Is there a calendar?

[PaganTom]

First off, thanks again for all the help on my defficiency topic; I sure appreciate it!

OK, here's the 411: I planted this pup outside from excellent bagseed (only three in the whole thing) from unknown stock that was really quite strong "creeper" weed. Seemed about a 50/50 mix of Sativa to Indica buzz-wise..
Anyway, troll the thread http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=66705 for details.

After sorting out my issues and finding excellent solutions, I am now wondering if someone could give me two pieces of advice:
1) GENERALLY, what is the timeframe for growth under 6500k lights before switching to 2700k lights? Secondly here of course, what is GENERALLY the timeframe for flowering?

I am aware that all strains flower differently, but what is the overall calendar for growth, then flowering? Some people seem to go by days and months with others using height of the plant.
As you can see here, I can't use height obviously.
Now granted, the plant was stunted for a while when we went from soil to hydro, and then again while I worked out the pH and PPM's, but it's getting quite lush now with secondary stems growing upwards rather rapidly, but again with lush growth.
The basic question here is this: should I switch over to the flowering lights and nutrient solution at this point?



2) Given that the plant has been bent over and that I prefer CFL's for lower heat in the very small space that I use, should I add another 2700k light to the underside of the plant in order to facilitate and accelerate flowering there? (see below)



As always, you guys are GREAT! Thanks so much.
PS: given the picture detail below, I presume that this is a male plant. The question is, is it Cannabis Afgani or Cannabis Indica?

 

[Lady 420]

Plants use both blue and red light in photosynthesis during vegetative and flowering. So, you should be using both spectrums of light all the time...warm and cool white.

Since your using florescents, you should flower while small. Taller plants won't flower much at the bottom. Same thing happens to a lesser extent with more powerful hid lights.

The florescents bulbs should be only a few inches away from the plant.

 

[Zoltan]

Yup, flower small(er). Fluros can't penetrate as well as HIDs, so gotta make it easy for the lights. Side lighting would also be good, since the canopy is a bit uneven. Mix up the spectrums too. Gotta compensate/supplement as much as possible w/ fluros. Won't help flowering times, but it will help out the buds below the canopy. (if you see scragly limbs, cut them off, so your colas/secondary buds can get fatter. If light has a hard time getting to it, sacrifice it. (keep it to a minimum)

Generally indicas flower ~50-60 days, give or take. Sativas can go much longer, but not always. When you got a mix timeframes dont matter much. Get a 25-30x magnifying scope (radioshack). Around the 50-60 day mark start to check the trichs every other day, when you start to see clouds you can harvest (or wait till they are all cloudy and/or amber).

Another way is to judge pistils. When 60-70% turn red, its time to harvest (not accurate). Its best to use a mix when working with an unknown strain.

*edit* Your plant looks more on the indica side. But it's characteristics could fool ya. ("bagseed is like a box of chocalates")

 

[Jack Crevalle]

The question is, is it Cannabis Afgani or Cannabis Indica?

Hehehe, you mean Cannabis Sativa or Indica? It's probably a mix, like most bagseed available commercially.

Bottom line is, if you don't know the strain it's all by "eye"

You gotta keep monitoring it until it is ripe. Indoors 60 days is a good rule of thumb for flowering, as exact dates for harvest don't exist. Some people prefer earlier bud, some prefer riper bud, but in general the rule of thumb is that when the buds stop swelling and the plant stops pushing out new white "hairs" you can bet the plant is mature.

good luck, and don't chop any males until they start to show balls, round balls, girl plants will always throw out a white "hair" as a sure femmy sign.

best of luck and don't complicate things, KISS (keep it simple) and God belss you

 

[PaganTom]

OK, great advice!
I swapped out the 6500k on top in favor of a 2700k and put the 6500k on the bottom shining upwards to bulk up the underside of the plant.
Of course, I dropped the timer down to a 12/12 cycle..

I've read that trimming out smaller growth will harm the plant, but it seems to me that the smaller, denser leaves are sapping the energy from the plant. I understand that I have to keep some of the larger leaves that you see in pix 1 and 2 above..
or do I have all this backwards? Heh heh!

As to the calendar question, I presume from your responses that I should now let my baby flower for the next 60 days since I've swapped out the lights, right?
This begs the question: how long should it grow under predominatly 6500k lights (growth) before switching to 2700k lights (flowering)?
I'm guessing at least a month or two, giving it a total growth/flowering time of 4 months.. comments?

As to Sativa et.al, heh heh - I made a presumption of possible Afgani because of the size of the leaves and denseness of growth. It's probably a 60/40 Sativa/Indica mix due to the high of the origional plant. Trés yummy creeper weed with an almost mystical head with lesser body buzz. I'm going Haze from a seed bank next BTW.

If anyone's interested, stats are as follows:
Temp: 75 degrees
pH: 5.6
PPM: 1100
Nutrient mix: Dutch Harvest A/B mix, 1/4 strength
Lights: 125W 2700k CLF 5" above top, 150W 6500k CFL 6" below bottom shining upwards.
Medium: Expanded clay in Hydro bubbler bucket w/ additional airpump and airstone in bottom bucket.
Roots: growing through bottom of bucket and medium, nice and white.

Thanks again to all!
PT

 

[Zoltan]

Fan leaves produce sugars, which are used in bud formation. Bud also uses light for growth. You gotta mix it up. Don't want to remove more than 45-50% of fan leaves. But you want to remove as little as possible. Only the ones that cannot get to light.

Since its one plant, you can probable maneuver CFLs around the plant, so everything gets light. If the stems haven't wooded up too bad yet, you could also try tying around a bit. Its too late for anything extreme tho.

For fluros think of cool whites (4100K... I think 6500K is similar) as MH and warm whites (2700K) as HPS. During veg you want more MH, but since these are fluros, you throw a bit of warm (HPS). In flower you have a bit more warm whites (hps), but since these are fluros, you still want some whites.

HPS and MH have a wider spectrum than fluros, which is why you can get away with using just HPS for flower (and aparantly MH). Vice-versa


For flowering indoors after the first 12 hours are over, day one is over.

 

[Jack Crevalle]

Bro, basically just add more lights and keep going on 12/12 for 60 days. With fluorescents you want the more you can get, they like a mixed spectrum. I know people who use all different kinds of light you can imagine, In flower stage, the more the better, as long as the plants can absorb the spectrum...

p.s - trim as few big fan leaves as possible, they give the plant energy and should only be removed towards the end if they are growing into the plant and blocking alot of light....

 

[PaganTom]

I've added another lower wattage 65k CFL on the underside to help with growth and switched to the "flowering" solution of Dutch Master Harvest nutrients at this point.
Microscope shows good beginning formation of THC "bubbles"..
Ph = 5.6
PPM = 980
Temp = 74 degrees

I've begun to trim off the small "sucker" leaves, but am leaving the larger fan leaves in tact.

 

[PaganTom]

Great. Now it's flowering and I can see for certain that IT'S A BOY!
yee ha.
No worries: no other plants in the grow room...

Ahem - so, how long do I let this little guy flower before I can dry him out and smoke him?
I presume that the same rules apply such as using a magnifying glass to see the resin production, but will he get the same glands on the end of the hairs like his sister?

(sigh) oh well, happy days are still ahead.