What does veg mean? Sorry if I sound stupid, but I'm new to growing. I know a lot of essentials, but I just don't know what Vegging is, or... What a veg is. Thanks.
Vegetative phase A young male cannabis plant during early flowering stage Duration: 1–2 months indoors. In this stage the plant needs all the light (at least 18 hours) and nutrients (food) that it can use, depending on the genetics of the particular plant. It continues to grow vertically and produce new leaves. The sex is starting to reveal itself, which is a sign that the next stage begins. Concurrently the root system expands downwards in search of more water and food. Some newly developed strains (auto flowering hybrids) omit the vegetative stage and pass directly from seedling to pre-flowering. When the plant possesses four sets of true leaves and the 5th is barely visible in the center of the growth tip, or shoot apical meristem (SAM), the plant has entered the vegetative phase of growth. During the vegetative phase, the plant directs its energy resources primarily to the growth of leaves, stems, and roots. A strong root system is required for strong floral development. A plant needs 1 or 2 months to mature before blooming. The plant is ready when it has revealed its sex. Plant size is a good indicator of sex. Females tend to be shorter and branchier than males. The males tend to have fewer leaves near the top and females have more leaves surrounding the flowers.[16] The males are then usually culled when they are identified, so that the females will not be pollinated, thus producing "sin semilla" ("without seed") buds. During the vegetative phase, cultivators generally employ an 18- to 24-hour photo period because the plants grow more quickly if they receive more light, although a warmer and cooler period are required for optimal health.[17] Although no dark period is required, there is debate among cultivators as to whether a dark period is beneficial, and many continue to employ a dark period. The amount of time to grow a cannabis plant indoors in the vegetative stage depends on the size of the flower, the light used, the size of the space, and how many plants are intended to flower at once, and how big the strain gets in "the stretch" (i.e., the first two weeks of flowering). Cannabis cultivators employ fertilizers high in N (nitrogen) and K (potassium) during the vegetative stage, as well as a complete micro nutrient fertilizer. The strength of the fertilizer is gradually increased as the plants grow and become more hardy.