There are times when a grower needs his cannabis plants to grow fast. Perhaps their supply of marijuana is running low; or maybe the location of the grow is not compatible with prolonged cultivation because of outside environmental conditions.
There are also stealth growers who understand that every extra day of having marijuana plants is a risk, so they value the fast growing weed life cycle. There are even a significant number of growers who are impatient by nature, despite the fact that cannabis is, along with bamboo, one of the fastest growing plant species on the planet.
Whatever your reasons, in addition to using cultivation methods adapted to achieve a harvest in less time, if you want faster harvests you should always start at the beginning of everything: choosing the cannabis seed that best suits your needs.
There is a wide variation in how long it takes for a given cannabis plant to complete its life cycle. Fortunately, most of the time the grower will have received this information when he buys his genetics from a quality seed bank like Seedstockers. Still, it is good to know the basics.
Indica strains generally grow a little faster and have a higher yield than sativas. They flower in about 8-12 weeks. True sativas have longer flowering times, around 12-16+ weeks, though most domesticated sativas will finish between 10-14 weeks. Hybrids can go in many directions, which is mainly determined by the more dominant genes. They often have a combination of the two main developmental phases, such as a shorter vegetative stage and a longer flowering phase.
In addition to indica/sativa dominance, the type of seed you are using also comes into play.
Autoflowering plants, unlike regular or feminized plants, do not depend on the photoperiod, so they start flowering regardless of the hours of light received, between 3 and 4 weeks after germination. Feminized plants need to have the light cycle changed to 12/12 (hours of light and dark) to start developing buds.
The autoflowering varieties also have a faster flowering period, so about 5 to 8 weeks after they begin flowering, your plants will be ready to harvest. Logically, such a short life cycle results in smaller plants and lower yields, but these smaller plants still have the potential to dump quite the harvest when taken care of.
To solve this drawback, the so-called Fast varieties were created, the result of a cross between a feminized photodependent and an autoflowering (or sometimes, between a photodependent and a Fast) and that offer all the advantages of feminized strains, but reducing their flowering period by one or two weeks, so they will be ready to harvest earlier. And with yields that will also be very abundant, as these genetics are very vigorous and resistant.
Getting the highest yield in the shortest time is not the only factor in choosing faster or slower genetics. As with Fast genetics, shortening the flowering period is a great advantage for growers living in regions with cold climates and short summers, as the risks are reduced in the last weeks of flowering outdoors, when the autumn rains arrive and the buds are denser and tighter, making them more susceptible to developing mold or other fungal diseases caused by excessive humidity.
Fast genetics can also be an excellent choice for indoor cultivation, as they are photodependent like their feminized sisters, and their growth can be controlled so that they do not become too large and can cause space problems. In this way it is also an advantage for those who want to make the most of their harvests indoors.
Essentially, with Fast genetics you can do the same as with the common feminized photodependent seeds, the only thing that will change is that the plants will be ready to cut about two weeks earlier. This, in indoor crops can mean one more cycle per year, which is a remarkable way to increase the yield and production of your indoor crop.
However, there are other factors besides genetics or seed type that determine the speed of a crop, as growers can influence this through the techniques and care they use.
This is the case with hydroponics compared to other means of cultivation based on soil substrates, where a more precise control of the balance of nutrients and oxygen supply allows cannabis to mature faster and obtain crops with a higher yield.
In hydroponics, water, air and the necessary nutrients are offered directly to the roots so that the plants grow with little effort, developing stronger, longer and more vigorous roots that allow them to “eat” much more; and this will be noticed in their growth, since they will grow faster and form larger plants quicker.
At Seedstockers we have a wide range of seeds for all tastes. And thinking about their speed we have selected the 3 fastest growing Fast seeds in our catalogue, which we describe below along with its feminized counterpart, which also hold the title of the fastest in its category.
Born from the crossing of our elite clone of Kritical Bilbo and Critical Mas Fast, this genetic presents a great advantage especially outdoors. With this indica dominant hyrbid, about two weeks of flowering have been eliminated, so it will be ready to harvest in September without fear of giving up huge buds that emanate a penetrating and characteristic aroma of Skunk and lemon.
Thanks to its speed, its resistance to pests and diseases is quite good, since even in the shortest summer climates you will not have problems. However, if you try it indoors, be careful with its deep and intense aroma and do not forget some good activated carbon filters.
This variety is in fact ‘made in Barcelona,’ and was obtained after crossing clones of Kritikal Bilbo and Critical + (both from the Basque Country) with a Critical Mass, which results in a marijuana plant more productive than its parents and with very vigorous growth, which will be ready for harvest in just 8 weeks of flowering. In addition, it is one of the most powerful varieties in our catalogue, thanks to its 23% of THC.
It has a very fresh flavour, largely dominated by citrus nuances, that precede its strong effect of long duration, which largely relaxes the body and calms the mind. Not for nothing has BCN Critical XXL Fem become one of the most popular varieties here at Seedstockers.
In a hurry for your next feminized crop but don’t want to compromise on quality? You need Cookies and Cream Fast from Seedstockers. Cookies and Cream Fast is result of crossing Girl Scout Cookies Auto and Cookies and Cream, two pedigree strains famous for their aroma and taste of freshly baked creamy cookies that have delighted growers around the world.
In this way, we have managed to maintain the virtues that have made Cookies an everlasting classic, but shortening its flowering period by about 7 weeks. Thus, those growers living in cold regions will be able to obtain quality harvests without having to worry about the dreaded autumn rains.
The genetics are born from the crossing of Starfighter and a very potent phenotype of the Girl Scout Cookies family with the intention of getting the maximum % of THC possible, making this indica dominant hybrid an ideal choice for cannabinoid extractions, which will also be ready in just 9 weeks of flowering. It also offers really delicious aromas, with creamy and extremely exotic nuances.
Undoubtedly a hybrid of excellent quality and potency, accompanied by a generous production, making it a highly recommended variety for both beginners and commercial growers.
Gelato 41 Fast is the result of crossing our Gelato 41 with one of the best automatics of our catalogue: Gelato 41 Auto. Thus we obtain a hybrid whose flowering period has been reduced to only 56 days, but maintaining the quality and quantity of crops, with a flavour surprisingly reminiscent of a creamy ice cream.
A delicious blend with hints of caramel and citrus that have made it a favourite of both recreational and medicinal users, due to its guaranteed potency and long-lasting calming effects. Like all Gelato, it is very easy to grow, so you have no excuse not to try it.
The Gelato family comes from two super tasty varieties that has caused an uproar in the United States: Sherbet and the phenotype Thin Mint of Girl Scout Cookies, considered by many the best GSC phenotype. In this case the Gelato 41 phenotype, with a slightly higher THC potency, is considered one of the best genetic lines currently available.
You will be surprised by the impressive buds full of resin that this plant will start to show in just 8-9 weeks of flowering, obtaining a very beautiful plant in its coloration, which presents an aroma of berries, citrus and cookies that will undoubtedly make everyone who tries it fall in love. It offers a daytime effect that is perfect for crushing bad feelings and taking body and mind to a better place.