering Stage Timeline (Complete Flowering Stage Tutorial)

  • Week 1-3 – Transition to Flowering (for autoflowering strains, their vegetative period is kind of like this phase for photoperiod strains)
  • Week 3-4 – “Budlets” Form
  • Week 4-6 – Buds Start Fattening Up
  • Week 6-8 – Buds Ripen, Pistils Darken – some strains spend longer or shorter in this stage
  • Week 8-12+ – Flowering Ends, Harvest time!

The length of time needed to stay in the flowering stage depends heavily on the strain. Once you have switched your plant into the flowering stage they will stretch (the ‘flowering stretch’), form buds and then fatten.

Looking for something special? Learn how to find the right strain to grow.

Here’s a list of some of my favorite and best cannabis strains by the length of the flowering period:

Ultra Fast Harvest (Auto-Flowering Strains)

If you’re interested in a very fast harvest, most auto-flowering strains are ready to harvest 2-3 months from seed germination (faster than just about any photoperiod strain can be ready to harvest).

Harvest under 2 months from germination:

  • Blackberry Auto by Fastbuds – As little as 56 days from sprout, purple buds, great smell, excellent yields.
  • Gelato Auto by Fastbuds – Ready in 56 days from sprout, big yields especially for the timeline.
  • Green Crack Auto by Fastbuds – I’m not a huge fan of the name, but the strain is a solid choice for growers. Just 56 days to harvest with great yields.
  • Banana Purple Punch Auto by Fastbuds – Ready in 60 days, super purple, good yields, high potency/strong effects.

Harvest under 3 months from germination

  • Purple Lemonade Auto by North Atlantic – Super purple buds, citrus smell, excellent yields, ready to harvest 60-70 days from germination (wait until the full 70 days for the best potency of about 22% THC). Feels potent.
  • Pineapple Runtz Auto by Ethos Genetics – Around 22% THC with an assortment of other cannabinoids. Starburst sweet smell. Gorgeous sparkly buds. Ready in 70-80 days from germination.
  • Auto Ultimate – One of the most high-yielding auto-flowering strains I’ve grown so far, ready in about 70 days  from germination
  • Bruce Banner Autoflower by MSNL – Over 25% THC, ready to harvest in about 70 days, big yields. Ships from Europe.
  • Dos Si Dos Auto by MSNL – Ready in 75 days, THC above 25%. Sweet, fruity buds. Ships from Europe.
  • Pluto Cut Auto R F3 by Ethos Genetics – Over 25% THC plus about 5% other more exotic cannabinoids for a total cannabinoid content around 30%. Feels very potent, strong body effects. Tends to stay relatively short, with excellent yields. Ready in 80 days. Ships out of the US.

Short Flowering Period (6-8 weeks)

  • Northern Lights #10 – Known for being especially easy to grow.
  • Candy Kush Express Fast – Royal Queen Seeds created this masterpiece which produces sparkly delicious buds and only needs about 7 weeks in the flowering stage.
  • Green Poison CBD – High-yielding, medical, high-CBD, medium-THC strain.
  • White Widow x AK-47 Fast – Based on the famous White Widow strain but with a much faster finish.
  • Blueberry Cheese – This version of Blue Cheese is fast flowering and easy to grow, yet buds are extra potent and produce great effects. It stretches a lot in the flowering stage, so initiate flowering a bit earlier than normal. However, it rewards you by filling all those branches with fat buds, and produces excellent yields.
  • Frisian Dew – One of the best strains for outdoor growing (and buds may turn pink or bright purple!). Smells and looks amazing.
  • Shiskaberry – A gem by Barney’s Farm, this strain “lifts you up” and causes a strong “head high” that can be a great way to relax after a tough day, or for when you want to get in a creative mood.

Frisian Dew plant growing outdoors with deep purple buds

Example of a mid-size outdoor Frisian Dew cannabis plant

Medium Flowering Period (8-10 weeks)

  • Critical Purple Kush – I just finished a grow with this strain and it impressed me. The buds did not turn purple but the smell, yields, and potency of buds were outstanding.
  • Peyote Wi-Fi CBD – Medical strain, has a CBD:THC ratio of 2:1 (twice as much CBD as THC).
  • Dos Si Dos –  A California strain that has been bred by Barney’s Farm into seeds that are consistently easy to grow and resistant to most common cannabis growing problems.
  • Pineapple Chunk – An award-winning strain that’s fruity, vigorous, and potent. The yields are not necessarily the highest, but it’s worth it for the quality of buds. I’ve grown this strain in many different setups and buds always come out great.
  • Liberty Haze – An award-winning strain that’s curiously strong. It’s one of the few “haze” cannabis strains that doesn’t take forever to finish flowering.
  • Gelat.OG – A cross between Gelato and OG Kush; two extremely popular strains in the US on the west coast. Finishes on the faster side, yet still produces great yields, potency, and smell.
  • Wedding Cake – A cross between various “dessert” strains including Girl Scout Cookies and Animal Mints. Buds look and smell amazing.
  • Gorilla Zkittlez – Another west coast favorite, this cannabis strain produces beautiful buds that are covered in crystals/trichomes. Also high yielding.
  • Peyote Critical – Yields were so-so yet buds produce powerful effects. It turned a bit purple when I grew this strain (pictured below in the middle), which was a delightful surprise, but the potency is what I remember.
  • Runtz Muffin – Easy to grow. Wants higher levels of nutrients in the flowering stage if buds start getting big, but rewards you with big yields, a strong spicy citrus smell, and great potency.
  • Mandarin Cookies V2 – This may be my current favorite cannabis strain to grow. The buds it produces are just outstanding.

Power Africa, Peyote Critical, and Critical Purple Kush grown in soil.

Mandarin Cookies cannabis plants produce incredible bud quality! Check out the last batch I grew. They were mouth-watering.

Mandarin Cookies cannabis plants produce incredible bud quality! Check out the last batch I grew. They were mouth-watering.

Long Flowering Period: (10-14+ weeks)

  • Many Haze strains, as well as Sativa strains, and generally any strains that originated near the equator or from Southeast Assia.
  • Golden Tiger – A cross between some of the best known Haze strains, Malawi and Thai. If you want to try something different that is almost impossible to find in the US or Europe, this is it. It produces psychedelic effects that defy its cannabinoid content. May be too intense for some people. However, the flowering stage lasts 12-14 weeks.

In general, most strains (besides auto-flowering strains) are in the medium range as far as how long they take to flower.

It’s not exact – There’s a 2-3 week harvest window for most plants, and keeping your plants in the flowering stage for a bit longer tends to increase your yields. This is because the plants tend to really bulk up their flowers once they’ve become ‘ripe’.

So often times, even though you could harvest at the shortest recommended time, waiting an extra week or two will give you 10-30% more yield compared to harvesting as early as possible.

Utopia Haze is a mix of Brazilian landrace strains

The Utopia Haze cannabis strain is a very high-yielding Sativa

 

Post-Harvest (before you smoke you should do this stuff too)

Total post-harvest time needed: 2.5 weeks – 1.5+ months

Drying: 3 – 10 days
Good marijuana buds can be dried in as little as 3 days, but ideally, drying should be a slow process taking up to a week or more. Making sure your plants have been thoroughly dried (but not over-dried) will lower chances of mold during the curing process.

Curing2 weeks – 1+ months
Curing really seems to make the effects of buds feel less ‘speedy’ and be better suited to medical applications like treating anxiety, reducing pain, and improving feelings of depression.

Additionally, curing gets rid of any ‘cut grass’ smell, harsh taste and other undesirable traits of some freshly dried buds. Over time with proper curing, those traits will be replaced by the ‘real’ smell and potency profile of your buds.

Two weeks is considered the minimum time to cure your buds, but I usually cure all my buds for at least a month, because for most strains, the buds continue to improve for several weeks.

So, after you’ve bought seeds and equipment, grown a plant from seed to harvest, trimmed, dried and cured your buds, that brings us back to the original answer…

Total Time to Grow Your Own Weed:
8 weeks – 5+ Months

Average Time to Grow (and Be Ready to Smoke) Your Own Weed:
3 – 5 months

Gorgeous marijuana buds

If you haven’t started growing your own weed yet, today is the day!

Read the complete guide to the basics of growing

Example of several different strains in hand

Get a shopping list of all the supplies you need to start growing today!

Meet the Author Nebula Haze

Nebula Haze is the co-founder of GrowWeedEasy.com and your seasoned guide through the sometimes-confusing world of indoor cannabis cultivation. Since 2010, Nebula has documented every part of the cannabis grow process with pictures and clear simple instructions, so anyone can learn for free how to grow great weed at home. Her unwavering commitment to the home growing community is rooted in a deep-seated passion for the plant and an earnest desire to share her knowledge with the world.

Learn More!

Hungry for more insights on growing your own weed indoors? You’re in luck! Dive into our complete list of articles at GrowWeedEasy.com for a treasure trove of tips, tricks, and detailed guides that cater to every stage of your cannabis cultivation journey. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine your green thumb, our resources are designed to guide you every step of the way.

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Jump to….

New Grower Shopping Lists – What You Need to Get Started

Organic Super Soil Guide – Just Add Water

How to Grow a Pound of Cannabis – Step-by-Step Instructions from Seed to Harvest

How to Train Your Plants for Bigger Yields – Free Way to Increase Your Harvest!

7 Tips for Growing Top-Shelf Buds – How to Grow Better Cannabis than the Dispensary!

 


 

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