Should i start to flower??

[Sickies420]

hello everyone i've got 4 indica dominant bag seeds that im growing right now... there 5 weeks into veg now and look very full and bushy... i was wondering if i should wait till they get bigger like 6-8 weeks or if it would be better to start the flowering cycle now.... here is a pic of them....

Sickies420 Reviewed by Sickies420 on 07-25-2011. Should i start to flower?? hello everyone i've got 4 indica dominant bag seeds that im growing right now... there 5 weeks into veg now and look very full and bushy... i was wondering if i should wait till they get bigger like 6-8 weeks or if it would be better to start the flowering cycle now.... here is a pic of them.... Rating: 5

[Doctor Herbert]

I have the same question as well. My plants are just a bit bigger. From what I've heard, you can get them to flower almost anytime, but the yield will be a lot less. But I am a noob and I'd like an expert opinion. Check out my babies: http://boards.cannabis.com/growing-i...questions.html

[Purple Daddy]

What is the hurry? I don't see the reason to bother with growing if you're only going to get a small yeild when you could wait another month or so and get much, much more. I see this frequently this site, people 4 weeks into veg want to start budding their plants. You might be surprised how much more growth you can get in another month under ideal conditions.

[Sickies420]

Well thats exactly what i was asking,, i didnt know if indicas needed less time in the veg stage or not... Im not rushing anything or trying to get them to start flowering... i was jus simply asking if indicas required a certain amount of veg time or if they looked ready to start flowering... but ill let them go the full 8 weeks then...

[Sickies420]

But how does everthing look so far.... the 4 big ones are some bomb ass bag seeds tht i was given froma friend and the little tiny one in the middle is dinafems SUPER SILVER.... Cant wait to see what that baby turns out like...

[jon420]

IMO I would wait to flower. It really is amazing the difference you can make just waiting a couple extra weeks. A lot of the time a plant will show you when its ready to flower. You will usually get pre-flowers (depending on light cycle) that will shoot little pistils out if its female, or a sack at the end of a stem to show male. I always wait for pre-flower befor I go 12/12 because this assures they are mature enough to produce quallity buds. You usually dont have to worry about this as much with clones since you already know they are female but a clone should still get a solid 2 weeks of veg before flower IMO, gives it time to make a new home and get settled in.

[Sickies420]

So i dont have to switch the light cycle over to 12/12 in order for them to start showing sex???? THeyve been on the 18/6 schedule now since the start... SO your saying eventually if i continue to veg under 18/6 they will start to show sex even be4 12/12 cycle??? If so then thats what i will do...

[Purple Daddy]

Unless it is an auto flowering strain the plants should stay in their veg. stage until the darkness is increased. Male plants may show their sex with no change in the light cycle, females may show pre flowering. You can run the lights 24/7 for a few weeks to speed up their growth cycle then scale it back to 18-20. I believe a plant will start to flower with only 10-11 hours of darkenss, I've been giving mine about 13 hours and the bud size seems to have increased condsiderably in the last week.

[jon420]

So i dont have to switch the light cycle over to 12/12 in order for them to start showing sex???? THeyve been on the 18/6 schedule now since the start... SO your saying eventually if i continue to veg under 18/6 they will start to show sex even be4 12/12 cycle??? If so then thats what i will do...

Most plants I've seen will begin to show pre-flowers when they are mature enough for flowering. This will take longer or shorter to happen depending on the light cycle. If the lights are on 24hrs a day it will usually take longer to show pre-flowers because the flowering cycle requires darkness. This is not always the case though, it really depends on the strain. I've seen some pre-flower after 3-weeks in veg and I've seen others take 2-months. When it comes to growing with clones, you can pretty much count on seeing pre-flowers early. Growing from seed seems to take the longest to show pre-flowers. I always prefer a dark period during veg to allow my ladies time to sleep and rejuvinate. I have also found that with my particular setup, 18/6 works best for me in veg and simply 12/12 in flower.

How close do you have the lights and do you have any fresh air ventilation??? Is it completely dark during your dark period??? How big are the planters and how long have the plants been in them???

Also, it looks like you're buckets may be able to let light through to the roots and soil. Can you tell if the inside of those planters are completely dark inside when the lights are on? I only ask because the light that penetrates through the bucket will cause your soil to mold and kill your root system. Seen this many time.

[Rusty Trichome]

Well thats exactly what i was asking,, i didnt know if indicas needed less time in the veg stage or not...

Time is relative with indoor cannabis gardening. Every growroom is different, as are the strains. Plus, the lights are different, as are the nutrients, growroom conditions, (hot, cold, humid, dry, stagnant air or well-circulated airflow...) soil, ammendments, additives, feeding and watering schedules, growing styles and grower experience.

Vertical height and bulk should be the determining factors when you are deciding when to flower. (not the plant age) If you are using HID lights, and have the headroom for taller plants...wait a few weeks after you see the first pistils. (as has been previously mentioned) If you are using CFL's for flowering, keep in mind that the effective light from CFL's only extends about 4-6 inches, maximum, so you might want to flower shorter plants to get the light coverage they will need.