Vegetative time is directly linked to your time and space restrictions. You can go 12/12 from seed and harvest a few grams if you're lucky, or you can veg for longer periods to obtain a bigger plant, thus a bigger harvest. The veg stage is totally up to the grower, although the plants will eventually mature and want to flower. This can be prevented by never switching to 12/12 light schedule, or just constantly taking clones and forcing the plant to continue vegging.