24 hr dark period before flowering?

[wannagrowbigbud]

In this months high times there was a recomendation that i had never heard before and wanted to get some of your thoughts.

when transitioning from the 24/0 to 12/12 to leave the plants in the dark for a full 24 hours to speed up the transition from veg to flowering, and also is sopossed to cut down flowering time by 1 week. I didn't try it because that was the first time i heard of it. has anyone else tried this and does it work?

[GigZ-16]

I did it a couple days ago when my plants were not flowering after two weeks of 12/12, and then 2 days late they were beginning too.

[Spuds'n'Buds]

Yes, and it seemed to speed things up quite a bit, however since I usually don't grow a strain more than once or twice I don't know if it was just genetics or the dark period. I've also been told by fellow growers and read that it works from many reliable sources. I've also heard it talked about here before.

[FLoJo]

yes it does work in speeding up the transitioning process, i have tried doing it, and not, and it seems that it almost resets the biological clock of the plant so it is not confused when to flower. however as far as cutting off a week of flowering time im not so sure about that. i dont know that i would want to do that considering 25 percent of the resin and weight are produced in the last 2 weeks of flowering. just a thought

[wannagrowbigbud]

right now i am one week in to my flowering stage, do you think it would be a mistake to try it once i'm already in the flowering stage like gigZ did?

also, if it take 2 weeks to show sex when your flowering and the plant calls for a 5 week flowering period, does that mean i only have to wait three weeks for harvest?

[Spuds'n'Buds]

Won't be worth doing, it just speeds up the process by making the plant realize it's suppose to flower, your already knows this and it will start soon. Gigz plant was going to flower then anyway, he was just a little antsy, thinking 2 weeks means exactly 14 days instead of just chilling with it, times are approximate they aren't guaranteed to be exactly that long and in most cases aren't exactly that long. Just let it go, you missed your chance for it to actually be of any use, now it will be nothing but unneeded stress.

[wannagrowbigbud]

thanks for the advice, i deceited to wait it out and just yesterday both plants started to flower and they are both females.

[harvester]

Nope, dark periods do not speed up the transition from veg to flower... indeed, it will slow it down.

My first time growing, i instigated a 48 hour dark period before flower, some plants still took 10-14 days to show sex.

The best way to grow cannabis is properly... this means making sure that your plants pre-flower in vegetation.

Light is everything to cannabis, taking it away does no good at all... indeed there are strains of cannabis that will quite happily flower with a 9 hour dark period, and they grow quite happily outdoors with very fine results. Most strains will flower with 11 hours dark, and cannabis needs this balance right the way through flower to photosynthesise adequately.

I have a saying that says 'cannabis does not need a dark period, it merely needs a certain amount of low light.' The less low light the better, imo.

[RichardDean]

yeah any good strain should show its sex during the 5-7th week of veg for the most part. I just switch to 12/12 and within 2 weeks you have visible flowers forming and they get well on their way.

[Hashmouf]

I highly suggest a 24 hour dark period before turning your lights on for the 12/12 schedule.

[RichardDean]

Originally Posted by Hashmouf

I highly suggest a 24 hour dark period before turning your lights on for the 12/12 schedule.

do you actually see a difference??? I wouldn't think it would really do much to speed the process any.

[Hashmouf]

Originally Posted by RichardDean

do you actually see a difference??? I wouldn't think it would really do much to speed the process any.

Yes there is a drastic difference, especially when swicthing from a Metal Halide to a High Pressure Sodium bulb.

When you have had a plant growing under 24 hours of Blue spectrum light constantly for a month, then the light goes off for 24 hours and when the light turns back on the spectrum is Red. from this sudden change in seasonal environment, The plants natural instincts to flower and reproduce kick into overdrive.

I have used this technique many times with results of bud set occurring 3-5 sooner then usual.

[RichardDean]

sounds good Hashmouf but I am wondering if that same effect really isn't worth much when you are using a Ceramic Metal Halide all the way through the grow. I can see where going from MH to HPS that would make a difference.

[calinycgrow]

Originally Posted by harvester

I have a saying that says 'cannabis does not need a dark period, it merely needs a certain amount of low light.' The less low light the better, imo.

Just so you know, THC is actually produced during the dark cycle, a little biology 101 fact for you

[potato salad123]

Originally Posted by harvester

The best way to grow cannabis is properly... this means making sure that your plants pre-flower in vegetation.

whata snob haha "the best way to grow it is properly, my way is right.... your ideas are wrong"

thanks for the input harvester

damn i guess i should go kill my plant right now... apparently she's growing "improperly"


you act like all the experimentation that could EVER possibly be done on mj has been done...
and you seem to have all the correct answers.

haha i'm sure my post is about to start a huge argument but come on.