Cannabis plants need water, nutrients, and light in order to thrive. Cultivation is typically conducted indoors using soil-like growing medium supplied with water through hydroponics systems; indoor cultivation provides more of a controlled environment with easier tracking of individual plant needs than outdoor or aeroponic cultivation systems.

Germination is the initial stage in cannabis plant life cycle. A viable seed contains all of the information required for it to germinate, yet won’t do so until given ideal conditions – one being warmth for over 18 hours per 24-hour period in order to germinate successfully. Once at this stage, roots and shoots may begin emerging from within its seed leaves (cotyledons).

Once cotyledons have sprouted, they must be watered regularly to promote health and growth. Water should not be too warm or too cool – it should match both soil temperature and air temperatures as much as possible.

After several weeks, plants will need to be moved to their flowering area and their nutrient regimen adjusted. More frequent feedings with higher concentrations of phosphorous and potassium are necessary in order to encourage large buds. This period is known as the flowering phase and marks when cannabis plants produce their maximum psychoactive cannabinoids production. At this stage, cannabis plants produce trichomes containing cannabinoid compounds responsible for its effects, from talkativeness, increased socialization and euphoria to sedation and hallucinations. Healthy cannabis plants form one large central bud or ‘cola’ with smaller ones forming on its edges. Cultivation techniques such as trimming and training can increase both the number and size of these colas on a cannabis plant.

Due to their potent scent, many growers may opt to hide their plants from family and friends due to the strong skunk-like aromas produced by their crops. Storing plants in a garage or attic is often done, while cultivators sometimes even cover windows with blackout curtains to hide equipment such as lights.

Once a plant has reached the halfway point of its flowering cycle, they can be encouraged to complete it by changing the lighting schedule to one consisting of 12 hours day and night photoperiods. This change will cause them to stop depending on light-sensitive hormones to keep vegetating and trigger them into blooming process – enabling harvest before winter weather renders outdoor cultivation impractical while preventing botrytis fungus growth on wet plants.