Effects of photoperiod on Cannabis during Flowering...HELP!!!

[businessmen]

Im interested in this idea too. But Im hoping it will make my plants finish quicker. If you look at it from nature, the days get shorter which is what stimulates flowering in the plants. Im only gonna go back to 11 hours light tho. BUt also if you look at nature, around here a flowering plant would never even see 12 hours of complete darkness, let alone 11 or 8. They finish up in Oct or Nov with a bit under 12 hours complete dark. I do worry that they will grow slower due to less light hours to make energy. But seed companies recommend it for White Widow I know. (which Im growing) BUt its just the same regurgitated info all the seed companys steal from each other. ANd they also say try turning off lights for a week or two and then harvest. Sounds like youd have some moldy yellow plants by then.

 

[T.H.Cammo]

- - - - If you look at it from nature, the days get shorter which is what stimulates flowering in the plants.

Actually, it's not the days getting shorter that triggers flowering. It's the nights getting longer!

During the hours of darkness, the plant produces a certain hormone that "accumulates" all night. This "hormone level" is what triggers the flowering stage when darkness reachs about 12 "uninterupted" hours every night.

 

[businessmen]

That wasnt very helpful but thanks i guess. Actually its probably triggered at about 14 hours dark in most strains. Sativas might need 12 hr nights.

 

[Dr.GreenBuds]

Im gonna throw my 2 cents in. One of my crops had an issue with a timer and my plants where in total dark for 3-5 days. I can't really narrow it down any closer than that, cause I don't check my plants everyday. this happened about 1 month into bud so they were just starting to really put on some weight but wasn't really resinous. after that light being off, the plant, as far as crystal content is concerned, looked done very resinous. The plant ended up finishing almost a week earlier and one of the most potent, but the yeild was cut by almost 10-15%

 

[Indoor Don]

Im interested in this idea too. But Im hoping it will make my plants finish quicker. If you look at it from nature, the days get shorter which is what stimulates flowering in the plants. Im only gonna go back to 11 hours light tho. BUt also if you look at nature, around here a flowering plant would never even see 12 hours of complete darkness, let alone 11 or 8. They finish up in Oct or Nov with a bit under 12 hours complete dark. I do worry that they will grow slower due to less light hours to make energy. But seed companies recommend it for White Widow I know. (which Im growing) BUt its just the same regurgitated info all the seed companys steal from each other. ANd they also say try turning off lights for a week or two and then harvest. Sounds like youd have some moldy yellow plants by then.

This light off for 2 weeks, are you getting that from Toronto 420 seed bank, because i confronted them on that and they said disregard that, it was an experiment a guy who used to work for them tried but its a bust, no duh, they still haven;t changed it on thier web site last time i checked

 

[mr.smileyface]

dude i tried it and it decreased my yeild. More light equals more growth. = more tri's
turn your lights off for three days at the end if you want more resin. That isnt proven either.
But IMO keep your lights 12.12 or your loosing wieght. ANd plants flower to shorter days not extended dark periods.
What dont you understand about it? Why dont you lisen to the other guys on here.
You think they just made the 12/12 thing up?
look at outdoors... It prolongs flowering by days getting shorter. So a strain that takes 8 weeks... will now take 10 to finish because of the photoperiod. They picked 12/12 because thats the fastest the plant grows. Go ahead and try it... Your going to get the same quality but less amount.
Un plug the lights for a couple days. It only works if you make it cold.

 

[mr.smileyface]

Actually, it's not the days getting shorter that triggers flowering. It's the nights getting longer!

During the hours of darkness, the plant produces a certain hormone that "accumulates" all night. This "hormone level" is what triggers the flowering stage when darkness reachs about 12 "uninterupted" hours every night.

What hormone? So are you saying if you gave a plant 18 hours light and 12 hours darkness it would flower? Beep wrong! plants flower when the Photoperiod is ruduced. ANd naturaly when the days are shorter.. the nights are longer. It takes both of those to flower a plant. Not one or the other.
And plants start flowering when the light hours get reduced to 14/10.
You notice how your plant starts flowering around mid august?

 

[T.H.Cammo]

The hormones (actually they are "pigments") are called Phytochromes and Cryptochromes - spend a couple of hours on Google and you'd be surprised what you may learn!

You may even learn that "Short Day Plants" is a total misnomer - if you read enough! They should be called "Long Night Plants"! If you need a link, I'd be glad to imbarass you and provide one. Next time "Look before you speak", it would save you from moments like this!

 

[T.H.Cammo]

So are you saying if you gave a plant 18 hours light and 12 hours darkness it would flower?

No, I didn't say that. You did, but you do bring up an interresting point!

 

[mr.smileyface]

So are you saying if you gave a plant 18 hours light and 12 hours darkness it would flower?

No, I didn't say that. You did, but you do bring up an interresting point!

Ok you may be right but less light hurts. Hence why i give my plants 24 hours darkness before switching. But giving your plant less then 12 hours light will reduce potency and yield!
Oh yea it depends on what strain of plant. Some dont care what the night cycles are like ruderalis. Aka Autoflowering.

 

[Weerdoe]

I have researched extensively on alot of marijuana growing techniques and I am not offering evidence but info,, I read awhile back from that dude in hightimes (name I forget) that closer to the equator, something about 13 hrs dark in nature and that this caused these strains from this area (outdoors I'm sure) are more potent because of the 13 hrs dark, I do remember he had not tryed it at the time of the article, but it was his theory that this would increase potency of the plant. Unfortunately, the article was a hightimes article (if ya look hard enough you might find it)so it was not chalked full of the detail of yield and what not but did give a experts research on the potency of the marijuanas do to light cycles in nature, and that it could be a worth while experiment.

 

[immortalbuds]

Why dont people on here try to help instead of just saying it doesnt work.

Did it take both of you a long time to understand how things work and want everyone to make it harder for everyone on here?
HAHA
[/QUOTE]

I think the point your missing is the reason the plant buds at all . It's not for you to have weed to smoke, It's for the survival of the plant. Like many other plants, it makes buds to spread It's seed. You would have to ask nature why it made the environment for this plant to get the most polination during that exact season of the year, hence the plant learned to make It's buds at that particular season where light only lasts 12 hours. If there exists a plant that needs 11 to bud, it only means this plant adapted in another part of the world with different winters that had. Shorter days at the particular season.
your plant wants desperately to give you the best buds it can, the amount of light is only a reference for the plant It's your job to simulate the plants natural environment. No mater what any of.these guys tel u, I say do your own research learn your plant play it by ear and you'll have buds.no one els can make and it can be your secret.

I know that's how science does it.

It's simple evolution bro..

Sorry for the typos I'm on my phone

Jude

 

[SubCero]

Ok I'm a begginer grower but let me see if I can simplify this question and answer so you will be satisfied. So 12/12 is the basic regiment for flowering cannabis. Most photosensitive cannabis will flower at that period. Outliers will always exist in nature. So some plants may flower with only 10 hours of darkness or some may require 13. Flowering is a plant showing its sexual maturity and trying to reproduce before it's inevitable death. Well that's how they think because they are an annual plant. So let's say you ran the experiment. Well there are pro's and con's. The cons are that by accelerating the night period the bloom cycle would be accelerated. So for example it is an 8-9 week strain. More than likely the extended nights would cause your plant to be more like a 7-8 week strain. The drawback is less time the buds get to develop because of lack of time. Then you run into the degradation process. The process some take advantage of right before harvest. Although IMO most growers pull to early. Since true patience is a virtue rarely found in mankind especially because of technology. The pro to accelerating the night would be that you can cut a week on turnaround and could hypothetically achieve 7 crops a year. Another pro is it very well could make more resinous bud. But that is because you are stressing it by telling it death is coming aka winter. That stress could also increase hermie potential thus making resin production halt. If you want to increase quality. Here are a list of things you can do instead of trying to find shortcuts.
1. Buy a Biowave $2400+
2. CO2 boost and match your ppm of your feed to CO2.
3. Run Blackdog's LED as supplemental lighting.
4. The fourth and free option is easing into the 12/12. Thus giving buds more developmental time and more days and nights! That would be my best bet. Since that is following nature and less stressful. I think going 18/6 to 12/12 is to drastic for my ladies. But I grow for myself not for profit. Is most of my logic based on instinct instead of well documented research? Yes. Honestly they are indoor strains for a reason. The reason being that these plants have gotten used to not being outside. It's kinda like cats if you know what I mean.

 

[tyke1973]

Why this under help needed you seem to know the crack,im sure that you might even get away with a hour either way when it comes to flowering but its a test you will have to try,i my self will only ever flower on 12/12 off and veg under 18/6 i see no point in 24 hour light during flowering from test i have done there is nothing to be gained from 24 hr of light.

But i have done test over the last few week on root growth, i now have done away with the auto pot growing and growing in dwc,the roots are growing at least 3 ince dureing the lights of but then again i have not vegged in dwc i veg in coco and clay balls with a 50/50 mix of coco and clay balls with 50 % bio bizz the one with out added feed.I like to know what is going into the medium so a blank sheet so to speak.These are on canna a/b and rhizatonic every so often.

The mothers i have 3 of em 1 blues 1 jack herer and 1 cheese,also a cross of the blues and cheese so 4 mums in total just had a custom built unit for them,just space for one more mother, the plant i working on at the minute blues x cheese, crossed with the jack herer i have had longer than i care to remember.

Best to to stick to a time frame and stick to it,its too risky messing around with time during flowering just leave em on 12/12 off......

I would not ease them into 12 on 12 off just get them straight on 12/12 they will be fine.To be honest i think that plants sometimes produce better yeilds with a little stress.lets face it nothing we are doing is really same has nature,in nature the weather is never the same temp there are heavy winds.But the whole idea is to make the plants think its the perfect autum or summer in veg.Once you have your room keyed in then you will reap the rewards.

...................................................................tyke.......................................................................................................................................