Celticman
Well-Known Member
Courtesy Of SKUNK Magazine (Stinkin' it to the man)
1)Choose your strain wisely. You need a fast flowering variety from seed on its own, or together with one that delivers cuttings quick if you're looking to set up a grow with clones. The safest bet is indica hybrids, because they tend to have shorter life cycles and grow more compact and stout, which makes them interesting as mother plants, too. Another factor to look out for is bud quality, potency, and the high. Unless you are a hardcore commercial grower, you'll be interested in the scope and feel of it's mind altering effects, as well as the aroma and hash potential of the buds. Some quick flowering strains offer more in that regard than others. There's no point in rushing your grow if you can't sit back and enjoy the sweet fruits of success.
2) A feminized strain can save time if you're planning on taking cuttings. On the other hand, if you make a mistake in plant care, or purchase low quality seeds, you could end up wasting your time on hermies and males. So this is more of an option for experienced growers and those who already know the strain well.
3)The light cycle is the master key to controlling flowering times. Theoretically, you can initiate the 12/12 cycle at the seedling stage. Some growers actually grow that way (a strong light source is necessary to minimize loss in yield) and are satisfied with the results, but the plants are very short. Certainly the amount of buds you harvest is reduced, but the quality can be difficult to distinquish from a regular grow. Cuttings should be put into flowering directly after rooting. zthis is more common with sativa strains but can be tried out on all strains. Again, yeild could be less and plant care more extensive (keep nutes low since the plants are smaller). Normally, for quiker finishing times, start the 12/12 light cycle when plants reach approximately 6" in soil.
4) Hydroponic systems tend to reduce flowering times but only if you have the right nutrient balance in your feeding schedule. Remember: it's not the amount of phospate you give the plants that stimulates flowering but the ratio between nitrogen and phosphate. Nitrogen stimulates vegetative groth so keep N levels to a minimum and raise the P to the maximum.
5) keep your garden healthy and don't stress the plants unnecessarily. There are a number of silly things you should keep your fingers from doing if you want your plants to perform at top level. Removing main shoots, overfeeding, not checking the pH levels of your water, and using poor soil mixes belong to a long list of restricting factors that inhibit plant growth. Every time you mess up, it robs your plants of energy, and then they need time to recover and get back on track. Stressed plants can suddenly come to an abrupt halt in flowering (typical of overfeeding), but that doesn't mean you can celebrate a successful grow. Poor yeilds, mold, or bad tasting herb may be part of the result.
6) CO2 enriched gardens can be put into flowering much faster than normal and have higher yeilds under the same conditions as regular grow spaces, therefore, CO2 assists in reducing overall grow time and enhances production.
7) High lumens per square foot is going to give your plants maximun energy in order to get the job done on time. Low-wattage grows (250 watts and below) can retard the entire grow and flowering process, and stretch those harvest dates.
8- Do "bud boosters" work? Well, mostly they're based on high amounts of phosphate-no mystery really. A lot of growers mistake the plants' reation to overfeeding with a fast flowering response. When your substrate is drenched with salts the pistils turn brown and quickly die. It'ss look like the plant has been "motivated" to reach harvest time faster, but in reality it's just stopping bud production due to the high salinity and you're smoking more chemicals in your herb.
Hope this helps,
Celticman
1)Choose your strain wisely. You need a fast flowering variety from seed on its own, or together with one that delivers cuttings quick if you're looking to set up a grow with clones. The safest bet is indica hybrids, because they tend to have shorter life cycles and grow more compact and stout, which makes them interesting as mother plants, too. Another factor to look out for is bud quality, potency, and the high. Unless you are a hardcore commercial grower, you'll be interested in the scope and feel of it's mind altering effects, as well as the aroma and hash potential of the buds. Some quick flowering strains offer more in that regard than others. There's no point in rushing your grow if you can't sit back and enjoy the sweet fruits of success.
2) A feminized strain can save time if you're planning on taking cuttings. On the other hand, if you make a mistake in plant care, or purchase low quality seeds, you could end up wasting your time on hermies and males. So this is more of an option for experienced growers and those who already know the strain well.
3)The light cycle is the master key to controlling flowering times. Theoretically, you can initiate the 12/12 cycle at the seedling stage. Some growers actually grow that way (a strong light source is necessary to minimize loss in yield) and are satisfied with the results, but the plants are very short. Certainly the amount of buds you harvest is reduced, but the quality can be difficult to distinquish from a regular grow. Cuttings should be put into flowering directly after rooting. zthis is more common with sativa strains but can be tried out on all strains. Again, yeild could be less and plant care more extensive (keep nutes low since the plants are smaller). Normally, for quiker finishing times, start the 12/12 light cycle when plants reach approximately 6" in soil.
4) Hydroponic systems tend to reduce flowering times but only if you have the right nutrient balance in your feeding schedule. Remember: it's not the amount of phospate you give the plants that stimulates flowering but the ratio between nitrogen and phosphate. Nitrogen stimulates vegetative groth so keep N levels to a minimum and raise the P to the maximum.
5) keep your garden healthy and don't stress the plants unnecessarily. There are a number of silly things you should keep your fingers from doing if you want your plants to perform at top level. Removing main shoots, overfeeding, not checking the pH levels of your water, and using poor soil mixes belong to a long list of restricting factors that inhibit plant growth. Every time you mess up, it robs your plants of energy, and then they need time to recover and get back on track. Stressed plants can suddenly come to an abrupt halt in flowering (typical of overfeeding), but that doesn't mean you can celebrate a successful grow. Poor yeilds, mold, or bad tasting herb may be part of the result.
6) CO2 enriched gardens can be put into flowering much faster than normal and have higher yeilds under the same conditions as regular grow spaces, therefore, CO2 assists in reducing overall grow time and enhances production.
7) High lumens per square foot is going to give your plants maximun energy in order to get the job done on time. Low-wattage grows (250 watts and below) can retard the entire grow and flowering process, and stretch those harvest dates.
8- Do "bud boosters" work? Well, mostly they're based on high amounts of phosphate-no mystery really. A lot of growers mistake the plants' reation to overfeeding with a fast flowering response. When your substrate is drenched with salts the pistils turn brown and quickly die. It'ss look like the plant has been "motivated" to reach harvest time faster, but in reality it's just stopping bud production due to the high salinity and you're smoking more chemicals in your herb.Hope this helps,
Celticman
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