WHEN DO I START 12/12 FLOWERING CYCLE?
The longer the VEG cycle, the more the yield.
Consider this, in nature, outdoors, we plant a seed in mid to late April. It grows through April, May, June, July, and in mid to late July, as the sun's rays change, the plant naturally changes from VEG to FLOWER, with the diminishing sun's rays. That is nature's way. The plant grows and matures to an adult plant for about 3 to 4 months. THEN, it makes flowers. That is nature's way.
Indoors, in HYDRO with feeder tubes, we cut that time in half, by using 24/7 LIGHT. instead of 3 months, or 13 weeks, it takes about 5 to 6 weeks to become a mature plant in HYDRO, with 24/7 LIGHT. Pot plants growing as young plants, make what we call nodes, or a set of two leaves, one directly across form the other. When a pot plant is mature, it will make new leaves one at a time, not directly across from an other leaf, but staggered.
OK, also in nature, in addition to plants, we see animals and humans reproduce at maturity or adulthood. If a human, (or dog or any animal) is forced to make babies before maturity, like getting a 12 yr old girl pregnant, or a dog in her very first heat, then the babies are weak, or runts, or deformed, and just not at their best.
A dude here, a most experienced, knowledgable grower named fdd2blk (and a MOD here too) taught me a long time ago, that it does not make sense, it is not wise, it is not logical, to make a child have a child, and it is not wise or smart or logical to make an immature baby plant, have babies. LET THE BABIES GROW AND LET THE ADULTS MAKE BABIES.
If you will VEG for 5 weeks, to 6 weeks, you will have more time for proper TOPPING, PRUNING, AND FIMMING, and you'll get bigger plants, a much larger yield, and you will also have a mature adult plant, ready to make healthy, stronger babies (flowers) .
If you begin Indica Flowering, after VEGGING 3 or 4 weeks, you will harvest about 60% to 75% of what you would have harvested, IF you had waited and VEGGED for 5 or 6 full weeks.
This info applies to rapid growing in Hydro, and to Indica strains. NOT slowly in SOIL, and NOT Sativa.
I average 3 to 4 ounces per plant, VEGGING 5 to 6 weeks, and I have gotten 7 ounces from one plant, the one you see at my signature. I got that with a long vEG Cycle, planned, proper Topping and Pruning and Fimming, and creating more tops or cola sites.
I have seen grows done where 12/12 was started the very first day, and they got 24 to 30 inches tall by harvest time, and yielded an ounce to two ounces per plant of dried manicured buds. That can be done in 8 weeks and there is nothing wrong with that. But I want more.
I figure today is very close to 5 and half weeks of VEGGING, so today I am starting mine on 12/12 Light today, 10-8-09.
I did a Replinish of a gallon of pH Balanced water to each container and adjusted the reservoirs from the daily 7.o back to 6.0. I added 1/6 packet of nutes to each reservoir, and two teaspoons of Cal-Mag just because it was sitting on my shelf and not being used. I also added 6 teaspoons of 3% peroxide to the two tanks and 4 teaspoons to the bucket.
I checked my clamps on my light reflectors and tightened them again.
I checked that my window covering was secure. Then I turned all the lights out, closed the door and looked for Light Leaks. I had no leaks. To begin a successful 12/12 period, you have to have 100% complete darkness. It is not the nutes but the change in the light cycle that forces the BLOOM cycle to begin. I am still using the VEG nutesand I will for two more days. The BLOOM nutes are heavy on phosphorus and short on nitrogen. Phosphorus encourages more blooms, but does not force them. Nitrogen will encourage a stronger plant with stronger stems and also encourage more growth. I will do a Drain and Replinish this Saturday, (in two days) and then change to Bloom Nutes.
This Saturday when I have plenty of time, I will also add some 2700K bulbs.
