When Is It Too Late to Germinate Seeds Outdoors? 🌱☀️Updated 6 hours ago

The best time to germinate cannabis seeds outdoors depends on your grow zone. Germinating too late in the season can leave plants without enough time to flower before cold weather sets in.

Germination by Zone

Zone 5 (Upper Midwest)

• Best germination window: Late April – Early May

• Too late after: Mid-June

Zone 6 (Parts of Missouri/Kentucky)

• Best germination window: Early – Mid May

• Too late after: Late June

Zone 7 (Virginia, Tennessee, Oklahoma)

• Best germination window: Late April – Early June

• Too late after: Mid-July

Zone 8 (Northern Texas, Georgia, Northern California)

• Best germination window: April – June

• Too late after: Mid-July

Zone 9 (Central Florida, South Texas, Coastal California)

• Best germination window: March – July

• Too late after: Mid-August

Zone 10–11 (South Florida, Hawaii, Southern California)

• Best germination window: Year-round with planning

• Too late after: No strict cut-off, though heavy rains and storms can shorten the season.

Things to Keep in Mind

• Autoflowers can be started later because they finish in 10–12 weeks regardless of daylight.

• Photoperiods need more veg time, starting too late = smaller yields.

• Local weather (frost up north, hurricanes down south) may push harvest earlier.