Shutting off the lights 24/48 hours b4 the flip

[hero4u2b]

Hi again... When someone tells me something here I really feel better when I hear it from more than one person, so let me ask the general opinion here if its ok.. Before I flip the lights to the 12/12 its it productive or bennifical to shut off all the lights for 24 to 48 hours to give the plants a kick in the butt before the 12/12 routine starts? Thanks everyone Hero

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

I never do it. I am not sure it is a good idea to "give the plants a kick in the butt"--although I do not believe there is any real proof that it does jump start the flowering hormones to do this. My personal feeling is that it probably doesn't make much difference except deprive your girl from a day or two of flowering.

 

[Hushpuppy]

I haven't been growing long but my partner has and when I told him about doing a long "dark starter shot", he had doubts as he had never done it before. But he tried it and found that the plants all seemed to begin flowering on average, a week earlier than any time he has grown before without doing the "dark starter shot". He was shocked at the results and has been doing it ever since. It also allows yu to adjust yer 12/12 timing to when yu want the cycle to flip as yu can leave them in the dark from 24 up to 48 hours or any point in between. I believe this process started with several of the "Christmas plants" that are commercially grown and are always blooming around Christmas. That is achieved by the growers forcing the plants into flowering by putting them in the dark for extended periods just before sending them out to the stores.

 

[Locked]

Pretty sure Marijuana Botany by Clarke says there is no benefit to doing this and like THG said cheats your plants out of 1 or 2 days of actual flowering time.
Guys if there was a tried and true method to speed up flowering don't you think we wld all be doing it by now? Lol

 

[Hushpuppy]

IDK, maybe it was something else that we are doing, but it seems to work...Like I said, I am a junior grower and am certainly still learnin. I think the next cycle I will just flip one room and do the "dark boost" to the other room to see if there is any difference.