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when do i call day 1, day 1

3snowboards

Active member
I usually call it day 1 when germination occurs, not when I start.
Some seeds never germ so why would you be counting days for them.
 

justanotherbozo

Active member
Veteran
...yeah, this number is pretty irrelevant unless you're growing autos.

...with photoperiodic plants you want to count the number of days for the flowering cycle and confusion comes in because some count from the first day of 12/12 and some count from when they start to see flowers.

...to my way of thinking it is best to count from the first day of 12/12 because it is more constant and therefore more reliable.

good luck, bozo

...generally speaking your seeds should germinate within 3 or 4 days, if they go past 4 days and they start to turn black then they are dead and won't ever germinate.
 

troutman

Seed Whore
I normally call Day 1 the minute the seedling rises above the soil. :tiphat:

Don't set your harvesting date by what seed listings tell you.

Seed listings are just a guideline of what to expect.

Harvest each plant only when it's ready.
 

Easy7

Active member
Veteran
Day 1 when there is visable green. Flowering is day one at the flip, or when buds form. Most go by the flip. Breeders however didn't always.

It's mostly for logistical analysis and reporting.
 

Mstr Kush

Member
Counting veg time can be tricky because you've got to account for the germination, seedling and vegetative stages. Day 1 flower for me is when stretch finishes and pre flowers start to form. Depending on the age of a plant, this period can vary greatly in length of time, so I find going by pre-flowers is much more reliable. But it's mainly so I can tell other people which stage they're at, breeders guidelines are rarely correct, when they're done they're done
 

GOT_BUD?

Weed is a gateway to gardening
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Counting veg time can be tricky because you've got to account for the germination, seedling and vegetative stages. Day 1 flower for me is when stretch finishes and pre flowers start to form. Depending on the age of a plant, this period can vary greatly in length of time, so I find going by pre-flowers is much more reliable. But it's mainly so I can tell other people which stage they're at, breeders guidelines are rarely correct, when they're done they're done
I've got preflowers on all of my plants and none of them have seen 12/12 lighting.

For me, I don't count veg time. I start day 1 the day I flip to a flowering schedule.
 

Sign

Member
For my tracking start is when seed starts to soak, after 24 hours it goes into media and day 1 starts when it comes up out of media. Flower day 1 is when I switch, but I'm thinking of the benefits of calling day 1 when it's sexed being many but 1 big con would be in a single run I'd suddenly have plants in different schedules which would be confusing to me, next flip I'll track the two different flower start times and see how they correlate.
 

Mstr Kush

Member
I've got preflowers on all of my plants and none of them have seen 12/12 lighting.

For me, I don't count veg time. I start day 1 the day I flip to a flowering schedule.

In which case I would count from flip. Less mature plants won't show pre-flowers and so won't go into flower immediately. A lot of beginners put plants in that are too young and wonder why flower is taking so long
 
^^ this is a valid point. ive noticed flowering occurs almost instantly when the nodes are staggered in veg with a preflower at every internode. this indicates the plant is sexually mature. it makes perfect sense that plants that don't throw preflowers take longer to kick into the flowering gear. they gotta catch up, which could add up to weeks potentially. so if you flip an immature plant and cut it 9 weeks after, your plant may only be 6 or 7 weeks along in reality. i feel you just need plain ol experience in reading your plants to know whats up. they all act so different.
 

CaStoner

Member
I count day one the moment I decided to grow and drop the seeds in a cup of RO water, since that's the beginning in the vegetative stage. I also count day one during the flip during flowering stage. I usually will veg for 2 months then flip no matter how big they are..
 
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Good points in here. I’ve only vegged plants to maturity so when I flip the switch to 12/12 I almost immediately have flowers forming so I count the day I flip to be day one. But I’ve learned in my very short growing career that it’s all about the trichs at the end and the plants could care less what day they are on.
 

Easy7

Active member
Veteran
It also becomes complicated starting several seeds that come up at different times. Same with rooting cuttings. They can root at different growth rates. Which makes running many in hydro with uniformity very challanging.
 

Switcher56

Comfortably numb!
It also becomes complicated starting several seeds that come up at different times. Same with rooting cuttings. They can root at different growth rates. Which makes running many in hydro with uniformity very challanging.
... or do like this dummy and start 4 different strains. Won't be doing that again. OTOH it is a great learning experience to have a side by side example of varying characteristics and habits. (Gdp, Dt, Gc, Tw)
 

Dirt Bag

Member
Day 1 is the first day there's a plant. You'll be able to distinguish it from any previous days by the noticeable lack of the aforementioned plant.
Here's a little visual aid that hopefully clears it up for you:
Before Day 1 : _______
Day 1 : __🌱__
 

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