18/12 Light schedule in Flower especially during stretch

[Flipp]

Currently I just have to adjust the timer manually.
During the last 12 hours of light I go in and adjust the timer. Set to turn off at the appropriate time and turn them back on 12 hours later. I then repeat the process the next day.
Small inconvenience. The important thing is only that I make sure the lights turn off and remain off for 12 hours

It’s the small inconvenience, the tedious tasks, the little things that gives these plants the love they need. Good topic of conversation really. The only technique with light I apply is a 24 hour dark period at the time of photoperiod switch to flower and right before I harvest a 48ish hour blackout. I guess my next question would be are there any benefits to increasing the blackout period more than 12 hours each night

 

[Yamon]

Update Day 26 flower and 9 days running 18/12 light cycle.

Everything is working perfectly. Not only is the plant staying in flower. It is growing vigorously. Buds are stacking so fast that the top of the terminal buds are just green.

It would appear that using such a long light cycle of 18 hours and a dark cycle of 12 hours has not affected the plant's ability to stay flowering.

Day 21 Schwazzing in Soil

I used the schwazzing technique (removing all the fan leaves. Leaving only sugar leaves.) It's normally only recommended when you're using synthetics and hydroponics I believe. Nonetheless I knew my plant was healthy and would benefit immensely. The switch from 12/12 to 18/12 occurred on day 17. Day 21 the Schwazzing. Not only did the plant not have a stressful reaction it actually loved it.
I left about 20 large fan leaves on the perimeter way down low.
Below all bud sites.

This is one of the most satisfying things I've ever done with cannabis. My colas look so magical.
I know some people ask why would you remove fan leaves.They are necessary. Lots of fan leaves are necessary when you're building branches and you need a lot of building materials and energy. I removed hundreds of fan leaves during the Schwazzing. You don't touch the sugar leaves. Which now are getting full light. What some people don't understand is sugar leaves go directly into the bud. They're not powering a branch they're not generally powering the plant they're directly powering the buds. And that's all that we're growing is buds. Now the plant will still produce more leaf during flower It's just not it's priority any longer.
There will be no more fan leaves created nor are they needed.
There's now ample airspace around each cola with light basically getting the whole cola instead of hitting all kinds of other fan leaves.

DLI within the canopy lower down on a cola is way way lower than the top of the canopy.
The Schwazzing changes that dramatically.
The 18 hours of late also dramatically changes the DLI down low.

If I said I wasn't a little nervous through this process I'd be lying. But my research and the balls to act are paying off.

 

[cpurola]

So, how's it going? Any new pics?

 

[Yamon]

So, how's it going? Any new pics?

Hey thanks for checking in.
Everything is going fantastic. I got myself a 7-day timer from Vivosun.
The colas are stacking so fast. The DLI hitting all lower buds is much higher than it would have been if they only got 12 hours of light because it has more time to use the reflected light off the tent walls.
Here are few more pics but you know sometimes the pics don't do justice to the growth that I see happening.
Important thing is that it definitely didn't reveg. Didn't stall in fact it's only thrived.

The Schwazzing was a complete success.
I am so thrilled with that technique. All the sugar leaves are growing. No fan leaves to get in the way it's wonderful.

I'm loving that I have a flat canopy and all my colas are spread out as if I'm using a trellis or scrog. But I can still rotate the plant and access any part of it easily. In fact I just had surgery 2 days ago for a hernia and I'm still able to work on my plant.

Fyi I also switched the light cycle to 20/12.
I will run at that cycle and then towards the last two three weeks I will decrease the light and increase the darkness maybe finalizing on something with 14 hours of darkness and 16 or 18 hours of light. The idea being to definitely send a signal that it's time to finish up.

 

[Yamon]

11 colas like a fence on the perimeter

 

[Yamon]

Day 80 of flower.
I've harvested 7 colas so far.
Excellent results but plant is still not finished.
Fade started about 4 days ago.
No amber trichomes anywhere.
20/12 light schedule from day 17 to day 42 of flower.

 

[JIMKSI64]

Rediscovered this with the recent post.
Brain already engaged in timers and such.
Thinking I can do the on time as a manually control on the Vivosun app and the 12 hour off period as a recipe. That way it's a one button push from my phone.

Last time I read this you had not expanded on the chemical reactions. The explanations spawned endless searches that I am still running down to ingest all the data.
The node spacing modification looks on paper to be a good idea but I find the strain variance issue of seeds ( my choice ) with so many light energy differences this idea does look to be limited to single plant grows.
Not that anything else would fit in that tent.
I am a new grower in organics and I dread the idea of a one plant grow where all my eggs are in one basket.

 

[Yamon]

Rediscovered this with the recent post.
Brain already engaged in timers and such.
Thinking I can do the on time as a manually control on the Vivosun app and the 12 hour off period as a recipe. That way it's a one button push from my phone.

Last time I read this you had not expanded on the chemical reactions. The explanations spawned endless searches that I am still running down to ingest all the data.
The node spacing modification looks on paper to be a good idea but I find the strain variance issue of seeds ( my choice ) with so many light energy differences this idea does look to be limited to single plant grows.
Not that anything else would fit in that tent.
I am a new grower in organics and I dread the idea of a one plant grow where all my eggs are in one basket.

If you're a new grower I would probably stick with the tried and true methods.
Even though my experiment was successful I wouldn't recommend experimenting on a massive plant like I did.
Having said that I'm very proud of the hacks and methods that I introduced that ended up having dramatic and beneficial effects.
Thanks for your interest

 

[Yamon]

Re Timer
I bought a timer that has the option to set whatever on period you want and then whatever off period you want and it will simply repeat.

NEARPOW Digital Timer Outlet,... https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0DKP2263C?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

 

[JIMKSI64]

Re Timer
I bought a timer that has the option to set whatever on period you want and then whatever off period you want and it will simply repeat.

NEARPOW Digital Timer Outlet,... https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0DKP2263C?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Question on the timer.
Does it remember settings after a power outage?
I have a bbu with surge protection for the apps but I am out of outlets for more things that can not loose power.

 

[JIMKSI64]

Also I want to thank you for the warning about following you on a single plant grow.

By the time my next grow hits flower stretch I will have another 2 lights and instead of culling a plant ( start 6 run 4 )I will place one in a 31x31x63 and run the light schedule.
Side by side comparo on same strain with same nutes and same environmental profile. Will not swaaze on purpose but my organic grows tend to do that on their own.
One joker even dm'ed me asking why I wet trim with 2 weeks left.

Also thanks for the motivation. This last run with 9 plants was focused just on growing and none on science. Having a science angle for data hits a dopamine trigger in my brain.
The other motivation was from you recommending I not do it.......
For a data hound like me you pretty much double dog dared me to do it.

 

[amneziaHaze]

Day 80 of flower.
I've harvested 7 colas so far.
Excellent results but plant is still not finished.
Fade started about 4 days ago.
No amber trichomes anywhere.
20/12 light schedule from day 17 to day 42 of flower.

Notice any difference.?

 

[Yamon]

Notice any difference.?

Yes totally.
I'll probably get specific at a later date

 

[Yamon]

Question on the timer.
Does it remember settings after a power outage?
I have a bbu with surge protection for the apps but I am out of outlets for more things that can not loose power.

Yes