its all up to you and how much space that you have.. if space isn't a problem, then i like to look for one of two things if not both before i switch to flowering.. the first thing is uneven nodes, or where the branches come off of the main stem.. once a plant nears sexual maturity, it will start to put out its nodes unevenly or staggered if you will.. this is a sign that the plant is getting sexually mature and therefore is ready to flower..
the second thing i like to look for is preflowers, and its the same deal.. it means the plant is reaching sexual maturity and can be flowered at any time.. of course you can flower before seeing either of these, but doing so can stress a plant out some, and can also reduce your overall yield as a result..
its all up to you and how much space that you have.. if space isn't a problem, then i like to look for one of two things if not both before i switch to flowering.. the first thing is uneven nodes, or where the branches come off of the main stem.. once a plant nears sexual maturity, it will start to put out its nodes unevenly or staggered if you will.. this is a sign that the plant is getting sexually mature and therefore is ready to flower..
the second thing i like to look for is preflowers, and its the same deal.. it means the plant is reaching sexual maturity and can be flowered at any time.. of course you can flower before seeing either of these, but doing so can stress a plant out some, and can also reduce your overall yield as a result..
Not necessarily a waste of time. It depends on your space, goals, lighting and time frame. With six hundred or thousand watt lights, I like to have 9 plants per light that finish around 3-4 feet tall. That means they get flipped into 12/12 at anywhere from 1 to 2 feet, maybe even a little taller if things get out of hand, depending on strain. Some get tall and lanky and others hardly grow upward at all, so know as much as you can about your strains before you flip em. If they're short and squatty, you might want to veg them a long time.
Specifically, I would not flip a plant after topping for one week at least. Before and after topping i would water with B vitamin, along with whatever else you feed them. It helps cushion the shock, and they recover quicker than they might otherwise.
I top mine after 8 nodes, and cut down to 4. I cut them just after the last full nodes are growing well. I then veg until they are 24" to 26", then flip the lights. They typically only grow another 8-10 inches. Perfect for my goals. JMO.
What are your typical yields per plant?
You will see two white pistols that develope at the nodes where the branches come off the main branch if it's a female, or you will see a set of yellow balls on a male. Kill those immeditally, and very carefully get them the fuck out of the room or your screwed.
Search the newbie section and you'll find everything you need to know to avoid problems under the commonly asked questions sticky.
Happy Growing.
I like this are you able to clone that to ?I top mine after 8 nodes, and cut down to 4. I cut them just after the last full nodes are growing well. I then veg until they are 24" to 26", then flip the lights. They typically only grow another 8-10 inches. Perfect for my goals. JMO.