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I have read that many growers are still vegging in 18/6 or even 16/8 periods. To those of you that do not already know this, photosynthesis occurs in two periods, photolysis (light period) and carbon dioxide fixation (dark period). During photolysis, H2O is spit into H+ and O-- ions and the Oxygen atoms bond together and release through the stomata of the leaves (Transpiration). During carbon dioxide fixation, CO2 plus the H+ ion left from photolysis rearrange and bond to yield C6H12O6 (Glucose) which converts to starches and moves to the meristematic tissue (growth points) of the plant. Both photolysis and carbon dioxide fixation occur during the photo period but only the latter occurs in the dark. Having said that, I would highly recommend giving plants a 24 hour photo period while vegging. This Will give you a potential of 33% higher growth rates.
Hermies can be caused by interupted dark cycles, genetics (common in fem seeds), and especially stress. As long as your environment is under control and your seeds or clones have good genetics, you should be hermie free.
Also, plants have two types of chlorophyll (a and b) that each react to a different color temperature. chlorophyll A reacts to the Blue/violet part of the spectrum and is typically 3x more apparent in plants other than cannabis. Chlorophyll B reacts to the red/orange part of the spectrum and in cannabis, is more apparent than chlorophyll A. Knowing this, a high pressure sodium bulb will be more efficient for both vegging and flowering than a metal halide bulb.
Please respond with any questions, comments, or feedback
Thank you
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