Well i usually veg my plants 24/7 but i had to turn my lights off for 10 hours today due to some work outside. When i came back home i swear all my plants grew .5-2.5"!! i know this because one of my plants were not touching the light but was close to the CFL. And when i came back the whole plant was touching the light.. instead of just one stem... has anyone else experienced this?
i keep my led on 24 hours in veg because it isn't as strong as hid so the 6 extra hours kinda makes up for the less light
Well depending on the strain it can start flowering after 8-10 hours of darkness. So technically you started to flower which your plants always stretch a bunch. When the light is off the plant is reaching for light cause stretching. And stretching will give you weak branches and all sorts of other problems. Go 18/6 if you don't like 24. Just my opinion take it or leave it but good luck.
Well letss seee....... The night time is the streching time, When plants stretch its at night. THATS WHY THErE IS A NIGHT TIME!. But when you have NO night time, the plants have no need to stretch for the light the next day. So they just grow new sets/nods without growth inbetween. Thats why when you turn your lights 12/12 the Shoot up in hieght 100%-300% taller, in a mear few weeks.
This is the same debate im having in another thread right now with some other members... I use 18/6 and think its the best way to veg, but everybody else seems to think that 24/0 is the best way, and say that using 24/0 to veg will grow a better yeilding plant, and overall growth... Supposedly... Whats the deal with 24/0? and if its better than why do so many people use 18/6? And is it so much better that i should seriously consider switching?
What's better, soil or hydro? That's the kind of question this ends up becoming. 24/0 works great... so does 18/6. Try them both if you get the chance... the more experience you have the easier it becomes to choose the schedule that works best for you. Generally more lights on time = denser, bushier and tighter nodes... while more dark time = taller lankier more spaced out nodes. It's an easy mistake to assume a plant that is stretching taller is growing more than a plant that is staying more dense and compact, but that's not always the case. Again, this distinction becomes more clear with experience. My personal opinion = find and use whatever light cycle is most appropriate for your grow.
Good post. I actually compromise and do a 20/4 cycle. The 4 hours of darkness are scheduled for the hottest hours of the day, which is the only reason I actually turn the lights off. My experience has shown the difference between a 20/4 and a 24/7 schedule is noticeable, albeit quite marginal. Hope that helps!
think about it, 24 hours of light is 6 hours more light A DAY for the plant, that is 42 more hours of light a week. I used both in one grow and saw better growth rates with 24/0 also the reason people use 18/6, some believe the plant needs a rest which is obviously debatable. Temperatures are also lowered with 18/6. thats just common said less heat. or you can have your light turn off in the hottest part of the day for...6 hours. Also it cuts down on your power usage. Some think if they dont NEED it why give it to them. Another power consumption difference between the two is, with 18/6 you have a power spike, and power decrease 2 times a day. With 24/7 its constant power usage (yes more, but you dont have to veg as long). I use 24/0 because its 42 more hours a week of light in veg. i hope i have passed on some ideas to think about, your lighting schedule is really up to you as long as its 18/6 or 24/0 (as far as i know)!!
You're safe anywhere in the range of 16-24 hours. This means you can customize a schedule of 22/2 if you wanted the 2 dark hours to foilar feed (or whatever the reason may be).
I like it i was actually thinking about doing the exact same thing!! But heres my situation: I live in a place where heat (nor power) is an issue. So no matter what light schedule i use, it makes no difference other than how the plants grow.. Currently i am using 18/6, but the more i read, the more i start to consider changing it. Somebody explained that in the dark, the plants stretch for the light they last saw, which makes more place between nodes, and if u run 24/0 you get nodes growing without any space in between, making for bushier plants. Well, bushier is better, yes, but do you guys think its a bad thing not to have any space in between the nodes? I mean, if i run 24/0 will the plant be so compact that half the branches are covered by itself anyway? I love the thought of a faster, more productive grow, with bushier buddier plants by running 24/0.... But is there a downside to this that having a dark state would make better? Perhaps the whole 20/4 idea? or 22/2? What does everybody think? Im trying to decide weather or not to change, and what to change to if i do.
your nodes will stretch out when you flip to 12/12 either way. 24/0 just prevents as much stretching as possible before the flip. do you honestly think everyone who tells you its advantageous from a vegetative point of view is misleading you ender??
99 out of 100 times, bushier is better, especially when you don't have to stunt the vertical growth to achieve extra, squat bushiness. You don't often hear somebody say, "man, I wish my plants were stretched out more!" If turning your light(s) off does not do much for the temperature and you do not care about saving a few extra dollars, you are better off doing a 24/0. If your main concern is having a plant with leaves that are being covered due to excessive growth and not receiving adequate light, simply train the leaves around each other and create your own unique canopy. This is actually recommended for anybody in any situation that has extra time.