DaveTheNewbie
Well-Known Member
im dubious, but open minded and keen to hear from someone who knows
flowering on 6 light / 18 dark question
- Thread starter Relaxed
- Start date
good questions by all. i have been using a 10hr day, had to as i had light leaking in when i started on 12/12, so they were back and fourth veg flwr veg flwr.
so cut out the light and put on the 10/14 to force start flowering.plants on a 6 hour day will def reduce your yeild by as mch as half. wat you must take into account is although plants can do wat they need to in a 6 hr day they also need to recieve as much energy as possible to have full ripe buds which is why we leave on the big fan leaves for the energy given from the light.imagine it this way feed yourself for 8 weeks with half your normal food intake what happens? you will feel less healthy tired etc etc same with the plants my friend they need plenty of energy to give a strong healty crop.
obviously with different watt lights you will get different results but come on think about it your growing for 1 of 2 reasons money or personal and either way you want the best crop poss. dnt starve your plants of what they crave they wont be happy and will let you know about it.
so cut out the light and put on the 10/14 to force start flowering.plants on a 6 hour day will def reduce your yeild by as mch as half. wat you must take into account is although plants can do wat they need to in a 6 hr day they also need to recieve as much energy as possible to have full ripe buds which is why we leave on the big fan leaves for the energy given from the light.imagine it this way feed yourself for 8 weeks with half your normal food intake what happens? you will feel less healthy tired etc etc same with the plants my friend they need plenty of energy to give a strong healty crop.
obviously with different watt lights you will get different results but come on think about it your growing for 1 of 2 reasons money or personal and either way you want the best crop poss. dnt starve your plants of what they crave they wont be happy and will let you know about it.
RickWhite
Well-Known Member
If your electric bill is that high you are likely using an old malfunctioning ballast. To reduce electric cost, get a good electronic ballast.
The point of the 12 hour dark period is to cause a photochemical response by the plant that causes flowering. Once that is accomplished, the plant should be supplied with as much light as possible. Are there diminishing returns? Maybe - I don't know. A large seed bank has a different goal in mind so that isn't really relevant info.
I could be wrong but it sounds like depriving a flowering plant of as much light as possible is an unsound practice. I think the question should be can we somehow shorten the dark period and not adversely affect the flowering hormones.
The point of the 12 hour dark period is to cause a photochemical response by the plant that causes flowering. Once that is accomplished, the plant should be supplied with as much light as possible. Are there diminishing returns? Maybe - I don't know. A large seed bank has a different goal in mind so that isn't really relevant info.
I could be wrong but it sounds like depriving a flowering plant of as much light as possible is an unsound practice. I think the question should be can we somehow shorten the dark period and not adversely affect the flowering hormones.
fried at 420
Well-Known Member
thats wat i do is 18/6 now cuz im vegging seedlings
fried at 420
Well-Known Member
then ima switch it for flowering for 6/18
Gdaddy
Active Member
Well my ballast is basically brand new, only used for one grow cycle so far. I wish I had gotten a 600w electronic, it would be enough for my space and would have helped keep the temp in check, but i went with the 1000w instead because i thought I should get the more powerful set up since the cost was basically the same.
The deal with the electricity bill is around here, maybe everywhere for all I know, the more you use the more they charge per killowatt. Say for an example 10c per killowatt up to x amount, after that amount they charge 17c per kw, then 22c per kw after another usage limit, I can't remember if those figures are correct but just an example. I was growing in the middle of winter and my house as electric heat plus I was vegging 24/0 under a 1000w for 2 months and then 12/12 for another 2 1/2 months so all of a sudden my bill tripled even though I wasn't using triple the amount of electricity. It fucking sucked.
The deal with the electricity bill is around here, maybe everywhere for all I know, the more you use the more they charge per killowatt. Say for an example 10c per killowatt up to x amount, after that amount they charge 17c per kw, then 22c per kw after another usage limit, I can't remember if those figures are correct but just an example. I was growing in the middle of winter and my house as electric heat plus I was vegging 24/0 under a 1000w for 2 months and then 12/12 for another 2 1/2 months so all of a sudden my bill tripled even though I wasn't using triple the amount of electricity. It fucking sucked.
Relaxed
Well-Known Member
holly shit think u should check out t5s for veg save $$ with good results
Boulderheads
Well-Known Member
I know my OD crop does not get more than 6-8 hours of direct sunlight at all, cuz all the surrounding vegetation is twice as tall. They look wonderful even though they don't get full sun all day. Maybe as someone mentioned before, if you have a large room and run 1 light for 6 hours, then the other for 6 hours. This way they are getting 12 hrs of light, but only 6 of direct, 6 indirect. And you could keep the 12 hours the same but still use half the power than using both lights at the same time. I am sure this is going to take lotsa experimentation. But I am in for the long haul. Lets try to figure this out.
RickWhite
Well-Known Member
Ok, first the optimal light phase for vegging is 18 hours. Beyond that you get little in return.
Also, your vegging area should typically be 1/4 the size of your flowering area. You should read up on the sea of green method.
It sounds like there is a lot you coud improve uppon before shortening light cycles.
An experienced grower would take cuttings and root them for 3 weeks, veg for 2 weeks under say a 400W MH and them switch to 12/12 for 8 weeks. Your plants will continue to grow very fast for 2 weeks after switching to 12/12.
Also, look into light movers. They save on electric and hit the plants with light from varying angles.
Boulderheads
Well-Known Member
Try getting a gas water heater, or switching to a tankless. Also switch out your electric dryer and electric stove for gas or propane. Add a pellet stove for the winter time to reduce electric consumption. just some ideas.
Gdaddy
Active Member
Now I'm vegging in a cabnet under flouros, which is working out fine but maybe a little slower than I would like. I've never really heard of the 1/4 for vegging, i've got a 10x5 space that i'm going to use to veg at 18/6 for a couple weeks under the 1000w mh before I put them in flower under the 1000w hps. The 1000w is what i've got to work with, and it works great except it eats electricity like mad, i can't get another H.I.D light for veg right now and the flouros are fine. My last grow was from seed and i didn't keep a mother. This time I grew a mother and took about 12 clones. I'm going to keep them alot smaller than last time.
RickWhite
Well-Known Member
OK, in that case grow under the fluoros - those you leave on 24 hours. If you only have the one HID do just like you said. Obviously you will need to move the plants into the flower room when they crowd.
Now if you are growing from seed, that is a whole other matter.
hightimesreader
New Member
i have/had an old issue of high times from the mid 90`s and i believe according to ed rosenthal, u can use the 6 on 18 off cycle, the plant does everything in approx 6 hrs it needs to do like stated in a comment below, ive always used it with success, but this time im trying 11 on and 13 off. but 6 on 18 off works also, i also veg under 24 hrs tho
hightimesreader
New Member
i have/had an old issue of high times from the mid 90`s and i believe according to ed rosenthal, u can use the 6 on 18 off cycle, the plant does everything in approx 6 hrs it needs to do like stated in a comment below, ive always used it with success, but this time im trying 11 on and 13 off. but 6 on 18 off works also, i also veg under 24 hrs tho
farmerfischer
Well-Known Member
If you want to see an active reduced light cycle .. check out @torontoke journals. He's running a 8 /16 schedule .. I run a 10/14 schedule..
farmerfischer
Well-Known Member
I went as low as 9/15 and most of the plants did fine.. I'm currently doing my normal time 10/14 .. kind of a muti-strain sea of green..
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charface
Well-Known Member
Page 146 marijuana botany
Robert connell clarke
Not going to copy it all but in the paragraph concerning factors influencing thc production he says.
"research has shown (valle et al. 197
that twice as much thc is produced under a 12 hour photoperiod than under a 10 hour photoperiod"
Not saying he is the end all be all but figured it was at least worth posting here.
Robert connell clarke
Not going to copy it all but in the paragraph concerning factors influencing thc production he says.
"research has shown (valle et al. 197
that twice as much thc is produced under a 12 hour photoperiod than under a 10 hour photoperiod"Not saying he is the end all be all but figured it was at least worth posting here.
Gquebed
Well-Known Member
What? HahahahahahahaPage 146 marijuana botany
Robert connell clarke
Not going to copy it all but in the paragraph concerning factors influencing thc production he says.
"research has shown (valle et al. 197
Not saying he is the end all be all but figured it was at least worth posting here.
Does that guy even know what a THC is ffs?
If he did he wouldnt write something so stupid as twice as much thc is produced at 12 hours, opposed to 10 hrs.
So i googled the book. It was written in 1981. Nuff said...
farmerfischer
Well-Known Member
Was he using mixed spectrums during flower?Page 146 marijuana botany
Robert connell clarke
Not going to copy it all but in the paragraph concerning factors influencing thc production he says.
"research has shown (valle et al. 197
Not saying he is the end all be all but figured it was at least worth posting here.