I know I know...I'm posting like mad. Lots of upcoming changes.
I've been doing some thinking today about when to start my 32 hour dark period and then 12/12 (It's supposed to be 36, but I'm doing 32 because of when I want the lights to go on). I'll be leaving for a trip in March for a week and won't be around, so, I want to make sure harvest and curing is done before March.
Keeping this in mind, I'm deciding to start the 32 hour dark period this upcoming Friday starting at 12PM when the plants' normal 4 hour dark period starts. I'll change the timer in the AM on Friday to be dark from 12PM-11:59AM. Then on Saturday, I'll have until 11:59AM to change the timer and set it to 8PM-8AM lights on. So, on Saturday 12/13 @ 8PM lights will come on for the first 12 hour period, ending the 32 hour dark period.
When I start the dark period, the oldest papaya's will be 32 days old and the youngest plant (a papaya) will be 23 days old (younger than I'd like, but that's alright). I'd say an average of the collective plant age would be something like 30 days from cracking soil. I'm REALLY hoping most plants are about 12 inches by next Friday. Regardless, I'm switching the light schedule and the bulb to HPS.
If things go as planned, and I don't have problems initiating flowering, then harvest should be somewhere around February 11th, 2009 (a few days past 8 weeks from the first 12/12...few days allowance to account for the beginning of the flowering stage).
Also, I am going to do one watering before the dark period with just plain water and WITHOUT Grow Big. No one has suggested I do this, and I haven't read about it. I just figure it would be good to have a 'clean slate' before I start with Tiger Bloom and Big Bloom. Anyone have thought on this?