Autoflower - Photoperiod and tricking Photoperiod

[Aksarben]

I understand autoflower varieties flower regardless of the day length, just age. What if I had a photo period plant, like the one I have indoors, and shut it up in the bathroom (no windows) for 3 days (36 hours) and resume. Won't that trigger it into flowering?

What if I am growing photo period strains outside in cloth bags and move them into a metal shed in the dark at the end of June, for example, for 3 days, and them bring them back out. Will they flower and will the length of daylight which will be much longer than 12 hours, affect their flower development?

 

[oldfogey8]

photo period will re-veg if not kept on a 12/12 light schedule. 3 days of dark will not help you at all...

 

[Aksarben]

Thank you so much. I was sure there were experience growers out here that have run across that. I was thinking it might be a way to grow femenized photo periods strains to a certain height/size and deprive them of light for a few days to trigger that flower response. Wasn't sure what more daylight would do though.

 

[oldfogey8]

I have not tried it but I know people re-veg plants by switching from 12/12 lighting to 24/0 or 18/6. 3 days of dark won’t even force flowering. It might stress the plant and cause it to hermi. To flower photo period plants you absolutely need an area, whether it is a tent or a closet or a room, where you can control light and dark. Those lights will not give you much in the way of buds. You can surely try it but you will be disappointed. You can buy an inexpensive tent and an inexpensive LED and get an exhaust fan and some circulating fans for probably $350 total. My first grow I spent about $450 to get started. That $450 has paid for itself many times over had I bought all the weed I have harvested. Last I figured an ounce has cost me about $20 to grow when you spread the initial outlay of cash over the number of grows(including nutes and power). It ain’t a cheap hobby...

 

[St_Nick]

Greenhouse growers in northern climates tent their greenhouses to induce and maintain flowering in northern climates. Only way they can bring a crop to finish. Mature females will flower quickly but 3 days of dark followed by a return to veg will certainly not cause the plant to flower. Interesting idea though

 

[Aksarben]

I had not come up with 3 days of total darkness out of the blue, but rather something I had read somewhere. Can't find it now, but this link provides some interesting photoperiod manipulations and explains why we might be better to harvest early in the day (or before lights on) rather than wait until end of the day or lights off. https://cannabisdigest.ca/dr-allens-16-hour-dark-photoperiod/

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

The author seems to have some ideas that have no real basis in science and that he has not really even tried. I am not sure that I even understand what he is trying to achieve with 6 light/dark periods per week instead of 7.

I would suggest that while you are learning that you stick with the tried and true methods of growing. Varying things like you have suggested sounds like a recipe for problems--hermies and revegging the biggest 2.

 

[Keef]

Only photo manipulation I can think of would be for a reason-Like ascending and descending light schedule to match the outside light with an indoor grow in adjusting them to move outside without a reveg period !-- I don't believe it's worth it but I know about it !

 

[umbra]

You need to read more about cannabis growing. You really don't know much about how it works. Or any other plant for that matter.

 

[Locked]

You need a continuous 12 hour dark period for the life of flowering. Otherwise, you get reveg.