HELP! When blooming starts?

[Murf]

Hi guys

Im on my first grow and looking for some more advice.

I have 3 auto flowers which are coming on great. They should start flowering soon, but I’ve not noticed any white hairs etc yet, which I believe is the first tell of the start of blooming?

My question is when do I switch my light from veg to bloom? Do I change over as soon as I notice the hairs or wait a while?

Also, do I put both veg and bloom on together for a while or switch straight over?

Finally, is it important to reduce the light on / off times? Im currently on 20 hours on and 4 off as I was having issues with heat at 18-6.

any help would be great

[9fingerleafs]

i think the main benefit of the veg light spectrum is the distance between nodes, white/blue light makes shorter bushier plants. once you see the top of the branches are a bunch of pistils i would turn on the bloom light and run them both for the rest of flowering. im an outdoor grower so this is not what i do but rather what i would do the more light the better

[Weed Pharma]

Run both switches veg/bloom- @ 20/4 from start to harvest.
The most important aspect with autos is not to stress them- so using light to regulate temps is a great option!

[SoOrbudgal]

What Weed Pharma says both switches on.

[Tersky]

Agree with everyone else but a little confused. You said that you were having heat issues with less light time? That should be the opposite as it should be hotter with the lights on than off. Dont know if that was a typo or what

[alwaystoned]

Heat issues could mean that it wasn't warm enough too, though.
Also, seconding what everyone else has said but also a bit confused. It sounds like you think autos need a certain photoperiod to flower but... they're auto for a reason, there is no switching lights from veg to bloom with autos because they do not require extra hours of darkness like fem plants do. 20/4 (as everyone else said) from start to finish. The only reason there's a switch from veg to bloom in lighting when growing feminized plants is because feminized, seasonal plants need more darkness to generate the hormone that helps them flower.

[Tersky]

Ahh, that makes sense. Sry i smoke too much!

[Murf]

Thanks guys.

just to clarify, I originally had the lights at 18/6, but the temperature was only getting to the minimum, so I went to 20/4 and they perked up a bit with the additional light and heat.

i didnt know that I could run both veg and bloom for the whole grow. That’s handy as also increases the heat in the tent.

thanks for all the help!!

[Tersky]

That makes sense man, I just wasnt sure if there was a different issue but i was just high!

[SoOrbudgal]

Tersky you kill me man LOL. Murf even with 2 450 vipar going in my 4x4 all closed up never gets above 82 upstairs BR. I keep flap partial open during lights on stays 80. It's summer that will kill ya.

[Tersky]

lol thats what happens after harvest...i get dumb. I currently am sitting on 5 mason jars or freshly cured bud and about to harvest another 2 plants...i may become even dumber!

[SoOrbudgal]

I can't wait for that feeling again LOL I told my hubby i'm gonna dumb down for awhile post retirement