Want your weed faster? Whether you’re dealing with short seasons, moving soon, or just low on stash, there are ways to shave time off your grow without wrecking your results. Here’s how to speed up your cannabis grow from germination to harvest.

🌱 Tips for Faster Indoor Grows

💡 Use Autoflowering Strains

Autoflowers don’t wait for a light cycle to bloom — they flower on their own, often ready in 8–10 weeks from seed. Great options include Northern Lights Auto and Quick One.

⚡ Force Photoperiods to Flower Early

Skip veg entirely by switching to 12/12 lighting from germination. You’ll harvest quicker, but yields will be small — works best with lots of small plants in a sea-of-green setup.

🌱 Clone Instead of Seeding

Clones skip the seedling phase and enter veg faster. Great for consistency and speed — just don’t clone autoflowers (they’ll flower before rooting properly).

🕒 Veg Under 24/0 Lighting

Keeping lights on 24/7 can reduce veg time and grow bushier plants. Monitor for stress and adjust if needed.

🌘 Shorten Bloom Light Cycle

Kickstart flowering with 48 hours of darkness, then run 11/13 instead of 12/12. It tricks the plant into thinking winter’s coming fast.

💧 Try Hydroponics

Hydro systems can speed up veg and boost yields, but they require more setup. Great for advanced growers chasing speed and weight.

🧪 Feed Smart

Avoid nutrient mistakes that slow growth. Use cannabis-specific nutrients and adjust for veg (high N) vs. flower (high P & K).

🔁 Use a Perpetual Grow

Keep a veg room and a flower room running in sync. As one crop finishes, the next moves up. Double your harvests over time.

🌞 Tips for Faster Outdoor Grows

🌑 Force Flower With Covers

Manually give outdoor plants 12 hours of darkness with a tarp or blackout cloth to trigger bloom early — especially useful in high summer.

🌼 Pollinate to Trigger Ripening

Surprising but true: hand-pollinate buds about a week before harvest. It tricks the plant into maturing faster. Seeds won’t have time to harden.

🌾 Choose Fast Genetics

Genetics matter. Pick strains bred for speed:

• Northern Light Auto – 8–10 weeks from seed
• Royal Cheese – Photoperiod that finishes in ~6 weeks of flower
• Medical Mass – High-CBD strain, finishes in ~7 weeks

Look for keywords like “fast-flowering,” “early finish,” or “express.”

✂️ Progressive Harvesting

Buds mature at different rates. Harvest the top colas first, then let lower buds fatten up for another week or two before a second chop. Faster harvest, potentially more yield.

⚠️ Final Thoughts

Yes, you can grow weed faster — but often at the cost of yield or potency. If you’re serious about speed, start with fast genetics and combine two or three of the methods above. You’ll get to harvest quicker without sacrificing too much quality.