24/0 vs 18/6

[bijnas]

I am currently on a 24/0 light cycle since seeds with my plants. I'm two and a half weeks in. What I'm wondering is when, if ever, should I switch to an 18/6 light cycle before I go into the 12/12 flowering cycle at what I plan to be week 6 as long as the plants are large enough.

Heres a pic of my plants as of earlier this evening:

[bijnas]

Can I get an answer frommmm sommeeeoeneeee?

[the image reaper]

I only use 24-hour lighting cycle for the first couple days after the seed germinates ... I run 18/6 until the plant shows maturity, by alternating the internodes (usually after the 5th set of branches, or so) ... then 12/12 until harvest ... some growers are experimenting with leaving the plant in darkness the last few days ... I've tried it a few different ways, can't say as I saw any difference ... :jointsmile:

[ojitos1985]

they really look bushi :D, i did 24/0 the few first days, i think urs are ready to 18/6, you ll save money :jointsmile:

[bijnas]

they really look bushi :D, i did 24/0 the few first days, i think urs are ready to 18/6, you ll save money :jointsmile:

Well, I live in an apartment and the electricity bill is split between the whole building so I am not worried about electricity costs. Would anything bad happen if I just kept them on 24/0 for the duration of vegging? Could I just keep the 24/0 to get more growth faster?

[enquadrider16]

in my opinion i think they build much stronger root systems when they are under light, and much larger leaves when they are in the dark. i think an even amount such as 18/6 is better for vegging because it gives them a time to rest from the light. think about when you go to the gym you have to give your body some time to rest before it can get larger. ... if this makes no sense im sorry im pretty stoned

[Twentyinches]

Ide say this one will be mixed based on personal preference... I used to do 24/0 and it worked well. but some say 18/6 is better because it gives the plant some time to sleep. some say 18/6 is better because it gives the plant a chance to respire without the stress of photosynthesis at the same time. But great results have been had with 24/0 lights, plus it will grow a little faster I've noticed.

[bijnas]

Anybody else have any thoughts? Stinky?

[darbolah]

in my optionion i would run 24/7 as its a general consensus at my local hydroshop. They say its a really good to drop it down to 18-6 for a couple of days before you decide to flower. This prevents any stress the plants might recieve from such a dramatic decrease in light (energy). Or so im told....

Good luck bijnas.

Im heading to amsterdam in about 7 months to live for a year and travel and wanted to know if its true they are reversing the legalized marijuana legislation ?

Thanks

[the image reaper]

I've been growing indoors for 40+ years, and have tried every imaginable lighting schedule ... I have never seen ANY advantage whatsoever, in extending light periods past 18 hrs ... I also have had an amazingly low instance of growing males, and don't grow sick plants (lucky, green thumb, I guess) ... botanists far more educated than I, have posted long scientific explanations here in these Forums, as to WHY plants need their 6 hours of darkness (photosynthesis, chlorophyll, transpiration, etc, just some of the reasons mentioned) ... IF you grow a plant at 24 hour cycle, it will grow, and be healthy (but, it's another instance of a WEED, that grew DESPITE your changes, not because of them) ... but, it's your plant, do as you please :jointsmile:

[darbolah]

i would listen to him....he sounds good :)

Good Luck

[the image reaper]

i would listen to him....he sounds good :)

Good Luck

thanks for the compliment, but I've never been 'good' at anything :D ... I've just made about every possible mistake, and I experimented a lot (and I'm one blessed S.O.B. :D) so, I try to help others avoid the waste of time ... that's the worst part about a grow gone bad, 'the lost time' ... hey, ya get morbid, when ya start gettin' old :D

[darbolah]

haha, having lived a rich life doesnt mean you havent made wrong decisions more so you have made those mistakes and learnt from them.

Also i wouldnt mind you help with something, i was wanting to swap from hydro to soil as i want to start a little more basic as im having some troubles with ph using hydro. Anything you would suggest ? soil/soiltype/ph/methods ect.

Thanks imagereaper :)

[ojitos1985]

holy hell 40+ years growing cannabis makes you here the most advanced and experienced grower...

[darbolah]

yeah no joke

[the image reaper]

holy hell 40+ years growing cannabis makes you here the most advanced and experienced grower...

nope, that's not me, at all, several growing geniuses have been in this Forum, but I ain't one of them :jointsmile: ... I didn't have grow books when I started, as a teenager ... I just treated them like tomatoes ... I grew for many years under fluorescent tubes only, just moving up to high-pressure lamps about 3 years ago ... I never checked pH until just a few years ago :wtf: ... used dirt from the yard, Miracle-Grow in scary amounts :wtf: ... tried all sorts of little 'tricks' ... in those days, the 'experts' belief was that stress made the plant produce more resin, so we did all sorts of strange shit to them ... nails in the stems, extremely high temperatures, the list of stupid ideas goes on and on ... that's why I'm quick to knock down 'experiments' I've already tried, just trying to save y'all some wasted time, and inferior plants ... in fact, I would have to say, the ONLY out-of-the-ordinary cultivation 'trick' that really shows results, was my trials with molasses ... it really does build denser buds ... (it's about time an experiment worked) remember: when in doubt, grow 'em like tomatoes :D (it's a WEED, keep it simple) ... :smokin:

[the image reaper]

haha, having lived a rich life doesnt mean you havent made wrong decisions more so you have made those mistakes and learnt from them.

Also i wouldnt mind you help with something, i was wanting to swap from hydro to soil as i want to start a little more basic as im having some troubles with ph using hydro. Anything you would suggest ? soil/soiltype/ph/methods ect.

Thanks imagereaper :)

just follow your basic soil rules : a loose, well-drained soil ... peat is acidic and bad, but it's almost impossible to find soil without peat in it ... so, I just find a decent potting soil, and add a quart of perlite per gallon, plus a cup of dolomite lime, that buffers and sweetens the soil ... I personally had burning problems with the popular Fox Farms Ocean Forest soil ... it is excellent for developing plants, but it was just too 'hot' for my young seedlings ... others have no problems, so I suspect some strains may be more sensitive ... read the ingredients labels carefully, some have already added fertilizers, that will work in the soil for the first few weeks ... IF this is the soil you have, you will be restricted as to what you can feed, without problems ...regardless, you will be transplanting to larger pots after a few days, so you can g to the FFOF then ... I think a lot of what you need for soil growing is in the Basic Growing and Indoor gowing sections ... good luck (I prefer soil over hydro too, but hydro rules for speed of growth and yield) :jointsmile:

[darbolah]

thanks heaps mate :)

Il take it all into consideration

Peace

[oldmac]

How about a thought from another, let's say "older" grower.

Both 24/0 and 18/6 work, I sometimes take my moms to 24 hr to hurry things along to keep to a cuttings schedule.

The main reason I use the 18/6 tho is help with CO2;
My mom room is next to the bloom room. For the 6 hrs the moms are off, they take in oxygen and put off co2....the bloom room recieves its air from moms. wa-la.

See, I'm old and frugal.

[darbolah]

indeed you are :)
Your ideas interest me :P so i might do that once i get my bloom room up and running.

Thanks

[darbolah]

bored

[SimonSaysSmoke]

Im a noob.. By 18/6 are you saying on the 7th day no light at all?? Why is that is the main question??? what purpose does it serve to do that? why not just 18hrs each day?

[Fencewalker]

18/6 means 18 hours on and 6 hours off, each day. ;)

It's been established for many many many years now that cannabis is a C3 plant. It does not need a dark period.

C3 plants gather CO2 only during the light period when they are photosynthesizing. As long as the light is on, C3 plants gather and use CO2 for photosynthesis.

Some growers practice a version of anthropomorphism with their plants. They believe that since people need rest, plants do as well. Concerning cannabis, this is not true.

Every grower can make a personal choice about light cycle. They can save on their electric bill or prolong ballast/bulb life. 18/6 can be less of a "shock" when changing over to 12/12 for flowering than 24/0 or heat issues can be addressed by fewer hours of light, but basic botany has proven long ago that cannabis needs no dark period.

Ed Rosenthal, Mel Frank and Robert Clarke all have covered this extensively over their careers. ;)

Marijuana Botany Chapter 1 - Sinsemilla Life Cycle of Cannabis (http://www.mellowgold.com/grow/mjbotany-removed/marijuanabotany1.html)
Need the dark (http://www.cannabisculture.com/articles/3127.html)

[stra8outtaWeed]

http://boards.cannabis.com/basic-growing/181723-growing-more-females-seed.html

:thumbsup:

[Rusty Trichome]

...but basic botany has proven long ago that cannabis needs no dark period.

Really old thread, but...
24/0 is possible, but in no way is it better.
In my garden, I've tried both ways on more than one occation. Never will I go back to a 24/0 schedule. It doesn't make for faster harvests, doesn't make the plants bulk more, doesn't taste 'better'. The only good thing I like about 24/0 is when rooting clones. But then you have to closely monitor moisture levels in the clone tray.

Nice info, stra8outtaWeed. :thumbsup:

[stra8outtaWeed]

i know it was an old thread but i see folks reading it and just bugs the hell out of me to have erroneus info here...the only reason i run a longer light schedule is i have one plant if she gets 6 hours of darkness she is trying to flower so i run 22/2 to give em a little rest! :jointsmile: