Is it time to induce flowering?

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Chrysolite

Active Member
I posted about two weeks ago after a falling lighting incident. I've since switched to a CFL setup (no way for those to fall out of their fixtures!), and am, looking back at the pictures I posted before, shocked at the incredible growth over the last twelve days!

Even though I love my plants dearly and try to spend time talking to them every day, they still retain the somewhat impersonal, scientific names of Plant No1 and Plant No2. Enclosed here are some pictures of them (especially Plant No2, which for whatever reason (possibly related to sustaining less breakage in the lighting accident) has really overtaken her partner). They're on an 18 on/6 off schedule right now, but I'm wondering about when would be a good time/size to go 36 dark and then switch to a 12/12 schedule....

My growspace is quite small (as you can probably see from the pictures!), so I am using 2 CFLs, with each plant in a 9 liter pot (that's just over two gallons for those of you not down with the Metric System). Plant No1 is 33cm (um, 13 inches....ish) tall, with Plant No2 at 45cm (17-18 inches or so) at its highest point (although most of the branches are closer to 37-38).

Especially with Plant No2, the branching is becoming a bit of a problem, actually. Would it be better to tie those branches to point them up, rather than out, or will that cause problems?

So, long story short (too late), is it time to start flowering? Plant No2 looks to be getting started with or without my approval, or is she faking?

Also, when the time for flowering does come, I should switch out my lights for something in a red-band, correct? Should I install a third fixture to keep one "blue light" burning, or just switch entirely to red?

Sorry for all the questions piled on questions, but total ignorance is what newbies do best, right?
 

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markieeee

markieeee

Well-Known Member
when to start flowering would depend on how tall a plant you can work with. while flowering, plants double sometimes triple in size... strain dependent.

But if i were you, i'd take a couple of clones first and start to supercrop these 2 plants. at least you'd have a clone on standby.

yea she started flowering.
 
C

Chrysolite

Active Member
My plants certainly aren't well-bred. I imagine that they're essentially derived from the plants that grow wild here in Hokkaido.

Since I'll only be able to raise the lights another meter tops, I guess it's time to take the plunge and start the flowering.

I will look up supercropping/other next steps (this is my first grow) in the FAQ tomorrow.....for now I have to get some sleep.....LEO came to my house this afternoon in an unrelated pre-G8-paranoia racial profiling fiasco, and I have been kind of jittery ever since.

Of course, any help in pointing me to specific threads would be appreciated. Thanks for the advice!
 
markieeee

markieeee

Well-Known Member
grow wild? just make sure it ain't hemp and it's worth your time growin out. If i were you, i'd take a couple of clones irregardless. Trust me man, i was in the same position as you a couple of months back. lost alot of time, and some good genetics, all cos i didnt clone.
 
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korvette1977

Well-Known Member
Is that aluminum foil... Thats not good at least , Use an emergency blanket from wally worlds camping section... foil will cook your plants
 
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korvette1977

Well-Known Member
I just saw where you live .. I guess wal-mart aint around those ways just yet ,, you give them a few years they will get there
 
GrnMan

GrnMan

Well-Known Member
Like markiee said, depends on the height you want. Those are well overdue for flowering IMO. You can flower when they are only six inches tall if you wanted to. Looks like they will definitely need more light.
 
C

Chrysolite

Active Member
markieeee said:
grow wild? just make sure it ain't hemp and it's worth your time growin out. If i were you, i'd take a couple of clones irregardless. Trust me man, i was in the same position as you a couple of months back. lost alot of time, and some good genetics, all cos i didnt clone.
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I'm really nervous about cloning, this being my very first grow (and more of an experiment than anything else), but I will read the FAQ and see what I can do. I know it's not hemp, since I'm using bagseed--I just doubt it's any kind of designer strain. I wish I trusted the Post Office not to open my mail, as the websites I've seen offering seed look very tempting, but one works with what one has.
 
C

Chrysolite

Active Member
korvette1977 said:
I just saw where you live .. I guess wal-mart aint around those ways just yet ,, you give them a few years they will get there
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There's a Wal-Mart in Tokyo, and they recently finished building a Costco outside of Sapporo (I live pretty close to there). But big-box stores don't do well in Japan....our houses are too small to put all that stuff somewhere!

I had no idea tinfoil was bad for the plants, though--they seem to have been doing fine so far. But you're the experts.....I'll look for a blanket (camping suppliers are plentiful here) on my next grow supply run.
 
C

Chrysolite

Active Member
GrnMan said:
Looks like they will definitely need more light.
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This has been a recurring theme in lots of replies I've had....I'm currently using two CFLs, each putting out 1370lm in a growspace measuring 40x70 cm (about 1ftx2ft.....my phone/calculator isn't handy right now). Is that not enough? How many bulbs should I be using? And should I leave some "blue" ones up during flowering, or switch entirely to "red"?

I don't get paid until the 21st, so there's nothing to be done until then (I daren't use a credit card). I'm sorry to be totally ignorant about all this, but science/botany was never my best subject.....
 
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