Ideal Veg Period Is A Product of Space?

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Supra98x

Well-Known Member
So I’ve read through a ton of posts here which seem to suggest targeting 6/7 week veg times. That said, I’ve also watched a bunch of YouTube videos and read more scholarly papers than I’d prefer to admit.

Im currently in week 7 of my veg and I think I’m taking it to either 9 or 10 weeks.

My current belief (which I would like to confirm here) is that the ideal veg period is a proxy of two things, first - how long it takes to spread the canopy of your plant, such that it (or they) fills nearly the entire grow space, and second (for a soil grow) - that the pot being used is of sufficient size to support a plant of that size.

For reference, my current space is a 3x3 tent with 2 plants in 10 gallon smart pots. The horizontal dimensions of the first plant is currently 27 inches by 18 inches. The other is 20 inches by 18 inches. (The reason for the extra width on the one is because it veg’d a week longer). Both plants are 12 inches tall. To me the veg will continue until the first plant reaches the maximum confines of the space (36x18 and the second will be whatever it is at the time the first max’s), this is imperative because I want the canopy’s on both plants to be exactly the same height so the light can be appropriately spaced.

If anyone can confirm my logic is sound that would be awesome. The only reason I can think of that this could be wrong is if there’s further horizontal growth after switching to flowering. Note that the reason the plants are so wide is training which I will cease when they reach the max horizontal size.

Thanks guys!!!

PS - Assuming I don’t kill the plants in flowering, when I get to the end of this I’m going to post a grow journal. Seriously hoping for a half pound here between the two plants, but I haven’t the foggiest where it ends up!
 
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LeastExpectedGrower

LeastExpectedGrower

Well-Known Member
I'm less interested in the horizontal, and more interested in the vertical.

My lights will only raise so much in an 80" tall space once I have exhaust ventilation above that.

For instance, right now I'm running a Durban Poison photo or two and as a strain extra heavy in Sativa genetics, I'm expecting aggressive stretch once they move into flower. So I'm keeping the plants as short as humanly possible, trained down to bag height. In the next week or two, I'll flip them so they have as much grow-space as I can give them now that I've LST'ed them and trimmed down to 10 bud/cola sites.

So, here's where we are as of last night.

IMG_3282.jpg IMG_3281.JPG

(this was about a week ago, before I trimmed (in a few sessions).

IMG_3263.JPG

You can really see that the plant is only as tall as the edge of the bag. From here I'll give it some time for the branch/bud sites to develop just a little bit more and turn themselves up to the lights and then flip.
 
S

Supra98x

Well-Known Member
Moflow said:
Pictures please
Click to expand...
this was 4 days ago on the larger plant. I just did an aggressive and perhaps final LST on it yesterday to spread it out further and reduce the width and more evenly spread the branches.

the net of the LST was another few inches of width and reduced the height another few inches. It was at 10 inches prior to the post LST perk up that happened over night.
 

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S

Supra98x

Well-Known Member
LeastExpectedGrower said:
I'm less interested in the horizontal, and more interested in the vertical.

My lights will only raise so much in an 80" tall space once I have exhaust ventilation above that.

For instance, right now I'm running a Durban Poison photo or two and as a strain extra heavy in Sativa genetics, I'm expecting aggressive stretch once they move into flower. So I'm keeping the plants as short as humanly possible, trained down to bag height. In the next week or two, I'll flip them so they have as much grow-space as I can give them now that I've LST'ed them and trimmed down to 10 bud/cola sites.

So, here's where we are as of last night.

View attachment 5121642 View attachment 5121644

(this was about a week ago, before I trimmed (in a few sessions).

View attachment 5121645

You can really see that the plant is only as tall as the edge of the bag. From here I'll give it some time for the branch/bud sites to develop just a little bit more and turn themselves up to the lights and then flip.
Click to expand...
Yeah I agree height is a major concern of mine as well. That’s why I’m keeping them down to sub 12” from the soil. The last step before flipping for me will be to let them go vertical a little bit. My target is 20 inches in height when I flip. (So 40-50 inches at maturity)

final measurements in my plan is 36x18x50 for each plant and whatever yield that results in will be what it is.
 
Billy the Mountain

Billy the Mountain

Well-Known Member
Supra98x said:
So I’ve read through a ton of posts here which seem to suggest targeting 6/7 week veg times. That said, I’ve also watched a bunch of YouTube videos and read more scholarly papers than I’d prefer to admit.

Im currently in week 7 of my veg and I think I’m taking it to either 9 or 10 weeks.

My current belief (which I would like to confirm here) is that the ideal veg period is a proxy of two things, first - how long it takes to spread the canopy of your plant, such that it (or they) fills nearly the entire grow space, and second (for a soil grow) - that the pot being used is of sufficient size to support a plant of that size.

For reference, my current space is a 3x3 tent with 2 plants in 10 gallon smart pots. The horizontal dimensions of the first plant is currently 27 inches by 18 inches. The other is 20 inches by 18 inches. (The reason for the extra width on the one is because it veg’d a week longer). Both plants are 12 inches tall. To me the veg will continue until the first plant reaches the maximum confines of the space (36x18 and the second will be whatever it is at the time the first max’s), this is imperative because I want the canopy’s on both plants to be exactly the same height so the light can be appropriately spaced.

If anyone can confirm my logic is sound that would be awesome. The only reason I can think of that this could be wrong is if there’s further horizontal growth after switching to flowering. Note that the reason the plants are so wide is training which I will cease when they reach the max horizontal size.

Thanks guys!!!

PS - Assuming I don’t kill the plants in flowering, when I get to the end of this I’m going to post a grow journal. Seriously hoping for a half pound here between the two plants, but I haven’t the foggiest where it ends up!
Click to expand...
I don't think 7 weeks is a typical veg period for most tent users. I also grow in a tent and routinely filled a 3x3 (now a 2x4) wall to wall with a 3-4 week veg period.

10 gallon pots are complete overkill if you're using coco
 
hotrodharley

hotrodharley

Well-Known Member
Supra98x said:
Yeah I agree height is a major concern of mine as well. That’s why I’m keeping them down to sub 12” from the soil. The last step before flipping for me will be to let them go vertical a little bit. My target is 20 inches in height when I flip. (So 40-50 inches at maturity)

final measurements in my plan is 36x18x50 for each plant and whatever yield that results in will be what it is.
Click to expand...
You’ve never grown cannabis before have you?
 
S

Supra98x

Well-Known Member
Billy the Mountain said:
I don't think 7 weeks is a typical veg period for most tent users. I also grow in a tent and routinely filled a 3x3 (now a 2x4) wall to wall with a 3-4 week veg period.

10 gallon pots are complete overkill if you're using coco
Click to expand...
You fill a 3x3 in 3 weeks with only 2 plants??
Mine didn’t even leave seedling phase for 10 days and by week 3 were only about 5 or 6 nodes.
 
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LeastExpectedGrower

LeastExpectedGrower

Well-Known Member
Supra98x said:
Yeah I agree height is a major concern of mine as well. That’s why I’m keeping them down to sub 12” from the soil. The last step before flipping for me will be to let them go vertical a little bit. My target is 20 inches in height when I flip. (So 40-50 inches at maturity)

final measurements in my plan is 36x18x50 for each plant and whatever yield that results in will be what it is.
Click to expand...
I'd suggest that height should probably be your #1 major space concern. Also, even once in flower you can spread out some of those longer colas if you're careful with some mild LST if you think you're not 'filling' the square footage of your tent.

I think you're going to be surprised by what the 'stretch' really is about, once it happens.
 
S

Supra98x

Well-Known Member
LeastExpectedGrower said:
I'd suggest that height should probably be your #1 major space concern. Also, even once in flower you can spread out some of those longer colas if you're careful with some mild LST if you think you're not 'filling' the square footage of your tent.

I think you're going to be surprised by what the 'stretch' really is about, once it happens.
Click to expand...
Hmmm should I not let them go vertical at all before flipping?

I was just figuring on 2.5x height change. (So 12 = 30, 20=50 etc)
 
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S

Supra98x

Well-Known Member
Billy the Mountain said:
I don't think 7 weeks is a typical veg period for most tent users. I also grow in a tent and routinely filled a 3x3 (now a 2x4) wall to wall with a 3-4 week veg period.

10 gallon pots are complete overkill if you're using coco
Click to expand...
Not just coco - it’s 25% coco, 50% soil, 15% worm castings, and 10% perlite.
 
LeastExpectedGrower

LeastExpectedGrower

Well-Known Member
Supra98x said:
mmm should I not let them go vertical at all before flipping?
Click to expand...
I'm a fan of the sites turning their tips up to the lights before flowering, but I think you'll find that in the few weeks it takes for them to express flowering you'll gain height for the colas to fill out along their stems. Sativa heavy plants have a reputation for more height and growth than most indica dominant plants.

If you're growing autos, all bets are off...sometimes they stretch a lot, sometimes they stay low and different phenotypes react differently to stress, environment, etc.
 
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