So after much researching the general conses I've seen is 12/12 is the best/most common light cycle for blooming plants. But after looking in multiple places, I've seen no verifiable reason as to WHY 12/12 is the best light cycle. The reason I'm so curious, especially for a scientific answer, is because I just got into a debate with a friend who vehemently believes 11/13, 10/14, or even 9/15 are all better then 12/12. His only reasoning as to why I am wrong is that he is 30 years older then I am, thus has decades more experience, thus anything he does is the absolute best and correct way, i.e he is a pretentious ass who believes since I have grown only a couple years and get my knowledge from science and books rather then trial and error I must be wrong. Anyways yeah, anyone know exactly why 12/12 is the norm?
because just like 18/6 it Replicated the Perfect Hours for a perfect Day. 18/6 Would be a perfect summer day and 12/12 would be a perfect Fall Day. meaning the plant flowers in fall because its an annual Plant so it signals it to produce seeds for next year. And hightimes posted a study saying 12/12 Produces alot more THC then 11/13 10/14 etc...
When daily light cycles drop below around 14 hours of light, plants can begin to flower. The lower light cycle causes a hormonal shift in the plants and begins the flowering process. 12/12 is used because pretty much every strain of Mj will flower under the cycle. Even in flower however plants need light to grow. Light makes buds. Running a 9/15 light cycle will do nothing that will effect the hormonal change versus 12/12. All it will mean is 3 hours less light per day, and 3 hours less growth.
In flower you have two competing things you want to do to/for the plant: - give it as much light energy as possible - give enough dark to keep it in flower Obviously these conflict with each other, so requires a balance to optimize the effects of both goals. There may be a different light cycle that would be better for a particular strain, but 12/12 is the decided-upon best balance for keeping all strains in flower and giving them as much light as possible. Give a MJ plant any more light and it might stay in flower, then again it might not. Give it more dark and you are just depriving it of energy for bud production.