When starting to flower where do i want to add my dark period at?

Pauly420

Active Member
I'm about a week out from switching to flower. I was wondering where do i want to add my dark hours? Can i add like two on the front end and four on the back? Basically I'm running 18/6 right now lights off at 10:30a-4:30p. When i flip, preferably I could do 8a-8p dark and 8p-8a Light. Because i leave before 8 and get home after 6 for work. My roommates aren't very worried about my plants so they wont lift a finger, even if it is just opening a door for ventilation.
 

GrowinDad

Well-Known Member
What Salty said. Your call. Only difference is when makes most sense for temps in your room. This time of year, some like lights off during the hot hours of the day.
 

Pauly420

Active Member
Awesome, thanks for the responses. I think lights on at night is the most ideal setup for my no ventilation scenario. And that way I can be home to open and close the closet.
 

Salty3

Member
Do you at least have a fan in there? You don't want to get all the way into late in flower and get mold or powdery mildew. I would make sure you at least have a small fan moving the air around. And maybe keep your closet cracked open a bit to let some air escape.
 

Pauly420

Active Member
Do you at least have a fan in there? You don't want to get all the way into late in flower and get mold or powdery mildew. I would make sure you at least have a small fan moving the air around. And maybe keep your closet cracked open a bit to let some air escape.
Yeah I have two desk fans in there. They don't run with lights off, should I have one on a separate timer? As far as mold goes my humidity stays at about 15% all the time. I know I need a humidifier but I haven't invested in one yet. But I haven't had a mold issue yet.
 

patrickkawi37

Well-Known Member
Shut your lights off for 24 hours and then when they kick back on have the timer set to the hours you want . This is what I do and seems to work fine. They grow like beasts during the 24 hours off too
 
When you're ready, let your lights go off at 10h30... then leave them off until 20h00 the next day.

This will ensure that you don't get a funky 'short' day in the middle of the changeover, which means less stress for your girls. It will also give them a long dark period before the switch to 12/12 which helps induce flowering and is less stressful overall.

Hope this helps.
 

Pauly420

Active Member
Wait so im not trying to like reverse the light cycle. I would want to have it pop on at 8pm, so you mean leave it off for 28 hours? Hypothetically speaking if i was plannig 8pm-8am on, 8am-8pm off? right not its 4pm on 10am off
 

patrickkawi37

Well-Known Member
Wait so im not trying to like reverse the light cycle. I would want to have it pop on at 8pm, so you mean leave it off for 28 hours? Hypothetically speaking if i was plannig 8pm-8am on, 8am-8pm off? right not its 4pm on 10am off
Shut it off whenever you want . your over complicating it. A lot of times I shut my lights off for 2 days before I kick on for flower with my new light cycle . It helps the plant kick into flower faster. And your plants will grow like hell when they are sleeping. Yes 28 hours is fine . So is 12 hours. So is 48
. Do as you please . When the lights kick on the first time after the minimum 12 hour dark cycle , that's the start of day 1
 
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