Some of the best things happen during the dark

[h4t3smurf]

Originally Posted by Smokeitdown

You can go 42/0 without any problems. Cannabis does NOT need a dark period to grow. Unlike other plants, its photosynthesis is done completely in the light hours, while some plants do part of the process in the dark hours. Therefore, you really do not need a dark time until flowering. Doing a 24/0 schedule will also reduce vertical growth making your plant more bushy.

This is true.

Originally Posted by Drakeroberts

...Ok so Cannabis does it thing in the light...great. That means the darkness only serves to notify the plant what season it is. This is good. This means that if we can find a way to artificially trigger budding cycle ..i.e. supplementing a specific hormone, or some other unknown mechanism---->then we could grow buds under 24/0 light and double production rate. 2 - 12hour cyles in one day. Any one else see what im getting at? All that time in the dark is only doing one thing . . .telling the plant to create buds. If we can do that in place of the dark period of 12 hours then thats time saved right?

As I understand it: Budding is triggered by the build-up of a specific hormone that is only created in the dark. Once this hormone reaches a critical level it alters the plant from veg to bud. The plant willcontinue to bud so long as this critical level is reached each night. SO--> if we artificially introduce that specific triggering hormone then---> the plant should be thinking "Lets bud out" regardless of light a schedual at 24/0...

So is this.

Originally Posted by amoril

the problem is, scientists still havent actually been able to isolate this 'hormone'

in fact, the concept that its a hormone is actually just theory. Granted, a well established one, but not one thats well supported.

what actually does happen, is phytochrome degrades. when phytochrome is in a stable form, the plant grows vegetatively. when the Pr degrades to PBr, the plant initiates flowering.

even when fully established in flowering, the first few hours of the dark period still contain more Pr than PBr.

so, if you really want, try finding someway to artificially degrade the Pr molecule.

*glad amoril clarifies.

for veg, you do NOT need darkness, to flower (unless auto-flower) you DO.

now whether an 18/6 schedule will induce flowering faster after switching to a 12/12 or if going 24/0 then to 12/12 will , who knows? good test for you guys to try out.

plants can pre-flower under 24/0 and 18/6 if you give them enough time... and they will continue to build up calyxes until darkness in induced, or until we can re-create/induce more PBr in plants under consatnt light.

so really the debate here is a matter of preference over anything.

i'm sure everyone here has seen very good results under either light schedule.
but like i like to say, results can't be compared unless every condition for the plants are identical, even then, you can only have a close, comparison, nothing to live off of.