Starting to flower - tips?

perfecto

Active Member
I know that to begin to flower I need to switch the lights to 12/12 and change the nutes to bloom, but is there anything else I need to do? Oh and I got some FloraNectar from GH for free so I thought I might as well use it during flowering. Do I need to add that right away or like 1-2 weeks before harvest?
 

Al B. Fuct

once had a dog named
I know that to begin to flower I need to switch the lights to 12/12 and change the nutes to bloom, but is there anything else I need to do?
Nope.
Oh and I got some FloraNectar from GH for free so I thought I might as well use it during flowering. Do I need to add that right away or like 1-2 weeks before harvest?
FloraNectar is a sugar/molasses additive:

Flora Nectar (0-0-1) contains all natural raw cane sugar, molasses, malt syrup, select plant based esters, L-amino acids, organic acids,
There may be some good science in adding sugars, molasses etc to soil grows where there are microbes at work breaking down organic matter into N, P & K, but that's not the case in inorganic based hydro ops.

Plants can't use sugars as a nutrient. All adding sugars to a hydro op will accomplish is attracting bugs and feeding pathogens. There should be no microbes, beneficial or otherwise in a proper hydro op, so there's really no reason to put sugars in your tanks.

Just because a commercial concern mixes up some magic sauce for sale doesn't mean it's proven or useful.

I'd avoid FloraNectar or any other sugar/molasses additive in hydroponics.
 

Al B. Fuct

once had a dog named
50w of HPS per sq ft will give you good bud density. More light is better, up to the point where you have difficulty getting rid of the heat from lights (cooltubes are your best friend :)).

Don't sing to your plants until they tell you what sort of music they prefer.

Some like BOTH kinds of music- country AND western. :lol:
 

perfecto

Active Member
Thanks for the info on the FloraNectar stuff, Al. I knew there was a reason I got it for free! :) I've read around about how some people add molasses and other people think it's dumb to do that, and now I know why. I've got a 600W HPS over a 2X2 table with 6 plants (probably too many plants for that size table) so I think I should have enough light for some awesome buds. I can't wait!!
 

Mystik

Active Member
As for the singing to them thing, I have run a couple of experiments on that myself, the house plants that hear hard rock/heavy metal strangely seem to do the best.
These are just plant breeds in general mind you from potted to some in the garden , I haven't tried it specifically on marijuana.
 

pooffreakdudeguy

Active Member
As for the singing to them thing, I have run a couple of experiments on that myself, the house plants that hear hard rock/heavy metal strangely seem to do the best.
These are just plant breeds in general mind you from potted to some in the garden , I haven't tried it specifically on marijuana.

yeah my plants start throwin down to some hatebreed,put on a lil devil driver right before lights out and shit they sing to ME!:hump:
 

pooffreakdudeguy

Active Member
hey al,do you have any advice on cooltubes with a light rail system,i run a 1000 on an intellidrive,and was thinkin bout a cooltube,but seemed like it would just be a pain.
 

Al B. Fuct

once had a dog named
Thanks for the info on the FloraNectar stuff, Al. I knew there was a reason I got it for free! :) I've read around about how some people add molasses and other people think it's dumb to do that, and now I know why.
Never underestimate the ability of a marketer to meet a need he thinks exists. Want to go 300 miles per gallon? Someone will sell you a magic carburetor or a hydrogen electrolyser. Doesn't actually matter if it works or not, if you think you need it, someone will find a way to sell you a copy. :D

I've got a 600W HPS over a 2X2 table with 6 plants (probably too many plants for that size table) so I think I should have enough light for some awesome buds. I can't wait!!
2'x2'=4sq ft. A 600 is actually much more light power than you really need for that amount of lighted tray space. You could conceivably add another 2'x2' table under that 600.

If you used the Sea of Green method, you could raise as many as 16 plants per 2'x2' tray. In SoG, you flower clones immediately after they set root (no veg time before flowering the clones), which results in short plants, finishing about 30-40" tall. Due to the limits of foliar penetration of artificial light, tall plants are not the indoor grower's friend. SoG overcomes this limitation by tailoring the plants to the ability of the lighting. Also, all branching on the lower 1/3 of the plants is removed in week 1 and again as needed in wk3. This gets rid of poor producing small lower branches and improves air circ around the plants, allowing you to pack in up to 4 plants per sq ft. All the buds that form on these short stalks will be big, dense colas, dramatically improving the avg bud weight & density.

Good luck!

hey al,do you have any advice on cooltubes with a light rail system,i run a 1000 on an intellidrive,and was thinkin bout a cooltube,but seemed like it would just be a pain.
Yes, get rid of the light mover. If your light is too small to cover your intended lighted tray space, add another light.

Light movers are a bodge which allow you to minimise the signs of insufficient lighting (stretchy plants with poor bud development/density) but they don't improve yield. When the light is over one end of the traverse, it's not over the other, meaning you must de-rate the amount of light being received on average by the plants. Aim for about 50W of HPS per sq ft in flowering.

Cooltubes are very helpful in controlling air temps, especially in small spaces.

Spend up on cooltubes but give the movers a miss.
 

Consciousness420

Well-Known Member
Yea, all good points 'AL' .. perfecto, since you just put them on 12/12 I would consider trimming the bottom leaves off of the plant (ONLY if those areas are not getting much light) because the less bud-less mass is on the plant which does not aid in the production of sugars, the greater amount of energy can go straight up to the top (cola) for bud production! good luck
 

perfecto

Active Member
Also, all branching on the lower 1/3 of the plants is removed in week 1 and again as needed in wk3. This gets rid of poor producing small lower branches and improves air circ around the plants
Should I remove the lower branches on my plants even tho I'm not SoG'ing? Here's a pic of what they look like right now. I also have a really really small plant in between two large ones (see pic). Should I just pull that plant out completely so the others get more light and nutes, or trim the larger ones to try and get more light to the small one?
 

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perfecto

Active Member
Ah, thanks for answering my question before I asked it, Conciousness420 (get out of my head!) :). Is there any method to trimming or just take off the branches near the bottom right next to the stem?
 

pooffreakdudeguy

Active Member
Ah, thanks for answering my question before I asked it, Conciousness420 (get out of my head!) :). Is there any method to trimming or just take off the branches near the bottom right next to the stem?
you dont want to remove too many branches and fan leaves for they hold and store the energy for the plant,the energy that grows those fat buds,before flowering a lot of ppl will trim the bottom 3rd of their plant,i have trimmed and not trimmed and my main colas usually grow to their fullest either way,i figure if it needed to be removed the plant would discard it itself
 
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