I have a question to settle a dispute between a friend and I. I say that you need to use either a 24/0 or 18/6 light cycle for a two to three months to let the plant get large, and then switch to 12/12 to induce flowering. My friend says that you can use a 12/12 light cycle from when you plant the seed, and the plant will grow just as high and be as good as if you start with a 24/0 or 18/6 and then switch to 12/12 later. Doesn't cannabis usually keep growing until you induce flowering (although I'm sure there's some point where it will eventually flower without a photoperiod change)? Thank you.
i can tell ya that for sure a plant under 18/6 will grow bigger and stronger then a plant raised under 12/12. every plant is different. even clones never grow the same. to answer your question it would be stupid to raise a plant under 12/12 constant
I have heard of starting plants in 12/12 and it working out fine, but the plant has no chance of becoming as big as it would if you had started it in veg so you will get less bud, but you will get it faster.
Your friend needs to grow a plant before he tells others how to do it! You must run at 24/0 or 18/6 or so until you turn to flower. Weed is a light dependent flowering plant. It must have 12/12 or less light to flower. Period. (with the exception of the species Ruderalis, which is NOT photoperiod dependent, but time dependent)
Lots of folks here do only 12/12 (no veg cycle). It is a way to grow a short plant and harvest in a minimum amount of total time. It works great, except you have to be satisfied with a small yeild per plant. The plants mature right away and stop growing upward in 20 days or so. So if you have a low ceiling height, it might be the way to go. Not a dumb way or a wrong way to grow weed. It's just one of many. Now 3 months of veg time (24/0 or 18/6) seems excessive to most growers. On average, most indoor growers veg 30 days (give or take). You can go more or less depending on your strain, room constraints, lighting type (HID of CFL), and medium (hydro or soil). 30 days is a good starting point for your veg cycle (24/0 or 18/6). To get my target finished height, I only veg 10 days total. My plants tend to stretch throughout the flowering cycle. Best of luck, R.
well said rump... he knows his shit boys... pay attention PS his plants are not the only ones that stretch all do...
(although I'm sure there's some point where it will eventually flower without a photoperiod change) Some growers keep female plants as mothers, which can be grown in the vegetative state for up to 2 years that I know of, and probably more. But there are certain strains out there which "autoflower" without any change in the light cycle. I'm not sure if these can be kept as mothers, or if they would still flower under 24 hours of sunlight...