When does "flowering time" begin?

[indigo990]

I have some plants which I put into 12/12 light on about Dec 30th. But I was somewhat impatient as the plants hadn't fully matured when i did this (i.e. they hadn't developed alternating nodes).

So this meant that it was about 2 weeks before any buds or preflowers actually appeared.

The strain I'm growing has a recommended flowering time of 7 weeks. So my question is: Is that 7 weeks from when they were first put into bloom, or 7 weeks from when white hairs first appeared on the plants?

Thanks

 

[jojajico]

flowering time is subjective to condtions its hard to say for each grower and you shouldnt go by the time they tell you anyway, just use it as a guideline. go to radioshack and get one of those mini microscope magnifine glass thing. look at the trichs to determine when its time to harvest.

 

[Guest]

This is just my opinion, and the way I count days. I dont pull em at the breeders time anyway, I just use that day to note on calendar when to start checking tric's.

I start my flowering days when the plant starts to show bud growth, then I start day 1. It generally takes betweem 10-14 days for me to start the count.

HTH

 

[NuggyBuds]

Technically it's 7 weeks from the time you flipped the lights. The times they give are minimum times. But as jojajico said DO NOT just count the weeks and then cut. Use it as a general guideline. Most plants take longer then the times given to mature properly, you must check out the trich colour to determine the ripeness. The trichomes (the little gooey things) will start out clear, then go a cloudy, and then an amber colour. The cloudy time is peak thc. Then it slowly degrades to cannabidiols and turns amber. Not all the trichs will turn at the same time. The higher amount of amber trichs you have the deeper the stone (generally a more lazy couchlock) the higher amount of the cloudy trichs the more active head high you will get. I like a 40-50% amber and as little clear as possible.

Good luck and use the search feature, do some reading!
peace

 

[jojajico]

depending on how the enviornment is maintained will determine how fast the plant matures. for example if u use CO2 and everything is dialed in u may be ready for harvest b4 the time they reccomend. if you have a few mistakes, th eplants have a some issues (nutrients, water, light) it will take longer.

 

[JJScorpio]

I start the flowering time when they show their sex. You cant very well start the time the lights were switched on a 2 week old plant because it is not mature enough to flower. Its still going to take another 2 weeks or so to show the sex. Thats why I start the time when the sex shows.

 

[JackKerouac]

With clones from a mother, it is typically the breeders time plus a week or so from the time the lights are flipped IME.

 

[Guest]

Scorpio made the excellent point,if I veg my seedplants until preflowers are visable,I start the time the day I go 12/12.If they arent visable during veg for one reason or another,the time should start when preflowers become evident during 12/12

 

[Truth]

Scorpio made the excellent point,if I veg my seedplants until preflowers are visable,I start the time the day I go 12/12.If they arent visable during veg for one reason or another,the time should start when preflowers become evident during 12/12

agreed.

 

[jojajico]

if you have the time and the will power i would take a pack of seeds grow them all out and make mothers. then take clones after 2 months and flower them. keep the mothers alive grow a nice crop smoke it up keeping track of which came from what lol and kill the mothers that produce the weakest bud. in the long run this will be a much faster system and effecient system. while your growing out one strain you can be growing mothers for the next one. that way you can continue to do runs of the same strain or have a new strain potentially every grow and harvest a new strain every 2 months (around 2 months depending on the strains flower time).

 

[Guest]

I take a pack of seeds grow them all out,trash the males and take clones of all females.I flower out the clones keeping a copy of each and make my decision from the flowered clones on which pheno to keep for each strain.Since the finished clone is the "bottom line end product",I want to base my decision on that only.I look for quality yield and finishing times with my clones.