Need Advice Moving From Veg To Flower

[medmanmike]

Just started a new grow and something came up that requires me to be gone for four days at approx. 4 weeks of vegging. There's no one available to water, etc while I'm gone. I've read on this site that some growers do 2-3 days of 24 hours of darkness before going to 12-12. My thought was to saturate the plants with water just prior to leaving, kill the lights and let them sit for the four days and then go into 12-12 as soon as I return. Has anyone had this "problem"? Other ideas than what I've outlined? Sure would hate to lose them... Thanks.

[Highlander]

Just started a new grow and something came up that requires me to be gone for four days at approx. 4 weeks of vegging. There's no one available to water, etc while I'm gone. I've read on this site that some growers do 2-3 days of 24 hours of darkness before going to 12-12. My thought was to saturate the plants with water just prior to leaving, kill the lights and let them sit for the four days and then go into 12-12 as soon as I return. Has anyone had this "problem"? Other ideas than what I've outlined? Sure would hate to lose them... Thanks.

 

I think you'd be better off drenching them, then putting  them straight to 12-12 and try to keep your temps down, which will greatly reduce water consumption.  I'd make a test run first to see how they do with four days without water.  Another option would be to buy some of those glass globes that you poke down into the dirt.

[pic book]

i extend night anytime, any stage, no harm, and night certainly does consume less water.

[trichcycler]

5 gallon bucket, drip lines, auto feeder, stab in drippers etc.... don't punish the plants.

[Kingdiamond]

I would give them a healthy watering and leave them in veg until I get home.

[trichcycler]

thinking about this a little more, it all depends on how big your dirt pots are. you could place them in large containers that wont need watering but once a week, but little cups will need water daily for instance.

[pergamum362]

Small pots. No, big pots...theyll be fine.

[medmanmike]

Appreciate all the comments. They will be in 3 gal pots sitting in a 2" deep tray that is big enough to hold all the pots. My thought was to thoroughly water until the soil won't hold any more and then flood the tray. I can easily test this plan befor I go. Thanks again.

[t-pain]

2L full of water, poke a small small hole in the bottom.

 

time how long it takes to leak out.

 

put one in each pot?

[budpuffer]

i would think twice about drenching the plants with no lights for four days...sounds like a good way to introduce root rot or mold...bp

[trichcycler]

my one gallon bags under 24/7 486watts T5 need water every other day, but the 2 gallon pots will stay moist for four days with plants that small don't drench, I agree. leave the lights on

[Restorium2]

Two timers and two pumps. One timer turns on a pump that pumps water from a reservoir into a container that has been designed to hold the exact amount you want to feed each day. This container is suspended above the reservoir so it overflows until the timer shuts the pump off. The other timer turns on the second pump in the measured container that pumps to the plant/s. I invented this set up design because you can't count on a timer, and a fixed orifice, to deliever the correct amount of water/nutes every time. This is fool proof. I have used it for a couple weeks at a time.

[medmanmike]

2L full of water, poke a small small hole in the bottom.

 

time how long it takes to leak out.

 

put one in each pot?

Great idea - thanks!