Running a 12-1 light cycle for vegging

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kolah

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Reading from Mr Nice's forum, I ran across 12-1 technique for vegging MJ that sparked my interest. Basically it is running your grow lights (or exposure to sun) for 12 hours, then keeping them in the dark for 5 1/2 hours. You then interrupt the cycle with one hour of light and then have them back in the dark for another 5 1/2 hours.

I believe this technique was derived many years ago and labeled, "Gas Lantern Technique."

This, supposedly, is said to keep plants in the veg state, cut down on lighting expense, increase yields and overall makes things easier.

My biggest concerns would be how much stress (if any) this method has on the plants and does it increase the chance of hermies.

Anyone here ever try this?
 
Tank333

Tank333

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From what I understand of the technique, it does induce a lot of stress, and it can produce hermies. BUT, I would say this just weeds out the weaker genetics from your gene pool. If you cull those weaker ones, you'll end up with stronger genetics after every run (well, if you're not running all clones from one mom that is. Lol.)...
 
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kolah

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Good points, Tank and your post also has me wondering if cloned plants would react differently than plants from seed. And if I started plants from seed would this lighting cycle induce a higher ratio of males to females. Hmm.
 
justanotherbozo

justanotherbozo

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I always thought that male/female seeds were pretty much predetermined when they are formed. Kinda like when sperm fertilize an egg, the sex is determined then and there...
...i'm not an expert man but as i understand it this is not the case but rather it is environment, at least in part, that determines the sex of the seedling.

...kinda like alligators, if i remember right a single degree of temperature difference makes for all females or all males.

peace, bozo
 
Gamrstwin36

Gamrstwin36

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I use GLR Faithfully. Works WONDERS, brings out expressions ive never seen with traditional lighting schedule. Explosive growth without topping, fim. If you do top or fim seriously more tops and bushy growth, even on sativa doms. Love the GLR. Everyone should try it.
 
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kolah

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...i'm not an expert man but as i understand it this is not the case but rather it is environment, at least in part, that determines the sex of the seedling.

...kinda like alligators, if i remember right a single degree of temperature difference makes for all females or all males.

peace, bozo

Yep, I have read quite a bit of info regarding sex determination and many factors do come into play like lighting cycles and temperatures.
 
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kolah

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I use GLR Faithfully. Works WONDERS, brings out expressions ive never seen with traditional lighting schedule. Explosive growth without topping, fim. If you do top or fim seriously more tops and bushy growth, even on sativa doms. Love the GLR. Everyone should try it.

This is good news. TY.
 
drknockbootz

drknockbootz

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I never ran this schedule but when I had to go out of town for a bit i changed my schedule 14 on 10 off and now some of plants looked like they want to start flowering.
So this 12/1 has anyone noticed plants trying to flower seems risky too me
 
Gamrstwin36

Gamrstwin36

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I never ran this schedule but when I had to go out of town for a bit i changed my schedule 14 on 10 off and now some of plants looked like they want to start flowering.
So this 12/1 has anyone noticed plants trying to flower seems risky too me


Nope. After 12 on then 5.5 off . That NEXT 1 hr on, keeps them in veg. What i do notice is,once placed in bloom. The plant's sex faster give or take 4-5 day's.
 
caveman4.20

caveman4.20

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I'm back on the GLR schedule and want to do a side by side but don't have the means right now....so my alternative is reading or following a farmer that has similar growing methods as myself or try to replicate someone else's growing methods any suggestions guys....I'm not interested in competing there's just too many factors that can't be measured like potency flavor and effectivity....yield and amount of time to ripen interest me and I know those two factors are hearsay also I'm just trying to start somewhere because I want to reassure myself this approach is worth further research......I don't usually don't push for yield primarily, I try to grow healthy plants and encourage their unique expressions....
 
K

kolah

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I am currently doing 12/1.........with 2 week old seedlings. I keep them out in my sunroom to get the natural sun, put them out at 7am and bring them in my house at 7pm and cover them. Inside I have a timer set for the hour of interrupt. As the days get longer I will keep the plants in synch with the daylight... ie when light is from 7am to 8pm I'll keep the plants in that light and just put my hour of dark/light interruption in the middle. So it will probably be like a 13/1 deal..or more.... until I can put them outside full time.
 
caveman4.20

caveman4.20

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Grow Bigger and Better saving 30-50% on your energy cost!
I ripped this from another site- Just curious of what your opinion is on this light schedule

-How to reduce the cost of growing cannabis saving 30-50% on your electricty bill using the 12-1 lighting schedule.

-Click image for larger version Name: 12_1_lighting_cycle.jpg Views: 55 Size: 109.3 KB ID: 159092
The biggest innovator in the history of cannabis in my generation is Reinhard Delp. Not only did he invent and is the holder of the patent for ice water extraction, he has been building flower forcers since 1992. His new solar powered Sun-gate is the leader of the industry. He was the first to feminize seeds and sell them in Europe in the late 90’s. His process was done naturally, without the use of any chemicals.

No one is more copied but seldom matched than Mr. Delp, who to me is the top grower of our generation. The first time he impressed me he showed me 2 plants, planted next to one another, 1 completely covered in powdery mildew, the other completely clean and beautiful. He was developing mildew and mold resistant genetics.

In the late 90’s Reinhard brought back the gas lantern routine that you find in any college grade horticulture book, and applied it to cannabis. Cannabis needs only 13 hours to stay in the vegetative growth stage. The 18-6 lighting schedule in vegetation, actually stress your plants, that never get that much light in one-day outdoors. Cannabis is an outdoor plant. Growing indoors you should copy how it grows outdoors. No Cannabis growing in Afghanistan gets 18 hours of light in growth pattern. Most strains today have some part Indica in their genetic pool. Even equatorial strains don’t get 18 hours of sun a day.

The 12-1 lighting schedule is as follows 12 hours lights on, 5.5 lights off, 1-hour lights on, 5.5 lights off, and repeat schedule. The 1 hour on in between off period fools the plants that stay in vegetative growth state! Your immediate savings are 5 hours in energy costs daily, as well as your bulbs and equipment lasting longer. But how do the plants react to this lighting schedule?

You see immediate growth response from your plants, they are happy from the added rest time. By day 14 the plants tripled in size. The plants are bushy with twice as many bud sites without topping or bending, In fact when you top and stretch your plants out, you get many more bud sites than you would have had under 18-6 using same procedure of topping and stretching plant, your growing bigger and better and faster.



So your saving 5 hours daily in energy costs, as well as your excellerated growth pattern which also saves you time and energy and equipment use.

In the flowering stage, never use 12-12, start your flowering period at 11 hours on 13 hours off. When your are growing outdoors each day you get less and less sun light, you should copy the way the sun acts naturally in your indoor grow. So first 2 weeks of flower you go 11 on 13 off, the next 2 weeks you go down to 10.5 on 13.5 off, next 2 weeks 10 on 14 off, next two weeks 9.5 on 14.5 off and the last weeks of flower you should be at 9 hours on and 15 hours off. You’ll get bigger and better buds by copying the way the sun light works on cannabis outdoors.

Cannabis is an outdoor plant and you should copy the way it grows outdoors indoors. The only thing that 18-6, and then 12-12 lighting schedule's do is make the energy companies rich as well as the people who sell lights and equipment, the more you use the more you spend. 12-1 lighting schedule is a more natural way to grow indoors and you well have the best results you have ever had and save as much as 50% in energy costs.



Edit just ran into this fyi
 

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