How long should my girls veg?

Hello Brothers! I recently started growing and was hoping someone could help. I have 8 plants that have been in a 12/12 cycle for 4 weeks. I bought feminized seeds that says should be ready for harvest in 8 weeks. They look fantastic but, have not started to flower. Only excellent vegetative growth. Am I doing something wrong? The 8 plants are under 300 watts of HPS. Thx in advance for any help!

 

Did you veg under 18/6 or 24/0 it sounds like you started out on 12/12 & 12/12 is for flowering & after 2 -3 weeks you should see some buds starting. -Bud


P.S. welcome to GK

 

Yeah what? You are asking how long they should veg, but you've got them in flower cycle.





Normally and basically, I think, you are gonna have 2 weeks or so in your germination/seedling stage 24/7 light under a fluorescent, then 4 weeks or more at 18/6 light/dark for veg under a metal halide light and THEN your 8 weeks of flower at 12/12 under a high pressure sodium light.


Also, your flowering space has to be completely dark with no light leaks or they won't flower or there could be some problems.


Did you put them in 12/12 right away?

 

20 bucks says he started flowering from seed. Callin it.


That doesn't always work and is entirely strain dependent. My rule of thumb is that plants from seed are ready to start flowering when their nodes start alternating. Usually about 6-7 weeks from the moment they pop. Otherwise I always just got slow and stressed out vegetative growth under 12/12 lighting. I know other folks say they have had some success flowering non-autoflower strains from seed but I'm definitely NOT one of them. I firmly believe against doing that and AFAIK there are a ton of reasons not to.

 

I agree that it can be strain dependent but the majority of my grows are


12/12 from seed. It limits the height they attain but I have grown 5 different strains, both Indica and Sats that way with great success.


BBT

 

Growing from seed I always thought you needed to wait until the nodes were alternating, signaling that the plant is mature enough to flower.


bigbudz are you saying you never veg your plants? How do you get any weight?


to the OP -


:-welcome-:


good folks here

 

I appreciate all the responses! I grew from seed, once rooted and about 6 inches tall, went to 18/6. Kept them there for 2 weeks (approx 12 inches tall) then put them in 12/12. They've been at 12/12 for 4 weeks now under HPS (about 2 feet tall). They look perfect but haven't began budding (flowering) yet. Only lots of new vegetative growth. Details on the seeds I bought (Special Queen #1) says able to harvest after 8 weeks. Being that it's been 4 now, I a little concerned that there are no buds yet. Should I be concerned or be doing anything different? Again, I appreciate your time!

 

You should see some buds forming but I don't think they are going to be done in 8 weeks-Bud

 

Sounds like you are doing it right. As for the buds, be patient. You probably don't have an 8 week pheno. Who knows how stabilized the line is. No biggie :thumbsup:


asssit:

 

I start them off under 12/12 with a metal halide and feed a weak nute solution from the start. usually I have them sexed and the males out by


two weeks-18 days. I then transplant the girls and slap em under the


1000k HPS.


With the KO Kush/ Sat cross I bred I can have a mature plant, yielding about an ounce per plant in 80 days. Since I am just growing for the wife


and I and not for dough it works out fine as I usually have 6-8 females maturing at once. I am getting my rotation down now to where I have some just starting to flower as I harvest the others.


Given that, when I invest in high priced genetics I do start with a conventional 18/6 photo period.


I am harvesting now so i will try and get some pics up of them.


:thumbs-up:


BBT

 

At 4 weeks under 12/12 I wouldn't be worrying. At 6 I would be skeptical if something doesn't happen.


This may sound like a dumb question but, have you determined the sex of said plants?

 

I just re-read lurkers 2nd post. Ya know, notwithstanding bigbudz success with his strain (what is that strain bigbudz?) I think it's most common for a plant to need to mature before flowering, which usually take 6-8 weeks from seed (under at least 18/6). Otherwise, you may run into extended flower periods or stress the plant and cause it to hermi, or other strange and undesirable things. I have never tested the theory, wanting to get the best out of my plants each time. I ALWAYS wait until the nodes are alternating before I flower, when growing from seed.


Northern Lights is supposed to be in the lineage of SQ#1. You've got a hybrid strain that's not an autoflower. I would have vegged them until the nodes alternated.


If you are 4 weeks in and no buds, I seriously doubt you will harvest anywhere near 8 weeks. I'm 3 weeks into a 10 week strain ATM and have Rolex sized nuggs.


It's probably too late to re-veg them, although our resident re-veg expert might say different. At any rate, for the next grow, let 'em veg a bit under 18/6 first, unless you've got bigbudz's strain and follow what he does.

 

Just to answer Psycho D's question, I'm trusting Royal Queen Seeds when they said the seeds were feminized. Again, if anybody has experience with the strain, it's Special Queen #1. Not seeing any signs of being males. No signs of stress either, just constant growth of new leaves and arms. By the way, it's extremely cool that y'all take the time to answer questions!

 

latest grow


@ friendly farmer


I don't want to jack soldiers thread so I will post separately and answer your questions there.


cheers :thumbsup:


BBT

 

Thought I'd throw this piece info in. I've still been feeding them "grow" nutrients for the 4 weeks they've been in 12/12, under the theory I shouldn't switch them to "bloom" until they start budding (flowering). Is that correct or is that the reason there is only vegetative growth?

 

Flowering isn't decided by the nutes at all, just the light cycle.


I've heard veg nutes two weeks into the flower cycle is good, but haven't done any competitive tests or anything.


I think you should be seeing flowers, but if you are not there is nothing to do but make sure your space is 100% dark in the flower cycle and just wait.


:read2:

 

When they sexually mature (female pistils at branch nodes, alternating nodes) they are ready for 12/12.