ttystikk
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Hi all, This thread will be about interval gardening- and I can tell already that one of the biggest bones of contention will be exactly what to call this technology. I've already heard interval (which I like because its descriptive), pipelining, assembly line, etc etc. So feel free to chime in with what you'd call it, and let the consensus arise naturally, like a thread of smoke from a fine spliff...
The basics of intervals are these; that you have a constant number of plants in each of multiple stages, which all switch from one stage to the next at the same time. This allows a grower to fine-tune each stage to be the perfect size, temp, light intensity, nute strength, etc for each phase of the plants' life cycle... when done correctly which maximizes yields and quality.
The overview first, then we can get into the weeds about deets;
1. cloning- it has to be this way, since strain constancy is key to building an interval system that produces consistent results.
2. early veg- the usual, although since I have several veg stages, I like to use the time wisely to top and train the plants to branch out better and create an ideal canopy.
3. Peak veg- where the plants grow strong and fast, taking on the shape you want for their eventual blooming cycle.
4. prebloom- where the dark interval gets longer and the final topping and trimming takes place.
5. early bud- the plant grows vigorously, setting up budding sites and filling in.
6. peak bloom- overall growth slows as the plant puyts its energy into manufacturing massive buds
7. late bloom/finish- heavy trichome production, ripening and flush happen here, just before harvest, trim n cure!
The system depends on each stage being set up so that all the plants move from one stage to the next at the same time. It takes awhile to balance things, but once it's running, you get fresh bud- and a manageable amount of work- every cycle, which could be as long as 4 weeks, or as short as weekly.
Upsides include the ability to fine tune every stage of your growth cycle, and provides for- almost forces, really- the discipline to create consistent, repeatable results. Also, since you see every stage over and over, you can really begin to tell just by looking what's going on, and if there are problems before they get out of hand.
Downsides- and there always are a few- are that you can't really have too many different strains, since the whole thing depends so much on timing, once you have established a harvest time, you pretty much have to keep it the same, so no sativas mixed in with the indicas! Also, while the work is spread out, the clock becomes the boss; when its time to do something, it can't be put off for a few days until you get back from Tahoe- it's gotta get done NOW.
There are a million more details about how this works and different approaches, but that's what a thread is for!
As ever, I can't wait to see what the good people here think of this approach?
The basics of intervals are these; that you have a constant number of plants in each of multiple stages, which all switch from one stage to the next at the same time. This allows a grower to fine-tune each stage to be the perfect size, temp, light intensity, nute strength, etc for each phase of the plants' life cycle... when done correctly which maximizes yields and quality.
The overview first, then we can get into the weeds about deets;
1. cloning- it has to be this way, since strain constancy is key to building an interval system that produces consistent results.
2. early veg- the usual, although since I have several veg stages, I like to use the time wisely to top and train the plants to branch out better and create an ideal canopy.
3. Peak veg- where the plants grow strong and fast, taking on the shape you want for their eventual blooming cycle.
4. prebloom- where the dark interval gets longer and the final topping and trimming takes place.
5. early bud- the plant grows vigorously, setting up budding sites and filling in.
6. peak bloom- overall growth slows as the plant puyts its energy into manufacturing massive buds
7. late bloom/finish- heavy trichome production, ripening and flush happen here, just before harvest, trim n cure!
The system depends on each stage being set up so that all the plants move from one stage to the next at the same time. It takes awhile to balance things, but once it's running, you get fresh bud- and a manageable amount of work- every cycle, which could be as long as 4 weeks, or as short as weekly.
Upsides include the ability to fine tune every stage of your growth cycle, and provides for- almost forces, really- the discipline to create consistent, repeatable results. Also, since you see every stage over and over, you can really begin to tell just by looking what's going on, and if there are problems before they get out of hand.
Downsides- and there always are a few- are that you can't really have too many different strains, since the whole thing depends so much on timing, once you have established a harvest time, you pretty much have to keep it the same, so no sativas mixed in with the indicas! Also, while the work is spread out, the clock becomes the boss; when its time to do something, it can't be put off for a few days until you get back from Tahoe- it's gotta get done NOW.
There are a million more details about how this works and different approaches, but that's what a thread is for!
As ever, I can't wait to see what the good people here think of this approach?
