Light schedule question

Thundercat

Well-Known Member
FIRST IGNORE THE BREEDER RECOMMENDED TIME FRAMES!!!!! They are 70% marketing, 20% wishes and dreams, and 10% reality.

Biologically flowering begins once the plant has finished the transition and begins to form flowers. This is pretty standard across most flowering plants and is published botanical fact.

Some indoor cannabis growers feel it is easier just to "count from day 1 of 12/12". If that's easier for them then that's great, but its not an accurate representation of how long a plant takes to actually complete the flowering process. It gives them an arbitrary number that makes them feel like they are in control of the time frame instead of the plant. However the plant WILL NOT FINISH based on a calendar. The plant doesn't care what day in growth you think its in, it only cares about light, nutrients, and environmental conditions. It will complete its life cycle once the genetics decide its time.

Different genetics and environments will take different amounts of time to transition after you flip a light to 12/12. It also takes a period of time for the plant to change the hormonal processes required to flower. These variables make the idea of counting from that point completely arbitrary.

Instead if you REALLY want to know how long genetics take to flower in your environment. You need to watch your plant and you can begin you judgment of flower time based on when your plant is ACTUALLY flowering. Then grow the plant again and you will notice if your environment is correct still that it will take about the same amount of time every time from that point. That is the plants flowering time and it won’t change much unless you change the grow conditions.
 

ALPHA.GanjaGuy

Well-Known Member
Not everyone agrees but imo, the first two weeks would be preflower/budding/stretch growth stage which occurs when you first initiate 12/12. Once stretch slows/stops, buds are formed, you enter the true flower period. The plant goes seedling/veg/pre-flower or budding/flower. I count from when I flip but then I minus 14 days (unless the strain took longer in preflower). I do also document everything though from the day I change lighting, when preflowers are formed and when stretch stops.

Doing it this way is also helpful when determining how to feed your plants. During preflower/stretch they still want/need extra nitrogen. if you switched to flower nutes day one of flip you are usually dropping nitrogen also

I have found that counting weeks this way gets you much closer to the breeders estimate and keeps the plants healthier and happier

also keep in mind the breeder estimate is based on their environment (assuming they even grew it)
 

VaSmile

Well-Known Member
So do I stop feeding at this point
Not yet, I switch to suger for a week then flush for a week. I would still wait 10ish days to start that. More experience growers on riu say to feed until harvest. Either way you still got sometime. It's better to wait an extra day then rush a day
 

VaSmile

Well-Known Member
Not everyone agrees but imo, the first two weeks would be preflower/budding/stretch growth stage which occurs when you first initiate 12/12. Once stretch slows/stops, buds are formed, you enter the true flower period. The plant goes seedling/veg/pre-flower or budding/flower. I count from when I flip but then I minus 14 days (unless the strain took longer in preflower). I do also document everything though from the day I change lighting, when preflowers are formed and when stretch stops.

Doing it this way is also helpful when determining how to feed your plants. During preflower/stretch they still want/need extra nitrogen. if you switched to flower nutes day one of flip you are usually dropping nitrogen also

I have found that counting weeks this way gets you much closer to the breeders estimate and keeps the plants healthier and happier

also keep in mind the breeder estimate is based on their environment (assuming they even grew it)
Thank you for this clarification.
 

PopAndSonGrows

Well-Known Member
The thing to also consider:

Clones often flower sooner than seed-grown plants, like 7-10 days in my experience. Seed-grown plants flipped around 28-35 days take about 14-17 days to initiate flower. Older seed-grown plants like 60+ days flower in about 10-14 days. *These are not scientifically established timeframes, just purely anecdotal based on my observations.
 

hotrodharley

Well-Known Member
For the sake of everyone starting on the same date I would urge the masses to start counting flower from the day of flip. Any other dates are just a cluster f&*k as far as I see it. My .02 cents.
Totally agree and understand now if you don’t already, OP: breeders claims are a general guideline and not worth worrying about.
 

VaSmile

Well-Known Member
The thing to also consider:

Clones often flower sooner than seed-grown plants, like 7-10 days in my experience. Seed-grown plants flipped around 28-35 days take about 14-17 days to initiate flower. Older seed-grown plants like 60+ days flower in about 10-14 days. *These are not scientifically established timeframes, just purely anecdotal based on my observations.
When do you start your count on veg time?
First exposure to moisture/first showing of germination/ sprout from medium/first shower of second set of true leafs? Is there/can we establish a consensus on this?
Is it any different for clones
 

MtRainDog

Well-Known Member
When do you start your count on veg time?
First exposure to moisture/first showing of germination/ sprout from medium/first shower of second set of true leafs? Is there/can we establish a consensus on this?
Is it any different for clones
I don't really count veg time, but if I did, it'd start at, "above ground, helmet off."
 

PopAndSonGrows

Well-Known Member
When do you start your count on veg time?
First exposure to moisture/first showing of germination/ sprout from medium/first shower of second set of true leafs? Is there/can we establish a consensus on this?
Is it any different for clones
Good points. I count veg time from seed drop because, same as light-flip, it's a solid definitive point.
Clones, I count from cut-date but also note the first-roots OR, in the event I get clones from dad, date brought home.
 

VaSmile

Well-Known Member
Good points. I count veg time from seed drop because, same as light-flip, it's a solid definitive point.
Clones, I count from cut-date but also note the first-roots OR, in the event I get clones from dad, date brought home.
I like this for being a conformable data point recordable to the second if one wants.
I don't like it because I find it so meaningless to the progression of the life cycle.
Seed can germinate in 24hrs or 10days, once planted they can take 3 or 12 days to sprout, when they sprout is the first time they see any light
After sprouting they go into a sapling phase where they will stretch some but mostly just put on root. The larger their container the longer the phase will last.
In addition to the preflower phase after light flip discribe above I also find there to be a late veg phase in longer veg time. This is when you see the first signs of sexual expression and I personally start to add my bloom mix (potassium)
I see no relevance to the presents of a helmet, not all seed come up with them and some wear they for a week+
Personally I find most seeds sprout in the dark so, first light, the time your veg light comes on after she sprouts is what I would call veg time(recordable to the minute), seed drop/spray start of life cycle
 

ALPHA.GanjaGuy

Well-Known Member
I just realized this is in the autoflower section, my bad..

I count seedling from pop to first multi-tip leaves, so not cotyledon, not first surated but the next
I count veg from there until the first pistils show which begins preflower/stretch
I count flower once stretch has stopped and flower clusters are visible
 

pegboy

Well-Known Member
I just realized this is in the autoflower section, my bad..

I count seedling from pop to first multi-tip leaves, so not cotyledon, not first surated but the next
I count veg from there until the first pistils show which begins preflower/stretch
I count flower once stretch has stopped and flower clusters are visible
Just checked. "general growing section"
 

ALPHA.GanjaGuy

Well-Known Member
Just checked. "general growing section"
Lol, I’m super baked, this is why I don’t come on here at night.. the op is Autoflowercafe :dunce:bongsmilie


so then here’s what I had before thinking it was autos..

I don’t flip until plants show sex
I count seedling from pop to first surated
Veg from first surated until they show sex
From there I will usually take cuts and kill the from seed plant bcs I hate them lol
I grow out the clone to the size I want and flip to 12/12, the rest is in my first post

but to be honest I don’t often track grow time before flipping to 12/12, it’s not important to me
 
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