shorten flowering time

[terrapin]

does anyone know about a product that can shorten flowering time by as much as 30%? i heard about something like this not too long ago from someone but haven't found anything from searching online. -its like an expensive controller thing that tweaks the light cycle ... oh well, i wasn't really sure if it existed anyway.

anyone know of any techniques for how to do this? thanks!

 

[Guest]

co2 suplementation speeds it up i here...you could give it a hr less of light

 

[ThurgoodJenkins]

There is a thread on here somewhere that talks about using a 6/12 light cycle. 6 hours lights on, 12 off. Supposedly this will cut around two weeks off of your flowering time, but I read that yields usually suffer. You can do a search here for the info.

 

[watermelon]

yeah it can be done with light cycle manipulation, but yeilds will always suffer as a result.

i can see how this could be useful for commercial production to fit more grows in per year.

if you dont mind a slight loss in yeild give it a go.

 

[greenisgold]

Look up bushmasters. Not saying this stuff works miracles, but some say it does.

 

[sugabear_II]

there's a controller product called Harvest Master that controls everything, co2, lights, dehuie, fans, a/c - and by manipulating the light cycle it does a fast flower cycle.
www.harvest-master.com

from their site.

18 hr Short Day Cycles: Fast Flowering
Through meeting store owners who are selling our Harvest Master controllers into the field, hearing directly from them and end users what benefits they are achieving, we monitor what we can do next, or what we can do to help.

Best story of all is from a guy thinking just slightly outside the square.

He is getting crop rotations in 7.5 weeks (down from 16weeks) ! (see more below!)

In the following case, nothing needed changing (except perhaps the mindset of the growers in the audience.
Getting an efficient output for the input used is what it is all about.
"Hmmm, says Harvest Master!". I have to be at least a little dubious. But,....
Try his thoughts for size. I have to think that there is something in what he says.

His assertion: ALL species of plant, insect or animal on earth have their "Day period" during which, their efficiency is greater for SOME of that time.

While they can use up to 18hrs of light, maybe for 12 of those, they are at 100%, then drift off to only 60%-70%, then to 20%-30%".

Consider,......

....most days I wake up and am at 90% in 5 minutes, at 100% in 10 minutes.

After 10/12 hrs, I'm flagging badly and while I am happy to stay up another 6-8 hrs, am just "laidback".
My young boy on the other hand, is at 90% within 10 seconds of waking and 100% in 30 seconds. He hits the wall "like a bird flying into plate glass" after 14 hrs, then sleeps like a brick for 10!!
Others however, take an hour to get to 60%, another hour to get to 90%!
Most animals use the time that they are given, to produce the best effect they can achieve with that time.

Plants don’t think, they react to a genetic 'drive to survive'. So, I conclude that there is a case to examine where a short day cycle could trip a plant's genetic response into a "survive or die" accelerated mode to flowering and fruiting.

"He wanted to capture the hours that would give him 90% or better, of the plant's "production" but maybe saving 25-30% of the daylight period" (power being a special consideration).

He set his vegetative cycle at 14hrs day and 4hrs night for an 18hr day
Ran it for 7 days (about 10 "plant days") at 2000ppm CO2
That period gave him sufficient leaf development to proceed with the flowering phase.
The "Fast Flower" 6hr days and 12hr nights regime lasted 45 days.
His crop. "It is better than I EVER had in 16 weeks." Yields?, "I’d say 135-140% of my previous best crops.
"It is so reliable I can set the crop harvest date into my wall planner on day one!" 7weeks and 3 days Harvest. Impressive result. 6 great crops a year, low management of them, every one a winner!
Well, being at least a bit dubious, I thought around the edges and finally concluded that a power usage analysis for the lights ON time per day, per month would be a gauge to the accuracy of the story and maybe prove or disprove it.

My analysis

The claims Leaf phase (light hrs) Flowering phase Total

1. Non CO2 4wks (28days @18hrs) ,12wks (84days @12 hrs) =16wks (1512hrs)

OK but 33% crop failures. 378 lights ON hrs/mth.

2. "Short Cycle" 7day (10cycle@14hr), 45day (60days @6 hrs) =7.4wks (500hrs)

Unbelievable result!

Easy harvest and growth. 250 lights ON hrs/mth.

Great result, especially that the grow room/crop management is also massively reduced.

3. Std CO2 cycle: 2wks (14days @18hrs), 10wks (70days @12 hrs) =12wks (1092hrs)

Fantastic crop. 364 lights ON hrs/mth.

Easy harvest.

Supporting evidence.

Indicated power usage for the short phase growing cycle reduces to about 250hrs/mth, from 378hrs/mth, a drop of 33%!.

The grower was a little concerned that in the early period of growing, power accounts were low. He thought there was underestimating of the power meter and was concerned to get a huge "top up" account. The facts were that his power usage dropped to 66%, a saving of 34% (from $500/mth to around $328/mth).
This had a consequential (side) effect of reducing residual heat in the room, nutrient and water tanks, with profound effects reducing mould and fungus problems.
These figures just blow me away. More than we ever envisaged, we have a customer succeeding with crops in a way he could never achieve before.
His total "light ON" period of 500hrs to get a harvest is amazing.
That is only 2/3rds of the time and 50% of power that a regular CO2 equipped growing operation is using.
In just 1/2 of the time at 1/3rd of the power, he has a better harvest than ever achieved with a 16week method.

We should let this guy loose on the government budget!

For the flower seeds he is cropping, he has hit a crop rotation and growing efficiency that would make most people's eyes water.

Fwiw you can program a 14 program digital timer to approxiamate this same setup - just plan it out - 12 on - 6 off - and you'll end up with the last dark cycle of the week being a bit longer than 6 off. then cycle starts again next week.

I never tried it though - I have done a grow where I did 11/13 for first two and last two weeks and pulled a 9 week strain in 7 weeks but at a pretty reduced yield.

-suga

 

[terrapin]

ok i think this might be what i was looking for....thanks suga! but does anyone have any experience using this thing??? it really sounds too good to be true, like yields would be reduced enough to not make it work the time saved...

 

[sugabear_II]

terrapin - there was a thread on reef's forum that had a grow and show although it was not real time and I don't think they gave final numbers.

I have not seen much feedback on it though and you'd think the commercials would be using it, if it were so great.

 

[Cakes]

this absolutely sounds like a great idea.

re the use of a plant's maximum potential time, they might be genetically programmed to do best in the mornings; due to their responses to those light spectrums and temperatures (and maybe even birdsong if u go with the sound therapy theories).

if my notes are right, this chart shows their stomata open more at certain spectrums; but i couldn't tell u where i got it.


and this chart shows their bacteria operating in a certain pattern.


see how the bacteria seem to be inactive at midday spectrums? maybe that is time wasted.

it might be that the lights turning on start the cycle. and then certain parts of the cycle do not need to be as long as they are. like mid-day and mid-night.

I recently read a grow that was showing it is quite likely that the day part of the cycle drives the flowering mechanisms. So it might be that herb does not need a long night to flower, she just needs a lack of light.

the short breaks from one to another might be great.

 

[DIGITALHIPPY]

there's a controller product called Harvest Master that controls everything, co2, lights, dehuie, fans, a/c - and by manipulating the light cycle it does a fast flower cycle.
www.harvest-master.com

from their site.



Fwiw you can program a 14 program digital timer to approxiamate this same setup - just plan it out - 12 on - 6 off - and you'll end up with the last dark cycle of the week being a bit longer than 6 off. then cycle starts again next week.

I never tried it though - I have done a grow where I did 11/13 for first two and last two weeks and pulled a 9 week strain in 7 weeks but at a pretty reduced yield.

-suga

what does 11/13 have to do with the harvest master.... thats for making 6/12 days....also ur talking about 12 on and 6 off?? its really 6 on and 12 off...get your info straight. it does work, im doing 6/11.5 days right now.

 

[gramsci.antonio]

ok i think this might be what i was looking for....thanks suga! but does anyone have any experience using this thing??? it really sounds too good to be true, like yields would be reduced enough to not make it work the time saved...

yeah... the idea is that you cut 30% of light time... but then you loose more than 50% of the yield... and it is even weaker... so def. not worth

 

[sugabear_II]

there's a controller product called Harvest Master that controls everything, co2, lights, dehuie, fans, a/c - and by manipulating the light cycle it does a fast flower cycle.
www.harvest-master.com

from their site.



Fwiw you can program a 14 program digital timer to approxiamate this same setup - just plan it out - 12 on - 6 off - and you'll end up with the last dark cycle of the week being a bit longer than 6 off. then cycle starts again next week.

I never tried it though - I have done a grow where I did 11/13 for first two and last two weeks and pulled a 9 week strain in 7 weeks but at a pretty reduced yield.

-suga

what does 11/13 have to do with the harvest master....

11/13 has nothing to do with harvest master, it does however relate to the thread title which is "shorten flowering time"

I thought I had clearly dilenated that from what I posted about harvest master so I am unsure of why you thought they were related.

thats for making 6/12 days....also ur talking about 12 on and 6 off?? its really 6 on and 12 off...get your info straight.

look DIGITALHIPPY,

there is no need for getting all pissy

I was just mistaken.... as can be seen in the quote from their site it does say

The "Fast Flower" 6hr days and 12hr nights regime lasted 45 days.

so again my apology to your sensitive nature I was mistaken when I said 12/6.... sometimes stoners get things mixed up, ya know?

it does work, im doing 6/11.5 days right now.

cool, please tell us more

 

[Bush Grower]

I have also wondered about the harvest master controller.. I've seen it in all the mags touting it's light cycle. I'm convinced that it will flower a plant quicker... but I'd like to hear more experienced growers that have tried this method and the effect on yield. Everyone up there is saying different things.. half being the worse. So which is it? Half? third? fourth the yield?

If you went by the numbers of the times lights are on/off.. it would be 30% less... am I correct in assuming this?

 

[MDT]

Interesting... this is my first time hearing about the 6/12 cycle to shorten the flower cycle although at a reduce yield. Sometime this can come in handy when unexpected circumstances occur.. while we're on this subject, a product came to mind, called Overdrive that helps accelerate the ripening process but have never tried it for fear of rotting the bud if improperly used.

 

[Jon]

There is a thread on here somewhere that talks about using a 6/12 light cycle. 6 hours lights on, 12 off. Supposedly this will cut around two weeks off of your flowering time, but I read that yields usually suffer. You can do a search here for the info.

I wonder what would happen with a 16/12 light cycle? Would yields increase?

 

[Cakes]

woo!!! wait...16 light? no, it would revert to veg.