24hr veg vs. 18/6 what do you do and why?

[deep buddy]

simple ? please sound off at will

 

[ibTheMan]

If your go'n to shut off the lights for any time i would do 20 on 4 off, at 18/6 plants seem to preflower ah little bit and that sucks, most of the time i run str8 24 on works best, but i summer i shut the lights off between 5:00pm and 9:00pm.
IMO str8 24 works best if you have no heat problems.

 

[GreenThumbBill]

I run 24/7 in the winter to combat the cold and 20/4 in the summer to combat the heat and save electricity. IB is correct, running 18/6 does lead to pre-flower issues. However, that means running 18/6 is great for sexing plants from seed.

 

[treetree]

so i dont know if its right or not but in van pattens gardening in doors the new on he claims that new reasearch was done and that 24 hours of light grows plants faster than the 18/6 dont know if its right but in his book he claims that it is ....i do it my self but i run my hps for 17 hours than just run a florecent for 7 hours to save a few bucks

 

[jagle]

.i do it my self but i run my hps for 17 hours than just run a florecent for 7 hours to save a few bucks

work out how much you are payng for electricity, its probably not saving you much

 

[paulycali]

I veg for 24/0 and flower 13/11 then down to 12/12. Plants grow faster in veg at 24/0 which allows for a quicker cycle. For ex. why veg for 1 month under 18/6 when you can veg for 2 weeks under 24/0?

 

[deep buddy]

I veg for 24/0 and flower 13/11 then down to 12/12. Plants grow faster in veg at 24/0 which allows for a quicker cycle. For ex. why veg for 1 month under 18/6 when you can veg for 2 weeks under 24/0?

at what point do you switch from the 13/11 to 12/12? what are your perceived benefits? i guess i mean yields same, flavor same, hermies?

and anyways i know what sex everything i have is at this point and it all pre flowers under 24/0. my main objectine is to save money on elec getting me for like $.12 a kwh. only running 2 to 4 k right now but but soon 8 k heat is not to much of a prob im mainly trying to figure the payoff , saving on elec, or faster growth. seems 24/0 is the consensus. thank you.

 

[GreenThumbBill]

If somebody has some scientific evidence that plants grow faster in veg at 24/0 than 20/4, I'd like to see it. Based on my experience I haven't noticed much of a difference and usually veg 24/7 in winter more so I won't have to run heat than the increased growth.

 

[mr.m]

I run 24/7 in the winter to combat the cold and 20/4 in the summer to combat the heat and save electricity. IB is correct, running 18/6 does lead to pre-flower issues. However, that means running 18/6 is great for sexing plants from seed.

Agreed on all. I have been a 18/6 for the last week because it has been 110 degrees here all week.

 

[norcal215]

ive been doin this fifteen years and have ben doin 24hrs for the last 4yrs, some strains and i run alot of different gear, will pre flower in 18/6 never had that problem with 24

 

[GreenThumbBill]

I think he said he was running an autoflower strain and was trying to save money on his electric by qualifying for a lower tier. So his main concern is whether it will make the plants grow substantially larger to compensate for the substantially higher tier priced electric. Given that his strains preflowers no matter what, I would just do 18/6 and save the electric. Unless that is if by running 18/6 you had to add a heater. Then it just makes sense to veg 24/7.

 

[convex]

24/0 - one less timer to worry about.

Cheers

 

[fuzzy]

24

Ditto C!Ive done both ways and havent really noticed any difference so i just leave my t5s on them till transfer. peace,fuzzy

 

[paulycali]

at what point do you switch from the 13/11 to 12/12? what are your perceived benefits? i guess i mean yields same, flavor same, hermies?

and anyways i know what sex everything i have is at this point and it all pre flowers under 24/0. my main objectine is to save money on elec getting me for like $.12 a kwh. only running 2 to 4 k right now but but soon 8 k heat is not to much of a prob im mainly trying to figure the payoff , saving on elec, or faster growth. seems 24/0 is the consensus. thank you.

I go from 24/0 veg and then flip the switch to 13/11 when i am ready to flower. During the last two weeks of flowering i drop it down to 12/12 for ripening. So that extra hour they get each day for sure increases yield and when i change to 12/12 i believe that increases resin production

 

[paulycali]

I think he said he was running an autoflower strain and was trying to save money on his electric by qualifying for a lower tier. So his main concern is whether it will make the plants grow substantially larger to compensate for the substantially higher tier priced electric. Given that his strains preflowers no matter what, I would just do 18/6 and save the electric. Unless that is if by running 18/6 you had to add a heater. Then it just makes sense to veg 24/7.

Autoflowering plants grow best under the 24/0 light cycle

 

[sedate]

will pre flower in 18/6 never had that problem with 24

^^ That is corrrect - but I think there is more nuance here than posters' are really exploring.

I generally run 24 until week 3 or 4 of veg when I'll drop to 18 for a few weeks until space is ready in the flower room.

Plants on 18 always flower several days faster than plants on 24 - so if you know the switch is coming and the plant is already about the size you want cutting the light back to 18 really seems to help with the transition.

On the other hand, if you have plants that aren't quite as big as you want and that post-flip stretch needs to be as big as possible, I'll move them straight from 24 to 12 without missing a cycle to try and bring that hormal transition in as slowly as possible to really pull out that stretch.

If they are too big and post-flip stretch will likely make them overgrown - drop 'em in at 18 into 2 days of darkness and then start 12 - full-bore flowering will set in in less than a week with minimal lankiness.

Anyway - I don't like this absolute thinking on the subject - the photoperiod here can really be manipulated in all sorts of subtle ways . . .

 

[GanjaGardener]

Interesting discussion in an area that I never truly resolved and don't have reasons for doing what I do. If 24/7 veg is the consensus, than I guessed right. I had a run that got a huge growth spurt when I pulled too many teeth away from the dial and went 14/10 instead of the 13/11 (<-correction, duh!) I was going to experiment with. I didn't catch it until about 10 days later and am still trying to figure that one out. In the meantime, I'm staying safe and am back to 12/12

My grow room is zoned business so the electric is about 1/3 of residential. That played into my getting lucky w/ the 24/7

 

[Sea Of Green]

I keep my mothers and my clones @ 24/0, always have. Once the clones are rooted, they go straight into 1 gal. buckets and directly into a 12/12 SOG environment. No veg time required with the strain I grow. Shiskaberry is a reliably consistent 42 day strain, start to finish if you desire. They grow 25"-27" tall in those buckets under a 1000W @ 12/12, and have very little to no room for root growth left in those containers after 6 weeks. I have the efficiency of my system pretty dialed in like that.

I see no need for anything less than 24 hours of light. I haven't seen how it does any good for vegetating cannabis plants to have any darkness, other than to initiate flowering(of course).

 

[GanjaGardener]

I haven't gone down the SOG road yet, but have 3 purple autos (in sig), that are going directly into in 1 gals, albeit, behind schedule due to near eviction. Have never grown autos before- not really my favorite grow culture, in theory, at least, but my "boss" (hehe) at the collective laid them on me, so what the hey?!

 

[deep buddy]

I go from 24/0 veg and then flip the switch to 13/11 when i am ready to flower. During the last two weeks of flowering i drop it down to 12/12 for ripening. So that extra hour they get each day for sure increases yield and when i change to 12/12 i believe that increases resin production

yeah i may try this. thanx for exp

^^ That is corrrect - but I think there is more nuance here than posters' are really exploring.

I generally run 24 until week 3 or 4 of veg when I'll drop to 18 for a few weeks until space is ready in the flower room.

Plants on 18 always flower several days faster than plants on 24 - so if you know the switch is coming and the plant is already about the size you want cutting the light back to 18 really seems to help with the transition.

On the other hand, if you have plants that aren't quite as big as you want and that post-flip stretch needs to be as big as possible, I'll move them straight from 24 to 12 without missing a cycle to try and bring that hormal transition in as slowly as possible to really pull out that stretch.

If they are too big and post-flip stretch will likely make them overgrown - drop 'em in at 18 into 2 days of darkness and then start 12 - full-bore flowering will set in in less than a week with minimal lankiness.

Anyway - I don't like this absolute thinking on the subject - the photoperiod here can really be manipulated in all sorts of subtle ways . . .

i agree and that was my main intention in creating this thread.
i have been at this for the better part of 15 years. just always trying to learn anything new. and to clarify i am not running autos, and would never they are trash or novelty in my opinion. same with feminized(squared) strains. im clone only right now. so im sure thats why they are all preflowering who knows what theyve been through. ill be cracking fresh beans soon enough. ill be glad to have good solid females that havent been raped. anywho thanks to all.