Timing Is Everything: What Happens When You Flip to Flower Too Soon
When it comes to growing cannabis at home, patience isn’t just a virtue — it’s the secret ingredient to a successful harvest. One of the most common mistakes new growers make is flipping their plants to the flowering stage too early. While it might be tempting to hit that light switch and chase buds fast, rushing this stage can seriously stunt your yield, weaken your plants, and throw your entire grow off balance. Let’s break down what “flipping to flower” actually means, why timing is so crucial, and what really happens when you jump the gun. The Flip: What It Really Means “Flipping” refers to changing your light cycle from 18/6 (18 hours of light, 6 hours of dark) to 12/12 to signal your plants that it’s time to start flowering. In nature, this mimics the shorter days of late summer, telling cannabis plants that it’s time to stop growing taller and start focusing energy on producing buds. But before you flip, your plants need to be ready — physically and structurally — to hand...