Flipping the switch to 12/12 VS gradual change

SpaceBuddha

SpaceBuddha

Well-Known Member
What are the pros and cons of flipping the switch to 12/12 at once and what are those of doing a gradual switch? which do you prefer and why?

I know gradual switch increases veg time, and isn't the flip over night a bit harsh (considering how this happens out in the nature) ?
 
Budbrother69

Budbrother69

Active Member
I think gradual switch is waist of time. Just because things happen in nature doesn't mean its necessarily better for the plants. On my current grow I switched from 2 months of 24/0 to 36 hours of darkness then started 12/12 and I really like how my ladies responded to it. Had buds growing in 1-2 weeks
 
Slipon

Slipon

Well-Known Member
Im in no hurry, so I do it gradual

also, as you said, maybe more natural and less stressful

ther is also another fact, if you Veg under one light (I use T5HOs) and flower under another you might want a bit veg time with the "flowering light" in my case a 600W HPS tho I just switch to LED, so you Etc don't both smack it with a big HID light and cut the hrs at the same time, but dunno what the pros and cons really are or if it make any different ?
 
SpaceBuddha

SpaceBuddha

Well-Known Member
Budbrother69 said:
I think gradual switch is waist of time. Just because things happen in nature doesn't mean its necessarily better for the plants. On my current grow I switched from 2 months of 24/0 to 36 hours of darkness then started 12/12 and I really like how my ladies responded to it. Had buds growing in 1-2 weeks
Click to expand...
So what exactly is the point of this long dark period? Doesn't irregular light cycle risk ur plants of herming?
 
Blazin Purps

Blazin Purps

Well-Known Member
I almost always run 24/0 straight to 12/12 without an extra dark period and have always had great results, that has just been my personal experience though.
 
Dwezelitsame

Dwezelitsame

Well-Known Member
i just switchum
gana take plants almost a week to adjust anyway
in my years of growing it never gave me a problem
i use bud blood by A N now a few days before switch

an all is good in my hood
 
Cobnobuler

Cobnobuler

Well-Known Member
I always switch directly from 18-6 to 12-12. As mentioned here, I continue to use my veg light ( 400 MH) for a few more days before switching to my 400 HPS light. I continue the vegging nutes too for 2 weeks and the leaves don't seem to drop too soon that way, and it stays a healthier green. I dont use any darkness till the very end when I throw her in a closet for 48 hours before the chopping block. Whether or not that helps anything I have no idea, but I'm satisfied with the end results most of the time.
 
Julius Caesar

Julius Caesar

Active Member
I use 18/6 for veg and it keeps all of my photoperiod strains in a vegetative state. I once tried 16/8 and had a male Afghani #1 begin to develop flowers. I didn't wait to see if the females would flower - I switched back to 18/6. Males will usually develop quicker than females, but this incident shows that certain strains - especially Indicas - will respond to even as little as 8 hours of darkness. Pure Sativas would probably always require 12 hours.

On my next grow I am thinking about reducing the light period by 1 hour each day. This would only add 6 days to the transition, and I hope this may help reduce some of the initial stretch.
 
Bilbo Baggins

Bilbo Baggins

Well-Known Member
Ive heard it argued by growers here whom I have a great respect for that when vegging is over, give them 24 hours of darkness then go to 12/12 apparently this helps the plant switch to a flowering state faster and ultimately means a little less stretch
 
cicbloom

cicbloom

New Member
20180524_225441.jpg
Bilbo Baggins said:
Ive heard it argued by growers here whom I have a great respect for that when vegging is over, give them 24 hours of darkness then go to 12/12 apparently this helps the plant switch to a flowering state faster and ultimately means a little less stretch
Click to expand...
I tried gradually changing the light from 18/6 to 12/12 over the course of a week and if anything saw more stretch. .i am keeping my light lower this time and trying to grow them more squatty and bushy this time. .i am going to flower next week and may try this. .thanks for the tip brother. .hope to see u soon. .
 
Last edited:
N

nmibud

Well-Known Member
I run perpetual with one area on 18-6 the other is 12-12.They have no choice,clones will transition faster than seed plants.It seems that plants under high output leds mature faster as well.
 
GanjaSnake

GanjaSnake

Well-Known Member
Ok, so I've done this both ways many times... When I gradual change the lighting I do it to purposely stretch them out a little more.

As an example, I grow perpetual scrog style... Some strains are slow to veg/stretch. When that happens I'll change the lighting gradually over the course of 2-3 weeks to purposely stretch them out to fill in the screen better. But typically I just go from 24/0 to 12/12 and call it good.
 
Piratemccall

Piratemccall

Active Member
SpaceBuddha said:
So what exactly is the point of this long dark period? Doesn't irregular light cycle risk ur plants of herming?
Click to expand...
No, issues happen when you interrupt the dark cycle, not extend it or interrupt the light cycle. It's the hormones grown in dark that can't be disturbed. As an example, you could flip to flower, and during the 12 hours of day, you could flick the lights on and off 15 minutes at a time and they'd grow normal, just slower. But, if you flicked the lights on and off during the 12 hours of night they'll re veg or hermie, they'll fuck up.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top