growninnorcal
New Member
I was wondering if anyone tried going to a lower amount of day lighting in their veg stage? If so what was the time amount? I was wondering if I could go 16/8?
Can you go lower than 18/6 for veg?
- Thread starter growninnorcal
- Start date
16/8 is fine
tronix
New Member
remember you're simulating the Earths rotation, and the differing light patterns because of it..there is no set rule, because in the Winter time, in various places, the angle of the Earth is more severe than others, more lax in others, so the days vary depending on where you are, so essentially what I'm saying is, anything in between 24 hours and 14 hours a day will work. When the plant spends more time in the dark than in the light is when it makes it's change to blooming..now adjusting it will effect your growth rate, IMHO, if you need to slow down your growth, shortening your days without going past 14 or so, hours on, will slow everything down quite a bit..It will effect your yield too, but you have to weigh out your options and decide what's best for your garden. 
Hightide805
New Member
good info, nice post tronix 
- Thread starter
- #5
growninnorcal
New Member
Thanks for all of the info. The only reason I ask was based on my electricty. I have always ran my 600 HPS 18/6 during veg stage. But after reading numerous thread on CFL or T5's I'm beginning to head in that direction just to save money on electricity. I'm more opt to go to with this setup.
Tent 4x4
9 plants
Going with a 4x54 T5 HO 6,500k Total watts: 216
And in between 4 plants would be a 40watt CFL to hit mid level growth.
Total watts CFL: 160
So lighting would be 376 watts.
And after switching to a 16/8 my electrcity should have a significant change.
Tronix: You stated that I'd see a significant yield diffrence when going to a lighter hourly change. Do you think it will be greatly affected by changing the lighting and cutting back the hours to a lighter amount? Again I'm riding out running my batch right now and leaving my HPS at 18/6 since I'm blooming in a week. But wanted to know your opinion if I ran that setup on a new batch.
Please anyone can chime in on their experience on cutting back their HPS. Or running a T5 with CFL's in between for their veg growth. Again I don't really want to compensate a large yield but if running a HPS 18/6 will benefit me more in the long run then let it be. But if I can compensate my veg growth with the setup I'm proposing I think its a win situation.
Tent 4x4
9 plants
Going with a 4x54 T5 HO 6,500k Total watts: 216
And in between 4 plants would be a 40watt CFL to hit mid level growth.
Total watts CFL: 160
So lighting would be 376 watts.
And after switching to a 16/8 my electrcity should have a significant change.
Tronix: You stated that I'd see a significant yield diffrence when going to a lighter hourly change. Do you think it will be greatly affected by changing the lighting and cutting back the hours to a lighter amount? Again I'm riding out running my batch right now and leaving my HPS at 18/6 since I'm blooming in a week. But wanted to know your opinion if I ran that setup on a new batch.
Please anyone can chime in on their experience on cutting back their HPS. Or running a T5 with CFL's in between for their veg growth. Again I don't really want to compensate a large yield but if running a HPS 18/6 will benefit me more in the long run then let it be. But if I can compensate my veg growth with the setup I'm proposing I think its a win situation.
BWC BayArea
Member of the Month: 3rd Place Winner
Consider this
Have u considered dropping to a lower wattage HPS/MH, Like a 400W or 250W? In that tent heat is definitely a concern. How ever u decide, I suggest that u invest in a good exhaust system. Just a thought.
Have u considered dropping to a lower wattage HPS/MH, Like a 400W or 250W? In that tent heat is definitely a concern. How ever u decide, I suggest that u invest in a good exhaust system. Just a thought.
Florescent lights are great for vegging and certainly do generate less heat than a MH of equal wattage.
Increasing the dark time during vegging will slow you down but you may not save $$$, rather you'll just end up vegging longer to get to the desired veg height. Keeping a perpetual grow going, I sometimes vary dark time during vegging depending on whether my plants in the flower room are ready to harvest, or not.
Keep in mind that the difference in temps between lights on and lights off will have an effect on stretch (nodal lengths). This is especially true during the initial 12/12 stretch.
Harry
Increasing the dark time during vegging will slow you down but you may not save $$$, rather you'll just end up vegging longer to get to the desired veg height. Keeping a perpetual grow going, I sometimes vary dark time during vegging depending on whether my plants in the flower room are ready to harvest, or not.
Keep in mind that the difference in temps between lights on and lights off will have an effect on stretch (nodal lengths). This is especially true during the initial 12/12 stretch.
Harry
BWC BayArea
Member of the Month: 3rd Place Winner
Harry Red seems to know his stuff listen to him. He's speaking from experience I'm not
tronix
New Member
I myself prefer the 430 watt Son-agro, You get red and blue spectrum, (80/20 mix) and almost no radiated heat, like you would from a standard metal halide. Literally, I can have my light on for hours, and I can rest my hand on top of the hood, without discomfort.. In a small 2'X3'x6' closet, my temps averaged 85 to 87 degrees. For 430 watts, thats incredible, and the plants LOVE this light, for what you are trying to start, thats what I'd recommend you start with..you wont regret it.
420boogie
New Member
14/10 will work, but not for all strains!
farm this
New Member
here .... good ol ed
By Ed Rosenthal - Wednesday, February 20 2002
Tags: Ask Ed,CC29,GROWING,Indoor,Lights.
What are the best cycles for vegetation and flowering?
What is the best light cycle during the vegetative stage, 18/6 or 24/?
And which one will help the ladies go into their flowering cycle with the less stress?
Lamp Lighter,
New Brunswick, CT
Marijuana plantes photosynthesize as long as they receive light as well as water, air, nutrients and suitable temperature. Photosynthesis is the process in which plants use the energy from light (primarily in the blue and red spectrums) to combine carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air and water (H2O) to make sugar while releasing oxygen to the air.
Plants use sugars continuously to fuel metabolic processes (living) as well as for tissue building. The plant combines nitrogen (N) with the sugar to make amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. They are the substance of plant tissue. When the light is off, the plant's metabolic processes, respiration and growth, continue.
The plant can photosynthesize continuously so it produces the most energy and growth when the light is on, continuously. Continuous light does not stress the plant, which reacts somewhat mechanistically to it.
Plants under an 18-6 light-dark regimen are producing sugar only three quarters of the time. They are thus growing at only 75% of their potential. Leaving the light on continuously will result in bigger plants, faster, which leads to higher yields.
Readers with grow questions (or answers) should send them to Ed at: Ask Ed, PMB 147, 530 Divisadero St., San Francisco, California 94117, USA
You can also email Ed at AskEd@quicktrading.com, and send queries via his website at Quick Trading Company.
All featured questions will be rewarded with a copy of Ed's The Big Book of Buds from Quick Trading.
Sorry, Ed cannot send personal replies to your questions.
By Ed Rosenthal - Wednesday, February 20 2002
Tags: Ask Ed,CC29,GROWING,Indoor,Lights.
What are the best cycles for vegetation and flowering?
What is the best light cycle during the vegetative stage, 18/6 or 24/?
And which one will help the ladies go into their flowering cycle with the less stress?
Lamp Lighter,
New Brunswick, CT
Marijuana plantes photosynthesize as long as they receive light as well as water, air, nutrients and suitable temperature. Photosynthesis is the process in which plants use the energy from light (primarily in the blue and red spectrums) to combine carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air and water (H2O) to make sugar while releasing oxygen to the air.
Plants use sugars continuously to fuel metabolic processes (living) as well as for tissue building. The plant combines nitrogen (N) with the sugar to make amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. They are the substance of plant tissue. When the light is off, the plant's metabolic processes, respiration and growth, continue.
The plant can photosynthesize continuously so it produces the most energy and growth when the light is on, continuously. Continuous light does not stress the plant, which reacts somewhat mechanistically to it.
Plants under an 18-6 light-dark regimen are producing sugar only three quarters of the time. They are thus growing at only 75% of their potential. Leaving the light on continuously will result in bigger plants, faster, which leads to higher yields.
Readers with grow questions (or answers) should send them to Ed at: Ask Ed, PMB 147, 530 Divisadero St., San Francisco, California 94117, USA
You can also email Ed at AskEd@quicktrading.com, and send queries via his website at Quick Trading Company.
All featured questions will be rewarded with a copy of Ed's The Big Book of Buds from Quick Trading.
Sorry, Ed cannot send personal replies to your questions.
