So I was perusing a few forums and came across a few discussions whereby persons are bantering about their various strain flowering times. "Oh my Himalayan Purple Yak Balls need 65 days of flowering and next dude says go 70, makes a big difference". I find these discussions mildy amusing as I am an outdoor grower and simply harvest when the trichomes are cloudy/amber. Having said that when does the clock start on an outdoor plant in the flowering stage? Is there a certain aspect of the early flowering stage that is used as a start reference?
Flowering Stopwatch Start
- Thread starter Japandy
- Start date
Weouthere
Well-Known Member
I think.. could be wrong here. But the general consensus is that breeders use the time from the “flip”, or going to 12/12.
A lot of other people count from when pistols first appear tho.
I really don’t think it’s useful to count days unless you’re chasing a specific strain or something like that. And even then, it would just be for reference.
A lot of other people count from when pistols first appear tho.
I really don’t think it’s useful to count days unless you’re chasing a specific strain or something like that. And even then, it would just be for reference.
Thundercat
Well-Known Member
Flowering begins when the plants are forming the start of actual flowers, not just preflower sexing. It’s not an exact science, but it doesn’t have to be there is no clock, each plant will finish when it’s done based on your grow environment. We could both grow identical cuttings in two different rooms and they will usually grow differently. Breeder flowering times are just loose guidelines, not stop watches. So the plants will finish when ever they finish, which is why I stopped counting days or weeks years ago. I put plants into flower and harvest them when ready.
Renfro
Well-Known Member
Actually the opposite. They want to make their flowering times seem shorter to the consumer and thus generally count days after you see those little tufts of bud show up.
Exactly. Even two different runs of a cut by the same grower in the same room may vary by a few days.
This what I do as an indoor grower.
If I am running a cut for the first time I have no expectations on a finish date. Once I have ran a cut and documented it's time from flip to chop I can schedule based on a plus or minus 3 days allowance.
Thanks all. Yes I get the 12/12 for indoor growers. I just wanted a general consensus on when flowering is official as a best guess. I am growing the same stain outdoors this year but in different conditions and soil types. Just wanting to accurately document all aspects of growth including flowering time so as to figure things out for the next year. Cheers,
Thundercat
Well-Known Member
The answer for outdoors is just like I said. Once the plants start forming flowers. Not nessecarly the first pistils, since plants can show sex before flowering starts, but the first signs of actual flower formation is the beginning of the flowering period.