First grow facing some unknown issues :o

Hey guys!

this is kind of urgent.. i grew my marijuana just right under white light cfls 24hr light cycle till they were big enough as i wanted.. then i switched the lights to warm white (yellowish) and changed the light cycle to 12-12 .. now ive even tried 18-6.. but they just wont start to flower and i dont know what the issue could be.. i waited 3 weeks and now they seem like theyre dying and i still have no idea what the problem could be!

does it require complete blackout darkness to start flowering? because it may get very little light through the night but then again outdoor plants get moonlight so i dont think that should be the problem..

i dont want to waste a harvest and id highly appreciate it if someone could help me with a solution to this problem.. why wont they flower? D:

ive attached some pics for reference below:







Thanks!!!!

From what I just read, it's gotta be the lights. A couple cfls can grow a plant, but they really need more if you'd like them to produce.

Next time I would ditch the paint buckets and the clear containers.

Go back to 12/12 and stay there. They will start to show signs of flowering in 2 to 3 weeks.
Get it as dark in there as you possibly can. Not sure, but flipping it back and forth too many times may cause a plant to go hermaphrodite.

Yes you do need TOTAL darkness in 12/12- even just a tiny bit of light can keep them in veg mode. Seal all light leaks with tape & cover any lights - even that tiny red light on a power strip can prevent flowering or cause hermophrodites.
Those pots do not allow for good drainage- get yourself some smartpots. The bottom of your soil could be getting anaerobic which will result in more problems later on. These plants are drooping from overwatering- roots need to breathe. For now you can poke some drainage holes with a hand drill but I'm telling ya sided pots are far better & drive fast growth due to the increased O2 they provide to roots.

Keep it on 12/12, dont keep switching your schedule it confuses the plants. Try to keep them in total darkness, i dont know much about how outdoor plants deal with the moonlight, id just suggest that you keep them dark as possible if you can.

And yes as @xSwimToTheMoon said your lights not be sufficient, how many watts of CFLs are you running?

Thanks for the quick replies guys!!

im going to fix the over watering so then my plants wont droop atleast.

Im using 4 x 100 watt bulbs.. if there is not enough light they wont flower?
im going to try give them complete darkness and see if that works on a 12-12 light schedule..

thanks guys!

I've never had a small light leak affect flowering, none of my rooms have been totally blacked out like what most say is so essential. A diffuse amt of light isn't a deal breaker. Those plants don't look to be in very good shape and that's why their not flowering yet. But once u do put them in 12/12 don't take them out. Sometimes 11/13 or 10/14 will turn the tide for you in bloom

Thanks a lot bro!
i think im going to try 10-14 and not change..
is it possible some plants take weeks to flower? or is it guaranteed that they show flowering signs in 7 days?

maybe could be their health stopping them from flowering too.. let me let the soil dry out and the plants get in shape and let me keep it at 10-14 throughout and lets see what happens..

thanks for the help guys! will update in a few days..

Yeah you should go with fabric pots, 5 gal if you can. 3gal will work but your plants will be smaller, that cannot be changed... At some point you're going to have to take the pinch and get a light. Upgrade your lights and it will be the single best thing you do. I've had an Apollo 400 Watt running 12 and 16hrs/day for the last year . The total set up was less than $150. This single light will replace a gazillion CFL's. Use it as a bare bulb and you'll be kicking ass in no time. Light=growth.