I have read a lot of posts that suggest starting the plants of with 24/7 light. I have also read a few posts that suggest 18/6 or some other variation. Does anyone have a full proof recomendation for the amount of light to use in the first few weeks of veg?
I use 18/6 for two reasons: 1) My biology-major roommate told me once that in general, plants grow the most in darkness. During the light they're collecting a lot of energy, and in the dark they spend it on growth. 2) Saves electricity by 25%.
The more light, the faster the plant will grow. You leave the lights on for 24 hours and it will keep producing food and growing.... 18/6 light schedule gives the plant ample time to grow without running up your electric bill with those extra 6 hours. It all depends. In order for it to be 18/6 you either have to buy a timer or make sure you set a schedule for when you go and turn the lights on/off.
Wow, thanks for the fast replies. I am using 18/6 right now. I am not too concerned about an electricity spike (I am using CFL's at the moment and they shouldn't be using more energy than say a computer). I also have a digital timer on it, so setting any light cycle and sticking to it is not a problem. I am a week into my grow and everything looks good so far. When should I adjust the light cycle again?
Depends on how big you want your plants. I'd start flowing (turn the light schedule to 12/12) when they were 12-14".
You can switch to 12/12 whenever you feel like starting the flowering process. The longer you wait, the larger your final plant will be and the more bud you'll get. Most people wait until it's a foot or so tall, but it depends on what kind of grow you're doing and what space you have.
Thanks for the replies guys. I am just using a standard hydro grow. I may experiment with SCROG or SOG in future grows, but I think I am just going to let them grow and see what happens this time.