Darkness before flowering

[Johnny5thesim]

Hi everyone,

I am just switching over to flower on some photoperiod Jack Herer. On previous grows I have done a dark cycle for 24 hours to help initiate flowering. This time I have went straight to 12-12, as of this morning. So my plants got 12 hours light and went off at 8am today. I am now stressing a bit that I should have gone straight to the darkness period. Would it be a bad idea to now do the darkness period? I was thinking just leaving the lights off now for 36 hours until 8 pm tomorrow. Or If I was going to to do it, I should have just went straight to darkness. And not done a 12 hours cycle first?

I want to be able to reduce stretch as much as possible as these things are beasts, and far larger then previous grows. So I am concerned stretch will fill my tent up too much!

I would appreciate any specific advice folks have!

 

[Pbass]

I'm not familiar with 24 hours of dark prior to going to 12/12, do you feel like it has helped in the past compared to just going to 12/12? I'd be inclined to leave it alone now myself, as irregular light periods can definitely cause plants to herm. I don't imagine 12 extra hours of dark over the next 2.5 months is going to change much of anything concerning your stretch either. Supercropping to the rescue! Plants look great bro, CHeers!

 

[Johnny5thesim]

I'm not familiar with 24 hours of dark prior to going to 12/12, do you feel like it has helped in the past compared to just going to 12/12? I'd be inclined to leave it alone now myself, as irregular light periods can definitely cause plants to herm. I don't imagine 12 extra hours of dark over the next 2.5 months is going to change much of anything concerning your stretch either. Supercropping to the rescue! Plants look great bro, CHeers!

I didn’t have any direct comparison. So I am not sure if it helps. Of all the reading I have done. It’s the typical thing where some swear by it, and some say it’s bad. My consensus is it probably does initiate flowering faster cause of the phytochrome changes that supposedly occur in the absence of light.

But I certainly don’t want to stress the plant and cause a potential hermie situation. My first grow I had one plant go full hermie. Perhaps I will just leave well enough alone. And just stick with going straight to 12/12.

Thanks for your input And they do look great, but I am quite concerned about the stretch. My previous grows they were amazing looking, but didn’t fill up their entire footprint while still in veg. I basically have no more width at this point.

 

[Captain Cannabis]

I agree with Pbass, go messing with your schedule now, and you risk the chance of Hermies.
Personally, I have never noticed a difference in stretch because of a "dark period". I've tried
both ways, and I use the "dark period" for the sake of me adjusting MY schedule.

It's been my experience, that stretch, is more dependent on genetics and variety, and Sativa
generally has more stretch than Indica. I primarily grow Sativa heavy strains, and I usually
"Veg" for a shorter time if I know that strain will stretch like crazy. That stretch makes up
for the lost time in my "Veg" cycle, as far as new growth is concerned. As far as controlling
the stretch, all you can really do is super crop, or tie that mother down. Best of luck!

 

[Stunned]

Once you pull the trigger on 12/12, I would be hesitant to mess with the schedule

 

[Johnny5thesim]

I am going to leave it be. And just stick with the 12/12! Thanks for advice folks!

 

[DutchinAB]

Happy flowering!!

 

[multiVortex]

You can defol a bit in the first few weeks every few days to help slow it down a bit as well.

I wouldn’t do anything other than lst initially, just to see how much the stretch takes up.

 

[Ghost Farmer]

I would leave it at 12/12, once you start the clock leave it alone. I've made numerous lighting mistakes at the start of flower but the plant always rebounds if you don't panic.

 

[Sharonsman 14]

Hi everyone,

I am just switching over to flower on some photoperiod Jack Herer. On previous grows I have done a dark cycle for 24 hours to help initiate flowering. This time I have went straight to 12-12, as of this morning. So my plants got 12 hours light and went off at 8am today. I am now stressing a bit that I should have gone straight to the darkness period. Would it be a bad idea to now do the darkness period? I was thinking just leaving the lights off now for 36 hours until 8 pm tomorrow. Or If I was going to to do it, I should have just went straight to darkness. And not done a 12 hours cycle first?

I want to be able to reduce stretch as much as possible as these things are beasts, and far larger then previous grows. So I am concerned stretch will fill my tent up too much!

I would appreciate any specific advice folks have!

Nothing wrong with the way you doing it but it does help to put in darkness for 24 to 36 hours of darkness to trigger blooming but I'd leave it the way you got it, it will still bloom. Good luck hope you have an awesome harvest when the time comes.