what is the ideal height to start flowering????

The best time to put your plants into flower is when you will neither run out of usable growing height and end up with plants in your lights when the flowering growth spurt hits or your plants outgrowing your lighting capabilities. A 250-watt has about 18 inches of decent light penetration so every inch your plants get taller than that another inch of the lower portion of your plants will be in low/inadequate light conditions.

Originally Posted by Brick Top

The best time to put your plants into flower is when you will neither run out of usable growing height and end up with plants in your lights when the flowering growth spurt hits or your plants outgrowing your lighting capabilities. A 250-watt has about 18 inches of decent light penetration so every inch your plants get taller than that another inch of the lower portion of your plants will be in low/inadequate light conditions.

then should I make up for the lack of light lower on the plant with lighting from underneath the plant like florescent lights

you can do that but its better to get a HID for the better penetration and all around better yield.

There was a post asking which RIU member you would like to meet face to face.
Brick Top has to be on the top of that list.

I do thirds, I let the plant get to one third of my growable space, then flower, as BT said at some point you will out grow you light.

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Originally Posted by 1nitrous

then should I make up for the lack of light lower on the plant with lighting from underneath the plant like florescent lights

I would say you need to add or upgrade your lighting or else expect the lowest portions of your plants to die off from lack of light and the portion just above that to produce very little ... like popcorn buds and that's about all. Even though I HATE CFLs you might want to pick up a handful and hang them so they add light to the lower third of your plants if you want any half decent production from the. That or upgrade to a 400-watt or higher wattage HID light.

also, my current run of flowering plants(mostly sour d), I trimmed of most of the larger fans right before flowering, I have noticed way bigger buds, but only at the nodes, not all up and down the plant like in this picture, how do I get my plants to bud like this?

you should re-name the thread... How tall is too tall to start flowering?

Cause alot more people know that... :P