By Max Sargent


Cannabis plants, though often considered to all belong to a single species, come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Think about dogs—they’re all one species, yet there’s huge variation between them.

Photoperiod plants, with longer vegetative and flowering phases, tend to grow taller than Autoflowers and F1 Hybrids. For example, in the RQS catalogue, Photoperiod seeds range from 60 cm indoors to an exceptional 300 cm for Royal Moby outdoors. In comparison, Autoflower counterparts typically range from 40 to 160 cm. Clearly, Photoperiod plants require extra care to manage their height and avoid surprises!

How tall weed plants grow by categories

But how can height be controlled, and what factors influence it?

Whether you're a novice cultivator or an experienced gardener, understanding the potential height of your cannabis plants is a skill worth learning. This knowledge helps in arranging your grow space, managing plant care, and ensuring optimal yields. In this article, we’ll help you understand the factors that influence cannabis plant height, the typical height ranges for different types of weed plants, the significance of the flowering stretch, and tips for managing plant height effectively.

Factors That Influence Plant Height

Many factors ultimately determine a plant’s height, and understanding the role that each plays is key to becoming a better cannabis cultivator. While some factors are more influential than others, any could potentially play a deciding role if pushed to the extreme. For this reason, comprehensive knowledge is very helpful.

  • Genetics

Cannabis plants come in various strains, primarily categorised into sativa, indica, and hybrids (a mix between the two). Aside from these, we also have autoflower strains, which contain genetics from Cannabis ruderalis, a subspecies of Cannabis sativa. So-called sativa strains typically grow taller, sometimes reaching up to 3–5 metres outdoors, while so-called indicas are shorter and bushier, averaging around 1.5–2 metres. Hybrids can vary significantly depending on their genetic balance, but tend to grow to around 1–2 metres in most cases.

  • Lighting

Light intensity and spectrum play a major role in determining plant height. Insufficient lighting can lead to tall, leggy plants as they stretch towards the light source. They do this because they have evolved to assume that this means they are growing beneath the cover of taller plants, and therefore stretch in an attempt to break through the canopy. Totally insufficient lighting will ultimately lead to plants that can’t create enough energy to mature and reach their full size.

Conversely, optimal lighting promotes balanced growth and leads to more compact, stockier plants. Lighting should not be used as a tool to control marijuana plant size. Rather, you should always seek to give your plants optimal light.

Light Spectrum

The light spectrum itself can also affect plant height. Red light tends to encourage vertical growth, while blue light supports bushier development and root growth. Adjusting the light spectrum during different growth stages can help control plant height.

This being said, it’s more important to adjust the light spectrum to the plant’s stage of growth, rather than in an attempt to manipulate height. Blue light is best during the seedling and vegetative stages, whereas red light is best suited to the flowering stage (when vertical growth will actually have stopped).

  • Planting Density

High planting density can cause competition for light, leading to taller growth as plants stretch to avoid being shaded. If plants are packed too close together and aren’t trained, you’ll notice the canopy is uneven and ever on the rise.

This can result in taller plants than expected. For example, F1 hybrids like Orion F1, which are typically short and bushy, may grow taller and slimmer under these conditions.

In the Sea of Green (SOG) method, smaller pots are used to fit many more plants into a given area, such as 1 square meter. If larger pots are used and plant density isn't controlled, plants can grow taller and become harder to manage.

Plant density
  • Temperature and Humidity

Environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity also influence plant height. Higher temperatures can accelerate growth, while optimal humidity levels support healthy development. Again, as with light, the key is to just optimise these factors (if growing indoors), rather than trying to harness them to adjust the height of your plants.

But if you reverse the knowledge, and you see your plants growing strangely, then you can diagnose which environmental factor might be responsible.

  • Container Size

The size of the growing container dictates how big the root system can become, which in turn affects plant height. Smaller pots limit growth, making it easier to manage plant size, especially in indoor setups. Bigger pots, on the other hand, allow the root system to grow bigger, which in turn allows the entire plant to grow bigger.

Pots are a very good way to influence the final height of your plants, and you absolutely should bear pot size in mind when planning a grow.

Typical Height Range of Cannabis Strains

Using the extensive catalogue from RQS, cannabis strains are classified by their growth heights, helping growers plan their operations effectively.

Feminized photoperiod plants are usually taller than autoflowering strains. The former can reach maximum heights of well above 2 metres, while autoflowering strains often max out at around 1 meter. CBD strains, whether photoperiod or autoflowering, come in a range of sizes, just like their THC-rich counterparts. Similarly, F1 hybrids can appear in a range of heights, but tend to be on the smaller and compact side, besides being more homogeneous.

That said, where the plant is grown—i.e. indoors vs outdoors—can influence the expected height of a strain substantially. With that in mind, and using the RQS catalog as a base, we will detail the average heights for different types of common cannabis strains and families, so you can try new strains with more certainty about the outcome.

How tall grow weed indica vs sativa
Indica vs Sativa
  • Indoor Plants

Indoor cannabis plants tend to be shorter due to space limitations. Pots are often smaller, lighting will be less strong (compared to the sun), and the vegetative stage will likely be shorter—all of which will reduce overall height. Here's the average height for different strain categories:

  • Feminized photoperiod: 85 – 125 cm
  • Autos: 65 – 105 cm
  • CBD: 70 – 110 cm
  • F1 hybrids: 60 – 80cm

  • Outdoor Plants

Outdoor plants usually have more room to grow and reach greater heights. Furthermore, they benefit from the unmatched power of the sun and a long growing period. Here are the average heights for outdoor cannabis plants:

  • Feminized photoperiod: 150 – 190 cm
  • Autos: 85 – 125 cm
  • CBD: 110 – 150 cm
  • F1 hybrids: 70 – 110 cm

When it comes to indica vs sativa, predominantly sativas are generally significantly taller, as they evolved in regions with longer growth periods, whereas predominantly indicas developed in harsh mountainous regions. Hybrids containing both indica and sativa fall somewhere in the middle, but often lean more towards indica in terms of size, as many breeders purposefully try to limit excessive plant height.

  • Indica

Indica-dominant strains are known for their dense buds and sturdy structure. They generally grow shorter, making them ideal for compact spaces, with maximum heights of 160 cm indoors and 270 cm outdoors.

Photoperiod
  • Indoor Average Height: 80 - 120 cm
  • Outdoor Avergae Height: 150 - 190 cm
Autoflower
  • Indoor Average Height: 70 - 120 cm
  • Outdoor Average Height: 90 - 130 cm
CBD
  • Indoor Average Height: 70 - 110 cm
  • Outdoor Average Height: 110 - 150 cm 

  • Sativa

Sativa-dominant photoperiod plants are known for their tall stature and central cola. Indoor plants can reach heights of up to 160 cm, while outdoor plants can grow as tall as 300 cm, though this is rare. Be cautious of their flowering stretch, which can sometimes double their size from the vegetative stage.

Photoperiod
  • Indoor Avergae Height: 90 - 130 cm
  • Outdoor Average Height: 155 - 195 cm
Autoflower
  • Indoor Average Height: 80 - 120 cm
  • Outdoor Average Height: 110 - 150 cm
CBD
  • Indoor Average Height: 70 - 110 cm
  • Outdoor Average Height: 110 - 150 cm

If you're considering growing a strain from a particular family but are unsure about space requirements, refer to the list below:

  • Gelato

Gelato photoperiod strains are celebrated for their vigorous growth and abundant resin production. The predominance of Indica strains in the catalogue ensures they typically grow to a moderate size.

  • Indoor Height: 85–125 cm
  • Outdoor Height: 135–175 cm

  • Haze

Photoperiod Haze strains are famous for their Sativa-dominant traits, characterized by longer branches and a longer flowering period, which contribute to their taller stature.

  • Indoor Height: 90–130 cm
  • Outdoor Height: 170–210 cm

  • Cookies

Cookies strains are recognized for their dense buds and potent aroma, showcasing a slight leaning towards Indica dominance, which typically yields plants of moderate size.

  • Indoor Height: 85–125 cm
  • Outdoor Height: 140–180 cm

  • Kush

Kush strains display dominant Indica characteristics, originating from the Hindu Kush mountains, which results in the growth of compact and bushy plants.

  • Indoor Height: 80–120 cm
  • Outdoor Height: 145–185 cm

  • Afghan

Afghan photoperiod strains are renowned for their resilience and durability, which yield robust plants with a shorter stature. This makes them among the most compact options in the RQS catalogue.

  • Indoor Height: 70–110 cm
  • Outdoor Height: 165–205 cm

  • Growth Phases

What follows are average heights for cannabis plants during their different stages of growth.

  • Seedling: Up to 30cm.
  • Vegetative: Can grow up to 5cm per day, reaching around 50–100cm by the end of veg, depending on the strain and environment.
  • Flowering: Plants can double in size during the flowering stretch, after which they will cease vertical growth and focus on flower development.
How tall weed plants grow

The Flowering Stretch

The flowering stretch describes a period at the very beginning of the flowering phase during which plants experience a significant growth spurt. After this point, plants will stop growing and will spend all their energy producing flowers. This period can last 2–3 weeks, but can be much shorter as well—and certain cultivars may double in size in a matter of days, while others may only add a few inches to their stature. Knowing your plant's genetics helps you to anticipate and manage this stretch effectively, as it can be quite a surprise if you’re not expecting it.

Managing the Stretch

Controlling the stretch of your plants, and therefore their final height, is possible—mostly through employing training techniques. However, it’s important to note that training techniques should be used during the vegetative stage, in anticipation of this stretch. If you seek to control it ad hoc and end up stressing your plant during this stage, you will do more harm than good. If it takes you by surprise, the best thing you can do is try to adapt the environment to the stretch, rather than trying to manipulate the plant.

What Is the Optimal Height?

The optimal height for cannabis plants depends on your grow setup, particularly the size of your tent and the power of your lights, if growing indoors. For those growing indoors or in smaller greenhouses, keeping plants between 80–120cm will ensure that they fit within standard grow tents and receive adequate light penetration.

Outdoors, you can let your plants get as big as they please—if you have the space. The main reason that people might want to restrict the height of plants outdoors is for stealth, as 3m-tall giant weed plants can draw unwanted attention. If this is the case for you, choose a strain that naturally grows small, as you’ll have less work on your hands.

Cultivation Tips for Managing Plant Height

There are many techniques that can be employed to control plant height. Below, we outline the various ways that you can manipulate and manage the height of your crop.

  • Grow Setup and Light Power

Ensure your grow setup provides sufficient light intensity and the correct light spectrum for each growth stage, as this will assure plants that they don’t need to stretch ever-upwards in search of more light. Using powerful lights and adjusting their hanging height can help to control plant growth. Keep the lights low enough to satisfy your plants, but not so low that they burn them.

  • Low-Stress Training (LST) and Topping

LST involves bending and tying down the main stem and branches to create an even canopy and promote bushier, lateral growth. This creates shorter, fatter plants, which, alongside being smaller, also produce a greater number of main colas—meaning more bud for you!

Topping, or cutting the main stem, encourages plants to grow wider rather than taller. From where the cut is made, two new stems will grow out laterally. Once the plant stretches during flowering, you will really notice how this technique stops it from rocketing upwards and instead causes it to shoot outwards.

  • Monitoring and Switching to the Bloom Phase

Regularly monitor plant growth and switch to the flowering phase promptly to prevent excessive height. Switching to bloom early (e.g. after 2–4 weeks of vegetation) can help manage taller strains, and is also necessary if you want to use techniques such as SOG. This involves switching many small plants to flowering early and growing them in close proximity. While the final yield per plant may not seem that impressive, the yield per unit of area will be substantial. Ultimately, SOG is a great method for those who want large yields but would rather keep their plants low.

  • Pot Size

Using smaller pots restricts root growth and limits plant height, as the root systems can’t develop enough to give rise to monstrous plants. This technique is especially useful for outdoor growers with limited space, or who would rather their plants remain inconspicuous.

Pot size importance in cannabis

Marijuana Plant Height: Highly Variable!

Understanding how tall weed plants can grow is very important when it comes to planning your grow and ensuring you’re not caught off guard. By considering factors like genetics, lighting, planting density, and environmental conditions, you can anticipate plant height and manage your grow space accordingly. Implementing techniques such as LST and topping, along with careful monitoring, will help you achieve optimal plant heights and maximise your yields. However, you should always consider the specific genetics you’re using, as this will determine just how tall a plant is able to become in the first place.

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Privacy Policy - Royal Queen Seeds

To ensure a safe online environment and guarantee adequate data protection, we strictly comply with all legal requirements. In this privacy statement, we provide information about how and for what purpose data is collected, safety measures, storage periods and contact details.


COMPANY NAME: SNORKEL SPAIN, SL (hereinafter ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS)

C/ Vilar d'Abdelà, 5 (nave 1) CP: 08170 de Montornès del Vallès

+34 937 379 846

support@royalqueenseeds.com


The present Privacy Policy sets out the terms on which we will treat personal data at ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS; this includes any personal data collected through our website https://www.royalqueenseeds.com/ as well as any other data we process in the course of our business activities.

ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS collects the following personal data for the purposes listed below:

SECTION 1 – PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

1.1 Account purchases

Account purchases can only be made if you are in possession of a personal account. When you create an account or purchase something from our shop, as part of the buying and selling process we collect the following personal information that you provide to us:

This information is required for delivery. In addition, when you browse our shop, we automatically receive the Internet Protocol (IP) address of your computer. Based on this information, we can optimise your online experience and at the same time protect our online environment.

Purpose of data collection

We collect and store account-related data for the following purposes:

(a) to carry out obligations arising from any contracts between you and us, and to provide you with information, products and services that you may request from us;

(b) to set up, manage and communicate with you about your account and your orders;

(c) to conduct market research and analysis;

(d) to confirm your age and identity, and to detect and prevent fraud.

1.2 Newsletters

With your explicit permission, we may send you newsletters about our shop, new products and other updates. We send newsletters based on your explicit consent. In the event that you purchase a product, and in accordance with current regulations, we may send you commercial communications in accordance with the legitimate interest of our company, always about products or services similar to those you have purchased or contracted. In any case, you may exercise your right of opposition through the channels announced in this Privacy Policy. The following information is collected in relation to the newsletter:

We do not need to know the sex of the person in order to send the newsletter (data minimisation: by law we must ask for data that is strictly necessary to provide the service, and in this case knowing the sex is not necessary to send the newsletter).

Purpose of data collection

The data collected is used to:

(a) personalise our emails, including your name and gender;

(b) provide gender-specific content.

You can withdraw your consent at any time by using the link provided in the newsletter or the contact information provided in section 2.

1.3 Customer service and contact form

In order to provide appropriate support, our customer service employees have access to information related to the account. Consequently, their support will be highly effective and friendly. The data provided in our contact form is used by our CRM provider, SuperOffice. We will only use your details to respond to your message.

SECTION 2 – LEGITIMATE INTEREST

If you have purchased any of our products, please note that we may process your personal data for promotional purposes, based on Royal Queen Seeds' legitimate interest only to offer you products or services from our company and about products or services similar to those you have purchased. You may exercise your right to opt out of future messages by the means set out in this Privacy Policy or through any notification you receive.

2.1 How do you withdraw consent?

If you change your mind, you can withdraw your consent for us to contact you for the purpose of collecting, using, or disclosing your data at any time by reaching out to us at: support@royalqueenseeds.com.

SECTION 3 – DISCLOSURE

We may disclose your personal information if we are required to do so by law or if you breach our Terms of Service.

SECTION 4 – HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR DATA?

At Royal Queen Seeds, we will not retain your data for longer than is necessary for the purposes described in this Policy. Different retention periods apply for different types of data; however, the longest period we will normally hold any personal data is 10 years.

4.1 Account information

Data relating to the account remains relevant for as long as the consumer is in possession of an account. Therefore, the data remains documented for as long as the account exists. When our customers delete an account, the associated data will be deleted within a reasonable period of time. Requests regarding the inspection or correction of stored personal data or the deletion of an account can be sent to support@royalqueenseeds.com.

4.2 Newsletters

In the event that you give us your consent to inform you about our products or services, we will keep your data until you express your wish not to receive any further communications from us. However, we regularly (every month) carry out a relevance check. Registered customers (and their personal information) will be deleted whenever customers do not reply to our request. In addition, our newsletter mailing has an opt-out feature. Consumers can withdraw their consent by using this opt-out feature.

SECTION 5 – COOKIES

Cookies are small information files that notify your computer of previous interactions with our website. These cookies are stored on your hard drive, not on our website. Essentially, when you use our website, your computer displays its cookies to us, informing our site that you have visited before. This allows our website to function more quickly and remember aspects related to your previous visits (such as your username), making your experience more convenient. At Royal Queen Seeds, we use two types of cookies: functional and analytical.

5.1 Functional Cookies

Functional cookies are used to enhance your online experience. Among other things, these cookies track what is added to your shopping cart. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

5.2 Analytical Cookies

Analytical cookies are used for research and market analysis. The data collected with these analytical cookies is anonymous, making it unusable for third parties. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

SECTION 5 – THIRD-PARTY SERVICES

Third-party services are required to conduct transactions and provide our services. In general, the third-party providers we use will only collect, use and disclose your information to the extent necessary to enable them to perform the services they provide to us.

However, certain third-party service providers, such as payment gateways and other payment transaction processors, have their own privacy policies regarding the information we must provide to them for your transactions.

We encourage you to read the privacy policies of these providers so that you can understand how these providers will handle your personal information.

In particular, certain suppliers may be located or have facilities located in a different jurisdiction than yours or ours. Therefore, if you choose to proceed with a transaction involving the services of a third party, your information may be subject to the laws of the jurisdiction in which that service provider or its facilities are located.

Once you leave our website or are redirected to a third-party website or application, you are no longer governed by this Privacy Policy or the Terms of Service of our website.

Web analytics service (anonymous data)

On this website we have integrated an element of a web analytics service (with anonymisation functionality). Web analytics can be defined as the gathering, processing and analysis of data about the behaviour of visitors to websites. An analytics service collects, among other things, data about which website a person came from (the so-called referrer), which sub-pages they visited or how often and for how long they visited a sub-page. Web analytics is mainly used for website optimisation and for a cost–benefit analysis of internet advertising.

Courier service

To complete deliveries we use a courier service. This courier service carries out the delivery between our company and the consumer's home. To complete these logistics, the company requires access to the consumer's name and address information.

Mailing service

Royal Queen Seeds uses a third-party mail service provider to send its newsletter. This provider has access to limited account information related to opt-in consent (e.g. email address).

Marketing services

Royal Queen Seeds has the support of a company that specialises in marketing and communication activities. Their access to personal information is very limited and mostly anonymous.

Payment services

At Royal Queen Seeds we use external payment services to handle our transactions (e.g. credit card payments).

SECTION 6 – SECURITY

To protect your personal information, we take reasonable precautions and follow industry standard best practices to ensure that it is not inappropriately lost, misused, accessed, disclosed, altered or destroyed.

If you provide us with your credit card information, the information is encrypted using secure socket layer technology (SSL) and stored using AES-256 encryption. Although no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, we follow all PCI-DSS requirements and implement additional industry standards that are commonly accepted. Information related to the account is protected with a hashing method. This method transforms the information into a generated hash. As a result, confidential information is protected and invisible, even to us. In addition, our databases are exceptionally protected against unauthorised access. For example, access to the database is only possible and permitted via approved IP addresses (e.g. from Royal Queen Seeds headquarters). Other attempts and addresses are rejected at all times.

Furthermore, data is anonymised as much as possible, so it cannot be directly linked to a specific consumer. With this data, however, we may be able to carry out market research and analysis. In addition, the third parties concerned (e.g. mailing service) are examined prior to our collaboration, comply with the GDPR from the EU and receive a processing agreement. Within Royal Queen Seeds, employees are assigned different access permissions. Specific permission provides access only to information that is strictly required to perform a task. Digital security measures are subject to change and must meet high requirements to ensure the safety of online customers. That is why, at Royal Queen Seeds, we appoint a security officer. Regular verification and improvement of security measures (where necessary) are part of the role.

SECTION 7 – CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time, so please check back regularly. Changes and clarifications will be effective immediately upon being published on the Website. If we make substantial changes to this policy, we will notify you here that it has been updated so you will know what information we collect, how we use it and under what circumstances, if any, we use and/or disclose it.

SECTION 8 – YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO: