Optimizing Light schedules

Typically I start seedlings on 20/4, but with no particular point at which I change to 18/6.

My current grow is ~ 30 days from cracked seeds an plants are loving it

Does anyone have a sound explanation for when to drop to 18/6 or do you go 20/4 until you approach the flip, then begin to lower the on time?

Pics taken yesterday

Group pic taken on 9/1

12 hours on, 5.5 hours off, 1 hr on,5.5 hrs off for me, take out the one hr inbetween to flower. Growth is slightly slower than 18/6 but not enough to negate the powersavings

Normally, I just run 18/6... Seed thru Veg. But, trying a new schedule on a couple babies @ 16/8

Ringsixty said:

Normally, I just run 18/6... Seed thru Veg. But, trying a new schedule on a couple babies @ 16/8

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18/6 / 16/8 probably wont have any difference (well less $ on the e-Bill)-- just strain difs / stretch characteristics would come into play

But let us know how that 16/8 cycle goes~

I go 24/0 in veg room, flowering room is 12/12...
I will say the plants prefer 20/4 but I don't out of simplicity ...works out good

too much stretch on a 18/6 in my case

haulinbass said:

12 hours on, 5.5 hours off, 1 hr on,5.5 hrs off for me, take out the one hr inbetween to flower. Growth is slightly slower than 18/6 but not enough to negate the
powersavings

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I run the same schedule in my scrog..best stretch growth to cost i have found hands down.

Perhaps you have too much red/warm white- ~ 2900-3200K/550-650 nms. Dial them back or add more 450-500

slowbus said:

too much stretch on a 18/6 in my case

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PetFlora said:

Perhaps you have too much red/warm white- ~ 2900-3200K/550-650 nms. Dial them back or add more 450-500

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IDK? I just have a plain ole mag ballast MH .I 'll look into that,thanks

Aha, no you can't adjust your ballast. You need to either add supplemental bulbs of warmer spectrums, or replace your hps bulb with one that has warmer color balance

slowbus said:

IDK? I just have a plain ole mag ballast MH .I 'll look into that,thanks

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I run 24/0, But turn off half the lights for half the time. Based on the theorey that low light levels are more efficient, but are not enough for vibrant growth. I end up with plants like this.



When I flip I move direct to 14/10 or 13/11

this might interest you, http://www.drugs-forum.com/growfaq/27.htm manipulating the photoperiod for larger yields. basically it says the following: plants can be flowered with light period of 21/12. when theyre given 12 hours dark they will keep flowering and use the extra hours of light to increase bud production. this is done for only 2 weeks or so in flowering. read the link for more details. I tried it once and what I can report is that plants actually kept flowering and did not go crazy. however, my grow had many limiting factors and errors at the time so i could really not measure if it made difference in yield. but since they kept flowering, it only makes sense that they utilize the extra light hours for growing more bud