How do you know when to flower? Nodes or Height? +rep

Mystery101

Mystery101

Well-Known Member
This ones been bugging me for a while since I keep getting mixed information... Maybe someone can shed some light on this for me. I'm switching the lights to 12/12 in a couple of days, and they've been veggin for about 4 weeks 6-8 NODES. Heres my question:

They are not alternating yet, but I have height restrictions soooo..

What is most important before flowering that relates to yield + potency

NODES OR HEIGHT?

+rep for logical answers
 
topfuel29

topfuel29

Well-Known Member
both are. you want a good amount of nodes for flower growth
but the plant has to support all of this growth.

Factors Influencing THC Production
Many factors influence the production of THC. In general, the older a plant, the greater its potential to produce THC. This is true, however, only if the plant remains healthy and vigorous, THC production requires the proper quantity and quality of light. It seems that none of the biosynthetic processes operate efficiently when low light conditions prevent proper photosynthesis. Research has shown (Valle et al. 1978) that twice as much THC is produced under a 12-hour photoperiod than under a 10-hour photoperiod. Warm temperatures are known to promote metabolic activity and the production of THC. Heat also promotes resin secretion, possibly in response to the threat of floral desiccation by the hot sun, Resin collects in the heads of glandular trichomes and does not directly seal the pores of the calyx to prevent desiccation. Resin heads may serve to break up the rays of the sun so that fewer of them strike the leaf surface and raise the temperature. However, light and heat also destroy THC. In a drug strain, a bio-synthetic rate must be maintained such that substantially more THC is produced than is broken down. Humidity is an interesting parameter of THC production and one of the least understood. Most high-quality drug Cannabis grows in areas that are dry much of the time at least during the maturation period. It follows that increased resin produc. tion in response to arid conditions might account for increased THC production. High-THC strains, however, also grow in very humid conditions (greenhouses and equatorial zones) and produce copious quantities of resin. Cannabis seems not to produce more resins in response to dry soil, as it does to a dry atmosphere. Drying out plants by with-holding water for the last weeks of flowering does not stimulate THC production, although an arid atmosphere may do so. A Cannabis plant in flower requires water, so that nutrients are available. for operating the various bio-synthetic pathways.
There is really no confirmed method of forcing increased THC production. Many techniques have developed through misinterpretations of ancient tradition. In Colombia, farmers girdle the stalk of the main stem, which cuts off the flow of water and nutrients between the roots and the shoots. This technique may not raise the final THC level, but it does cause rapid maturation and yellow gold coloration in the floral cluster (Partridge 1973). Impaling with nails, pine splinters, balls of opium, and stones are clandestine folk methods of promoting flowering, taste and THC production. However none of these have any valid documentation from the original culture or scientific basis. Symbiotic relationships between herbs in companion plantings are known to influence the production of essential oils. Experiments might be carried out with different herbs, such as stinging nettles, as companion plants for Cannabis, in an effort to stimulate resin production. In the future, agricultural techniques may be discovered which specifically promote THC biosynthesis.
In general, it is considered most important that the plant be healthy for it to produce high THC levels. The genotype of the plant, a result of seed selection, is the primary factor which determines the THC levels. After that, the provision of adequate organic nutrients, water, sunlight, fresh air, growing space, and time for maturation seems to be the key to producing high-THC Cannabis in all circumstances. Stress resulting from inadequacies in the environment limits the true expression of phenotype and cannabinoid potential. Cannabis finds a normal adaptive defense in the production of THC laden resins, and it seems logical that a healthy plant is best able to raise this defense. Forcing plants to produce is a perverse ideal and alien to the principles of organic agriculture. Plants are not machines that can be worked faster and harder to produce more. The life processes of the plant rely on delicate natural balances aimed at the ultimate survival of the plant until it reproduces. The most a Cannabis cultivator or researcher can expect to do is provide all the requisites for healthy growth and guide the plant until it matures.
Flowering in Cannabis may be forced or accelerated by many different techniques. This does not mean that THC production is forced, only that the time before and during flowering is shortened and flowers are produced rapidly. Most techniques involve the deprivation of light during the long days of summer to promote early floral induction and sexual differentiation. This is sometimes done by moving the plants inside a completely dark structure for 12 hours of each 24-hour day until the floral clusters are mature. This stimulates an autumn light cycle and promotes flowering at any time of the year. In the field, covers may be made to block out the sun for a few hours at sunrise or sunset, and these are used to cover small plants. Photoperiod alteration is most easily accomplished in a greenhouse, where blackout curtains are easily rolled over the plants. Drug Cannabis production requires 11-12 hours of continuous darkness to induce flowering and at least 10 hours of light for adequate THC production (Valle et al. 1978). In a greenhouse, supplemental lighting need be used only to extend daylength, while the sun supplies the energy needed for growth and THC biosynthesis. It is not known why at least 10 hours (and preferably 12 or 13 hours) of light are needed for high THC production. This is not dependent on accumulated solar energy since light responses can be activated and THC production increased with only a 40-watt bulb. A reasonable theory is that a light-sensitive pigment in the plant (possibly phytochrome) acts as a switch, causing the plant to follow the flowering cycle. THC production is probably associated with the induction of flowering resulting from the photoperiod change.
Cool night temperatures seem to promote flowering in plants that have previously differentiated sexually. Extended cold periods, however, cause metabolic processes to slow and maturation to cease. Most temperate Cannabis strains are sensitive to many of the signs of an approaching fall season and respond by beginning to flower. In contrast, strains from tropical areas, such as Thailand, often seem unresponsive to any signs of fall and never speed up development.
Contrary to popular thought, planting Cannabis strains later in the season in temperate latitudes may actually promote earlier flowering. Most cultivators believe that planting early gives the plant plenty of time to flower and it will finish earlier. This is often not true. Seedlings started in February or March grow for 4-5 months of increasing photoperiod before the days begin to get shorter following the solstice in June. Huge vegetative plants grow and may form floral inhibitors during the months of long photo-period. When the days begin to get shorter, these older plants may be reluctant to flower because of the floral inhibitors formed in the pre-floral leaves. Since floral cluster formation takes 6-10 weeks, the initial delay in flowering could push the harvest date into November or December. Cannabis started during the short days of December or January will often differentiate sex by March or April. Usually these plants form few floral clusters and rejuvenate for the long season ahead. No increased potency has been noticed in old rejuvenated plants. Plants started in late June or early July, after the summer solstice, are exposed only to days of decreasing photoperiod. When old enough they begin flowering immediately, possibly because they haven’t built up as many long-day floral inhibitors. They begin the 6-10 week floral period with plenty of time to finish during the warmer days of October. These later plantings yield smaller plants because they have a shorter vegetative cycle. This may prove an advantage. in greenhouse research, where it is common for plants to grow far too large for easy handling before they begin to flower. Late plantings after the summer solstice receive short inductive photoperiods almost immediately. However, flowering is delayed into September since the plant must grow before it is old enough to flower. Although flowering is delayed, the small plants rapidly produce copious quantities of flowers in a final effort to reproduce.
Extremes in nutrient concentrations are considered influential in both the sex determination and floral development of Cannabis. High nitrogen levels in the soil during the seedling stage seem to favor pistillate plants, but high nitrogen levels during flowering often result in delayed maturation and excessive leafing in the floral clusters. Phosphorus and potassium are both vital to the floral maturation of Cannabis. High-phosphorus fertilizers known as "bloom boosters" are available, and these have been shown to accelerate flowering in some plants. However, Cannabis plants are easily burned with high phosphorus fertilizers since they are usually very acidic. A safer method for the plant is the use of natural phosphorus sources, such as colloidal phosphate, rock phosphate, or bone meal; these tend to cause less shock in the maturing plant. They are a source of phosphorus that is readily available as well as long-term in effect. Chemical fertilizers sometimes produce floral clusters with a metallic, salty flavor. Extremes in nutrient levels usually affect the growth of the entire plant in an adverse way.
Hormones, such as gibberellic acid, ethylene, cytokinins and auxins, are readily available and can produce some strange effects. They can stimulate flowering in some cases, but they also stimulate sex reversal. Plant physiology is not simple, and results are usually unpredictable.



Taken From:file:///D:/Users/Me/Desktop/saved%20pages/marijuanabotany4.html
 
F

frmrboi

Well-Known Member
Mystery101 said:
What is most important before flowering that relates to yield + potency

NODES OR HEIGHT?
Click to expand...
Nodes if your not height challenged, height if you are.
Potency #1 is genetics #2 No light starvation. Yield every square inch of your lights effective footprint is covered with HEALTHY leaves , you should do your final repot just before flowering if necessary (if in soil)
 
C

Cannabox

Well-Known Member
your plants will get 3x times the height they are now when you flower. so that's what you should think about. you can go 12/12 from seed, which is what i'm doing, cause i'm height restricted, you obviously have some room if you can get them to a foot before starting flower. it's completely up to you and how big of plants you can fit in your space.
about 3x bigger when they flower from when they started. so think of that when you want to go into flowering.
 
Mystery101

Mystery101

Well-Known Member
Cannabox said:
your plants will get 3x times the height they are now when you flower. so that's what you should think about. you can go 12/12 from seed, which is what i'm doing, cause i'm height restricted, you obviously have some room if you can get them to a foot before starting flower. it's completely up to you and how big of plants you can fit in your space.
about 3x bigger when they flower from when they started. so think of that when you want to go into flowering.
Click to expand...
Space im growing in is small lol.. 2'8x2'8x5'3...

SOOOOo the room between the pots and light is 3'..maybe a little more.. But thats the reason I have the cool-tube...

I just dont want shit yields my first time growing ya kno guys? At LEAST a couple o'z
 
desertrat

desertrat

Well-Known Member
you should have enough room to get at least an ounce per plant. i just pulled off 4 oz per plant from plants that were less than 32".

sufficient light and type of plant will determine your yield
 
flashgee

flashgee

Well-Known Member
i would say nodes,since you can always LST and the more nodes the more bud sites which will help towards the end result,
i turn to 12/12 when my plant gets to about half the height of my grow space.hope this helps you out abit.
 
Mystery101

Mystery101

Well-Known Member
desertrat said:
you should have enough room to get at least an ounce per plant. i just pulled off 4 oz per plant from plants that were less than 32".

sufficient light and type of plant will determine your yield
Click to expand...
4OZ PER PLANT!!! :shock:

Wooowwww I hope I can get to that status bro

Thanks bro, I tried adding some rep but I guess I did before :peace:
 
dazed76

dazed76

New Member
depends on the size of room, light source, strain. some people veg 3 days some veg 30 days depends what system your doing, and how many plants you have underneath the light source and in what pots. Strains will usualy double to quadruple the veg size when finished.
 
BigBud992

BigBud992

Well-Known Member
I've been vegging for 48 days....plants are about a solid 15"....haven't flowered only because room isn't ready...otherwise I probably woulda flowered a 1-1.5 weeks ago.
 
southsmoker

southsmoker

New Member
desertrat said:
you should have enough room to get at least an ounce per plant. i just pulled off 4 oz per plant from plants that were less than 32".

sufficient light and type of plant will determine your yield
Click to expand...
flashgee said:
i would say nodes,since you can always LST and the more nodes the more bud sites which will help towards the end result,
i turn to 12/12 when my plant gets to about half the height of my grow space.hope this helps you out abit.
Click to expand...

I liked this two replies.

Just to make sure, in terms of yield, Height x Nodes, should I look for more nodes?

Given the right conditions, nodes = bud?

If I have a 12 inch plant with 6 nodes, will I have 6 buds + 1 main bud?
The bud size depends on the plant size?
 
Last edited:
BeastGrow

BeastGrow

Well-Known Member
There are ways to manipulate height. Supercropping, Topping, Pinching stems regularly, Tying down branches.
 
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