Poll: At What Point Do You Start Counting "Days in Flower"?

From when on do you start counting your plants as being "in flower". Do you start the day you switch to 12/12 lighting or the day your plant starts showing sex (pistils)?

Auto-flowering strains are an exception to this poll.

plants start changing once they receive 12 hours of darkness. even though it may take you a week or two to notice changes, flowering starts on the first night of 12 hours of full darkness.

fdd2blk said:

plants start changing once they receive 12 hours of darkness. even though it may take you a week or two to notice changes, flowering starts on the first night of 12 hours of full darkness.

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pretty much thats how it works...

when ppl ask me how long i been flowering, i tell them both when i charnged the light cycle, and how long since i first noticed pistols and hairs. from my personal experience with la confidential and going from a 400w mh to hps, it takes about 10 days to notice pistols. for very small ones i flowered early it took a little longer, less than 3 weeks.

I also count from the day plants are put into 12/12, of course you could also argue that plants arent in flower untill they actually have flowers. Its more of a definition problem, either one makes sence although it makes it easier to keep track of a grow when having an exact day to count from (once you change lights to 12/12).

I think most breeders count from the day pistils show, so an 8 week flower might be 8 weeks and 6 days.

Fluxcap said:

I think most breeders count from the day pistils show, so an 8 week flower might be 8 weeks and 6 days.

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would def agree from show of flower start your countdown, not from 12/12.

I call the first day the day I see pistols other than the preflower pistols. That's when flowering starts. Rather you say it is or not, its a fact. When is the first day of veg? When you put it in the soil? When it pops out of the soil? When it has 2 sets of leaves?

Here is an email from an old thread where someone wrote Greenhouse Seeds and asked the breeders themselves:

"Thank you for your email.

You start counting from the moment you switch the light to 12/12. The
flowering time depends on which strain you are growing. If you completed the
flowering weeks and the hairs are still quite white you can leave them a bit
longer. When 20-30% of the hairs become brown they are ready.

Kind regards,

GHSC"

Link: https://www.rollitup.org/indoor-growing/158532-start-counting-flowering-12-12-a.html

valuablevariable said:

Here is an email from an old thread where someone wrote Greenhouse Seeds and asked the breeders themselves:

"Thank you for your email.

You start counting from the moment you switch the light to 12/12. The
flowering time depends on which strain you are growing. If you completed the
flowering weeks and the hairs are still quite white you can leave them a bit
longer. When 20-30% of the hairs become brown they are ready.

Kind regards,

GHSC"

Link: https://www.rollitup.org/indoor-growing/158532-start-counting-flowering-12-12-a.html

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exactly. The flowering cycle starts at the beginning of 12/12 when the flowering hormones are triggered. The plant is in flowering, even if flowers aren't showing

The Flowering Phase of the Marijuana Plant Once the marijuana plant has reached 12" height, or the height of your choice, it is time to start the flowering phase. The plant will begin to pre flower, then it will fully flower. The 24/0 light cycle is changed at this time. This can be changed to a straight 12/12 cycle, or it can be set at 14/10 and slowly adjusted until the 12/12 cycle is reached. Some growers will take the light steadily back to a 10/14 schedule, or even as far back as an 8/16. This depends on each growers preference. Pre flowering usually begins in the 4th week of vegetation. Preflowering can only be detected by magnification. At the 4th node down the stem, you should be able to see the tiny pear -shaped node which identifies the female, along with the two tiny pistils. Occasionally the pistils will not develop for several days into pre -flowering. Make sure you know whether your plant is male or female before you decide to pull it. Full flowering begins 1 to 2 weeks after changing the light schedule. In a matter of days, most or all of the nodes on the marijuana plant will be covered in white pistils. These will begin to develop into flowers, which will reach their maturity in 6 to 8 weeks` time. The buds will also develop at these same nodes. They will be covered with white crystals, and near maturity the trichromes may be seen. These start out as clear and white and turn amber or darker as the tiny white pistils turn red or dark. When you see these changes beginning to occur, pay close attention to your plant, because harvest time is near. The buds may be harvested when the trichromes or white, or you may wait until they darken. Often some buds will be ready while the trichromes in others are still developing the right colors. If this should happen, if you can, then cut the ripened buds and leave the rest to develop for a week or two longer. This will ensure a maximum yield.

@cadeneli: Might want to add the source next time when posting an article, http://www.marijuanapassion.com/The-Flowering-Phase-of-the-Marijuana-Plant.html
Nothing there really talks about when to start counting days though

It clearly says 1 to 2 week after 12/12. It really doesnt make a difference. We harvest when the trichomes tell us to. Whether its 55 days or 100 days. This is one of those "trim dont trim" subjects. Some people will swear by when they flip the light, some people when they see pistols.

Dont worry cadeneli, I also harvest my plants when they look and show signs of being ripe, not by how many weeks are labeled on a package. Im not arguing with you against that.
This is merely a question of when people start counting their plant as being in flower. Most people seem to count starting at 12/12 and apparently so do real breeders.

I dont think there is an official "correct" answer to this question. It hasnt been documented in a real scientific textbook so its still up for debate.

cadeneli said:

It clearly says 1 to 2 week after 12/12. It really doesnt make a difference. We harvest when the trichomes tell us to. Whether its 55 days or 100 days. This is one of those "trim dont trim" subjects. Some people will swear by when they flip the light, some people when they see pistols.

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read it again, it says "FULL" flowering. Besides which, that is just somebodies opinion that was written and posted. Doesn't prove anything.

Another breeder answer

"the correct answer would be from the moment you switch from 18/12 to 12/12.
Of course the stated flowering times are indications. You might want to flower a
couple of days longer or shorter, depending on your circumstances .

Good luck.
Louis

Ceres Seeds Amsterdam
PO Box 10213
1001 EE, Amsterdam"

https://www.rollitup.org/indoor-growing/158532-start-counting-flowering-12-12-a-2.html#post3583983

when do you start counting days flowering for an outdoor plant? and why would you change the definition simply because you are growing indoors?

bobhamm said:

when do you start counting days flowering for an outdoor plant? and why would you change the definition simply because you are growing indoors?

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you aren't really changing the definition. It's just got a more definate start date since you know that the flowering hormones were triggered at a certain time. Outdoors is when it happens it happens. You just don't notice it's flowering until the flowers become visible.

Counting flowering as when 12/12 starts is of course applied to indoor grows.

what Id actually like to see is what each breeder means when they say "8 weeks flowering",thats really the only definition that counts