This seconds study seems to indicate that a shorter veg. stage helps produce more females. I assume that by using 24/7 and MH lights will quicken the veg. stage more than using 18/6 and other types of lights?
Yes I did post the second one.
Well it's a natural assumption to make isn't it, more light = greater capacity for growth, at least that's the theory. What indicators do people use to claim that 24/0 lighting produces faster growth? Faster leaf and vegetative growth perhaps? Does what goes on above soil necessarily indicate what's going on below soil? Not necessarily, in fact the opposite is true, the less going on above the soil, usually indicates more going on below the soil, ie root growth.
So whilst all these knowledgeable people who want to get the greatest and fastest growth possible from their plants by using 24/0 lighting get wonderfully fast vegetative growth above the soil whilst allowing the roots to be under-developed in comparison below the soil due the photoperiod used.
Yes, I'll say it again (Videoman I hope you're reading this) roots grow MORE during the dark period than they do during the lights on period principally because the plant is photosynthesising light and putting that energy into vegetative leafy above ground growth, the roots grow very little during lights on period and and most root growth takes place during the dark period.
So by using 24/0 lights for the first 3 or 4 weeks, you're under-developing your root ball.
The first study that this thread is based on states that more darkness or less light (18/6) during the veg. stage will product more females. This will length the veg. stage somewhat. There is the difference in the 2 studies.
Yes I see the difference in the two studies. The first study was written by an old Overgrow member who used his own grow experiences to form general conclusions, the second one was taken from a site dealing specifically with Canna genetics and in my opinion should be far more reliable than the observations of one person. I'm not dismissing everything that the Overgrow member wrote, but if it's only based on the observations of one person, you have to bear that in mind when you decide which information is credible. At the end of the day you need to decide which you want to beleive and run with it.
Regarding extending the veg stage, it's not as simple as that. Firstly there's marginal growth difference between 24/0 and 18/6, with 24/0 producing more vegeative growth in a shorter timeframe than 18/6, but producing a weaker and smaller rootball due to the less growing time allowed for the roots. The 18/6 lighting regime produces less Vegetative growth in the same time frame, but more root growth due to the 6 hours of darkness.
The 18/6 plant is far more balanced in terms of growth above and below ground and with a well developed root ball can go on and continue healthy vegetative growth until 12/12 is instigated. The 24/0 plants are under-devloped below ground and will need to make that up at some point and whilst the rootball is under-developed it will always restrict the uptake and synthesisation of nutrients, restricting it's growth in the later stages.
This is my opinion on the 24/0, 18/6 debate.
By the way, do you have a science or technical background? You seem to be a lot more analytical than myself. In otherwords, people on this forum should go by what you say more than myself. I am just a newbie that what to learn and pass onto others when possible.
I have an arts background as it happens!
