20/4 is recommended for autoflowering strains. I usually go 18/6 just to give the ballast some downtime. -C
so more or less pros of 18/6 is that u save electricity and temp is easier to deal with. in the summer it helps to have the 6 hours of dark from 10-4 so that the added mid day heat doesnt push your plants over the heat threshold while ure off at work and not able to pay a lot of attention to them 24/0 will REALLY kill your electric bill more then you think. the cost per keeping a bulb going is normally based on having it on for 5 hours max a day( read the fine print on those nice money saver sheets they give u with your bulbs) and bulbs that are left on constantly have a MUCH higher chance of shorting out. From all records tho, it does give faster growth.
i use 24 on from seedling to sprout through veg and then the week before i want to got to flowering i put them in 20 on 4 off for a few days then 18/6 to slowly introduce the flowering 12/12 shcedule. (my opinion the best results for flower having done 14 on 10 off and 11 on 13 off)
If your using CFLs go with 24 hours, but to save energy you might want to cut back with say 1000w HID. I use 1000w MH for veg on 20/4 light cycle
I've been using 24/0 since the beginning of my grow (which has been approx 2 weeks since germination). Do you guys recommend sticking to 24/0 throughout all of vegging until flowering, then switch right to 12/12?
ya during summers i run a 18/6 because it gets into the 90's sometimes 100's where i am at, so try to kill lights at 1pm and start again at 7pm then when fall hits and it starts to cool down i run for 24hours, i also have my exhaust hooked into my floor vent so the heat from my hoods actually heat up the house when it gets cold.