Switching autos from a 20/4 cycle to a 18/6 or 12/12 last weeks of flower?

[beard o]

A friend who grows mostly autos suggested the following.
When you have autos that are taking too long for the trichomes to ripen, you reduce your light cycle duration.
From 20/4 to 18/6 or even 12/12.
He claims this will push the trichomes into maturity causing them to cloud up sooner.
Anyone?

 

[Sativa1970]

It depends...No one answer can fit the thousands of hybrid combinations out there. If it is a full stable auto shorter days will lower the DLI making it less productive and take longer to finish. If it has any recessive genetics of it's photo ancestors it will help by lowering hormone levels pushing finish. If it has genetics from certain sativas it may never fully amber.

The first question is how long has it flowered? What day did you get two pistols side by side. IE four pistols at the bud node. First pistol is sexual maturity second right next to it is flower. When a seed bank says 8 weeks of flower it is from that day to first possible amber. It can take up to another two weeks for it to get to the ripeness you want. Early harvest for the head late harvest for the body. You waited this long, don't get impatient.

 

[Ash4twenty]

You can reduce the light cycle, and turn down the temperature and water with water a little colder than normal , and if the buds are fat enough even turn down the light % , make the plant think it’s winter time and stress it a tad and presto . Even though it is an auto I feel they produce more auxin after that 8 hour mark just like photos . Cause at the end of the day it’s still 50% photo too . May even bring out new traits