Flowering duration control?

[fishing time]

Hey all,

I'm currently about two and a half weeks into my very first attempt at growing cannabis. The outlet timer I'm using is one of the very detailed digital models with the ability to program many events and on specific days of the week. I've learned that the flowering duration of a plant is a genetic predisposition- but I wonder how time is measured by the plant. Is the perception of time based on an internal clock or the passing of days based on the plant's awareness of light and dark.

Practically speaking, if I grow a strain with a flowering time of say 70 days (10 weeks), can I switch a sexually mature plant to a 10.5/10.5 light schedule (meaning eight 21 hour days per week) and complete flowering in 9 weeks?

 

[Pseudo]

you can go 12 dark 6 light and finish earlier, although i wouldnt, look up 12/6

 

[fishing time]

Thanks Pseudo, I know there's info in here somewhere but having the right search terms makes all the difference.

Update: I've really missed smoking and I'm in a hurry so I am going to try 12/6 that except 6:40 on 12:00 off since 18.666 goes into 168 hours per week nine times even.

 

[Iron_Lion]

Running really odd light schedules you could end up herm'ing your plants, it just really isnt worth rushing these things. Patience is a virtue, which is probly the hardest thing to over come with growing, but really you may suffer some consequences if you try to rush it. You shoulda got an auto flower so you could have finished faster and had a stash under your belt to hold you off til you could have properly finished some other plants.

 

[messn'n'gommin']

It is an internal clock that is regulated by the phytochromes. Flowering in short day plants is triggered by the number of hours of dark (starting at about ten hours...depending on the strain). Although many have used different light schedules, most anecdotal info I have ever seen leaned heavily towards 12/12 for the best balance between length of flowering time and yield.

Just a thought, but, if you're consistently growing any one particular strain, you could experiment and alter those times to find what best suits your plant's needs.

 

[fishing time]

Lion: It's too late for should haves... I started b/c I moved to a new area and don't really want to get acquainted with the local riffraff, not that I'd know where to look anyways. I've been training bonsai for the past 5 years so I have the patience, but I was smoking almost every day that entire time. Right now I need a few puffs to get that patience back, so I'll give this 6/12 a try. I figured I'd probably screw something up the first time so I'm just running bagseed. If I have to throw out some plants that's no loss; I've planted more than I can fit anyways now that they're bulky.

When I'm ready to lay down some money for seeds I may well go with an autoflowering strain. MDanzig's sour 60 looks amazing and that's not even considering it's 60 day grow cycle. Only thing is I don't know if I want to pay that much for plants I can't clone... or have they sorted out cloning autoflowerings since I last researched it a couple years ago? I suppose I could allow a male into the harem on the first grow to insure a good seed supply.

Gnome: Thanks for the info. I wanted to take botany back in college but never managed it. When you mention a balance between flowering time and yield are you referencing non-24-hr days like 6/12 or something else? Are you saying that a clone under 10 light 14 dark matures faster than one under 12/12 (but with less weight)?

 

[Haps]

This has been done, expect low yield, of lower quuality buds. You can not cheat time, the time you think you are saving is deducted in quantity and quality. Then you can smoke the weak weed as soon as it is dry, before it has time to cure, so it has only some of it's stone. Bad plan all the way around.

 

[Harinama]

I predict you'll be dissatisfied with the result. However, you would do better to just bloom normally 12/12, and pull a few buds off a week or 2 early to hold you over. That way you do not ruin all of them, and lessen the chance of it going hermi.

Also, the bulk of your harvest should be cured properly if possible, 5 days drying, 2x daily burping(say open 1/2 hr) in jars for 1 wk.

Cannabis just cannot be rushed to come out properly. You will have foul tasting, low quality that most wouldn't even call mids. Trust me, i've been there. I screwed up the light cycle on one crop, wasnt even worth smoking. I had to turn it all into kief & oil.

 

[fishing time]

Thanks for the advice guys. I've been convinced, so 12/12 it is. I seem to have a mix of sativa and indica doms so it seems the harvest will be staggered out anyways.