GrowInTheDark
New Member
Ive been reading some posts and have been wondering what everyone's opinion is on a 36 hour dark period to initiate flowering, some say they have seen faster flowering results, some don't notice a thing. What do you think?
36 hour dark period to initiate flowering?
Good question. I would think in most cases, what does it really matter? If your plants grow an extra 5 days before showing flowers, is that a bad thing? I've put myself in an odd position somewhat related. I planted 4 regular seeds and am trying to sex them ASAP to bring down my tent over the holidays. They'll move into a bedroom closet under a cfl. It's in a spare room and the tent real estate needed for guests.
I've moved the light schedule to 10/14 and am thinking of going to 9/15 to get them to show sex. My thought being equatorial sativas might need a bit of a "push" as the light times continually stay very close to 12/12 in nature.
Sorry for all that ramble. I can't answer your question but I can give you my opinion. I think an extended dark period would help. Since your plants work on day/night "cycles", you've essentially gave it 1 extended cycle. I think you'd get them to flower quicker by going to 11/13. You could ease them back to 12/12 once flowering starts. Keep in mind genetics play a huge roll. Pure indices will flower with 10 hrs of dark. Sativas need closer to 12 and will take longer to transition. Hybrids likely somewhere in between.
I've moved the light schedule to 10/14 and am thinking of going to 9/15 to get them to show sex. My thought being equatorial sativas might need a bit of a "push" as the light times continually stay very close to 12/12 in nature.
Sorry for all that ramble. I can't answer your question but I can give you my opinion. I think an extended dark period would help. Since your plants work on day/night "cycles", you've essentially gave it 1 extended cycle. I think you'd get them to flower quicker by going to 11/13. You could ease them back to 12/12 once flowering starts. Keep in mind genetics play a huge roll. Pure indices will flower with 10 hrs of dark. Sativas need closer to 12 and will take longer to transition. Hybrids likely somewhere in between.
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- #3
GrowInTheDark
New Member
Thank you Spitz, all I want here are people's opinions, and you gave me just that, if your wondering, all of my plants are indicas.
Serpent
New Member
I do this when I'm done harvest the last 2 to 3 day in the dark to trick the plant
I don't find that helpful to speed up flowering. The way you speed it up is chemically. You give it the right dose of flower inducing nutes starting 1 to 1.5 weeks before switching the lights. People will do both and attribute success to the lights but that isn't how the plant works. After the hormone has built up enough to start the blooming process more of it wont really help. It just has to get over the line and any more is wasted time not doing the photosynthesis needed to create the flowers.
Just my opinion.
But in the end patients is the most important tool in the growers tool box. It is hard to be successful without it.
Just my opinion.
But in the end patients is the most important tool in the growers tool box. It is hard to be successful without it.
I heard this is a good trick so I am going to try it too, after the day or two in the dark do you then give them 8 or so hours light before harvesting them?
Serpent
New Member
What is the right dose? I have been trying this with half strength bloom added to the normal amount of grow nutes but I am not sure if I'm doing it right.
Oh boy ...well here we go....
This is not for Newbs. This is harder in soil than Hydro. (I warned you)
To chemically induce flowering (which I have heard can be done under 24 hours of light...But I never tried that... I think it would be way too stressful...not to mention NONE OF THIS IS NECESSARY) you need 2 things really. But before I splain that, you need to understand what this is doing. You are forcing the wrong nutes into the plant and that makes it store them up for later so that when you flip the lights it is ready to rock and roll. And use them for what they are for not what it needs. It is easy to burn with this but also it is easy to do right you just gotta know how to speak cannabis.
Okay all that said if you are following modern great programs like Advanced Nutes program (or other complex programs) they actually include the right stuff so it happens for you. So what I am going to explain will seem like "just how things work" to those who didn't grow up on Miracle grow. But yes this gets the sexing done in no more than 3 days I have done it in 2.
You want to start letting the nutes die down a bit before this Not so much that you have a problem but in DWC just top off with pH'd water with silica and sugar for a few days leading into this because we are going to force in a high dose of stuff that is at a very different ratio. In soil you have to stop at least a week before you do this depending on how good your soil is.
Then with 1 week to go you need 2 things. 1 a good blooming agent like powder form of Big Bud. I use Mad Farmers MOAB because it is the same thing only way cheaper. (and yes I did this on my last grow).
You also need some form of Ascophyllum nodosum. That is derived from northen atlantic kelp. I have 3 forms of this on my shelf because it does so many great things and the three kinds I have work a bit differently. I have AN Nirvana (that has a lot more than just the kelp and actually the main ingredient in Nirvana REALLY helps this process ). If you use Nirvana in your process then this probably will seem like just normal to you. For this particular process I use the Botanicares version Seaplex. For most things however I use the cheapo stuff from home depot Alaska Pennington 32 oz. Pure Kelp Plant Food-100509476 - The Home Depot. Any will do.
In fact I just started some plants today on the first 12 hours of darkness and I added a home brew version a day ago without the kelp but I did add Nirvana a few days ago so we shall see. I didn't want to add more kelp right after adding in Nirvana.
So you should have some plants that are Hungry and then you do a high like 1.5 dose of the bloom powder and a standard dose of the kelp. Now in DWC I will run this for the week right before bloom and dump the res 1 to 2 days before changing the lights to get all that high does crap out and then put it on bloom nute program about 48 hours before I flip the lights. The plant is ready to bloom already and was hoping it would turn any day. So as soon as you flip they will start.
In Soil it gets a bit more difficult because you don't want to do a flush. It also depends on a lot of factors. if you are watering once a week it is different than if you re watering every 3 days or so. I usually only need to water once a week so it is a bit more difficult. Anyway you really just do about 1.5 weeks of pH'd water only with some sugars to help use up the nutes in there. Then with again 1 week to flower use a standard dose of MOAB and a double dose of the kelp. That stuff is good and has less likelihood of burning. Then again 48 hours before flipping the lights do a heavy watering with runoff. And then do a light bloom feed. Both of those watering one after the other and make sure the run off is gone, not sitting in the pan.
Now the reason Nirvana does so well at this is the main ingredient is Alfalfa which is great for all sorts of things but primarily blooming. Normally I make my own teas and it includes alfalfa and kelp and a bunch more and that works too.
Other products have similar stuff so if you know your brand you can figure this out. GH has Bio bud for the kelp...you gots ta read the bottles I don't know every brand. I know for a fact none of the brand BS matters and you just go to Home depot and get the cheap stuff and it works great.
Back in the day I used to get away with just using Miracle Grow Bloom Booster and it worked.
Good luck...None of this matters. Just be patient. I don't do it for the speed. I do it because I want big fat buds and there are a lot of tricks along the way that help make forearmed sized Kolas and this is one of them.
This is not for Newbs. This is harder in soil than Hydro. (I warned you)
To chemically induce flowering (which I have heard can be done under 24 hours of light...But I never tried that... I think it would be way too stressful...not to mention NONE OF THIS IS NECESSARY) you need 2 things really. But before I splain that, you need to understand what this is doing. You are forcing the wrong nutes into the plant and that makes it store them up for later so that when you flip the lights it is ready to rock and roll. And use them for what they are for not what it needs. It is easy to burn with this but also it is easy to do right you just gotta know how to speak cannabis.
Okay all that said if you are following modern great programs like Advanced Nutes program (or other complex programs) they actually include the right stuff so it happens for you. So what I am going to explain will seem like "just how things work" to those who didn't grow up on Miracle grow. But yes this gets the sexing done in no more than 3 days I have done it in 2.
You want to start letting the nutes die down a bit before this Not so much that you have a problem but in DWC just top off with pH'd water with silica and sugar for a few days leading into this because we are going to force in a high dose of stuff that is at a very different ratio. In soil you have to stop at least a week before you do this depending on how good your soil is.
Then with 1 week to go you need 2 things. 1 a good blooming agent like powder form of Big Bud. I use Mad Farmers MOAB because it is the same thing only way cheaper. (and yes I did this on my last grow).
You also need some form of Ascophyllum nodosum. That is derived from northen atlantic kelp. I have 3 forms of this on my shelf because it does so many great things and the three kinds I have work a bit differently. I have AN Nirvana (that has a lot more than just the kelp and actually the main ingredient in Nirvana REALLY helps this process ). If you use Nirvana in your process then this probably will seem like just normal to you. For this particular process I use the Botanicares version Seaplex. For most things however I use the cheapo stuff from home depot Alaska Pennington 32 oz. Pure Kelp Plant Food-100509476 - The Home Depot. Any will do.
In fact I just started some plants today on the first 12 hours of darkness and I added a home brew version a day ago without the kelp but I did add Nirvana a few days ago so we shall see. I didn't want to add more kelp right after adding in Nirvana.
So you should have some plants that are Hungry and then you do a high like 1.5 dose of the bloom powder and a standard dose of the kelp. Now in DWC I will run this for the week right before bloom and dump the res 1 to 2 days before changing the lights to get all that high does crap out and then put it on bloom nute program about 48 hours before I flip the lights. The plant is ready to bloom already and was hoping it would turn any day. So as soon as you flip they will start.
In Soil it gets a bit more difficult because you don't want to do a flush. It also depends on a lot of factors. if you are watering once a week it is different than if you re watering every 3 days or so. I usually only need to water once a week so it is a bit more difficult. Anyway you really just do about 1.5 weeks of pH'd water only with some sugars to help use up the nutes in there. Then with again 1 week to flower use a standard dose of MOAB and a double dose of the kelp. That stuff is good and has less likelihood of burning. Then again 48 hours before flipping the lights do a heavy watering with runoff. And then do a light bloom feed. Both of those watering one after the other and make sure the run off is gone, not sitting in the pan.
Now the reason Nirvana does so well at this is the main ingredient is Alfalfa which is great for all sorts of things but primarily blooming. Normally I make my own teas and it includes alfalfa and kelp and a bunch more and that works too.
Other products have similar stuff so if you know your brand you can figure this out. GH has Bio bud for the kelp...you gots ta read the bottles I don't know every brand. I know for a fact none of the brand BS matters and you just go to Home depot and get the cheap stuff and it works great.
Back in the day I used to get away with just using Miracle Grow Bloom Booster and it worked.
Good luck...None of this matters. Just be patient. I don't do it for the speed. I do it because I want big fat buds and there are a lot of tricks along the way that help make forearmed sized Kolas and this is one of them.
Some times...rarely but some times I even impress myself. Usually I just get mad at myself for screwing up something I total should have nailed. But once in a while very rarely...I do something cool.
I flipped my tent this morning to the first 12 hours off. It work up a bit ago after the first night. New record...12 hours to sexing.
I flipped my tent this morning to the first 12 hours off. It work up a bit ago after the first night. New record...12 hours to sexing.
- Thread starter
- #14
GrowInTheDark
New Member
check this out, I went to look at my plants this morning, and i saw this on 3 of my plants, and they are still on an 18/6 schedule(I was going to switch today.)
Fuzzy Duck
Well-Known Member
I believe in KIS aka keep it simple !
I'm an all natural person myself & work in horticulture by trade with growing Mj as a hobby to me for a bit of percy.
As most of us grow indoors under a forced environment using timing for veg/flower & the switch between the two to induce flowering may require a plant hormone change to trigger flowering which may take 7 to 14 days from an un sexed plant depending on stage of growth or maturity ?
But growing out doors do they show pre flowers etc when natural day light hours show a 12/12 percentage to induce flowering, more likely not or very close to it vs sativa/indica dominate or regions these 100% strains come from ? most of us are growing hybrids & 12/12 is considered the normally method for indoor growing !
I don't really count the first week of flip between light cycles myself as a plant may need a few days or more to adjust to the change
I'm an all natural person myself & work in horticulture by trade with growing Mj as a hobby to me for a bit of percy.
As most of us grow indoors under a forced environment using timing for veg/flower & the switch between the two to induce flowering may require a plant hormone change to trigger flowering which may take 7 to 14 days from an un sexed plant depending on stage of growth or maturity ?
But growing out doors do they show pre flowers etc when natural day light hours show a 12/12 percentage to induce flowering, more likely not or very close to it vs sativa/indica dominate or regions these 100% strains come from ? most of us are growing hybrids & 12/12 is considered the normally method for indoor growing !
I don't really count the first week of flip between light cycles myself as a plant may need a few days or more to adjust to the change
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- #17
GrowInTheDark
New Member
Thanks guys, I switched them to a 12/12 yesterday, (i scraped the whole 36 hour darkness since they were sexing already), they seemed to like that first 12 though.