I can't seem to find a definitive answer on 6/2 light schedule for veg. Lots of talk about people trying it but there are also discussions about stress and herms. I'm having a heck of a time finding anything convincing with most posts being from years ago. Searches on this forum aren't turning up much either. Is it legit or was it a passing fad? Do you guys run 6/2 for veg or just stick to 18/6 or 24/0. I have been running 24/0 and need to reduce light hours to manage res and room temps a bit. I started 6/2 to see how they reacted and the res temps dropped 8 degrees in the sweet spot and the girls perked up a good bit.
Is 6/2 light cycle for real?
- Thread starter RugDr
- Start date
18/6 here - been doing it that way for years. Positives I can grow REGs in VEG and AUTOs side by side in 18/6 and grow out the REGs in another room for flowers.
Emilya Green
Well-Known Member
I don't see any reason it wouldn't work and it makes sense that the plants need additional rest periods in order to process and not ignore the massive amount of light given in an 18 hour light session. I am going to give this a try when I can next get a garden started. Probably the only reason it has not gotten popular until now is that in the past, it would have been hard to find timers that could handle this pattern cheaply. Today, with electronic switches being all the rage, this pattern should be easy to set up and maintain.
Mark Gordan Smith
Well-Known Member
Let's see.....
Can the elec utility tell I'm on 6/2
The correct way to water a 6/2
Best digi ballast for a 6/2
Mega-Crop and a 6/2 grow
Lock down under a 6/2 regime
How my 6/2 ruined my marriage
It's all right.....J & M both have a sense of humor!
Can the elec utility tell I'm on 6/2
The correct way to water a 6/2
Best digi ballast for a 6/2
Mega-Crop and a 6/2 grow
Lock down under a 6/2 regime
How my 6/2 ruined my marriage
It's all right.....J & M both have a sense of humor!
I like that ^^^^ 
BooMtoLate
Well-Known Member
What is this 6-2 you speak of?
Emilya Green
Well-Known Member
6 hours of light, 2 of dark, repeated 3 times for 18 hours total light in a day.
- Thread starter
- #8
I don't get your joke. Are those threads? I just searched those titles and none hit.
BooMtoLate
Well-Known Member
Interesting, what's the benefit of during this light trickery.
BigDannel
Well-Known Member
I've always run 24/0 then 12/12. Aside from energy savings, is there any benefit to 18/6 or this method over 24 hours of constant light? I listen to the plants, never seem stressed at all. I'm one of those "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" types, so hate to mess with something that I know works for me unless I can see the science behind it.
- Thread starter
- #12
I'm far from a pro so I was hoping someone who had used it would chime in. I would run 24/0 if I could but I'm battling some heat and res temps that I would like to bring down a bit.
When I was switching to 18/6 i found this:
Try This Highly Recommended Cannabis Lighting Schedule
I don't think it would be better than 24/0 for speed but I like its benefits for the room and i think it may be a good alternative to 18/6. I can visit more freely without a 6-hour chunk of do not disturb time, it smooths out the heat management and instead of a long dark period they are back up and working. My girls always look a little perked up and happier after a dark cycle.
hoping someone with more experience would tell me if its safe or bs.
When I was switching to 18/6 i found this:
Try This Highly Recommended Cannabis Lighting Schedule
I don't think it would be better than 24/0 for speed but I like its benefits for the room and i think it may be a good alternative to 18/6. I can visit more freely without a 6-hour chunk of do not disturb time, it smooths out the heat management and instead of a long dark period they are back up and working. My girls always look a little perked up and happier after a dark cycle.
hoping someone with more experience would tell me if its safe or bs.
- Thread starter
- #13
Emilya Green
Well-Known Member
Yes, I did try it and although it works and can give you a little reduction on your light bill, I am also convinced that it resulted in slightly less yield, although I didn't do a side by side to see for sure. That method was a compromise that resulted in less hours of lighting, whereas this one is simply a smart adaptation to the same amount on hours, if you are used to running 18/6 that is.
I did notice an improvement after week 2 by using 18/6 vs 24/0... my reasoning is that the plants need the rest cycle so as to do other things than simply collecting photons, things that can't be done while photosynthesis is going full steam. This 6/2 method seems to add to that idea, giving a young plant additional rest periods in order to process the light it has gotten so far, and I am already half convinced by the logic that this is going to work even better than straight 18/6. Experiments are needed, but there sure are a lot of folks out there raving about this new idea, and I think it is worth a good try.
18/6 gives the plants a break and saves a little coin for electric. That and the plants are designed to grow with dark period. They can actually grow bigger in the dark they do not sleep like animals but they need darkness as part of their metabolism. So make and store energy in light grow in the darkness... of course they grow during the light period as well.
Not sure about the 6/2 thing. Could be overthinking but that's my opinion not science.
BigDannel
Well-Known Member
When people refer to the plants growing more during the dark, is that possibly a type of stretching vs extra growth? I find 24/0 to make stout, bushy plants with really tight nodes which I of course really enjoy. So a part of me wonders if the growth is really (at least) the same, but that the plant given darkness is developing a mild stretch. Temperature and electric cost aren't a concern for me but this is definitely something I want to look into more. I may finish this one 24/0 and next time try something different with clones and hope to replicate the same scenario to see if there is a difference.
Growth and stretch.... arent they the same thing?? Its metabolism and plant growth regulators doing their thing. Hard to have stretch and no growth right?
Electric cost should be a concern?? Don't you like to have a greener footprint. Thats just my tree hugger coming out.
I have solar so I dont use electricity from the grid. But I still do 18/6. I think plants grow lager. Larger yields with larger plants so there's that to think about. If you like short bushy plants and you get it with 24/0 awesome. I like a little inter-nodal spacing for those dankety dank, dank nugs.
Electric cost should be a concern?? Don't you like to have a greener footprint. Thats just my tree hugger coming out.
I have solar so I dont use electricity from the grid. But I still do 18/6. I think plants grow lager. Larger yields with larger plants so there's that to think about. If you like short bushy plants and you get it with 24/0 awesome. I like a little inter-nodal spacing for those dankety dank, dank nugs.
BigDannel
Well-Known Member
Growth and stretch.... arent they the same thing?? Its metabolism and plant growth regulators doing their thing. Hard to have stretch and no growth right?
Electric cost should be a concern?? Don't you like to have a greener footprint. Thats just my tree hugger coming out.
I have solar so I dont use electricity from the grid. But I still do 18/6. I think plants grow lager. Larger yields with larger plants so there's that to think about. If you like short bushy plants and you get it with 24/0 awesome. I like a little inter-nodal spacing for those dankety dank, dank nugs.
I just upgraded to a QB light and AC Infinity fan so am actually spending way less than normal. When I think of a difference between growth and stretch I guess I mean in terms of the width of the plant. I've seen some tall, leggy plants that don't look to healthy and would prefer a "stockier" plant with thicker stems. Best possible case is a combo of both, tall and thick-stemmed. I definitely don't think I know enough about it to be sure, it could just happen to be the certain strains I have like to be low and bushy, but I do want to try to do some sort of comparison.
Emilya Green
Well-Known Member
generally, a lot of stretch in seedlings means that they were trying to get more light, trying to at least get closer.
Genetics is part of it prolly most of it but we can coax a low growing indica into a taller bush.
QB lamps are nice I use them mixed in with COBs the red/far red spectrum encourages taller growth which I like. Strains I'm running need a lot of air around the flowers so I dont mind the inter node spacing. Helps with PM.
