24/0 or 18/6

either, it usually gives about the same results, it's cheaper electric at 18/6. no need to go to 18/6 before flowering

 

I use 24/0 because I find I get less stretching and faster growth. But 18/6 is good when you have hot days and you can have the lights off for a few hours in the hottest part of the day. I'm not sure if 6 hours off per day would save you any electricity when you would have to veg for a bit longer for the plants to reach the required size to flower. But there is no huge difference either way, there really isn't a right or wrong choice on this

 

I run different light schedules depending on the time of the year to help with heat. There really isn't a wrong answer. Either light schedule is fine and the difference is so little it doesn't matter

 

Veg for another 4 weeks some growers like to gradually go into dark periods and the plants do not mind. U could save lighting costs at a slight loss of yield. So it is really up to u.

 

I go down the middle with 20/4

 

18/6

 

It makes no difference. Imho the only time you need to run 24/0 is when you're rooting clones or revegging a plant. Other than that its just wasting bulb life and electric. Of course, it wont hurt anything its just pointless.

 

Exactly how supaa just put it it makes no difference it's not going to speed the growing process up at all waste of electricity which every dollar matters in a grow and think about it we are re creating nature where in nature does pot grow where there is a constant 24 hours of sun out lol they do need rest even if it's an hour of dark time I've been on 18/6 with no problems my cousin runs 24/0 and waters a lot more with a higher electricity bill and I feel like his plants get stressed out easier everything is the same soil same nutes everything

 

Wait, is that true About the clones? When I have clippings that I'm trying to clone I use a18/6 light schedule. Should I be doing 24/0? I only have about a 75% rooting average on my clones. Would this help?

 

Usually plants started or run very long on 24-0 will flower or at least show severe preflower if any dark is introduced.. Commonly called light shock it can happen with any abrupt change in lighting scheduling..


BNW

 

Done it both ways and measured the progress. I get 25% more growth leaving the lights on. Same clone same lights. No stress and C3 plants don't need a dark period. Few things I do in my grow room look like nature.

 

This is all untrue. I get better growth speed on 24/0 and the extra 6 hours of electricity costs no more than any other 6 hours and it's worth it to veg the plants to a specific size in a shorter time so there is is no saving having it on 18/6, it's certainly not a waste having it on 24/0.


Nature is cruel and harsh. The species may be able to survive but it's a fierce battle out there that most don't survive long enough to breed. This is what drives evolution forward. My plants get far better conditions than anything natural and their health shows it


Bulbs will last much longer if they aren't switched on and off so that point makes no sense at all.


Your cousins plants drink faster because they are growing faster so you are sort of contradicting yourself with that point


Plants don't rest, comparing plants to animals is just silly. Plants aren't exercising, they are growing. When it's dark you have cut off their energy source so growth slows to a stop until they get that energy source again


There's nothing wrong with having your lights on 18/6 but your reasoning is incorrect

 

who only runs a bulb 6 hours??? 18/6 means 18 hours on, 6 hours off. Turning a bulb on and off constantly does shorten its life

 

In my garden it's 24/0 for low wattage veg, 20/4 for high wattage autoflowers, and 18/6 for high wattage veg.


I've always thought it ironic when people post about nature being better from their artificially lit, climate-controlled homes.

 

the initial fire up of those bulbs shortens their life. The more its fired the shorter life expectancy a bulb has. When a company suggests a bulb runs "X" amounts of hours, that's "X" amount of hours ran straight.