is it 12/12 time?

[warfish]

Hello again all

Well my garden is growing and my happy grin at the same time while looking at it! I contribute the success I have had so far to all the great members of this boards info and tips and the countless hours of reading thread after thread here to increase my grow karma

So with that said I am doing a poll to help me decide if it is time to go 12/12 since this grow is as much the members as it is mine in my eyes

All the plants are in 5 gallon buckets, the area they are in covers about 6'x4'. There are currently 15 plants there, 9 of which are now over 12", some well over. 6 of these plants are still unsexed so I am planning to thin the crop some as soon as I see there sex. I would like it at 12 or less plants total.

Here is a pic as of this afternoon...

 

[warfish]

They are already in the bloom room now. It is just a matter of flipping the lamp and giving them there bloom feeding. They are just filling in the area so much already width wise it makes me worried. Not sure how much more room removing 3-4 will even open up. Although it will make it easier to get to the back plants for watering.

 

[maximummax]

I agree that those babies are looking nice. I flower at about 12" and usually end up between 24" and 30". If they get a whole lot bigger than that I worry they won't' get enough light down low. keep up the good grow. Max

 

[lordhighlama]

looks like it is as good a time as any to flip the switch warfish!

 

[legalize_freedom]

go for it bud

 

[2Dog]

are you conerned about them getting huge? or more concerned with a big harvest?

 

[warfish]

My concern was them having some side growth room I think 2Dog. As far as a big harvest I have no real idea at all what to expect so I am just trying to optimize what I have and go from there. If I can hit 1/2 a gram per watt I will be very excited. (1000w lamp) but I'm not expecting it yet.

 

[2Dog]

then I would flip em...keep a sharp eye on the unsexed ones and good luck!

 

[nouvellechef]

I say after you sex you decide. Maximize your height space. Bigger plant=More bud

 

[fruity86]

flip em let the magic start

 

[godspeedsuckah]

Dang warfish, they are beautiful!! Can't wait to see some buddage.

 

[Funkfarmer]

i gotta take a pee, can i use your toilet? i would be in bliss peeing next to your beauties.

 

[leafminer]

If they are unknown sex cover one branch and sex them that way.
But to flip at 12"? Not unless they are sativa or sat doms I wouldn't. I'd grow them to 3 feet and then flip them. Yield is directly proportional to the size in veg. Remember the growth rate is a exponential curve, they get from 12" to 24" a lot faster than from 1" to 12". The only reason I can think of to flip at 12" is if you're severely height restricted.
Do you have a separate veg room? If so flip half of them and keep the others vegging.

 

[nouvellechef]

Yep

 

[warfish]

leafminer,
I dont have a seperate veg room large enough to handle the 5 gallon pots at this time. 12" is around average height and there are a couple at 16" or more, one looking sativa dominant I was able to sex 2 more a few minutes ago as female and it is looking like all but one will be sexed within 2 days. The one that is behind I have pretty much decided will go to the compost heap as it has been slow and tempermental anyway. I am figuring I can grow up to about 4' or so and have no problem keeping the light on the whole canopy, any more and I may have some problems. The simple math I have been using was that they would triple in size, so 16" was my cap height with that math for veg (no real idea how accurate that is). I guess if I can get it down to 12 plants I will have more room for side growth, as thats my big worry.

Thank you everyone for the kind words about my babys

 

[legalize_freedom]

I usually wait until they are 18"-24 when growing big plants (non SOG), when I said go for it, I meant that if they are showing you their sex, then they are ready, when to flip after that is entirely up to your height. It is a good habit to figure them at tripling in flower, but usually double is enough, unless it's a sativa. But Murphy's law says that as soon as you figure them for only doubling, they will triple...lol, so I always plan for that, and usually have alot of space up top left over. 1 time of plants hitting the lights was enough for me to learn. The longer you can let them veg the better though IMO.

 

[warfish]

Well, they stay under the light for at least one more day as I had more to get done than I was able to by the time I would want the lights to go out, hehe

Part of my problem is that I am currently on crutches, so I fear adding alot more to my workload with growing real big plants. My helper is already stretched to the limit on time to give and I fear stumbling through the plants and falling into them while trying to tie and stake each day, lol. So I guess I was thinking a bit smaller and more manegable wouldnt be so bad for my first grow I am still undecided though at this point on if I go 12/12 tomorrow or not. I really would like them all to be sexed first.

 

[leafminer]

Frankly it depends entirely on whether you know this strain - and by that I mean have grown it before in the same style - or not.
This 'triple in height' thing only applies to a given percentage of the strains, the sativa side.
Two examples from my present grow:
The Black Domina vegged to 3 ft and then on going to 12/12 paused, and began producing nothing but bud, looks to be topping out about 3ft 8in. So only a small increase in height overall. about 25% not 300%.
The Blue Mystic vegged also to 3 ft but on going to 12/12 at the same time as the Domina, stretched by another foot - still only about 30% - and had to be pinched to avoid growing into the HPS lamps.
The Aurora I used to grow only went to a couple of feet and topped out as lollipops, not much stretch at all.
But back in the old days of Sgt Pepper I used to grow sativas that I brought back from Africa, and they used to stretch and stretch to 7ft or so.
So do you know the strain? Are you feeling lucky?

 

[legalize_freedom]

good point leafminer, the Afghani I had for many yrs I could grow with my eyes closed, I knew the good phenos 2 weeks after breaking ground...but when messing with new genetics it's better to be safe than sorry.

 

[warfish]

leafminer,
your last line, I thought it was a clint eastwood movie for a minute. Made me laugh I usually dont feel lucky though, heh. Being so new to this I think I am going to be switching to 12/12 tomorrow night. I really dont know any strains at this point, hehe! I have a large variety in there too so who knows what is going to do what I think the better safe than sorry approach will be the one I take until I learn more, then I'll push more limits