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Vegetative

The vegetative stage, week by week

What to do (and not do) from sprout through pre-flower.

1 min read2026-05-2621 views

The vegetative stage is everything before flowering — when the plant is building the structure it'll fill with bud. Get this wrong and no amount of flower-stage skill will save you.

  1. 1
    Week 1–2: rooting in
    Light feed, light water. Roots are exploring. Don't overwater. 18/6 light cycle indoors.
  2. 2
    Week 3–4: structure
    Top once the plant has 4–5 nodes. Start LST if you want a flat canopy. Feed lightly — N-heavy.
  3. 3
    Week 5–6: filling out
    Defoliate selectively. Bigger pots if you're going long. Begin transition feed in the last week.
  4. 4
    Week 7+: pre-flower
    Look for the first pre-flowers (calyxes). Sex confirms here for regs. Switch to 12/12 when canopy is full.
Indoor veg time
4–6 wk
after sprout
Light cycle
18/6
veg standard
Pot size
3–5 gal
indoor typical
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