When Shoild I Start 12/12?

[Roseman]

WHEN DO I START 12/12 FLOWERING CYCLE?

The longer the VEG cycle, the more the yield.
Consider that in nature, outdoors, we plant a seed in mid to late April. It grows through April, May, June, July, and in mid to late July, as the sun's rays change, and the lenght of the daylight changes, the plant naturally changes from VEG to FLOWER, with the diminishing sun's rays. (It is not hte new nutes taht changes the cycle) That is nature's way. The plant grows and matures to an adult plant for about 3 to 4 months. THEN, it makes flowers. That is nature's way.
Indoors, in HYDRO with feeder tubes, we cut that time in half, by using 24/7 LIGHT. instead of 3 months, or 13 weeks, it takes about 5 to 6 weeks to become a mature plant in HYDRO, with 24/7 LIGHT. Pot plants growing as young plants, make what we call nodes, or a set of two leaves, one directly across form the other. When a pot plant is mature, it will make new leaves one at a time, not directly across from an other leaf, but staggered. The new leaves "alternate" instead of appearing in pairs.


OK, also in nature, in addition to plants, we see animals and humans reproduce at maturity or adulthood. If a human, (or dog or any animal) is forced to make babies before maturity, like getting a 12 yr old girl pregnant, or a dog in her very first heat, then the babies are weak, or runts, or deformed, and just not at their best or strongest.
It does not make sense, it is not wise, it is not logical, to make a child have a child, and it is not wise or smart or logical to make an immature baby plant, have babies if you don't have to. LET THE BABIES GROW AND LET THE ADULTS MAKE BABIES. Of course, if you are doing a SOG Grow, or have limited Height Space, well you ahve to do what you have to do, when you have to do it. But if time and space allows, then VEG that plant to maturity before starting the 12/12 Flowering Cycle..
If you will VEG for 5 weeks, to 6 weeks, you will have more time for proper TOPPING, PRUNING, AND FIMMING, and you'll get bigger plants, a much larger yield, and you will also have a mature happy adult plant, ready to make healthy, stronger babies (flowers) .

If you begin Indica Flowering, after VEGGING 3 or 4 weeks, you will harvest about 70% of what you would have harvested, IF you had waited and VEGGED for 5 or 6 full weeks before starting 12/12.

This info applies to rapid growing in Hydro, and to Indica strains. NOT slowly in SOIL, and NOT Sativa strains.

I average 3 to 4 ounces per plant, VEGGING 5 to 6 weeks, and I have gotten 7 ounces from one plant. I have pics to show it. I got that with a long VEG Cycle, planned, proper Topping and Pruning and Fimming, and creating more tops or cola sites.

I have seen grows done where 12/12 was started the very first day, and they got 24 to 30 inches tall by harvest time, and yielded an ounce to two ounces per plant of dried manicured buds. That can be done in 8 weeks and there is nothing wrong with that. But I want more.


Let me add here, I suggest you do not change to Flowering Nutes the first day you start 12/12. I always wait 3 or 4 days to change nutes from VEG nutes to BLOOM nutes.

 

[RandyL]

Due to a delay in getting the flowering HPS bulbs / ballast setups ready, my current crop of plants (Bubba Kush, Granddaddy Purple, Purple Kush) received 8 full weeks (56 days) of veg time. The plants have grown strong and well, and everyone who has seen their photos or the plants in person has liked them.

So if a 3-4 week veg gives 70% of what a 5-6 week veg does, how much yield gain can i expect from my 8 week vegged plants? 141% of the 5-6 week average?

 

[Roseman]

RandyL,

I got them % figures from a Greg Green Book, Growing Hydroponically, and he doesn't tell anything about Vegging Indica strains 8 weeks, but I am sure you can expect a much larger yield.

I really never seen Indica Vegged 8 weeks.

I have vegged only 4 weeks, and I have vegged 5 weeks and I have vegged 5 weeks 4 days, and the difference in bud yield was amazing and alrger according to the time VEGGED.

 

[Screwnuts33]

Rose,
Everything I have read said to start bloom nutes the last week of veg. Ease into the new nute program before going 12/12. What is the benefit of waiting a week after starting 12/12?

 

[The Weed]

I average 3 to 4 ounces per plant, VEGGING 5 to 6 weeks, and I have gotten 7 ounces from one plant. I have pics to show it. I got that with a long VEG Cycle, planned, proper Topping and Pruning and Fimming, and creating more tops or cola sites
That statement is Mind Boggling all in a nice and neat little package.
SH Hydroponics, Inc. > Deep Water Culture™ 6 Planter Starter Kit

 

[Roseman]

Rose,
Everything I have read said to start bloom nutes the last week of veg. Ease into the new nute program before going 12/12. What is the benefit of waiting a week after starting 12/12?

You're right, most of the books I have and almost all the Internet Info I see says about the same, start 12/12 and start Bloom nutes the same day or within a day.
BUT, a friend of the Deep Water Culture, and a freind of George Cervantes, and a dear friend of mine, he is mentioned in one of Cervantes books, named Uncle Ben, told me and a bunch of HYDRO growing Deep Water Culture friends to try using VEG nutes all the way into the first week of 12/12 a year ago in a different Grow site. He also recommends using some VEG nutes in the Bloom cycle, especially if you have very low or NO Nitrgen in your bloom nutes. He, Uncle Ben, writes a lot of controversal info on adding a very slight amount of Nitrgen all the way through the VEG Cycle. He promotes "have a very healthy thriving plant, and see what you get". He personally also uses very little Bloom nutes, much less Phosperous, and very heavy on VEG nutes all the way through the Bloom cycle. I've done 7 grows, all same 2 strains and all in the same system, with starting BLOOM nutes the same day I start 12/12.
Just before I started my 8th grow, I saw pics of other grower's plants, using N in Bloom, and also using VEG nutes the first full week of 12/12. Their plants got larger and continued to grow much more taller than normal. Then I saw articles and info from Advanced Nutrients on using their BLOOM nutes that have more nitrogen in them than any other Bloom nutes. I had freinds who tried it and I saw a difference.
So on my 8th grow, I used VEG nutes the first 7 days of BLOOM and I reduced my Bloom nutes 25% and added a very slight amount of VEG nutes all during the Bloom Cycle.
His theory, or fact, proved to be true. We always see that it is normal and natural for a plant to lose many lower fan leaves daily in the Bloom cycle. Uncle Ben says it is not normal and seldom happens in an outdoor soil grow.

In my first seven grows, my daily rountine in BLOOM was to first pick up the fallen yellowed wilted leaves, to clean up around the reservoir.. There would be like 4 or 5 fallen leaves daily, everyday, laying on the floor or stuck in the lower bushes. I did not have ONE fallen yellowed wilted Fan leaf in my 8th grow, following Uncle Ben's advice. NOT ONE IN 9 WEEKS. I documented that in a Tutorial and Journal somewhere else, and I was challenging Uncle Ben daily to watch the grow and see, and I was looking embarrassed because NOT ONE leaf fell. I also have many friends here now, who watched and then tried it too. A dear friend here, named MostlyCrazy is doing it now. Many Deep Water Culture now do it and everyone of them say they will continue to do it.

I now firmly believe that continuing to use VEG nutes the first week of VEG will make the plant grow larger, and be more healthier. I also now 100% certain that using some additional N in BLOOM will make the plant grow larger in BLOOM , and be more healthier and happier.
Yes, it is argueable, controversal, debatable, and I used to be on the other side of the coin arguing and debating until I tried it.

All this too, is for a Hydroponic Indoor growing. Outdoor soil might be different.

I hope I answered to your satisfaction and understanding. Again, it is argueable and controversal and debatable, I know, but I do it and always will.

 

[Screwnuts33]

I am using Fox Farm nutes and following their reccomended regiment. They use Grow Big (nitrogen veg nute) through the first 3-4 weeks of flower. Smaller doses than during veg but still adding nitrogen during flower.

 

[RandyL]

I'm also using Fox Farms soil and Fox Farms nutes. Grow Big, Big Bloom, and Tiger Bloom.

The veg nutes were the Grow Big and Big Bloom.

I started the flowering light cycle 2 days ago, and the plants were due for fertilizer and water, so the next day they got their first bloom nutes, and I reduced them to about 75% strength for the first time.

All through the vegging 8 weeks, except for the first couple times when the plants were small, I gave them 100% doses of Grow Big and Big Bloom according to the FF chart. Now and then I'd see a tiny bit of yellow leaf tips here and there, but I never burned a leaf up, so I'm thinking they got just about the right amount of nutes all the way through veg.

Everyone who ever saw the plants online or in person said they looked really good. I'm a growing noob, so I really don't have much frame of reference as to what good and bad plants look like, beyond the obvious ones. We'll see how much final yield I get out of them!

 

[Roseman]

Good Luck to you, RandyL.

 

[Roseman]

I have seen many growers use a 24 to 48 hour dark period when they start 12/12, but they never come back and say it made a big difference.

 

[Roseman]

This might help some new growers.

 

[Green007]

5 stars to my friend Rose!