How can you tell your plant stage is in flower by its appearance?

[Nittaman]

Good morning masters,

My plants are getting healthy and macho every day from your advices.

I have one question i am not sure about.

The plants i grow are now from seeds from weed bag.

I dont know the strain or if its autoflower or not.

How do you guys decide if its in a phase of flowering or vegi stage?

I havent count the days from germination, but i started to see many signs of female every day.

I am considering when i should start changing my fertilizer to flowering.

Is that possible you can tell by its appearance?

Apreciate your comments and advices!

 

[Chrondocious]

Theyre still in Vegetation. Canabis plants are photo sensitive, meaning they will transistion when they recieve around 12 hours of light a day or less. If you're growing outdoors, you will have to check your local sunrise and sunset times. Or, if you wanted to transition quicker, look into light deprevation techniques. Chances are, if it was bagseed, its probably a photoperiod and not an autoflower. Never know though. Autos are different and will flower under longer light periods.

 

[Nittaman]

The place i live now is about same time zone as California. If its not autoflower, seems i got long way to go! The good thing is the place i live is extremely sunny through the year.

Thank you very much!

 

[SmokingWings]

The place i live now is about same time zone as California.

It does not work that way. The Western TIme Zone that California is in goes from the southern end of the state all the way to the top of Canada. There can well over an hour of difference in the amount of quality sunlight between the two ends. It has more to do with the latitude lines which go east to west.

And figure that it is more like receiving 14 hours of daylight since the first hour in the morning and last hour at sunset is not the best or brightest sunlight even if it is a clear sky.

Check the charts in this short explanation in the link below. Most of us have better light when we turn on our grow lights than most mornings an hour after the sun rises. Same goes for that last hour at the end of the day.

Daylight - Wikipedia

 

[Azimuth]

Assuming they are photoperiods and are being grown outdoors, they will start to flower as the uninterrupted darkness period lengthens to be close to 12 hours in the fall. Indoor growers often use 12/12 for their light cycle to be safe, but the dark hours don't need to be quite that long. I think the actual number is more like 10.5-11 hours of darkness.

In the northern hemisphere we are in the process of lseeing gradually longer days and shorter nights which will continue until the summer solstice which is the longest day of the year. After that, the nights start lengthening but it still takes a while for the dark hours to increase enough to get close to 12 hours

 

[Nittaman]

It does not work that way. The Western TIme Zone that California is in goes from the southern end of the state all the way to the top of Canada. There can well over an hour of difference in the amount of quality sunlight between the two ends. It has more to do with the latitude lines which go east to west.

And figure that it is more like receiving 14 hours of daylight since the first hour in the morning and last hour at sunset is not the best or brightest sunlight even if it is a clear sky.

Check the charts in this short explanation in the link below. Most of us have better light when we turn on our grow lights than most mornings an hour after the sun rises. Same goes for that last hour at the end of the day.

Daylight - Wikipedia

Got it, its not the appearance, but its the light and night cycle!

Thanks!

 

[Nittaman]

Assuming they are photoperiods and are being grown outdoors, they will start to flower as the uninterrupted darkness period lengthens to be close to 12 hours in the fall. Indoor growers often use 12/12 for their light cycle to be safe, but the dark hours don't need to be quite that long. I think the actual number is more like 10.5-11 hours of darkness.

In the northern hemisphere we are in the process of lseeing gradually longer days and shorter nights which will continue until the summer solstice which is the longest day of the year. After that, the nights start lengthening but it still takes a while for the dark hours to increase enough to get close to 12 hours

Thanks always Azimuth,

If the vegi stage will continue until summer, should i get a larger pot?
Or will it be good if i dont really not aiming for big yields?

Now i am using 3gallons.

 

[Azimuth]

Got it, its not the appearance, but its the light and night cycle!

Thanks!

Exactly. For photo's. Auto's flower on more of a time schedule unless they get stressed at which point they can flower early when they are still really small leading to small harvests.

Autos are oblivious to the light schedule and can be run with much longer daylight to help ensure they get as much as they can use.

 

[Azimuth]

Thanks always Azimuth,

If the vegi stage will continue until summer, should i get a larger pot?
Or will it be good if i dont really not aiming for big yields?

Now i am using 3gallons.

Yeah, depending on where you are, this is  really early to start outdoor photo plants unless you're trying to grow some monsters, in which case you'll need a larger pot anyway.

Check out the Sip Club thread in my signature for a simple pot design that works great.

 

[Azimuth]

To give you a better idea, many growers have a certain amount of veg time they like to give a plant before they flip to flower, so they start with a date like mid August when outdoor plants often start showing pistils and then work back from there to determine when to start the plants.

Let's say you're a balcony grower and don't have unlimited space so decide on a 4-5 week veg period. In that case you'd start your seeds or cutting in something like mid/late June, veg through July and have a plant about the size you want when it starts to naturally flower.

I don't grow outdoors so an outdoor grower ( @Bode , @StoneOtter , @Stunger @Carcass ) could give you a better idea of the actual timeline, but that's the basic concept.

So, using that math, you can see you're way out in front of things starting this early.

 

[Bode]

Highya Azimuth, guys,

I have seedlings started, and under growlights for spring planting. Last year I was able to put them in the garden 3rd week in May (I think it was). They grew to 9' (too tall) and finished very nicely. Best lady gave me 2 lbs! Can plant anytime after no frost. I need to practice the training (I need to do training, lol) to keep them from getting so big. We had 2 hurricanes come through last fall just when the buds were fat! Lost 2 plants. Outdoors is fun!! Happy Smokin'

 

[Azimuth]

Highya Azimuth, guys,

I have seedlings started, and under growlights for spring planting. Last year I was able to put them in the garden 3rd week in May (I think it was). They grew to 9' (too tall) and finished very nicely. Best lady gave me 2 lbs! Can plant anytime after no frost. I need to practice the training (I need to do training, lol) to keep them from getting so big. We had 2 hurricanes come through last fall just when the buds were fat! Lost 2 plants. Outdoors is fun!! Happy Smokin'

Thanks, Bode. But how about if you were growing outdoors in 3 Gallon containers. When would you start them in that scenario?

In the ground they have unlimited area for their roots. Not so in a container.

 

[Bode]

Well, I usually guess that the changeover to flowering happens around the first of August. So if you want to veg for 6 weeks, you'll want a seedling by mid June. Sound about right? Happy Smokin'

 

[StoneOtter]

Hi folks.
I have to ask if there's a chance you can go to a larger pot? 3 gallons outdoors is very small imo.

 

[Nittaman]

Hi folks.
I have to ask if there's a chance you can go to a larger pot? 3 gallons outdoors is very small imo.

Thanks StoneOtter,

I also was thinking 3gal is too small reading several articles,

Only thing i am concerned about is the transplant of 3gal to a bigger one.

It was really easy for me to transplant from a small pot. Now the size is not small i dont have the confident of repotting from 3gallons to a bigger one not damaging the ladys. i dont have much experience of growing

Do you think its gonna worth it?

 

[SmokingWings]

If the vegi stage will continue until summer, should i get a larger pot?
Or will it be good if i dont really not aiming for big yields?

There are big yields. There are high quality yields. But, the best is big yields of high quality buds.

If you switch over to a 5 gallon pot you have more soil to help feed the plant and more room for a root system. While it is possible to grow a decent plant in gallons of soil the odds are that you will be happier with having made the transplanting into the 5 gallon pot after the harvest has been dried.

I also was thinking 3gal is too small reading several articles,

Only thing i am concerned about is the transplant of 3gal to a bigger one.

It was really easy for me to transplant from a small pot. Now the size is not small i dont have the confident of repotting from 3gallons to a bigger one not damaging the ladys. i dont have much experience of growing

Do you think its gonna worth it?

It is worth it.

You could practice by transplanting houseplants or a pepper or tomato plant. That would help build confidence. And as your confidence builds up it becomes easier.

 

[StoneOtter]

Thanks StoneOtter,

I also was thinking 3gal is too small reading several articles,

Only thing i am concerned about is the transplant of 3gal to a bigger one.

It was really easy for me to transplant from a small pot. Now the size is not small i dont have the confident of repotting from 3gallons to a bigger one not damaging the ladys. i dont have much experience of growing

Do you think its gonna worth it?

I do think so NittaMan. There's nothing we can't get done as long as you're healthy. Are those cloth bags velcro seamed for transplanting? If not some folks sit the pot on an upside down plastic pot or small bucket type of a structure and work the cloth down turning it inside out and down. It zips right off at a point!

I don't do it like that. I cut the bag with scissors in two places and it takes itself off. Downside to my way is a trashed bag. The plant loves me for it! You can do either way and be ok as long as you have roots to begin with. Cutting is foolproof and easiest on the plant if you decide to try it.

 

[Nittaman]

I do think so NittaMan. There's nothing we can't get done as long as you're healthy. Are those cloth bags velcro seamed for transplanting? If not some folks sit the pot on an upside down plastic pot or small bucket type of a structure and work the cloth down turning it inside out and down. It zips right off at a point!

I don't do it like that. I cut the bag with scissors in two places and it takes itself off. Downside to my way is a trashed bag. The plant loves me for it! You can do either way and be ok as long as you have roots to begin with. Cutting is foolproof and easiest on the plant if you decide to try it.

I do think so NittaMan. There's nothing we can't get done as long as you're healthy. Are those cloth bags velcro seamed for transplanting? If not some folks sit the pot on an upside down plastic pot or small bucket type of a structure and work the cloth down turning it inside out and down. It zips right off at a point!

I don't do it like that. I cut the bag with scissors in two places and it takes itself off. Downside to my way is a trashed bag. The plant loves me for it! You can do either way and be ok as long as you have roots to begin with. Cutting is foolproof and easiest on the plant if you decide to try it.

yeah now its not plastic i can cut through these bags.

Thanks for the idea!

 

[SmokingWings]

yeah now its not plastic i can cut through these bags.

Thanks for the idea!

A reminder but the cloth bags are plastic. They are made with polypropylene fibers so they look like and act like a cloth. They will not decompose, just slowly break down into smaller and smaller pieces of plastic. Dispose of in the trash headed for a landfill or incinerator.

 

[Nittaman]

Thank you got you!