Anbau & Stecklinge · November 2026 · 3 min read
Updated
Growing cannabis: germination, care, harvest and drying
Key takeaways
- Seeds need water, air and a suitable temperature to germinate; light matters once the seedling emerges.
- Autoflowering plants flower by age rather than day length.
- Low stress training bends and ties shoots instead of cutting them.
- Leaf symptoms point to possible nutrient problems but are not a diagnosis.
- German law allows at most three plants per adult at home, status 31.10.2026.
The stages at a glance
Each stage has its own questions. The table summarises them; more detailed guides are currently available in German.
| Stage | What happens | Key point |
|---|---|---|
| Germination | The seed takes up water and the root emerges | Moist, not soaking wet; no light needed yet |
| Seedling | First leaves form | Light from now on, avoid waterlogging |
| Vegetative growth | Leaves and side shoots develop | Training such as LST happens here |
| Flowering | Flowers and trichomes develop | Gradual process, no fixed week plan |
| Harvest | Plants are cut | Pistils and trichomes are observations, not lab values |
| Drying | Water content drops | Slow drying commonly takes five to six days near room conditions |
Germination and seedlings
Germination starts when the seed takes up water and ends botanically with the emergence of the root. Common methods are paper towel, a glass of water, direct sowing in soil and peat or rock wool plugs. Light is not needed for germination itself, but the seedling needs light as soon as it breaks through the soil, otherwise it stretches.
Autoflowering seeds are usually sown directly in their final pot because their cycle is short. More on that in the guide to autoflower seeds.
Growth, care and nutrients
During vegetative growth, many growers shape plants with low stress training (LST): shoots are bent gently and tied down instead of being cut. This keeps the canopy flatter and suits autoflowering plants, which have little time to recover.
Discoloured leaves can point to nutrient problems. A study by Cockson and colleagues (2019) described deficiency symptoms on cannabis: magnesium deficiency showed as yellowing between green veins on older leaves, potassium deficiency as yellowing from the leaf margins. Pests, wet roots or heat can look similar, so leaf symptoms are a clue, not a diagnosis.
Flowering, harvest and drying
Flowering is a gradual process; individual flowers and dense flower clusters develop over time. Growers judge ripeness by the pistils, which change colour and recede, and by the trichome heads, which turn from clear to milky. These are observations, not laboratory values for cannabinoids.
According to a review by Das and colleagues (2022), fresh flowers contain about 78 to 80 % water, and the common slow drying method usually takes five to six days near room conditions at 18 to 21 °C and 50 to 55 % relative humidity. No model reliably predicts the end point yet.
Legal framework in Germany
In short (German Consumer Cannabis Act, KCanG, status 31.10.2026):
- Home growing for adults aged 18 and over only.
- At most three plants at the same time per adult, at their place of residence or habitual abode (section 9 KCanG).
- The harvest must not be passed on to others.
- Seeds, plants and harvest must be protected from access by children, teenagers and third parties.
- Only obtain seeds from authorised suppliers in EU countries (KCanG).
The FAQ of the German Federal Ministry of Health also mention a residence or habitual abode in Germany for at least six months. Other countries have their own rules. This is not legal advice.
Legal alternative: CBD
CBD is excluded from the definition of cannabis under section 1 no. 8 KCanG, but that does not make every CBD product freely marketable, status 31.10.2026. If you are interested in cannabidiol rather than growing, see our CBD flowers from industrial hemp. This describes the legal framework, not a health effect.
Frequently asked questions
Adults may grow at most three plants at the same time at their place of residence, status 31.10.2026. The harvest must not be passed on. This is not legal advice.
No. Germination needs water, air and a suitable temperature. Light becomes important once the seedling breaks through the soil.
A plant that starts flowering after a certain time on its own, regardless of day length. Photoperiod plants only flower when nights get longer.
A review describes slow drying near room conditions as usually taking five to six days. Large, dense flowers often take longer; there is no fixed end date.
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