ApexseasOG
Well-Known Member
Prelude: I am not a scientist nor I pretend to be one. This is my personal opinion based on my experience and research.
Hello everyone,
So I realize this may be an unpopular opinion but here it goes. IMO, the 24/0 light cycle is not only not needed, but it is also a waste of energy and resources, not natural to the cannabis plant by any means and doesn't produce enough benefits to warrant the extra costs or electricity and longevity of equipment. I believe it is an impatient and wasteful way of growing cannabis.
-Not needed: Cannabis plants do not need 24 hours of continuous light. A cannabis plant needs at least 14 hours of exposure to light to remain in its vegetative state and 12 hours of darkness to transition into flower. Cannabis plants grow perfectly fine under a 18/6 or 20/4 light schedule. Personally I've always grown with either 16/8 or 18/6 light cycle and i've always pulled of 5,6 ounces on average from 1 (photoperiod) plant in a relatively small space. In my experience, grows which I've given 16/8 instead of 18/6 have grown better root systems in general and better yield overall come harvest. I believe genetics and overall environment plays an even bigger role than just amount of light exposure to have the biggest and better harvests. Besides, you can achieve the same amount of DLI with a 18/6 cycle than a 24/0 cycle with just more an intense light footprint and exposure in the hours it does receive light.
-Waste of energy and resources: Leaving your light on for 24/0 is not only a waste of electricity but also a waste of natural resources. To me it seems counter intuitive to be a cannabis enthusiast and grower and at the same time be someone who abuses the electrical grid and resources. You can't claim to be "all natural" and love nature while at the same time leaving your 1000w MH on for 24 hours a day for weeks on end; it seems a bit hypocritical to me.
-Not natural to the cannabis plant: Unless a sub species of the cannabis plant is indigenous to the south and north polls, then running your lights 24/0 is not natural to the cannabis plant. As you can see in this graph of the global summer solstice hours of daylight, most regions that have more than 20 hours of daylight are in very cold and remote regions where cannabis plants will not likely be able to survive. Naturally, cannabis is believed to come from central Asia, specifically what is now Mongolia and southern Siberia; during summer solstice; these regions receive no more than 19 hours of day light and for about a month only from June 1 to July 15, beyond those dates the amount of day light decreases. Even the Matanuska valley in Alaska, where the famous Matanuska strain is from, only gets around 19 hours of daylight during it summer solstice and lasts for about a month and a half, afterwards daylight hours are reduced as well.
-The extra costs out weigh the benefits: In any instance where there is added growth speed due to more day light hours, IMO the added growth does not warrant the extra costs. You might see faster veg growth under 24 hours of light but IMO its relative to its genetics and in my experience the added speed is negligible. I personally see more overall yield when the roots are better developed and the plant gets rest during its dark period.
In conclusion, is it my personal opinion that growing in a 24/0 light cycle is wasteful and not necessary. A lot of growers seem to want to find the fastest and easiest way to have a better harvest and in my personal experience faster isn't always better. Cannabis requires patience, dedication and understanding; as in life, there are no short cuts with cannabis and one would do better by following nature as opposed to ones ego; we do not know better than nature and cannabis has survived without us pretending to know better for thousands of years.
Hello everyone,
So I realize this may be an unpopular opinion but here it goes. IMO, the 24/0 light cycle is not only not needed, but it is also a waste of energy and resources, not natural to the cannabis plant by any means and doesn't produce enough benefits to warrant the extra costs or electricity and longevity of equipment. I believe it is an impatient and wasteful way of growing cannabis.
-Not needed: Cannabis plants do not need 24 hours of continuous light. A cannabis plant needs at least 14 hours of exposure to light to remain in its vegetative state and 12 hours of darkness to transition into flower. Cannabis plants grow perfectly fine under a 18/6 or 20/4 light schedule. Personally I've always grown with either 16/8 or 18/6 light cycle and i've always pulled of 5,6 ounces on average from 1 (photoperiod) plant in a relatively small space. In my experience, grows which I've given 16/8 instead of 18/6 have grown better root systems in general and better yield overall come harvest. I believe genetics and overall environment plays an even bigger role than just amount of light exposure to have the biggest and better harvests. Besides, you can achieve the same amount of DLI with a 18/6 cycle than a 24/0 cycle with just more an intense light footprint and exposure in the hours it does receive light.
-Waste of energy and resources: Leaving your light on for 24/0 is not only a waste of electricity but also a waste of natural resources. To me it seems counter intuitive to be a cannabis enthusiast and grower and at the same time be someone who abuses the electrical grid and resources. You can't claim to be "all natural" and love nature while at the same time leaving your 1000w MH on for 24 hours a day for weeks on end; it seems a bit hypocritical to me.
-Not natural to the cannabis plant: Unless a sub species of the cannabis plant is indigenous to the south and north polls, then running your lights 24/0 is not natural to the cannabis plant. As you can see in this graph of the global summer solstice hours of daylight, most regions that have more than 20 hours of daylight are in very cold and remote regions where cannabis plants will not likely be able to survive. Naturally, cannabis is believed to come from central Asia, specifically what is now Mongolia and southern Siberia; during summer solstice; these regions receive no more than 19 hours of day light and for about a month only from June 1 to July 15, beyond those dates the amount of day light decreases. Even the Matanuska valley in Alaska, where the famous Matanuska strain is from, only gets around 19 hours of daylight during it summer solstice and lasts for about a month and a half, afterwards daylight hours are reduced as well.
-The extra costs out weigh the benefits: In any instance where there is added growth speed due to more day light hours, IMO the added growth does not warrant the extra costs. You might see faster veg growth under 24 hours of light but IMO its relative to its genetics and in my experience the added speed is negligible. I personally see more overall yield when the roots are better developed and the plant gets rest during its dark period.
In conclusion, is it my personal opinion that growing in a 24/0 light cycle is wasteful and not necessary. A lot of growers seem to want to find the fastest and easiest way to have a better harvest and in my personal experience faster isn't always better. Cannabis requires patience, dedication and understanding; as in life, there are no short cuts with cannabis and one would do better by following nature as opposed to ones ego; we do not know better than nature and cannabis has survived without us pretending to know better for thousands of years.
