Our Growing Guide On 12/12 From Seed Technique | Growing Tips

Are you looking for a fast and cheaper way to grow your cannabis, from seeds to buds? If so, then the 12/12 from seed technique is an efficient way of saving you space, and time and giving you viable quality yields.

Growing 12-12 from the seeds technique might be an outdated way, but it still matters a lot in the growth of cannabis. This method can induce your cannabis to start flowering very fast before the required time is over. Ideally, this technique helps in speeding up the cannabis plant’s growth process. However, it’s not always a guarantee that you will get plentiful yields after administering this method.

With that said, let’s define what 12-12 from the seed technique is, its pros and cons, and how to properly utilize this method for greater yields.

What is growing 12/12 from seed?

Growing 12-12 from seed techniques means that you expose your seedling to 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness immediately after germination. The technique always confuses the plant from the early days hence initiating the flowering stage a few weeks after the vegetative period. This makes the plant start developing buds.

Usually, cannabis plants are exposed to light for an 18-6 hour cycle but switching to 12/12 hours alters its normal physiological process. The ideal is always to shorten the vegetative period to flowering hence fast harvest. It’s perfect for solo cup growing since plant roots don’t need a lot of space to grow firm due to the plant’s short vegetative period.

This technique has its pros and cons.

Pros

•         Shorter growth period
•         Save space
•         Fewer trimmings
•         Allows full penetration of light
•         It saves money and time

Cons

•         Often causes stunted growth to cannabis plants
•         Lesser yields sometimes

Method

Growing 12-12 from seed is just an easy and simple way of just altering the times of the light cycle to the plant. You give an equal time of light and darkness as soon as the plant sprout. Due to this, the plant will appear different from the plant grown normally.

The method guarantees main bud development on the plant for a short period. You will have to provide for all conditions needed, such as correct pH level, water, nutrients, humidity, and growth medium.

If the method is done in expert experience and correct strain will produce an impressive yield of 250 grams in 7-9 weeks.

How to grow cannabis 12/12 from seed

1.      Germinate seeds

For germination to take place, seeds will require water, air, and warmth. Germination can be either of two methods; seeds or the cloning method. Seeds are more preferred since they carry solid genetics and produce stronger plants.

Some growers prefer using starter cubes that contain micronutrients that allow root growth faster. If provided with all conditions necessary, germination starts immediately. Apart from starter cubes, you can use wet paper towels. You fold your seeds in a wet paper towel, wait for 1-4 days, and roots will start emerging. After the emergence of roots, get the seeds to the next stage of planting.

2.      Plant seeds

Here you have to plant the germinating seeds. You will need to have all the requirements such as growing mediums, soil with enough nutrients, and containers for healthy growth.

If planting in containers, fill them with correct soil, make a hole at the center, pick your seed using tweezers, place it in the hole, and then cover with soil. You can also spray some water in the soil to soften it for the seeds’ roots penetration.

3.      Altering lights to 12/12 hours

After a few weeks, the plant will gradually grow; you can then alter the light cycle to 12/12 hours? Most altering is done on the vegetative stage as most seedlings won’t grow buds until they are 3 weeks old. Switching light hours confuses the plants to think that the growing period is over and it’s time to start flowering. The earlier you start your plant flowering, the earlier you approach the harvest period.

Once flowering and bud development starts, it will take almost 12 weeks to harvest for most strains. However, it’s good to know that most strains don’t start bud development immediately until they are 4 weeks old. This technique doesn’t always give surplus yields since it has its shortcoming sometimes. It may result in stunted growth hence poor yields.

Tips for the best results on growing 12/12 from seed

1.      Stay on top of your plants need

Despite the shortness of the plant’s life cycle, you still need to be keen on the other plant’s issues. It’s good to check on soil pH, ventilation system, nutrients, and water regularly.

As the plant grows, it may need increased levels of nutrients and water intake. You need to provide them to avoid plant stress and deficiencies. Pests, diseases, and molds may also be a problem which you need to fix immediately.

This method is easy and simple to apply, but if you choose not to be keen, it will lead to poor yields and unhealthy cannabis.

2.      Employing the SOG Method

SOG is the idea of growing many small plants instead of large ones, which are few. SCOG method can apply best here since 12-12 from seed encourages the growth of small plants. It works for photoperiod strains which produce a great harvest in a short time.

For this technique, you switch 12-12 hours when the plant is 4 weeks old. Adding extra time to plants gives more in the vegetative phase gives more yields. As a grower, you have to balance the yields and time to harvest quickly.

3.      Don’t use auto flowers

The 12/12 from seed technique is not effective on auto-flowering plants. It’s due to auto-flowering varieties don’t grow on the photoperiod, but they have their maturity timeline and flowering. Whether you use either a 12-12 or 18-6-hour schedule won’t change their process.

Some auto-flowering strains flower faster and are ready for harvest just 2-3 months after planting.so, auto-flowering plants reach flowering fast compared to some 12-12 hours induced strains. Their yields are always great and of quality.

Expected yield when growing 12/12 from seed

What is the expected yield you will get after employing this method? Well, you don’t expect great results since the size of the plant has a direct correlation with yields. Since plants are small, the yields will also be small since you are growing them in small pots and containers.

Generally, the yields will be low, but they will take significantly less time to mature.