Decreasing Res Temp to help promote flowering

Any thoughts on what would happen if I shock my plants into thinking winter is coming by reducing reservoir temps a few degrees below my usual of 70-71 in a bubbler/drip/aero hydro setup? With ultimate goal to take a week or so off final maturation. Already following previous post advice and have modified lighting times already to a 28/hr day with 8 light 20 dark and its looking sweet already.

let us know how it goes.

wafflehouselover said:

let us know how it goes.

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Will do, its 67 now. Any thoughts on safe levels to drop too?

seems to me if you do both then you wont know which one helped if either. or maybe one would hurt and one would help counterbalancing each other......

Well its plain obvoius that the longer photoperiod is helping, there is no denying that. Would make sense thought that plant would go into super drive if near frost temps were reached or maybe it would just shock it and die. Seems in nature that this process actually happens and plants continue to grow. I know personally that this method of harvesting a few days after a frost has its merits.

It got cold here, before I set up my heater...then the res dropped to 63, and the room to 48 once, it seemed that Snow White started getting smelly right away...that was in week 3, usually doesnt start getting smelly until week 5...I raised the room temp back to 63/73 and the res back to 72*-73*...the plants are definately getting fatter faster...should be a good harvest in 4-5 more weeks...

I really like the idea of trying the 20/8 cycle...How long do you expect the cycle to take??? It seems the time to harvest may be the same??

I took a look at some of my babies at sun up and they have almost doubled in the last few days. Could havest about 1/2 in maybe 10 days for a total of 16 days, or 2 weeks early. Also dropping my temps down to 64 has had the same effect in that it is reaking - although was before ak ss. Im hoping its going into final expansion.

Ask citrus growers what happens to their fruit when it gets too cold.

Vi

ViRedd said:

Ask citrus growers what happens to their fruit when it gets too cold.

Vi

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Agreed, but were not growing oranges here. Here we have horny females sensing winter, knowing there going to die soon putting every last effort into getting sticky resenous glands to attract male polin it will never find.

colder temps a few days before cutting along with more dark period encourages crystals to bulk up.

Dropped temps to 66 last night and noticed less nut uptake.. May have to re-evaluate this idea or save it till the end...as you noted Kochab, continuing the course one more day to see if any difficiences appear.

Not to be a wet blanket, but there is no control to this experiment. you'd have to be growing the same exact strain under the same exact conditions but only changing one variable (the light period) to determine that the non-circadian photoperiod is helping.

my res temps drop to around 62-65 at night and have not noted any change in growth rate (but i don't have a control so there really isn't a way to tell). are you measuring nute uptake by measuring water loss?

email468 said:

Not to be a wet blanket, but there is no control to this experiment. you'd have to be growing the same exact strain under the same exact conditions but only changing one variable (the light period) to determine that the non-circadian photoperiod is helping.

my res temps drop to around 62-65 at night and have not noted any change in growth rate (but i don't have a control so there really isn't a way to tell). are you measuring nute uptake by measuring water loss?

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i tried to mention that but i think it went unnoticed. you really wont be able to tell what helped if anything and or how much.

I know that by performing both tests at same time will not be very scientific, but my goal now is only to push final maturation. Yes I am measuring nut uptake by waterloss, everyday. As previously noted the extended photperiod is working and working well. I can only compare to previous experience.

Cannabian said:

I know that by performing both tests at same time will not be very scientific, but my goal now is only to push final maturation. Yes I am measuring nut uptake by waterloss, everyday. As previously noted the extended photperiod is working and working well. I can only compare to previous experience.

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I should have added that i think it is very cool that you're experimenting. and adding to the data available on this site.

email468 said:

I should have added that i think it is very cool that you're experimenting. and adding to the data available on this site.

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Thanks I appreciate the comments. - Discontinued the temp drop this morning as temps dropped to 62 and barely any nutes were uptaken.

yeah, science is cool. but why not measure nute uptake with a ppm/ec meter rather than by water loss? And what's the ideal reservoir temp? I just started flowering.

water loss is not a measure of nute uptake, evaporation factors heavily into it as well...I agree porchmonkey, use a ppm/ec meter...
I fill the res to a line marked, then add rod water untill the ppm is 900, then I know how much nutes were used by comparing the level in the res to the line...

I was under the impression temps of 70 were ideal, have started to measure nute uptake via ppm and ec but its just so late in the grow its not going to matter, will consider a more indepth analytical grow journal for next grow. Anyway coupled with the light/dark periods it looks like in just a few days I will be harvesting!!!