need some info on the transition phase, PLEASE!!!

[MMAjay420]

Hello

I have 7 girls in pots in my 4'x4' tent, vegged for about 6 weeks now under a 400w MH. I have a new 600w HPS ready for the flowering stage but what I am wondering is how do I sucessfully get from A to B. I have done alot of reading and asking around outside of these forums but now would like to get a general consensus as to the best way to approach this transtion period.

First the lighting. Im going to be going from 18 hours of 400w to 11 hours of 600w. Should it be just BOOM! one day they are all of a sudden getting 1.5 times the strength of light they had the day before? Or do i slowly start cutting down the lighting a week or so before changing bulbs/ballasts? Or do I keep the MH in and adjust the timers for the first few weeks of flowering? Do I keep the height the same? or raise it up since the 600w is alot stronger than they were used to? Then lower it a bit each day to get back to the same height?

Now the nutrients. I have a good feeding regimen that I have developed over my last few outdoor grows that seems to be working for me based around ( wait for it ) Miracle Grow ( i know most people hate it but I have been using it for years with great success ). I have different formulas for veg and flower. So im wondering WHEN to start changing the nutes? Do i do it right at the flip of the lights? Or start a few weeks before/after the light flip? and when I DO flip the Nutes, is it sudden or do i wean the plants off the veg nutes and slowly start introducing them to the bloom nutes?


Thank you in advance for all the help. Looking forward to eharing some insight from the vets around here.....

Happy Growing

 

[trichrider]

bing bang boom...new room.
they'll survive the flip...they'll survive much more than changing photoperiod.

i would start combining veg and flower nutes prior to flip and discontinue veg nutes at flip.

good luck and good growing.

 

[MMAjay420]

sweet, Thank you. So basically let em get used to the bloom nutes before going full force with em?


What about the lighting? Should i just flip the timers and bulbs at the same time? wouldnt that shock em a bit?

 

[MMAjay420]

Here is where i am so far for your guys information...... hope it helps

 

[RonSmooth]

I would arrange the plants to better utilize the lights footprint. I see a lot of shaded areas. I would prune some of that dense undergrowth as well but thats just me. I find that they (lower branches) never produce well and can cause problems with air circulation/

That chair/fan looks like it is taking up valuable real estate. A clip on fan would give you more room for more plants or to better arrange them.

The change in lighting wont shock the plants. I go right from 18-24hrs of light under a 220w PLL fixture to 600w HPS 12/12. Set the timer for 12/12 and let em go.

As far as the nutrients, you just want to lower the amount of nitrogen in flowering and up the Phosphorus and to an extent, Potassium. You can feed them half "Grow" formula and half "Bloom" formula for the first week or two of flowering then switch to a lower N "bloom" only.

They dont know the difference between "ggrow" and "bloom" products, they only use the nutrients in them. Understand what the NPK values are and you can tailor it to fit the growth period.

I use only maxibloom throughout the plants life. Technically its a "bloom" formula but it contains a good ratio of all nutrients needed.

 

[*riddick*]

I would put the taller plants on the sides and shorter ones in the middle and drop the light 16" above the middle plants to make the most of the light

 

[MMAjay420]

Ron, THANK YOU, for the insightful awnsers. Your right. I may need to look for a better fan... That does take up some good space i could be using to let these girls grow wild..... i really never thought about that... if i was to get rid of it, i could easily put tomato cages on all of these suckers and spread em out!

Riddick, thank you as well. i like your idea. Would you recommend me just hanging a bare bulb there in the middle or keeping the reflector on?

 

[*riddick*]

keeping the reflector on is the best way in veg and flower, you can change to a vertical grow, when the buds start to form if you want to
as both vertical and horizontal system are good

always good to top the plants, this will give more shoots and more bud in flower.

also you don't need to change the mh till buds start to form in flower.
the MH will reduce the stretch and give you better results in early flower

If you change to a vertical system, all six plant need to be in a circle round the bulb and a fan blowing up to remove the heat from the bulb is a real advantage as you can get the bulb as close as 6" to the sides of the plants

 

[MMAjay420]

So keep the MH in and just adjust the timers? Never thought of that one before.... thank you

keeping the reflector on is the best way in veg and flower, you can change to a vertical grow, when the buds start to form if you want to
as both vertical and horizontal system are good

always good to top the plants, this will give more shoots and more bud in flower.

also you don't need to change the mh till buds start to form in flower.
the MH will reduce the stretch and give you better results in early flower

If you change to a vertical system, all six plant need to be in a circle round the bulb and a fan blowing up to remove the heat from the bulb is a real advantage as you can get the bulb as close as 6" to the sides of the plants

 

[*riddick*]

your welcome MMAjay420