How To Grow Cannabis in the Autumn

Like most plants, cannabis loves the warm summer months, flooded with hours of radiating sunbeams. Crops planted during this time will be the biggest and best of the year but it is possible to add two additional growing seasons, one in spring and one in the fall. If you live somewhere temperate it may be possible to achieve this outside, while in other areas a greenhouse might be the only way to accomplish this. I’ll take you through everything you need to know about growing cannabis during the cooler autumn months.

Choosing A Strain

For these colder months grow periods it is wise to choose a strain that can thrive at lower temperatures. This could mean growing indica-dominant strains from mountainous areas of Asia that are much better suited to chillier temperatures.

Pro Tips:

-Use strains that thrive at colder temperatures. This means using indica rather than the sun-loving sativa.
-Use an auto-flowering strain to get 3 rather than 2 growing seasons.
-Purchase feminized seeds to remove the extra work of separating the males before maturity. If you do use a normal seed make sure to stand watch over your crop. The male plants should make themselves known pretty quickly and if they aren’t separated there can be some devastating effects on your crop.

Autoflowering Strains

This is the best option for growing plants in cooler regions and I wouldn’t suggest taking another route. Cannabis Ruderalis that has been interbred with the indica strain will give descendants that coveted auto-flowering trait. This makes the cannabis plants more resilient and can go from a tiny seed to a bud in as little as 8 weeks. The total amount of time for an auto-flowering strain to reach full maturity is only about 3 months. If you are going for a full 3 grows the first should be planted in March, the second in June, and the third in August. The late-season cannabis that is planted in August will be ready to harvest by late October or early November. This lets you harvest before the frost hits the grounds and ruins all of your hard work.

Using A Greenhouse In Colder Weather

Using a greenhouse to help with your grow is necessary for colder climates but may help increase your yield no matter the location. By beginning their journey from a tiny seed to a green, leafy plant in the greenhouse you will see healthier, larger plants. Once transferred outdoors for their dose of natural sunlight the plants will grow the same as any other in the same conditions and locations but the plants will be healthier. During this coveted late-season harvest you will want to start growing your plants inside in the summer while your first crop is catching sun rays outside. These tiny, indoor plants will need 18 hours of light and 6 hours of darkness. Keep this going until the first plants are outdoors and flowering. At this time your second batch of plants is ready to go either outside or into the greenhouse.

The Growing Stages of Cannabis

Knowing the growth stages of your medicinal plants is important. If you missed our previous article this month that takes you on the journey of the cannabis plant as it goes from a tiny seed to a towering, leafy plant go check it out! You can never know too much about cannabis.

1. Germination (3-10 days). While the little seed is gaining energy to sprout it needs 16 hours of light a day.
2. Seedling (2-3 weeks). During the plant’s growth from germination to seedling the amount of light it needs doesn’t change.
3. Vegetative (3-16 weeks). The cannabis plant at this stage begins to take form and needs lots of sun. If indoors keep the light going 16 hours a day, if outdoors it needs at least 6 hours of direct sunlight as well as all the extra rays it can catch through the day.
4. Flowering Stage (8-11 weeks). Now that the plants are in their final stages of growth they will only need about 12 hours of sunlight a day. There are three stages of growth during the flowering stages.

-Blooming flowers: This is the first few weeks when females begin to develop buds. They will have their pre-flowers during this stage which look like whisky, white hairs.
-Mid-Flowering: During the 4th and 5th week the plants will stop growing and put all of their energy into fattening up these new buds.
-Ripening: After week 6 the plants start to get sticky and dense until they eventually become ready for harvest.

How Is Cannabis Affected By Cold Weather?

Some plants can grow all year round with winter blooms that seem magical in an otherwise barren landscape.

Unfortunately, cannabis plants are not one of these cold-resistant plants. The main concerns are the roots becoming too cold and mold. Healthy roots lead to happy plants and cold weather is a massive shock to these underground systems. Once

the temperature of the soil gets below 12 degrees Celsius, the plant’s metabolism slows down almost to a halt. This is because it is starving. Without a healthy way to absorb water, nutrients, and oxygen growth comes to a standstill and the plant begins to die. All of the excess moisture from rainfall, snow, and frost leads to moisture being trapped in the plant’s leaves and flowers. This excess water will cause your plants to rot and mould before they have the chance to be harvested.

How Cold Is Too Cold

You know that cannabis plants don’t enjoy the winter months but how cold is too cold? Anything under 15 degrees Celsius will stunt the root growth so dependent on the region there is a bit of wiggle room in the growth stages. The happiest plants will be the ones that can flourish under the hot summer sun in 20-25 degree weather.

Have any hot tips for growing cannabis in Autumn or want more articles like this? Let us know in the comments below!