Growing in 12/12 equatorial light

C

cowboyrandy

New Member
This is no doubt a bit esoteric, but I live in a situation of natural 12/12 light 365 days a year. Getting plants to grow beyond 18" to 24" tall regardless of strain is very difficult aside from the very first two plants I grew four years ago that reached over 6'. I tried limiting light from seedling starting w/ 7 hrs per day to uncovered (12 hrs per day) in 5 minute incremental increases over 2 months to increase foliage but it was a failure. These were white widow feminized and flowered at 45 days instead of 60 and after 90 days are 12" tall with lots of flowers. Any hints?
 
too larry

too larry

Well-Known Member
cowboyrandy said:
This is no doubt a bit esoteric, but I live in a situation of natural 12/12 light 365 days a year. Getting plants to grow beyond 18" to 24" tall regardless of strain is very difficult aside from the very first two plants I grew four years ago that reached over 6'. I tried limiting light from seedling starting w/ 7 hrs per day to uncovered (12 hrs per day) in 5 minute incremental increases over 2 months to increase foliage but it was a failure. These were white widow feminized and flowered at 45 days instead of 60 and after 90 days are 12" tall with lots of flowers. Any hints?
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The length of the darkness is what triggers flowering. You have to make the night shorter to keep them in veg. The oldest known way to do that is to burn lights for two hours at midnight.

My longest day is 14 hours 7 minutes, so I feel your pain to a certain extent.
 
Thundercat

Thundercat

Well-Known Member
too larry said:
The length of the darkness is what triggers flowering. You have to make the night shorter to keep them in veg. The oldest known way to do that is to burn lights for two hours at midnight.
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This is totally a great answer right here. Another option would be starting the plants indoors under longer light periods to allow it to veg, and then moving it outside when you were ready to flower.
 
SPLFreak808

SPLFreak808

Well-Known Member
10:50 - 13:25 of sun, year around here.

Most people here just supplement lighting from 6pm to 12am+ and end up with trees, or if you truly aren't 12/12 year around (hawaii ect) then its possible to find genes that have adapted and stay in veg until the short nights.
 
too larry

too larry

Well-Known Member
SPLFreak808 said:
10:50 - 13:25 of sun, year around here.

Most people here just supplement lighting from 6pm to 12am+ and end up with trees, or if you truly aren't 12/12 year around (hawaii ect) then its possible to find genes that have adapted and stay in veg until the short nights.
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13:25 would be a bear to work around. I bitch about 14:07, but everything would act like an auto with you.

The cost and reliability of electricity in some of the equatorial countries keep growers from using much of it. Some use the VnSmkr approach and have lots and lots of knee high plants.
 
Rider101

Rider101

Well-Known Member
Try buying 100% sativa seeds there are a few esoteric seed dealers online who sell them. Pure sativas are like auto flowering plants they flower by age but unlike auto flowering plants they grow for six months before flowering giving you huge yields.
 
SPLFreak808

SPLFreak808

Well-Known Member
too larry said:
13:25 would be a bear to work around. I bitch about 14:07, but everything would act like an auto with you.

The cost and reliability of electricity in some of the equatorial countries keep growers from using much of it. Some use the VnSmkr approach and have lots and lots of knee high plants.
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Its not too bad, some cities in california pay 10-20c more per kWh than we do, that's insane.

Reliability though, i could see being an issue for some.

A friend of mine just rocks a 200w T5 over 3 65g pots from 6pm-12am, prior to outdoor flowering and throws them in 100g pots & he always gets these results, that ladder is 8ft tall lmao.

What type of lamps would you burn to interrupt mid darkness? Never tried that but have heard many have sucess.
Screenshot_2019-08-17-09-43-35(2).png
Screenshot_2019-08-17-09-43-35(1).png
 
FresnoFarmer

FresnoFarmer

Well-Known Member
SPLFreak808 said:
Its not too bad, some cities in california pay 10-20c more per kWh than we do, that's insane.

Reliability though, i could see being an issue for some.

A friend of mine just rocks a 200w T5 over 3 65g pots from 6pm-12am, prior to outdoor flowering and throws them in 100g pots & he always gets these results, that ladder is 8ft tall lmao.

What type of lamps would you burn to interrupt mid darkness? Never tried that but have heard many have sucess.
View attachment 4380840
View attachment 4380841
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String lights work or one 13w cfl every 5 feet will work
 
too larry

too larry

Well-Known Member
SPLFreak808 said:
Its not too bad, some cities in california pay 10-20c more per kWh than we do, that's insane.

Reliability though, i could see being an issue for some.

A friend of mine just rocks a 200w T5 over 3 65g pots from 6pm-12am, prior to outdoor flowering and throws them in 100g pots & he always gets these results, that ladder is 8ft tall lmao.

What type of lamps would you burn to interrupt mid darkness? Never tried that but have heard many have sucess.
View attachment 4380840
View attachment 4380841
Click to expand...
The Island guys go with a string of LED's. Something like this https://www.amazon.com/Outdoor-String-Lights-Commercial-Weatherproof/dp/B0756GQ5GD/ref=asc_df_B0756GQ5GD/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309821100958&hvpos=1o3&hvnetw=g&hvrand=6918581432568747166&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9011623&hvtargid=pla-573357948654&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=60510211566&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=309821100958&hvpos=1o3&hvnetw=g&hvrand=6918581432568747166&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9011623&hvtargid=pla-573357948654

It doesn't take much light for the plants to "see" it. You get the lion's share of your growing light from the sun. It takes longer, but cheaper.
 
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