Photoperiod
Category: Cultivation · Level: Intermediate
Photoperiod refers to the duration of light and dark periods in a 24-hour cycle that triggers cannabis plants to transition from vegetative growth to flowering.
Photoperiod cannabis plants rely on changes in the light cycle to initiate flowering. In nature, flowering is triggered by the shortening of days in late summer. Most photoperiod cannabis varieties begin flowering when the light cycle reaches 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness. Indoor cultivation allows growers to control flowering by adjusting light cycles using artificial lighting systems. Outdoor photoperiod cultivation is aligned with seasonal light changes. Understanding photoperiod requirements is fundamental to cannabis cultivation planning, yield optimization, and multi-harvest scheduling. Photoperiod strains generally produce larger plants and higher yields compared to autoflowering varieties.
Also known as
Light cycle, Photoperiod strain, Regular strain
Usage
- Cultivation
Related terms
- Autoflowering — Autoflowering cannabis plants begin to flower based on age rather than changes in light cycle, derived from Cannabis ruderalis genetics.