# Dark period before flower?



## Eharmony420 (Dec 5, 2008)

I have heard evidence of i beleive a dark period before going into flower. Something like 24 or 48? I am coming up on 12 hours dark before i put the hps in. 

I would not mind waiting this out if gives me more and better bud. hehe. I am finally at the stage of discovering patience for the plants. After all a blub change on a sealed hood and a res change are not all that fun after work. Forget it's friday, the girls need me.

So 6 weeks veg and they coming up on 12 hours dark. They were under 24/0 for the last few week of their veg. Should i give them another 12 the go.

I foget where i read this dark period is beneficial.

ty for your responsesl.


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## FLoJo (Dec 5, 2008)

i put mine in the dark for about 36 hours before flower. 

supposedly it resets the plants internal clock and helps the transition from flower.

they get a really long night so start to think that they need to bud, then the 12/12 comes and they know they need to bud... i have found it takes a couple days off of the total time, and i start to see flowers earlier.. i wouldnt say it adds onto the yield tho


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## MrHowardMarks (Dec 6, 2008)

+1, 24 hours dark then 12/12 is what I do... Lets them really know it's time for flowering.

I noticed a little faster setting by week 2, no real yield increase.


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## JohnnyPotSeed1969 (Dec 6, 2008)

Based upon experience, I too can vouch for the effectiveness of 24 hours of continuous darkness before 12/12.


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## MrHowardMarks (Dec 6, 2008)

That's a sick avitar, you got almost no rep... Here's some for ya.


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## MrHowardMarks (Dec 6, 2008)

How about that, I gave you your second bar...


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## FLoJo (Dec 6, 2008)

aww man dont i have a cool avatar? its home made LOL


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## MrHowardMarks (Dec 6, 2008)

Yeah, that's a nice stadium, but it's not animated... Or shall I say claymated? 

Spreading the  +rep


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## Eharmony420 (Dec 6, 2008)

thanks guys. Sadly I was talking with this other guy and he told me that nah, just to flower. I checked he had a lotta informative looking posts. 

But I did give them a 8 hour flower period first, they about to go lights on now for their first full 12 hour day. So they got a short day, their first time out. I wanted to keeep the flowering to the night for heats sake. 

Ty, reps, congrats on the second bar.


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## JohnnyPotSeed1969 (Dec 6, 2008)

MrHowardMarks said:


> That's a sick avitar, you got almost no rep... Here's some for ya.


lol, thanks!

I figured it was time for a new one and this made me chuckle 

Stoners, easily amused


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## MrHowardMarks (Dec 7, 2008)

That's how Adult Swim stays in buisness...


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## Boneman (Dec 7, 2008)

I just switch the bulbs shortly after the MH cools. I dont know about any 24 hr dark period before flowering....shit they will be in flowering for a few months so what does a short dark period do several months earlier?


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## MrHowardMarks (Dec 7, 2008)

It's more of a direct shock that tells them to start flowering, 24 hours darkness, then 12/12. I also cut back to 10/14 in the final week.


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## AnonGrower420 (Dec 7, 2008)

on this grow i did 24 hours of darkness then 12/12. today is the 7th day of 12/12 and they both have hairs


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## Nicklas26Bendtner (Dec 7, 2008)

i went straight to 12.12 and had pistils the next day.. but my plants were very mature.


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## xxtoadxx (Dec 7, 2008)

hey mr howard.... im taking ur tips on my upcoming harvest and was wandering as well after the 10/14 for the last week do u leave it 0/24 for 2 days straight before the chop? or just chop em after the last week. =) thanks!


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## MrHowardMarks (Dec 7, 2008)

I just chop them down when they're ready, no darkness on the last day. The shorter cycle should be enough to squeeze out a little more resin.


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## xxtoadxx (Dec 7, 2008)

thanks  +rep please feel free to come visit my grow and comment... first time around, so all help needed. pics in a few hours when the sis comes over with the camera =) 29th day flower today.... lookin beautiful as ever!


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## dazed76 (Dec 7, 2008)

i do 18 6 veg 24 hrs straight for the last week of veg then 24 hrs of darkness then 12 12 for 6 weeks then i go down 15 mins a day till the end


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## dazed76 (Dec 7, 2008)

if i want to finish in 6 weeks for any reason i give 48 hr darkness 3 times thru the 6 week cycle


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## lilmafia513 (Dec 7, 2008)

i think i'll have a seat for awhile......curious myself!


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## dazed76 (Dec 8, 2008)

i usually chopp at 7 1/2 weeks


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## lilmafia513 (Dec 8, 2008)

Nicklas26Bendtner said:


> i went straight to 12.12 and had pistils the next day.. but my plants were very mature.


 How mature were they when they got hairs the next day?


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## satch (Dec 10, 2008)

lilmafia513 said:


> How mature were they when they got hairs the next day?


Pretty sure this would be something in that individual plant's genetics. Some just decide they want to show their sex earlier, usually an indica trait no? We've always used dark periods before going into normal 12/12 to force flowering when a plant is at about the size we want it to be. IE: 2-3 days of darkness, doing this you miss out on a bit of that first light explosion of growth but it's a trade off. To each their own, I prefer letting them sex out by themselves but it helps in a clinch with grows in a tight space. GL~


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## lilmafia513 (Dec 10, 2008)

satch said:


> Pretty sure this would be something in that individual plant's genetics. Some just decide they want to show their sex earlier, usually an indica trait no? We've always used dark periods before going into normal 12/12 to force flowering when a plant is at about the size we want it to be. IE: 2-3 days of darkness, doing this you miss out on a bit of that first light explosion of growth but it's a trade off. To each their own, I prefer letting them sex out by themselves but it helps in a clinch with grows in a tight space. GL~


Thanks man, unfortunatly i thought i could do 24 hrs dark before flower, but i'm in my 8th week of vegg on my first four, and got four more two weeks behind them, and so on!
Had to rush the 6 week old ones to flower at the same time, but oh well! I'm running out of space!!!LOL!!!


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## Eharmony420 (Dec 11, 2008)

I missed the dar period but 2 days later i had sex signs female on 2 girls and 2 males i think forming. I vegged 5-6 weeks, and the buds are nicely beginning. 

I wish i coulda had the drak period i was willing. Some one told me no. Lol.


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## thomas232 (Dec 11, 2008)

I put my plant in darkness for 24 hours before i start 12/12.


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## satch (Dec 11, 2008)

lilmafia513 said:


> Thanks man, unfortunatly i thought i could do 24 hrs dark before flower, but i'm in my 8th week of vegg on my first four, and got four more two weeks behind them, and so on!
> Had to rush the 6 week old ones to flower at the same time, but oh well! I'm running out of space!!!LOL!!!


Flower earlier mang, you don't have to grow monsters to get great yield. Your indicas will usually get about 40% taller when you switch them to 12/12 but sativas will double or triple in height. Just keep that in mind when you're planning space. GL with your beautiful kids


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## lilmafia513 (Dec 11, 2008)

satch said:


> Flower earlier mang, you don't have to grow monsters to get great yield. Your indicas will usually get about 40% taller when you switch them to 12/12 but sativas will double or triple in height. Just keep that in mind when you're planning space. GL with your beautiful kids


 thanks man, i can still drop the buckets down about 2 feet if i move the makebelieve table i made for them. I plan on dropping them when they expand in flower.


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## cruzer101 (Dec 12, 2008)

I was looking for a way to speed up flowering a bit. I am on week 6 of flower now and think I will give them 48 dark once a week till I cut.

Thanks for the idea.

Oh, I veg 18/6 and 24/7 doesn't seem to make a difference. Haven't tried the 24 dark before 12/12 but makes sense. I will give it a go.


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## FLoJo (Dec 12, 2008)

dont do it once a week, youll get herms lol


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## MrHowardMarks (Dec 12, 2008)

That's what I was about to say, if you just shorten the light cycle to 10 on 14 off, I find a bit better of a finish, I only do it in the last week though... Don't turn the lights of 48 hours during flower, that's no good at all.


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## Zonked420 (Dec 16, 2008)

So then from what I am reading this is a totally safe thing to do? I'm thinking about doing it when I leave town over the holidays and doing a 32 hour dark out, cool?


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## satch (Dec 16, 2008)

Yeah, it's safe. Don't do something silly like feed it too much before you go cold turkey though, I had a friend who did that this time and stunted it's growth really bad.


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## Zonked420 (Dec 16, 2008)

satch said:


> Yeah, it's safe. Don't do something silly like feed it too much before you go cold turkey though, I had a friend who did that this time and stunted it's growth really bad.


Okay, so just a normal feed right before I leave I should be okay. I was worried about not being able to water them after my 3rd day out of town, but I think a dark out period will help out. I found that 1000 watts hps over 2 gallon pots of soil needs a lot of attention.


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## satch (Dec 16, 2008)

Yep you should be fine, just do a good water before you go and it should be okay since you don't have lights bearing down on it.


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## MassGrowth (Dec 18, 2008)

Stongly agree with the dark period. If the light goes off monday night at midnight they wouldn't come back on til Wednesday in the AM. I get immediate results in regards to "the switch".


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## turbo+awd (Dec 18, 2008)

MrHowardMarks said:


> That's what I was about to say, if you just shorten the light cycle to 10 on 14 off, I find a bit better of a finish, I only do it in the last week though... Don't turn the lights of 48 hours during flower, that's no good at all.


thanks for the idea man, i know i've read that multiple times now. I'm on my last week and need my big girl to finally finish already! 

btw, i did the 36hr dark period and it worked like a charm on one of my bubblegums but didn't do shit for the other one. Little female showed 2 days into 12/12 and the big girl showed 12 days in and its also taking a GOOD week, week and a half longer to harvest, same strain.


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## MrHowardMarks (Dec 18, 2008)

Nice I have turbo and awd too!

I drive Subaru, you too? Or Mitsu?


I don't see that big a difference with the dark period before... But they'll finish out better if you cut 2 hours off the lights and raise them a bit, a little extra frost.


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## turbo+awd (Dec 19, 2008)

yeah mines currently down and out, been that way for 8 months! fuckin mitsubishi. It's actually a 91 tsi awd. I also have another one my brother bought that came on a flat bed and hasn't moved an inch since last year. haha 95 GST eclipse. Fun cars when they actually run. Mine ran 12.52 @ 110mph last year and was a fucking blast to drive.

I'll have to start cutting the lights off 2hrs early, I just bought a 60-100x scope, chopped a bud leaf, looked at it under the microscope, couldn't believe my eyes, first time i've seen amber trich's so up close, i didn't think my plant had any. man was i wrong. this girl is ready to chop after flushing, and it still has 90 percent white pistils 2in from the top.


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## MrHowardMarks (Dec 19, 2008)

Yeah, if you don't raise the lights a bit they'll continue to have eraddic growth.

Most plants will stop at the top, and then bulk up around it, it they start shooting new pistols after the bulking, back off a bit... Nutes too.

But...

Some long flowering sativas will do this a few times before they're done... Most hybrids do the previous explaination.


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## turbo+awd (Dec 19, 2008)

What do you think about putting the light 1in from the top of the plant and moving the plant 6inches or so from underneath the light? So it's sitting to the side of the plant. I just did that so my clones are now less than 2ft from the light.


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## coll (Dec 19, 2008)

how do you do this with a perpetual harvest sog, have a dark room seperate before you move them into your sog. definitely wouldnt want to turn the lights off on my mother/veg area for 24 hours. personally i dont do this, is it really necessary?


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## MrHowardMarks (Dec 19, 2008)

I don't get it turboawd, explain, I was talking about moving the lights away at the end of flowering...

-------
And the dark period before flowering can't be done in a perpetual room...

I'm perpetual enough having a mother room with the plants vegged out for flowering. They all start flowering at the same time.


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## turbo+awd (Dec 19, 2008)

yeah i just realized i can't do the 10 hour lights unless i pull the plant thats about to be chopped and put it in a closet.

I was talking about moving the lights away too. but instead dropping them down so my little clones in their 3rd week of flower can get some quality light. What I did was move the plant 6inches away from directly under the light so i could bring the light down to basically the plants canopy. Most of the plant is in the light but its to the side, not directly under. I could take a picture of the shenanigans if it would help.


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## satch (Dec 19, 2008)

coll said:


> how do you do this with a perpetual harvest sog, have a dark room seperate before you move them into your sog. definitely wouldnt want to turn the lights off on my mother/veg area for 24 hours. personally i dont do this, is it really necessary?


It's not necessary, I'm gonna put one in the dark tomorrow and put another in the flowering room and see which of them sex out first. Both are cuttings from the same plant.


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## lilmafia513 (Dec 20, 2008)

I was gonna do this at flower but never did, then had wiring problems, and ended up with 24hrs dark anyway the first day of flowering.
Out of four plants, in a weeks exactly, i have two confirmed females, one confirmed male, and one i'm still unsure of. It's only been a week, and i have sexed three out of four. 
I think it helped a bit!


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## Eharmony420 (Dec 20, 2008)

Awesome reslults of this thread. It started it 15 days ago and wow! Thanks Mr howard Marks for for showing up. I got the last few days of reading to do. 

Just aquired a t5 for my NL clones and fem cheese seed mother, and the NL girls in flower, only three made it, are doing good. Huge growth after 5-6 weeks veg. 

2 inchs from the 400 watt it is so cold outside hear. Hehe, you can see they love it, got a 55k lumen full spectrum hps bulb coming to replace the hd purchaesd one today. Kool bloom, big bud going into the res. anyway. . . 

thanls all for answering my question so far rofl. . .

oh yeah this guy on plant probs said at the cannabis cup greenhouse seeds told him 72 hours at mh to hps switchover to flower. Idk if he posted here yet but I gotta run. Reps to as many as I can.


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## MrHowardMarks (Dec 20, 2008)

I think 3 days of darkness is too much, they'll begin to go into dormancy and they won't be respirating or drinking hardly at all. 48 HOURS AT MOST.

I've read a lot about how giving a full 24 hours darkness helps trigger the flowering cycle, no problems sharing info. 


You'll love that t5, I wish I had one myself, It's definately on the list of thing to get after this harvest...

I had 2 of them, but sold them thinking I wouldn't need them... Whoops.

A great thing for a t5 is to use both the daylight and bloom bulbs and get a perfect spectrum going. 2 grow 2 bloom bulbs per... The plants love it.


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