I keep seeing people asking if there is a way to speed up the process, shave days off the wait, make the plants ready for harvest faster. I've been thinking about it, and I'm sure this has been tried before. If you ran 11.5/11.5 every day, that would take almost 3 days off of a 66 day flower cycle. Is it the number of light cycles that tells the plant to finish? If so, it seems this would work.
Wouldn't work. Not enough time in the dark cycle. With 11.5 hours I don't think a plant would flower. Plants also don't go by the number of cycles so another reason why not. Plant speed is based on genetics and environment but mostly genes.
Huh?....have you^ grown weed? 11.5/11.5 WILL cause it to flower, but it won't reduce the flowering time. Theres no benefit gained. Flowering will usually happen with 14(or less, usually 12/12 is used for indoor grows as it is just the best way) hours of light so long as the dark period is the same length or longer. I.e.11 on, 11 off will work, so will 12 on, 12 off, or even 11 on, 13 off. MJ is versatile, and can flower under a variety of slightly varied factors. Ask me how I know. IMHO- Your far better off going with 12/12 light cycle.
Plant speed is based on genetics and environment, what in the environment do you think tells a plant how much time has passed? I doubt they can read a clock, so number of light cycles and change in period must be some of the major triggers. These plants take the time they take for a very specific reason, they do what they do because of the environment they evolved in. Indicas are faster because winter comes faster where they are from, they need to get to seed faster. I've read a thread that makes light cycle changes to increase yield under the assumption that plants are responding to the number of light/dark cycles, seems we could do the same to speed it up. I might make a micro grow to test this, only pain will be remembering to advance the timer 30 minutes every 12 hours.
Actually I realized that I did my math wrong. Relax no need to get upset. I see the error now that I'm not too faded. Edit:I always do 12/12 as well.
In your question you were asking that if you shaved thirty minutes off each your light and dark cycle would you make the plant think the days are only twenty three hours as opposed to twenty four. So in turn you believe it would take almost three days off your harvest date by shaving off an hour each day. That would be a change in the environment. Other environmental factors can determine when a plant matures. If you take one clone and grow it hydroponically and pump it to the max ppm that plant might finish sooner than the same clone that is just given enough to get by grown in crappy soil. The hydroponic plant finishes faster than the other based on the environment it is in. I don't believe there is a magic number of light/dark cycles that need to occur for the plant to say I'm done. I believe the genetics as well as the environment will tell when it's finished, not a predetermined number of cycles. I hope this makes sense but if I'm misinformed I would love to know. That is why we are here. To learn from our mistakes. Also you would be losing about thirty six hours of light the plant could use to grow more.
I was using that as an example. Of course I use the 12/12 in bloom... I like to veg 24/0, thinking about going to 20/4. Fyi- I do have a power strip that I could program for 23 or whatever I want my "day" to be. With so many on/off cycle options I could simulate whatever I want. Edit- you'd be programming ir every week though!....
Dont take ne wrong guys, there's absolutely no need for a 23hr or 25hr day. My point was the amount of light versus dark in terms of cycles and forcing flowering. Here's some from my last harvest. BMR x PP(Paonia Purple)
how ever you "program" your timer it's still gonna spin all the way around and it will be 24 hours...so it impossible
This is the part where you get to explain to me why I can program this into my timer. Monday...9am on, 8:30pm off Tues...8am on, 7:30pm off Wed...7am on, 6:30pm off Thurs...6am on, 5:30pm off Fri...5am on, 4:30pm off Sat...4am on, 3:30pm off Sun...3am on, 2:30pm off That's 11.5hrs on and 11.5hrs off. 11.5 + 11.5 = 23 hr day. Yes, the timer "reads" 24hr. days but still "cycles" every 23hrs as far as the plants concerned. Remember, you control and simulate whatever environmental conditions you want while indoors. You are their god. Oh, jeez.....the point I was making originally was ( see prior post ). I don't care to argue this and as I said before I DO NOT do this. I'm sure your a good grower, and you know much about pot, honestly, probably more than me (I'm continually learning), but in this matter you just don't know what your talking about in regards to programmable light on/off cycles/options.
wow, I didn't mean to start an argument. I'm just trying to satisfy curiosity. I have no real need to speed anything up, but I have read plenty of posts about people wanting to, and that is what started me thinking about it. Oh, and the 24 hour day only matters outside. In my tent, a day is whatever I want it to be, the fact that it takes the Earth 24 hours to complete a revolution doesn't ,m,ake any difference in my tent.
here.. read this. This is the thread I mentioned, manipulating the photoperiod to increase yield. http://forum.grasscity.com/advanced-growing-techniques/300889-maximising-through-photoperiod-manipulation.html
Pedro, my comment was to the OP not to you. It was the OP who suggested a 23-hour cycle. To the OP, the plant does not count the number of cycles.
I understand, I jumped the gun a bit, my bad. I was originally addressing the amount of light/dark and forcing flowering I did however, want to show 420ozzie that you/I/anyone, could program whatever light cycle they want, and that it is possible. I do not recommended changing your "indoor world" to 23, 25, or anything other than 24hr cycles.
Yes, if you step up to buy a timer that can program each day separately and if you re-program it at the end of every week (since the cycles won't come full circle to a 24-hour timer in one week). Definitely understand it's not what you are advising.
Even if this did work, it seems like a pain to have the lights on 1 hour earlier everyday. You'd have to get up in the middle of the night to work in your room.