Autos not flowering until I reduce light time

[DarrenAdam420]

Hey guys, im currently growing some auto northern lights. I have 3 plants one is one week older than the other two but got a little bit of stress so they look all the same. I started getting worried with them because it has been more than a month and they were not showing any signs of flowering, they only kept growing and growing so i decided to reduce light time slowly over a few days from 20/4 to 16/8, today i noticed that they are starting to show their sex. My question now is, was it because i increased the dark period or just a coincidence? My goals was not so much to make them flower because that wouldn't work with autos but to reduce their growth by giving them less light.

What do you guys think?

Thanks

 

[MickFoster]

It's no coincidence........you have photos.

 

[Rexer]

You know, I've heard a few people talk about this.
multiVortex did a great job discussing Auto hormones, I wonder if there is a link to what you're experiencing?

If you defoliate autos what day do you start doing it?

I have a small tent and I want to defoliate autos to be able to fit the number of plants I want in the tent and have good air flow on there. This is not really a should you defoliate or not post. The tent is small and with how much I lst the plants to keep the plants from being very tall the...

www.420magazine.com

 

[DarrenAdam420]

You know, I've heard a few people talk about this.
multiVortex did a great job discussing Auto hormones, I wonder if there is a link to what you're experiencing?

If you defoliate autos what day do you start doing it?

I have a small tent and I want to defoliate autos to be able to fit the number of plants I want in the tent and have good air flow on there. This is not really a should you defoliate or not post. The tent is small and with how much I lst the plants to keep the plants from being very tall the...

www.420magazine.com

Hey Rexer, i have been guilty of doing some light defoliation during last week and a big one Friday. What multiVortex apply to me if we think that the lighter defoliation increased the veg hormones and then the bigger one stressed the planted and forced her into flower. My dilemma now is, do i keep 16/8 and risk a lower yield or do i go back to 20/4 and risk a longer veg time :/

 

[DarrenAdam420]

It's no coincidence........you have photos.

Could be, i feel like this strain is an attempt of what people now call super autos or XXL autos, not sure how those react to light changes.

 

[Rexer]

I'd wait for now till a more experienced grower can chime in, dont induce any more stresses till then.

 

[nickeluring]

They are autos. Some strains take 5 weeks to flower, and even more if stressed. Stressing an auto can also cause it to flower prematurely.
I find the best light schedule to be 18/6. You can just go ahead and change it from your 16/8.

 

[Rexer]

They are autos. Some strains take 5 weeks to flower, and even more if stressed. Stressing an auto can also cause it to flower prematurely.
I find the best light schedule to be 18/6. You can just go ahead and change it from your 16/8.

Yup, I keep hearing good things on the 18/6 schedule. Mines on a 20/4 (yeah typical newbie who went for middle ground lol), I think my next one will be on a 18/6.

 

[multiVortex]

They are autos. Some strains take 5 weeks to flower, and even more if stressed. Stressing an auto can also cause it to flower prematurely.

Quite true. Genetics are key in this. Some just genetically take a week or two longer than others to start flowering.

Stressing and ending up flowering is definitely one of the drawbacks, but it takes a lot to really piss them off to that point. Although it is definitely why I mention to do it light and often when it comes to defoliation and such. It's kind of a balancing act. Too little and nothing really happens. Too much and you may trigger flowering earlier than it would have on its own. Right in the middle and you can get an auto to veg for up to about 8 weeks, give or take.

I find the best light schedule to be 18/6. You can just go ahead and change it from your 16/8.

Yup, I keep hearing good things on the 18/6 schedule. Mines on a 20/4 (yeah typical newbie who went for middle ground lol), I think my next one will be on a 18/6.

Light timing for autos differentiates based on light quality, intensity, and environment as well.

You'll read all kinds of crazy crap about autos all over the net. It seems that the internet has given everyone a voice, and while most of the idiots bitch about movies, some of those idiots also think they got the dibs on growing weed. (OK, that was a big paraphrase with some added content, but still a nod to J&SBSB. )


Seriously though, there are quite a few factors that go into how you should time your light schedule for autos. Here's a hint: the more shit your lights, the longer your daylight period.

Why is all that? If they don't need a dark period to flower, why not just run em 24/0?

This is very simple. Plants need a dark period. Well, a sleep period anyway. May still be lit up like a christmas tree, but they'll still sleep. The guiding "force" behind all of that is call the Daily Light Integral. What this expresses, in hopefully somewhat easy to follow terms, is basically the amount of light a plant can eat in a 24hr period. Once they've had their fill, they pretty much go to sleep.

How this relates is that better lighting means more good stuff to the plant, and in less time. Anything over that is doing nothing more than adding to your electric bill unnecessarily.

If you have cheap, weakish lights... you may need 24 hours of light to get close to the right DLI.

If you have better, but not great lighting, 20/4 may be the schedule you need to get the right DLI.

Finally, with good, quality lighting you should be able to get plenty of light in within a 16 or 18 hour day to hit the right spot for the DLI.

Plants will sleep, even under 24hr lighting. Sure, in the beginning it may be ok for a seedling to be under 24/0 with weak lighting. As it grows, it needs more light. Thus we turn up our lights, right?

I have a link to a really nice paper which breaks it all down, but for whatever reason the site isn't responding at the moment. I'll leave the link out for now, but a google search of "DLI for cannabis" or "Daily Light Integral cannabis" should bring up some interesting reading material. I know the Purdue Extension has a good PDF that kind of goes over it all in the big picture, but it doesn't specifically mention cannabis. It's looking at the DLI of a greenhouse, but the concepts are still the same. There's another good paper on the Inda-Gro site, and worth a read when you have time (and their site works again, lol.)


I have really good lighting, and 18/6 is plenty for me with autos. I could probably even drop to 16/8, and be just as well off, but I haven't wanted to mess with it yet when 18/6 has done so well. Plants get the light they need, the sleep they need, and are all just happy happy happy.


But what about photo plants and switching them to 12/12? Doesn't that screw the DLI all over the place?

Nope, not one bit. Why is that? Because once we switch to 12/12, what do we do? Turn up the lighting and lower it down a bit. So yes, the plants are only getting 12 hours of light, but it's stronger light. That means that they are getting the same amount of photons hitting their leaves in a 12 hour period that they were in an 18 hour period in veg. Closer, stronger light, and it all comes out in the wash.

It's like having a big glass of water. One person sips from it and takes all day to consume it, while another person sips it down a little quicker, and only takes half the day to finish. That's really the concept with plants, light, and how much they can take in. Both people consumed the same amount of water, but one did so more quickly.

Same with the lighting. With photos in 12/12, they're like the person drinking the water a little quicker. Still consuming the same amount, just in a shorter time frame.

 

[DarrenAdam420]

Quite true. Genetics are key in this. Some just genetically take a week or two longer than others to start flowering.

Stressing and ending up flowering is definitely one of the drawbacks, but it takes a lot to really piss them off to that point. Although it is definitely why I mention to do it light and often when it comes to defoliation and such. It's kind of a balancing act. Too little and nothing really happens. Too much and you may trigger flowering earlier than it would have on its own. Right in the middle and you can get an auto to veg for up to about 8 weeks, give or take.








Light timing for autos differentiates based on light quality, intensity, and environment as well.

You'll read all kinds of crazy crap about autos all over the net. It seems that the internet has given everyone a voice, and while most of the idiots bitch about movies, some of those idiots also think they got the dibs on growing weed. (OK, that was a big paraphrase with some added content, but still a nod to J&SBSB. )


Seriously though, there are quite a few factors that go into how you should time your light schedule for autos. Here's a hint: the more shit your lights, the longer your daylight period.

Why is all that? If they don't need a dark period to flower, why not just run em 24/0?

This is very simple. Plants need a dark period. Well, a sleep period anyway. May still be lit up like a christmas tree, but they'll still sleep. The guiding "force" behind all of that is call the Daily Light Integral. What this expresses, in hopefully somewhat easy to follow terms, is basically the amount of light a plant can eat in a 24hr period. Once they've had their fill, they pretty much go to sleep.

How this relates is that better lighting means more good stuff to the plant, and in less time. Anything over that is doing nothing more than adding to your electric bill unnecessarily.

If you have cheap, weakish lights... you may need 24 hours of light to get close to the right DLI.

If you have better, but not great lighting, 20/4 may be the schedule you need to get the right DLI.

Finally, with good, quality lighting you should be able to get plenty of light in within a 16 or 18 hour day to hit the right spot for the DLI.

Plants will sleep, even under 24hr lighting. Sure, in the beginning it may be ok for a seedling to be under 24/0 with weak lighting. As it grows, it needs more light. Thus we turn up our lights, right?

I have a link to a really nice paper which breaks it all down, but for whatever reason the site isn't responding at the moment. I'll leave the link out for now, but a google search of "DLI for cannabis" or "Daily Light Integral cannabis" should bring up some interesting reading material. I know the Purdue Extension has a good PDF that kind of goes over it all in the big picture, but it doesn't specifically mention cannabis. It's looking at the DLI of a greenhouse, but the concepts are still the same. There's another good paper on the Inda-Gro site, and worth a read when you have time (and their site works again, lol.)


I have really good lighting, and 18/6 is plenty for me with autos. I could probably even drop to 16/8, and be just as well off, but I haven't wanted to mess with it yet when 18/6 has done so well. Plants get the light they need, the sleep they need, and are all just happy happy happy.


But what about photo plants and switching them to 12/12? Doesn't that screw the DLI all over the place?

Nope, not one bit. Why is that? Because once we switch to 12/12, what do we do? Turn up the lighting and lower it down a bit. So yes, the plants are only getting 12 hours of light, but it's stronger light. That means that they are getting the same amount of photons hitting their leaves in a 12 hour period that they were in an 18 hour period in veg. Closer, stronger light, and it all comes out in the wash.

It's like having a big glass of water. One person sips from it and takes all day to consume it, while another person sips it down a little quicker, and only takes half the day to finish. That's really the concept with plants, light, and how much they can take in. Both people consumed the same amount of water, but one did so more quickly.

Same with the lighting. With photos in 12/12, they're like the person drinking the water a little quicker. Still consuming the same amount, just in a shorter time frame.

Such a well written text, i must agree with everything you said, not only i have heard it from other professionals but also it is what makes the most sense. Thanks for taking the time.

 

[Rexer]

Budpacient nailed it.
Thanks again, as you've said there are all kinds of voices on the internet, I trust yours when it comes to Autos. I like how you approach it from a scientific standpoint. I have to be honest, some of what you write is where I want to be, right now some of it sticks, some of it I swear I can actually hear the airplane fly over my head.
I dont want to hijack another's persons thread, miy autos I have keep on the shorter side, Lol I'm almost afraid of what you'd say of my grow

 

[multiVortex]

Such a well written text, i must agree with everything you said, not only i have heard it from other professionals but also it is what makes the most sense. Thanks for taking the time.

You’re quite welcome.

Budpacient nailed it.
Thanks again, as you've said there are all kinds of voices on the internet, I trust yours when it comes to Autos. I like how you approach it from a scientific standpoint. I have to be honest, some of what you write is where I want to be, right now some of it sticks, some of it I swear I can actually hear the airplane fly over my head.
I dont want to hijack another's persons thread, miy autos I have keep on the shorter side, Lol I'm almost afraid of what you'd say of my grow

Nah. Now some of those jackwagons on that /r place that show off stubble like it’s a 10lb plant, sure, I’d mess with them.

You’ll get there. It just takes time and finding out what works, when it works, why it works. Of course you also end up finding out what doesn’t work, what is bro science, and what burns up your plants.