Flowering

The reproductive phase of the cannabis plant's life cycle, during which buds develop. In photoperiod plants, flowering is triggered by a shift to 12 hours of darkness per day — outdoors this happens naturally as seasons change; indoors it's initiated by changing the light timer. The flowering stage lasts 8–12 weeks depending on the strain. Trichome development, cannabinoid and terpene production, and bud density all reach their peak during flowering.