Veg duration...

I've read so many different ideals for length of veg.

By week
By height
By nodes...it goes on and on as you all know.

But I'm lost as all hell. What should I be looking for as an indicator that it's time to put the ladies into a flowering cycle?

I don't want to rush them and get a small yeild, but is it a problem to let them get rather large before deciding to flower?

Thanks for the help.

Pinkykey said:

I've read so many different ideals for length of veg.

By week
By height
By nodes...it goes on and on as you all know.

But I'm lost as all hell. What should I be looking for as an indicator that it's time to put the ladies into a flowering cycle?

I don't want to rush them and get a small yeild, but is it a problem to let them get rather large before deciding to flower?

Thanks for the help.

Click to expand...

The reason you've read so many different answers is because it depends on a lot, like how much vertical growing space you have, if you scrog, top, or some other advanced growing technique, and especially the strain. Hopefully you're adventurous and start to learn these advanced growing methods as you grow

A general rule of thumb is that the plant(s) will grow and stretch 2/3 more in flower when you flip them. In a 80" tall tent (common height for a 4x4), 15" to 18" is around the height you want to flip.

Too small is better than to big(talking plants here)To big yield will suffer any way.

If you gave a break down of the grow it would help others help you.

How big is the space?

How much light...is the entire space filled with light?

Do you want to do smaller plants or larger plants?

Will you be doing any kind of training?

It goes on and on as you already know lol.

It comes down to how many plants you are wanting to fill a particular area and what you are vegging with as well as what method of growing.
Hydro for example will cut your veg time down or put another way you will get more growth in the same time. Soil can be slower and soilless can fall in between.
Pot size matters too.
Metal halide or HPS will make a difference.
You might veg 9 plants for 3-4 weeks from clone or you might veg 4 plants for 6-7 weeks from clone or 8 weeks from seed to fill a 4x4 space for example.
You may be restricted in height and go for a SCROG and thus have to train more and use less plants to fill the same space.
You might like a quaick turn around and go for SOG and use 1-4 plants per square foot. Obviously that is a fast way of getting to harvest and require little veg time but high plant count.
There are many ways to skin a cat!!

Then again there is also light intensity to factor in. A 250w MH will be slower in growth than a 600w MH

I usually veg from clone re-potting twice for about 6 weeks and then flip but I don't use a tent and my ceilings are pretty high (cocos/perlite)

I veg for weeeeeeeks.

3 plants with one being scrogged on a 3x4 screen and 2 other topped a few times during veg are taking up a bit over 4x5 ft of space in flower.

Pinkykey said:

I've read so many different ideals for length of veg.

By week
By height
By nodes...it goes on and on as you all know.

But I'm lost as all hell. What should I be looking for as an indicator that it's time to put the ladies into a flowering cycle?

I don't want to rush them and get a small yeild, but is it a problem to let them get rather large before deciding to flower?

Thanks for the help.

Click to expand...

This hits us all at some time

if indoubt go 30 days veg for an expected 30% increase in size due to stretch etc

with another 60 days to go

I often flip then potup 30% increase in pot size

fill s out just nice

next grow you can try to modify that

good luck

You guys are amazing!

My first post had all my specs, but I should have posted them here as well.
5x3x7 grow space
6 plants all primary indica
currently under 450w of t5 6500k veg lights.
I have LED plug in for the t5 at flowering time.
5 gal smart pots in black magic soil.
Have not started nutes yet. My numbers are good and plants look very healthy with growth everyday, so I don't want to overfeed.

I know my plants aren't ready yet, but I like to learn in advance instead of when it's too late.
My plan was to mainline my plants. I have plant wire on order to tie them down.

Start your mainline early. Carefull tieing down 8 colas per plant. Makes it hard to water without hitting the lines. I mainline with super crop training so there are no lines in my way. Its more work training almost every night the last couple weeks of veg. As many posted above there are to many factors as to when to flip. Try to veg untill your area is almost full but do not let them get to tall. I flip my mainline when they are knee high including the pot.

Dynamo626 said:

View attachment 4114196 View attachment 4114197 View attachment 4114198 View attachment 4114199 Start your mainline early. Carefull tieing down 8 colas per plant. Makes it hard to water without hitting the lines. I mainline with super crop training so there are no lines in my way. Its more work training almost every night the last couple weeks of veg. As many posted above there are to many factors as to when to flip. Try to veg untill your area is almost full but do not let them get to tall. I flip my mainline when they are knee high including the pot.

Click to expand...

These look awesome! I think I'm just scared of killing my plants cause it's my first grow. But I think I've learned enough about mainlining to give it a shot.

Pinkykey said:

These look awesome! I think I'm just scared of killing my plants cause it's my first grow. But I think I've learned enough about mainlining to give it a shot.

Click to expand...

They're very resilient. You won't kill them with training, although you could slow down growth in some instances.

Pinkykey said:

You guys are amazing!

My first post had all my specs, but I should have posted them here as well.
5x3x7 grow space
6 plants all primary indica
currently under 450w of t5 6500k veg lights.
I have LED plug in for the t5 at flowering time.
5 gal smart pots in black magic soil.
Have not started nutes yet. My numbers are good and plants look very healthy with growth everyday, so I don't want to overfeed.

I know my plants aren't ready yet, but I like to learn in advance instead of when it's too late.
My plan was to mainline my plants. I have plant wire on order to tie them down.

Click to expand...

I'd be dumping all thos T5 cool white 6500 kelvin for the budding

warm whites of 2700 kelvin

the plants see it as the sun in fall and soon fall to flower

in about 2 weeks

the same type of red in hps lights almost ..lol

good luck

I'm reading that after mailing

vostok said:

I'd be dumping all thos T5 cool white 6500 kelvin for the budding

warm whites of 2700 kelvin

the plants see it as the sun in fall and soon fall to flower

in about 2 weeks

the same type of red in hps lights almost ..lol

good luck

Click to expand...

I'm not using these for flowering. I only have the 6500K t5s for veg. I have LED inserts in red for flower.

I like to wait at least till they show me their sex

Veg duration is very much a question of growing style and desired results.

Dynamo626 said:

View attachment 4114196 View attachment 4114197 View attachment 4114198 View attachment 4114199 Start your mainline early. Carefull tieing down 8 colas per plant. Makes it hard to water without hitting the lines. I mainline with super crop training so there are no lines in my way. Its more work training almost every night the last couple weeks of veg. As many posted above there are to many factors as to when to flip. Try to veg untill your area is almost full but do not let them get to tall. I flip my mainline when they are knee high including the pot.

Click to expand...

Do you mainline from clones?

Pinkykey said:

My plan was to mainline my plants. I have plant wire on order to tie them down.

Click to expand...

Being your first grow, I would wait on the mainlining. You should concentrate more on learning how the plants grow. First grows can be daunting, overwhelming, and nerve-racking to new growers. I would maybe top them once, when they've got around six pairs of nodes, and then do some LST. You will still get a lot using some basic training, so don't worry about that. Again, take a look at my mum's to see examples of topping. There are also tons of tutes and vids you can check out.

JSB99 said:

Do you mainline from clones?

Click to expand...

Nope from seed. Tough to mainline clones