When do flowering actually start ?

When do flowering actually start.
is it when I switch to the 12/12 light schedule or is it when I see flower forming into buds.

The flowering cycle includes the formation of buds from start to end.

So it starts when I flip the switch to 12/12.
thanks

12/12 starts. Some go when flowers and pre flowers start showing but i dont.

You can walk down hours. But first day of flower is the first 12 hours of light on.

I went from 18/6, 16/8, 14/10, and then 12/12. First day flower was 12/12.

If you're trying to figure actual flowering days, good luck....that's gonna change according to a lot of factors.
I veg everything 24/0 for 3 weeks...autos and photos...then move to a 12/12 flower area. All that shit flowers. Dunno exactly when but mostly within a week of moving.......After 15 years, I still just run it till it finishes .... take all #s with a grain of salt.

I go by when the plant starts to visibly go into flower- or when preflowers/ pistils or balls start to show. The reason I go with this over 12/12, is because I've noticed while growing long flowering sativas side by side with short flowering indicas outdoors, that the long flowering sativa plants not only take a longer time to flower, but also seem to take a longer time to just get to the flower stage... usually weeks longer just to show gender, under the same conditions. To me, that shows there is more variation amongst plants than we usually think, and probably more to flowering than just flipping to a 12/12 light schedule. Outdoors, some plants can also start going into flower while still getting more than 12 hours of light........ this is all pointless though... if you are indoors, just go with 12/12 because that is the most commonly accepted way to measure the start of flower. Like oldreefer said, don't count days... it's only done when it's done, and pretty much no strain will ever be exactly what the recommended timeframe says. (unless you're testing something... then do count your days.)

I want to thank you good people for all of the information.I’m a newbie and I grow indoors,I have a pretty decent growing environment for my beautiful ladies,but I do have questions depending on the growth stage, I’m switching to 12/12 to initiate the flowering stage, it can take 2-3 or even 4 months in this budding stage, so I’ll be back for more guidance when I’m nearing the ending of the flowering stage, and I have big fat buds, and I want them sweet n dense like what you get at the dispensaries. Thanks

Oldreefer said:

If you're trying to figure actual flowering days, good luck....that's gonna change according to a lot of factors.
I veg everything 24/0 for 3 weeks...autos and photos...then move to a 12/12 flower area. All that shit flowers. Dunno exactly when but mostly within a week of moving.......After 15 years, I still just run it till it finishes .... take all #s with a grain of salt.

Click to expand...

Exactly. It's done when it's done. No sooner, no later.