Light confsuion URGENT!!

[Jennylynnm6280]

My plants are almost 4 weeks old. They are about 7 inches tall. Doing really good, very healthy. From seedling to now they have been under 24/0 light. I was told by a friend that I should cut back the light for 24 hours starting now. check them in 24 hours and if there is no sign of sex then cut it again for another 24 hours and so on until they sex. After that they said to put the light schedul back on 24/0 then to 12/12 before harvesting. Is this good advice? Or will that do damage to my plants? I need advice asap because about an hour ago I turned out the lights. Thanks!! :rasta:

[BobBong]

Stick to a more normal light schedule in my opinion.

There are different and still very important processes happening during the dark hours.

try 18/6

:thumbsup:

[stra8outtaWeed]

seedlings should be started under 12 hours of light and slowly increaased over time just as in nature....seeds that sprout under spring like conditions and lighting have a better chance of being a girl....seeds that sprout later in the year under warmer conditions and longer hours of light have more chance of being a male as they will grow faster and stretch more so that they can drop pollen onto the shorter females to make more seeds to perpetuate itself.

when i grew from seed i always started them in the flower room for at least 3 weeks before increasing the light.....do what nature does not what your friend tells you:cool:

[Jennylynnm6280]

Thank you for that advice, And I will keep it in mind for my next grow, But that doesn't really answer my question. I need to know if keeping the lights out for 24 hours or more just to sex quick is dangerous for my plants. I have had the light out for 22 hours so far and just took a quick peak without turning the light back on and I haven't seen signs of sex yet but the plants are still doing really good, none are wilting or anything, still standing strong. I was thinking about cutting the light yet again today for another 24 hours seeing if they sex. Any advice or opinions would be greatly apreciated!! thanks.:thumbsup:

[bigtopsfinn]

Thank you for that advice, And I will keep it in mind for my next grow, But that doesn't really answer my question. I need to know if keeping the lights out for 24 hours or more just to sex quick is dangerous for my plants. I have had the light out for 22 hours so far and just took a quick peak without turning the light back on and I haven't seen signs of sex yet but the plants are still doing really good, none are wilting or anything, still standing strong. I was thinking about cutting the light yet again today for another 24 hours seeing if they sex. Any advice or opinions would be greatly apreciated!! thanks.:thumbsup:

Your just asking for hermies by messing with the lights so much.

Simple: 24/0 or 18/6 (or something in between) while you veg. Your plants will show sex in 4-8 weeks.

To flower, use 12/12, and leave it at that, until they are finished.

Plants aren't going to show sex in a day or two, more like 2 weeks, once they have 12 hours of darkness everyday.

If I were you, I'd put the lights on 12/12 now, and leave them like that. If you keep changing the lighting cycles, your plants will be confused, throw become hermaphrodites, and ruin your crop.

[Jennylynnm6280]

Excellent, thank you, glad you told me now because I was so confused on that and no one would give me the answers I needed specifically. Although there is a lot of good advice on this site!! Thanks again.:D

[Jennylynnm6280]

When i went to turn the lights back on after being off for 22 hours, I found a tiny mushroom growing in one of the pots of the plants. Is that weird?

[stra8outtaWeed]

no...just a fungus spore in the soil! i have had a few over the years...not many though!

remember...when starting do as in nature and the plants will show sex in time...be patient is the most important thing and let your plants do their thing naturally or you are asking for hermies as BTF said

get them going under 12/12 for 30 days then increase lighting hours by an hour a day every other day until you get to 18/6 then once they show sex you can clone and use a 24/0 light schedule to keep the girls from going into flower....unless your are growing above the arctic or below the antarctic circle no where in nature does anything start on 24 hours of light:smokin:

[moody420]

turning the lights off for 24 hours isn't going to show you anything. It takes a little more time (about 1-2 weeks in 12/12 cycle) to show signs of sex. Maybe your friend meant when you are ready to flower your plants (when they are at the height you desire) that you should cut the lights for 24-72 hours. This is supposed to help induce flowering...

It's also been recommended to do this same process at the end of your flower cycle right before you harvest. Turn the lights off and let the plants sit in the dark for 24-72 hours. This is supposed to push out resin and make the buds denser. I've tried both methods...can't say I've seen a big difference, but then again, it didn't hurt.....

You gotta find what techniques work for you....good luck! :jointsmile:

[Jennylynnm6280]

turning the lights off for 24 hours isn't going to show you anything. It takes a little more time (about 1-2 weeks in 12/12 cycle) to show signs of sex. Maybe your friend meant when you are ready to flower your plants (when they are at the height you desire) that you should cut the lights for 24-72 hours. This is supposed to help induce flowering...

It's also been recommended to do this same process at the end of your flower cycle right before you harvest. Turn the lights off and let the plants sit in the dark for 24-72 hours. This is supposed to push out resin and make the buds denser. I've tried both methods...can't say I've seen a big difference, but then again, it didn't hurt.....

You gotta find what techniques work for you....good luck! :jointsmile:



ty for the advice. I might try that more towards harvest time. But for now I have turned the light cycle to 12/12 and I am just going to keep it that way until it's almost harvest time. Thanks again!!:hippy:

[canni13is]

lol we have got her so confused its not even funny.

Right now your lights should be 18/6 or 24/0 for vegging. Either one is fine but stick to one through the vegging stage. Once the plants are big enough and mature enough ( usually 12-15 inches tall) you then turn the lights to a 12/12 cycle. This forces the plant to start flowering ( making buds). You keep it on 12/12 all the way to harvest.

[Jennylynnm6280]

lol we have got her so confused its not even funny.

Right now your lights should be 18/6 or 24/0 for vegging. Either one is fine but stick to one through the vegging stage. Once the plants are big enough and mature enough ( usually 12-15 inches tall) you then turn the lights to a 12/12 cycle. This forces the plant to start flowering ( making buds). You keep it on 12/12 all the way to harvest.



lol it is kinda confusing but it's ok because im getting good advice still. My problem now is that I want to sex them now because I don't have a big grow space and I have 5 plants in there now and I need to start doing some eliminating lol. will 18/6 cause them to show sex within a week or so? They all have 5-6 nodes on them. my tallest one is about 9 1/2 inches tall. they will be 4 weeks old on Sunday Feb 28th.
Another question I have is there a few leaves that are starting to curl or turn yellow on the tips. I am assuming this is a potasium deficiancy but not certain. Would it hurt the plant if I trimmed the tips of the leaves where they are turning color or curling. Thanks again.

[canni13is]

I never trim or cut off parts of a plant inless im pruning it for light reasons. Cutting these areas off are not helping the plant, its hurting it more then anything. If you just leave them be its not like its going to spread. If you have a nute problem you have to solve it by either stop feeding it too much or start feeding it more. For your first grow you are going to have some trial and error moments. Thats just part of the hobby. Your plants arnt going to die from a few yellow or dead leaves.

IF you must sex the plant right now.... you have to turn the lights to 12/12. AS SOON as the plant shows the sex switch back to 24/0 asap. This however will cause the plant stress and could (doubtful) but could push it into a hermie case. People have been doing it like this forever and and most cases works fine.

[BobBong]

I guess many people don't realize this but a plant will PRE FLOWER on a vegetative NORMAL cycle like 18/6. The plant will grow a few flowers but not actually progress with the hormones to continue flowering.. that is, until you switch to 12/12. Thus, you CAN determine the sex of a plant by vegetative growth pattern over time.
Females will be slow and steady with even node spacing.
Males will grow taller and more robust with more spacing between nodes and WILL preflower a full two weeks before a female plant of the same age.

I'm not sure what is so confusing about it. Light cycle is one of those things you don't want to mess with, so stick to what is tried , tested and true.

Question:
Where in the world do you get 24 hours of light a day and see fruiting and flowering plants grow?

Answer:
Nowhere.

Conclusion:
Don't use 24 hours of light as a vegetative cycle.

Reasoning:
The plant will stay in a vegetative state with more than 14 hours of light a day. The only reason to use 24 hours of light is when germinating seeds out of a medium. With the light always on there will be a source for the plant to grow towards once it actually breaks through the medium. Once you have all your seedlings sprouted and growing resume a light cycle that contains at least 4-6 hours of dark daily.
When the plant is not absorbing energy and no chlorophyll is being processed the plant will generate more roots, this is fact.

Any of this make sense now?

:thumbsup:

[BobBong]

I guess many people don't realize this but a plant will PRE FLOWER on a vegetative NORMAL cycle like 18/6. The plant will grow a few flowers but not actually progress with the hormones to continue flowering.. that is, until you switch to 12/12. Thus, you CAN determine the sex of a plant by vegetative growth pattern over time.
Females will be slow and steady with even node spacing.
Males will grow taller and more robust with more spacing between nodes and WILL preflower a full two weeks before a female plant of the same age.

I'm not sure what is so confusing about it. Light cycle is one of those things you don't want to mess with, so stick to what is tried , tested and true.

Question:
Where in the world do you get 24 hours of light a day and see fruiting and flowering plants grow?

Answer:
Nowhere.

Conclusion:
Don't use 24 hours of light as a vegetative cycle.

Reasoning:
The plant will stay in a vegetative state with more than 14 hours of light a day. The only reason to use 24 hours of light is when germinating seeds out of a medium. With the light always on there will be a source for the plant to grow towards once it actually breaks through the medium. Once you have all your seedlings sprouted and growing resume a light cycle that contains at least 4-6 hours of dark daily.
When the plant is not absorbing energy and no chlorophyll is being processed the plant will generate more roots, this is fact.

Any of this make sense now?

:thumbsup:

Ok i should've been more specific.

Cannabis does not grow naturally where there is 24 hours of light a day. Isn't the idea behind an indoor Cannabis garden to provide the ideal conditions for that particular plant?

[canni13is]

Ok i should've been more specific.

Cannabis does not grow naturally where there is 24 hours of light a day. Isn't the idea behind an indoor Cannabis garden to provide the ideal conditions for that particular plant?

Question:
Where in the world do you get 24 hours of light a day and see fruiting and flowering plants grow?


Weather & climate | alaska.com (http://www.alaska.com/about/weather/)

Answer: seems Alaska could be used for a correct answer...... instead of NO WHERE. :)


And im sure people do grow cannabis there "naturally" and not just indoor as it is a medical MJ state.

18/6 , 24/0, 19/5, 23/1 i dont think you will see much of a difference to be honest. The most important thing is that the plant is noticeably getting alot longer days then it is nights to keep it in veg. state.

[moody420]

Oh, the argument about 24/0 vs. 18/6.....which is better? Honestly there probably isn't much difference....some people swear by one and some swear by the other.

I've personally tried both and I stick with 24/0. I do it because the logic of it makes sense to ME....maybe not others. 24 hours of growing is better than 18 hours and I like to veg my plants quickly to get to the flowering! I usually only veg for about 2-3 weeks...top them and bud them out. Some people say it's unecessary and a waste of electricity but I haven't noticed much difference.

so like I said, play with a few ideas and find out what works best for you with the type of strain you like to grow. have fun with it! it's ganja....it's great! :jointsmile:

[BobBong]

Agree'd to each his own, opinions are like arse holes. Everyone has one and they all stink.

I'm an 18/6'r and always will be!

Happy growing either way,
Bob. :thumbsup::rastasmoke::pimp::rasta::hippy:

[canni13is]

LoL seems she didnt like our answer and started a new thread here http://boards.cannabis.com/indoor-lighting/181580-light-confusion-urgent.html


silly silly girl

[Jennylynnm6280]

LoL seems she didnt like our answer and started a new thread here http://boards.cannabis.com/indoor-lighting/181580-light-confusion-urgent.html


silly silly girl

Actually my husband copied and pasted the thread I did and made one of the same because I spelled confusion wrong lmao. He is precise. But I don't see the big deal about having 2 of the same threads. You know you have a crap life if you have time to notice 2 of the same threads and still have the time and ignorance to comment on the fact. Weird. But anyway, I want to thank those of you who did give me some good advice. I have made a final decision, I am keeping the lights on 12/12 till sex shows, then I am putting it on 18/6 Thanks again everyone!

[canni13is]

Im glad someone finally sees and agrees with me that my life is totally shit. So much in fact im sitting here answering stupid fuckin questions which answers can be found abondently here on the forums let alone other places on the internet. Im not blessed by the hand of God to lead a "wonderful life". But at least i posses the wit and intelligence to overcome. HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY!!!!!!

[Jennylynnm6280]

um... ok

[BobBong]

Messing with the light cycle like that is a good way to get a hermie plant, at least you'll have seeds to try again!:hippy:

[Jennylynnm6280]

I put them back on a more stable light pattern, Hopefully they will be ok, they have been on 12/12 for a week now and they are looking great. Thanks!