When to flower (12/12) for max yield?

[kayanow]

My plants are just 3 weeks old, only 5 inches tall - can I switch to flowering nutrients and 12/12hr light cycle? Or is it too early? How tall will they grow if i switch at 3 weeks old? Any info appreciated. Thanks. KN

[everest]

5 inches mate , how da ya get em that small ?

 

i like to get them as big as i can before the switch , simply cos they will grow more bud , if yor not governed by height ...... thats what i'd do mate

[animal]

Rule of thumb is you wait for them to get to a foot tall before flowering. You can flower them earlier, but your yield and quality of bud will be sacrificed. Really, you should wait until they have alternating nodes and are showing preflowers (which usually starts happening when plants get to a foot tall). This indates that the plant is sexually mature and ready for flowering. We are talking from seed here, where a decent veg period is important. Clones are a slightly different story...

 

But like everest said with indoor grows you just grow them as big as you can while leaving enough room to flower. If you don't have an idea of how much they will stretch in flower switch them over while they still have about 2 feet of growing room left.

 

If you got height problems do some research on SCROG growing.

[kayanow]

Thanks guys - you helped save them from a premature lifespan by the sounds of it. I just reprogrammed the timer back to 18/6, phew! Another thing - I had switched them from their grow box and put them under the 400w hps - 3 ft above them, and noticed some wilting, shall i return them to the grow box until they are a foot tall?? The temp under the 400w at their height is 24c? What do you reckon? KN :scratchin

[WantDaChronic]

Rule of thumb is you wait for them to get to a foot tall before flowering. You can flower them earlier, but your yield and quality of bud will be sacrificed. Really, you should wait until they have alternating nodes and are showing preflowers

 

you really need to study a bit....it has been proven countless times that its the maturity level of the buds and resin that dictate potency. I think you'll find that alot of commercial indoor growers much prefer flowering a table of say 100 cuttings veged for a week then flowering, rather than veging say 10 plants for 10 weeks then flowering them....simple reason is that the quality will be the same and by the time the larger plants are ready to be flowered, the commercial grower has already pulled a crop

 

Thanks guys - you helped save them from a premature lifespan by the sounds of it. I just reprogrammed the timer back to 18/6, phew! Another thing - I had switched them from their grow box and put them under the 400w hps - 3 ft above them, and noticed some wilting, shall i return them to the grow box until they are a foot tall?? The temp under the 400w at their height is 24c? What do you reckon?

 

24c is a great temp for growing and you could actually lower the hps as long as the temps dont get much higher....just make sure the plants have plenty of water and they should do fine

[indooraussie]

firstly WDC is 100% correct.potency is genetically determined and can only lose potency with bad conditions or 2 early a harvest..flowering should be induced when plant reaches 1/3rd of your desired height and then can be affected by strain.

[animal]

There are many factors which can affect the potency of bud and the type of high it gives other than genetics. Genetics is the most important factor for bud quality, but certainly not the only one. I'd rather take the harvest of an average strain grown by an experienced grower over top shelf genetics grown by someone who doesn't completely know what they're doing.

 

wantachronic wrote:

you really need to study a bit....it has been proven countless times that its the maturity level of the buds and resin that dictate potency. I think you'll find that alot of commercial indoor growers much prefer flowering a table of say 100 cuttings veged for a week then flowering, rather than veging say 10 plants for 10 weeks then flowering them....simple reason is that the quality will be the same and by the time the larger plants are ready to be flowered, the commercial grower has already pulled a crop rolleyes.gif

 

First of all, you ignored the 2nd part of my post when I said we are talking about seedlings and clones are a different story.

 

Now, you can flower small seedlings before they are sexually mature however it is likely the smoke will be sub par compared to the same strain flowered when it is sexually mature.

 

Your comments about commercial sog growers don't apply here. We're talking about seedlings mate, sog growers use mothers and clones which I'm sure you know. However that aside growing sog is a brave move and not one I would recommend to people only growing for their own stash. Simply because its not necessary and you are taking a much bigger risk with plant numbers if you are unlucky enough to get busted. However, if you are a commercial grower then yield and turnaround are all important so sog is the go...

[kayanow]

Thanks for all that info - I feel sorry for the seedlings because i'm learning as i go. Luckily i didn't turn them to flowering yet as the are way too young -- only 5 of them. Just growing for my own stash, but might as well get the most out of it. I was also giving like 10 times too much nutrient, thought it said 40ml per l1 litre, but it's 40ml per 10 litre! Duh! No wonder the leaves were turning yelow -- hope i haven't harmed them too much.Ever since (at 3 weeks old) i put them under the 400w like 50cm @ 25c they have been looking droopy -- will they come good again? I've flushed and adjusted nutrient to 2ml per litre. Why would they be drooping if it's not too hot?

[nitram]

only 5 of them. Just growing for my own stash, but might as well get the most out of it. I was also giving like 10 times too much nutrient, thought it said 40ml per l1 litre, but it's 40ml per 10 litre! Duh! No wonder the leaves were turning yelow -- hope i haven't harmed them too much

 

I'd call that a really close call for them young plants ... :sly ... I've seen & done a few golden glow yellow grows ........... wicked ...

 

good luck with your recovery :smoke

 

N.

[Lab-rat]

Well, I have no idea why you would consider such a thing. They probably havnt shown thier sex yet. They would be twice as big if you didnt feed them 10 times the recomended amount of nutes,the soil is probably toxic. Next time you grow Try Coco substrait as a mediam and use canna nutes to the recomended dosage. Its the pefect mediam for for beginers in my opinion and your plants will thrive.

 

Just my $.02