Vegetative Growth

This is the first phase the plant will enter once sprouting or, in the case of clones, shortly after they start to produce roots. Cannabis preserves its generational offspring by way of seed. Once they have emerged during the spring the increasing light cycle of the sun keeps them growing.

At this point the plants are working on their infrastructure; the roots, the stems and the encompassed vascular system.

This is all in preparation for flowering and the production of seeds prior to their death when winter arrives. The bigger the plant the better the chances of fertilization and producing as many viable seeds as possible in order to perpetuate the next generation.

Since the plant is producing roots and, primarily leaves, the nutrient mostly desired will be nitrogen. Potassium and phosphorus help stimulate root growth but do not need to be as prevalent. A good system of providing the appropriate amount of plant nutrition, since marijuana in full sun is a "heavy feeder", is to sow much of it in with the plant mixture using ingredients like worm castings and bat guano. You don't want too much nutrient mixed into the soil as that will make it "hot" and actually hamper plant growth. Which means you'll need to supplement regularly with liquid plant food as the cannabis depletes the nutrients in the soil.

To keep cannabis (with the exception of "auto-flower" plants) in the vegetative phase it needs 18 hours or more light per day. This can be a combination of sun and artificial light as is prescribed with this growing method. This simulates the summer months and triggers marijuana to keep growing bigger.

Many of the outdoor growers in California and much of the mainland get their seasonal plants started in December and January and are reared indoors until the weather permits them to be moved outside. This technique can result in some spectacularly massive plants by the time the season ends.

How large you grow your outdoor plants will be limited by your outdoor space and the size of your indoor "vegging" garden. Initially I'd suggest keeping the plants on the smaller side as larger ones can be a handful to manage.