Knowing exactly when your plants are going to begin their flowering period is incredibly important – depending on how you prepare your growing area and how you prepare your plants for such a delicate phase, you’ll obtain better or worse results. However, keep in mind that many different factors are involved when growing cannabis successfully, so we’re going to give you a few tips on how to deal with your plants, answering the age-old question: when does cannabis flower outdoors?

In order to know exactly when your plants are going to flower outdoors, you’ll need to understand how it works and the concept of photoperiodism. You’ll also need to know when the light begins to change outdoors during the day and nighttime – flowering in cannabis plants is generally caused by an increase in the hours of darkness that your plants receive.

Spring Equinox (Growth)

The start of spring is introduced by the spring equinox, which happens around 20-22nd March in the northern hemisphere. In the southern hemisphere, this happens around 21-22nd of September.

Summer Solstice (pre-flowering & flowering)

The start of the flowering period in your plants is marked by daylight hours decreasing, which happens right after the summer solstice. The summer solstice marks the longest day of the year, and after that daylight hours begin to decrease until Autumn begins. In the northern hemisphere, this usually occurs around 20-22nd June, and in the southern hemisphere it’s around 20-23rd December.

Pre-flowering Cannabis

When it comes to cannabis plants, the pre-flowering period is a sign that your plants are going to start flowering soon – they’ll begin to slowly show signs of flowering, growing thicker and thicker flowers as summer goes on. The first thing you’ll notice is the plants’ sex (male, female or hermaphrodite) which is why it’s called pre-flowering. You’ll soon start to notice your plant growing much taller than before, as it’s probably preparing to hold up massive flowers.

You will also need to prepare your plants’ structure for an intense flowering period, so that it can easily hold up hefty buds in the future and also spend more energy on making larger flowers. You’ll need to strengthen your plants’ natural strengths and immune system using organic products in order to ensure that no insects or fungi can get near your beautiful specimens. If your plants start flowering on the right foot, they’ll have a much easier time reaching the harvest date fully intact. Once they begin to flower, you’ll need to start feeding your plants using a more complete and intense nutrient schedule.

Garden & Backyard

Balcony & Terrace

Greenhouse & Conservatory

Steve's Outdoor Tips

• Plan ahead so you know what you intend to grow, this may change due to various factors, so have a backup plan or extras.
• Make sure you have good netting to protect from Butterflies and other small animals/insects.
• Have a removable cover to protect from heavy downpours.
• Fabric pots are great, they do lose moisture rather fast but stay cooler than plastic ones.  Cheaper too!
• Do not try and look after more plants than you can handle, it can quickly overwhelm you with work rather fast.
• Make sure you keep then pots hydrated but also allow for a little dry back too.
• Make a feeding schedule but remember that this may need to be altered depending on the change in climate over the summer months.