Why 18 hours works for me

[thcreactor]

O.K here are a few reasons to run your veg 18 hours instead of 24.

1. You can run 25% more wattage for the same money. (so a 250w on 24 will cost close to a 400 on 18).

2. In a sog or perp harvest where your veg is running constantly 24 or 18 will have no effect on yield though it will have a large impact on electricity consumption.

3. It is simply more natural for the plant.

To be fair I will say that if you have to run the same light for veg and flower 24 may speed things up. But if efficiency is your goal 18 is the way to go hands down.

Any arguements?

[babystarbud]

i run 18/6 personally.

i think its just a matter of preference, 24 hrs will probably ( ive never tried it )
give slightly faster veging at the trade off for more power, but then if your vegging longer with 18/6 your going to use more power anyway.

i go with point 3, its more natural for the plant.

[thcreactor]

OK even if you are vegging longer on 18/6 the electricity saved = 25%
1 400w bulb 18 hours/day=7200 watts
1 250w bulb 24 hours/day=6000 watts
Know how many more plants you can fit under a 400w compared to a 250? twice as many.

[faithless]

.

Well, all the experts I've read say that 24/7 gives thicker bushes, more bud and shorter time.

The natural cycle argument I don't give too much for. Theres not much natural about a human sprinting 100m in 10 seconds or snatching 140kg or benching 1 000lb without maximizing nutes and training beyond anything natural in our environment. Scientific maximization of the key ingredients has given us the fastest and strongest humans ever, much faster and stronger than we naturally are.

.

[thcreactor]

What "expert" do you know that says that? More bud?

[faithless]

.

Don't have any names memorized, but I've done quite a lot of reading up on the general subject, I seem to remember Ed of High Times amongst others, if you want a name. But from the literature I've read, the conclusion seemed pretty unanimous.

.

[thcreactor]

Ed rosenthal said that? I dont think so.

[faithless]

Hmmm, I think so

[faithless]

Light cycle
by Ed Rosenthal

Marijuana plants continue to photosynthesize as long as there is light and their other needs are met. They do not need a rest period. Turning the light off for 25% of the day decreases growth rate by 25%. This is actually costly because it requires the plants to spend a longer time in the vegetative stage.


http://cannabisculture.com/articles/2082.html

[jamstigator]

Greg Green, Marijuana Grow Bible, for sure. Also my experience, after testing identical clones from the same plant in two exactly identical veg cabs, one running 24/0 and one running 18/6. The one running 18/6 was about a week of growth behind the 24/0 box after one month (which makes sense, since it lost about a week's worth of access to light energy over that time).

The main reason why some people run 18/6 is because their ventilation system isn't adequate to control the temps if the lights are running 24/0. And if you can't control the temps, you risk hermies. But if you can control the temps, and have no other reason to slow down growth, then why would you? I've never found a reasonable answer to that question, personally, so once I'd done the experiment and seen what I needed to see with my own two eyes, that was enough for me and I've been 24/0 ever since.

[thcreactor]

Ok where does Ed say you get more bud?

[faithless]

.

thcreator, I really don't know, this is not the only comment he has ever made on lighting. From my reading up, it seemed to be the most common opinion, my Ed quote was just the first 30 second google I found by him on the subject. He certainly doesn't agree with the premise of your argument at least. But as Babystarbud said, we all have our own preferences.
I do 24/7, because all the literature I've come across recommends it.

.

[thcreactor]

You dont even understand the premise. I agree that they grow faster under 24 hours.

[faithless]

Oooo bad temper.

1. You can run 25% more wattage for the same money. (so a 250w on 24 will cost close to a 400 on 18).

Ed disagrees: "Turning the light off for 25% of the day decreases growth rate by 25%. This is actually costly because it requires the plants to spend a longer time in the vegetative stage."

2. In a sog or perp harvest where your veg is running constantly 24 or 18 will have no effect on yield though it will have a large impact on electricity consumption.

Ed disagrees: "Turning the light off for 25% of the day decreases growth rate by 25%. This is actually costly because it requires the plants to spend a longer time in the vegetative stage."

I believe Ed more than you, thanks a lot.

.

[thcreactor]

And where is Ed today?

[thcreactor]

OK I didnt mean it like that

[faithless]

And shorter time will definitely just in itself have a higher yield if you're doing perpetual cloning.

.

[thcreactor]

Just read what he says and take it for gospel. In the end rapid growth is the only factor that really matters right?
Forget efficiency or space.

[faithless]

.

Yawn. You weren't talking about efficiency or space previously, god knows what that has to do with light cycle anyway, apart from 24/7 most likely being more efficient.

I've already told you that I've read quite a bit, not just Ed.
You were immediately called out on your points with two famous cannabis growers as sources.

Where is Ed? Where are you? You didn't seem to be objecting to his proffessionalism when you were doubting my claim that he preffered 24/7.

.

[thcreactor]

No check me out okay my veg room 400w 2'/4'/2' will Supply me the 5 12" clones i need every week no matter if I use 18 or 24. From the cloner to 12" only takes 2-3 weeks.

[faithless]

Well great. I'm happy for you.

[thcreactor]

My whole point was efficiency. And what i said was I dont think any 'expert' would claim more bud from 24 hours during the veg cycle.

[thcreactor]

Ed is in jail I believe B.T.W

[thcreactor]

No Emory is who im thinking of

[MegaOctane12]

This has already been covered very recently, posted by Anathema2121, you can probaly find this thread further down the page but here it is again.

And like I said, natural outdoor conditions are irrelevant to a plant grown indoors for #Number of generations :-




Check out this thread, it covers it pretty well http://boards.cannabis.com/showthread.php?t=79571


Quote:
Originally Posted by Anathema2121
Yeah, some plants absorb co2 they use during their dark cycle, but marijuana is not one of them. It is classified as a c3 plant meaning it uses the co2 it gathers during the light cycle and does not need a rest (dark) period. So sayeth Ed Rosenthal

http://cannabisculture.com/articles/3127.html

Cannabis plants do not need a rest period, unlike some plants. And as far as the "dark" reactions necessary for the completion of photosynthesis, there aren't any requiring darkness, just some not requiring the presense of light.



Quote by Captain Bowlpiece:
"Thanks Spunjah!

The main thing to keep in mind is that the indoor experience is not a replica of outdoors. The strains that are best suited for indoor growth have been bred and grown indoors for generations. Whether you grow in soil or hydro, under fluoros or HID, the only link between the indoor grower and the outdoor grower has to do with plant mechanics. Things like uptake of water and nutes, maturing, sexing. These are basics that exist in both worlds. For that matter, the production of sugars is basically the same in both worlds as well. It's just with the indoor world, we can control many more of the factors than the outdoor farmer. We choose when to go from a vegetative timetable to a flowering one. We decide on ALL the factors of a grow. Humidity, temperature, the works. Let's see an outdoor farmer grow his plants to full maturity in just 4 months.

Having said that, the objective of growing indoors has to be kept in mind when deciding whether to go 24/7 or 18/6. If you are trying to create a little piece of the outdoors indoors, then by all means, have a nighttime. You might want to hook up a high velocity fan and blow your plants over once a season to replicate a wind storm, and if you live in the north, perhaps a blast from a CO2 fire extinguisher would seem like frost. Obviously, that is not the point. The goal is the best, biggest crop in the least amount of time. Taking 6 hours a day in the dark means your plants lose 42 hours of growth each week. Why waste all that time when your plant could be photosynthesizing it's green butt off. Plants don't need REST. That's what is so amazing about them. Give them the right ingredients, and they do the rest."

[BONG0]

Light cycle
by Ed Rosenthal

Marijuana plants continue to photosynthesize as long as there is light and their other needs are met. They do not need a rest period. Turning the light off for 25% of the day decreases growth rate by 25%. This is actually costly because it requires the plants to spend a longer time in the vegetative stage.


http://cannabisculture.com/articles/2082.html


He is rite, the plant that is supplyed all its nutes it dosent need to rest it like a mechanical device that has full power and ideal conditions to operate, it dosent need to rest.

[BONG0]

Oooo bad temper.

1. You can run 25% more wattage for the same money. (so a 250w on 24 will cost close to a 400 on 18).

Ed disagrees: "Turning the light off for 25% of the day decreases growth rate by 25%. This is actually costly because it requires the plants to spend a longer time in the vegetative stage."

2. In a sog or perp harvest where your veg is running constantly 24 or 18 will have no effect on yield though it will have a large impact on electricity consumption.

Ed disagrees: "Turning the light off for 25% of the day decreases growth rate by 25%. This is actually costly because it requires the plants to spend a longer time in the vegetative stage."

I believe Ed more than you, thanks a lot.

.

HAHAHAH i have to agree agin.... hes rite man, go do some research of the research done by the long time pros befor you go throwing your half cocked theorys around with your limited growing experiance LOL

[gmoney5ss]

Im not trying to argue with anyone on this topic, but i had my lights run 24/0 for a month now and just now started a 20/0 period.. and from my experience the plant seems to pick up alot of growth in its short dark period.. i dont want to get technical with all of you its just something i noticed, more like a break than rest and whether its been tested time in an time out you just never know how each individual will react to a little darkness, mine seem to pick up growth with 4 hours of dark and kinda gets them ready for the next 20 hours of light..

[faithless]

.

Just mildly theorizing, but perhaps it could be that they shoot up noticably after resting for some hours, but that their growth halted during their rest?

.

[JEFFAR420]

Faithless Im lovin the avatar, I have a beagle myself.. Do you have one aswell, or jus like the picture?

They are crazy dogs, they love to bark at anything that moves..

Also this thead has made me change my mind about my box, I beleive Im goin with 24/0 now.. Im gana be starting from a clone and want maximum root production so 24/0 would make sense right?

[thcreactor]

For the record my experience isn't limited. Anyone who thinks yields improve from 24 go with it. My point is clear.
If anyone can tell me how running my light 24 hours will do anything but waste electricit,. And maybe save 1 sq ft of space.

[JEFFAR420]

Im not doing it for yeild, Im doing it for improved vegetation growth..Which is what I think everyone has been trying to point out.

[faithless]

.

Haha, long story about the beagle. I'm actually a cat person originally, I was attacked 3 times as a kid by dogs and grew up pretty wary of them, whilst having 5 cats in our home.
Slowly as an adult, I've overcome my fear of dogs and now like them, but it took years.

I was lucky to be visited by a chick in the wee hours a while back who had her Rottweiler with her. It sat in my sofa for 6 hours while we frolicked, 70kg of utterly calm and dignified muscle and I just fell in love with it.

I started to really get into the idea of having a dog after that, and started checking up on different breeds. A friend offered me a pitbull pup for free, but I had already fallen in love with two other breeds: the Boxer and the Beagle.
But Boxers live for such a short time, that I gave that idea up.

I generally don't really like small dogs, I want them a bit beefy and boisterous, but I just fell in love with the character of the Beagle and the way they look, even though they're quite small.
In particular, I love the fact that they're famous for their heart and bravery, together with their intelligence and adventurous nature.
Haven't got one yet, but I'm still really interested in it.

Trouble is, my company went bankrupt a year ago, so I'm suddenly pretty broke these days, and I want to make sure I can take care of a dog properly first.

My first experience with clones started two weeks ago, and they're much more fragile than seedlings, so be very gentle with nutes and light in the beginning. Seedlings I could throw about the place pretty much how I wanted, but the clones protested immediately when I tried to rush things a bit.

But I've been doing 24/7 all the way, just had to lift the lamp a yard away and slowly bring it down.

So tell me about your beagle?

.

[faithless]

.

thcreactor, I really don't want to get off on the wrong side with anyone here, I find this forum really pleasant and helpful.
Sorry about the earlier altercation, we all have our favorite methods and its beneficial for everyone if we debate them here. Peace.

.

[gmoney5ss]

.

Just mildly theorizing, but perhaps it could be that they shoot up noticably after resting for some hours, but that their growth halted during their rest?

.

could be, i just seem to notice a bit of growth for the 4 hours the lights are off, but you might be right.. in my mind if the growth halts that give the plants time to really take in the nutrients and water to start fresh when they come back on.. what do you think?

[psychocat]

I am of the opinion that as close an emulation of "natural" conditions as possible is best, no country where cannabis is natural has light 24 hours a day so I fail to see why my plants should be treat any differently.

Each to their own but I would say it "stresses" the plants and I prefer to keep as close to nature as possible.

[faithless]

.

Personally, I'm convinced that 24/7 is faster.
I've been bodybuilding all my life and really into nutrition in that field too.
Now, it may sound like a stupid comparison, but I think there are a lot of similiarities and maximum bodybuilding and all other athletics is about working out just beneath the point of exhaustion.

It's not healthy and it won't make you live longer, but it beefs humans up for the period needed much more than training and eating moderately and naturally.

None of us are trying to create the longest living plant either, we're all trying to reach maximum Belgian Blue cannabis muscle in as short time as possible, so I think once they're strong enough, you want to grow feed and bodybuild the plants just below exhaustion.

If you do some googling, I think you'll find most modern research will agree.
I think the 18/6 regime is either for heating probs as someone mentioned, or an old hippy-gotta-love-your-plant-like-a-family-member sort of myth, apologies thccreator, but thats my take.

.

[faithless]

.

If we were ignoring modern stress techniques, we'd still be smoking weed with 2% THC, like they did in the sixties.
15-20% THC isn't very natural.

A belgian blue, for those who don't know:

[JEFFAR420]

Well, I ended up having to buy another dog just to keep my beagle settled down and tired. They are very energetic dogs and if your up for walking them once a day you should be fine.

If you let them sit around, they will make a habbit of barking.. When he was a pup he would bark at ANYTHING that passed by.. Now he ignores birds and squirrels which we have plenty of.. Unless he is outside then he'll be barking at all the squirrels.. They have a tendancy to run away also, which makes me sad because someday he could escape for good or get hit by a car..

I witnessed him have a near death experience from this, and it was really scary.. Since I'v gotten a second dog (english bull dog) he has settled down quite abit but still loves to yapp at cars,humans and other unfamilar animals..

I live on a dead end so he doesnt see new cars and people everyday. I have bought an invisble fence for him which was quite expensive but very well spent for my dog because he stays behind his bounderies and is smart enough not to go past the line, he will get a shock and as cruel as it sounds I know it doesn't hurt him that bad. He just yelp's once and steps back..

All in all I wouldn't trade him for any other dog in the world because he is such a caring and loveable dog!

[faithless]

.

Haha, the running away and barking...exactly what every beagle owner tells me, feisty little buggers lol

.

[JEFFAR420]

Heres some pics of my beagle, Bowser and one of his companion Rocco looking guilty as usual.. He's only 5 months old.

[faithless]

.

Haha! Oh man, makes my heart go achy breaky.
Hey, your one has only two colors, right?

.

[JEFFAR420]

Yep, its called Lemon and white. But as you can see its basically brown.

[thcreactor]

Faithless I accept the apology. I put this out there for debate. I just want to help people. BTW I also have a beagle mix. Better than A.D.T for an alarm.

[faithless]

.

Beagles and Weed, that sounds like a good name for a lawyer firm. ;)

.

[thcreactor]

I want to be clear on this. I run 18 because I believe you get twice the space for the power you use. My point is misunderstood. If my plants grew 25% faster that would only save me 1 row of 5 quart cups. Perpetual harvesting is my chosen method and I think mine is pretty well tuned.

[gmoney5ss]

haha since we are on the dog subject i thought it post pics of my two awesome dogs, one a rottweiler, hes awesome and is perfect for keeping unwanted people out of my yard, but is the nicest dog ive ever had. and a half lab half chow i think and shes just crazy, barks at everything and plenty of energy.. love em both