Pre-Flowering and Force Flowering

[wooo2]

Hey 420 community,

I recently joined this forum due to being given a few plants from a friend who didn't want them anymore. So I am still very new and need all the help I can get. I received some great advice from AKgramma on the growing process and the plants are in a much better condition health-wise than what I received them in. I have also in the last couple of days done so much research on growing etc. that I feel comfortable going ahead with some experimentation

Now, with all this info I am super interested to know what I am working with. The most I know about my plants currently are that it looks like a Sativa based strain and that they have been flowering for about 4-5 weeks now (don't have an exact timeline either).

I would like to take 2 of these plants and start force flowering them (essentially to do all of them). Reasoning for this is that its highly illegal (for now) where I live so I don't want them to grow to big and you know... experience the full extent of the law I am not too concerned with the yield at the moment as this is my first time and would really just like to see a bud or 2 to experience the harvesting cycle.

So here's the round up of what I know so far (or think I know):
The 2 plants I want to force into flowering is 15cm and 24cm respectively. I suspect one might be a male due to the length of the plant with the same growth time etc. I've read that once you start the flowering process these plants will double in size. Which is kind of more than I am bargaining for right now (30cm and 48cm once flowering is complete). Now from what I have gathered from force flowering is that I need to place these 2 plants in a dark room for 12 hours to induce/"trick" the plant into thinking its winter (or almost) although its smack bang in the middle of a Sub-Saharan summer. These plants are potted outdoor growing only since seedling so their light schedule is from approximately 5:00am to 19:00pm (14 hours of constant daylight, barring the odd cloud or rainy day)

My questions are as follows:
1. Will the heat outside affect the flowering process if I initiate the force flowering? If so, negative or positive affect?
2. Should I switch to a solid 12/12 or 11/13 schedule constantly until flowering cycle is complete or is force flowering a one time darkness stretch to start the flowering process and then continue with the normal...leave them outside and let nature take care of business schedule?
3. Can a plant be too young to force flower?

A few pics attached for the 2 plants I am aiming to force.

Sorry for the long post but I'd greatly appreciate everyone's help on the matter. Have more questions about males and seeds and pollinating etc..but that's for another forum.

 

[wooo2]

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[Amwikes]

I don't think the heat will affect them. I have never tried to bring an outside plant inside to bud it, you may shock it, with the difference in light. So it might slow the growth a little at first. I have heard of people putting a trash can over the plants to cut down the natural sun light. I always just switch to 12/12, I just flipped some 2 days ago and have white hairs starting on a couple

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[Amwikes]

I would give them some nutes too

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[Amwikes]

I also believe you can flower at any age, once it has a few nodes past the seed leaves, just won't yield much

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[wooo2]

Thanks Amwikes. Firstly for reading all of that After creating the thread I also did more research on this and I can still grow them outdoor so I wont be switching to indoor until I have a proper lighting system in place. I will just test the force flowering by placing a black bag over them with a few holes in it in a ventilated wendy house and start and 11/13 cycle.

Which nutes would you suggest? I gave them the following (1 capsule mixed with 500ml water) 2 days ago (these are my wife's pregnancy vitamins):
Vit A = 2666iu
Vit B1 = 3mg
Vit B2 = 2mg
Vit B3 = 10mg
Vit B6 = 1mg
Vit B12 = 2ug
Vit C = 50mg
Vit D3 = 400iu
Calcium = 230mg
Copper = 0.15mg
Folic Acid = 500ug
Iodine = 0.01mg
Iron = 20mg
Magnesium = 0.5mg
Manganese = 0.05mg
Molybdenum = 0.025mg
Potassium = 0.84mg
Zinc = 0.085mg

I think the amount of calcium is too much. But any advice is always appreciated?

 

[Amwikes]

I use b1 a lot when the plant is going to be stressed out, like pruning, transplanting, ect. But I buy the b1 vitamins plain and just mix it up with ph adjusted water. For nutes I have the fox farm line up and I really think it does a great job, however I have never really tried anything else. You can purchase the fox farm trio and it come with the main three you need to follow their weekly feeding schedule or the what I got was the fox farm dirty dozen which comes almost their entire feeding schedule. I would hold off on the prenatal vitamin if it was me

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[Amwikes]

You need to use a cannabis friendly nutes, I also see a lot if people talking about general hydroponics nutes and say they are very good, but the plants need NPK

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[Weaselcracker]

"So here's the round up of what I know so far (or think I know):
The 2 plants I want to force into flowering is 15cm and 24cm respectively. I suspect one might be a male due to the length of the plant with the same growth time etc. I've read that once you start the flowering process these plants will double in size. Which is kind of more than I am bargaining for right now (30cm and 48cm once flowering is complete). Now from what I have gathered from force flowering is that I need to place these 2 plants in a dark room for 12 hours to induce/"trick" the plant into thinking its winter (or almost) although its smack bang in the middle of a Sub-Saharan summer. These plants are potted outdoor growing only since seedling so their light schedule is from approximately 5:00am to 19:00pm (14 hours of constant daylight, barring the odd cloud or rainy day)

As you've figured out, they generally won't start flowering till they think it's 'fall' and the days shorten/nights lengthen past a certain point. Most people growing indoors use a 12 light/12 dark schedule for flowering, or sometimes 11light/13dark.
You're obviously fairly close to the equator if your days are only 14 hours long so close to the solstice, and it's going to be a long time before you get close to 12/12 outdoors. (They'd probably start flowering before that as 12/12 isn't an exact magic number).

My questions are as follows:
1. Will the heat outside affect the flowering process if I initiate the force flowering? If so, negative or positive affect?

- Flowering isn't based on temperatures, but there is an ideal range for it to grow well. Something like 50- 60F on the low end and maximum 90 on the high end. Outdoor plants with roots in the soil are going to tolerate higher temps than indoor plants in pots. High temps indoors can usually be solved with ventilation fans.

2. Should I switch to a solid 12/12 or 11/13 schedule constantly until flowering cycle is complete or is force flowering a one time darkness stretch to start the flowering process and then continue with the normal...leave them outside and let nature take care of business schedule?

- No they have to stay within the flowering light cycle range and continue to 'think that it's fall', or they will not flower properly.

3. Can a plant be too young to force flower?

Yes. They can't flower till they're sexually mature which occurs when they're around, roughly, a month old.


Here is a link which should give you some info on the basics of growing. How to Grow Marijuana - Everything You Need to Know!

 

[Amwikes]

As you've figured out, they generally won't start flowering till they think it's 'fall' and the days shorten/nights lengthen past a certain point. Most people growing indoors use a 12 light/12 dark schedule for flowering, or sometimes 11light/13dark.
You're obviously fairly close to the equator if your days are only 14 hours long so close to the solstice, and it's going to be a long time before you get close to 12/12 outdoors. (They'd probably start flowering before that as 12/12 isn't an exact magic number).








- Flowering isn't based on temperatures, but there is an ideal range for it to grow well. Something like 50- 60F on the low end and maximum 90 on the high end. Outdoor plants with roots in the soil are going to tolerate higher temps than indoor plants in pots. High temps indoors can usually be solved with ventilation fans.






- No they have to stay within the flowering light cycle range and continue to 'think that it's fall', or they will not flower properly.




Yes. They can't flower till they're sexually mature which occurs when they're around, roughly, a month old.


Here is a link which should give you some info on the basics of growing. How to Grow Marijuana - Everything You Need to Know!

I didn't know that they had to be a certain age to be able to start flowering, that is interesting. I read somewhere a while ago that said once you have at least 3 nodes on an sprout you can flip it to flowering cycle and they will start budding, but have never tried it, lol. I don't know why you would want to waste a good plant by flowering it that early and only getting a couple buds but just thought it was interesting. Maybe I will try a little experiment with a few random bag seeds I still have. Don't want to waste a good seed

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[Weaselcracker]

A clone cutting can begin the flowering process as soon as it's rooted, because it's just a cutting of an older plant. A seedling does need to be mature. You can grow a plant straight from seed under 12/12 lighting. It will be a little smaller when it starts flowering because it's grown up under shorter days. Less total sunlight in a day= less growing time. It will still only flower when it's old enough. The one that I won the plant of the month contest with was grown this way- 12/12 from seed in a solo cup.

 

[Amwikes]

A clone cutting can begin the flowering process as soon as it's rooted, because it's just a cutting of an older plant. A seedling does need to be mature. You can grow a plant straight from seed under 12/12 lighting. It will be a little smaller when it starts flowering because it's grown up under shorter days. Less total sunlight in a day= less growing time. It will still only flower when it's old enough. The one that I won the plant of the month contest with was grown this way- 12/12 from seed in a solo cup.

That's very interesting, I didn't know that though, I will have to go back and check out the one you grew. Thanks for the info

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[wooo2]

Thanks guys.
@Weaselcracker: that was exactly what I was looking for. I started the plants that has 6 or more stalks on a 11/13 cycle last night. 40mins left and the light cycle starts again. However while they are growing outdoor they are potted that's why I asked about the heat. But I will continually throughout the day check the soil temp somehow and make sure it doesn't get too hot.

@ Amwikes: thanks for the info on the nutes. Since these plants were a bit "thrown" on me I wasn't really planning on spending any cash on them. Times are tough. So they'll have to grow au natural. From what I've read on the vitamins... none of them add any real benefit however all the other minerals are very beneficial and I am going to spray the leaves with some epsom salts as well to keep them healthy.

Buuuut... had a close look at them yesterday and now I have spider mites...fml. doesn't seem to be a big infestation. Swabbed all the leaves with alcohol yesterday and made a cinnamon/clove tea that I will be treating the plants with today in hopes of saving them.

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