Penni Walli
Member
some people tell me 18/6 is better, then some people tell me full 24 is better for vegging, any input here from the real growers ?
Veg for 18/6 or full 24 ?
- Thread starter Penni Walli
- Start date
doc111
Well-Known Member
Either one is fine. Some people claim that 24/0 gives you shorter, bushier plants. 18/6 will save you a little money on your electric bill and give your ballasts and stuff a chance to rest.
ColoradoLove
Well-Known Member
I do 18/6 for electricity saving reasons
oJUICEBOXo
Active Member
24/0 if you can afford it. My plants grow faster and bushier that way.
The Ruiner
Well-Known Member
I always run 18/6...let the plant continue its natural nocturnal processes.
pointswest
Active Member
Plants grown with a rest period ,18/6. in the veg stage take longer to reach the equivalent size for flowering but result in hardier plants and more resistance to disease and pests and environmental stresses. Plants grown on 24/0 schedule reach the flowering size quicker if that is a concern for you. The flowering period remains the same regardless which method is used for the vegetative stage.
DawgMountain
Active Member
imho I think that if you are in a hurry do 24/0. If not, go with the 18/6. I would have to think that the 18/6 would be better for them regardless the debates on the subject.
Maralize Legaijuana
Member
Ok I am going to quote this out of The best of Ask ED by Ed Rosenthal
Marijuana plants photosynthesize as long as they receive light as well as water, air, nutrients, and suitable temperature. Photosynthesis is the process in which plants use the energy from light (primarily in the blue and red spectrums) to combine carbon dioxide (co2) from the air and water (h2o) to make sugar while releasing oxygen to the air.
Plants use sugars continuosly to fuel metabolic processes (living) as well as for tissue building. The pland combines nitrogen (N) with sugar to make amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. They are the substance of plant tissue. When the light is off, the plants metabolic processes, respiration and growth continue.
The marijuana plant can photosynthesize continuously, so it produces the most energy and growth when the light is on continuously. Continuous light does not stress the plant, which reacts to it somewhat mechanistically. Plants can suffer from the heat emitted by lamps, but will not undergo stress due to continuous lighting.
Plants under an 18-6 light- dark reginem are producing sugar only three quarters or the time. They are thus growing at only 75% of their potential. Leaving the light on continuously will result in bigger plants faster, which leads to higher yeilds.
Marijuana plants photosynthesize as long as they receive light as well as water, air, nutrients, and suitable temperature. Photosynthesis is the process in which plants use the energy from light (primarily in the blue and red spectrums) to combine carbon dioxide (co2) from the air and water (h2o) to make sugar while releasing oxygen to the air.
Plants use sugars continuosly to fuel metabolic processes (living) as well as for tissue building. The pland combines nitrogen (N) with sugar to make amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. They are the substance of plant tissue. When the light is off, the plants metabolic processes, respiration and growth continue.
The marijuana plant can photosynthesize continuously, so it produces the most energy and growth when the light is on continuously. Continuous light does not stress the plant, which reacts to it somewhat mechanistically. Plants can suffer from the heat emitted by lamps, but will not undergo stress due to continuous lighting.
Plants under an 18-6 light- dark reginem are producing sugar only three quarters or the time. They are thus growing at only 75% of their potential. Leaving the light on continuously will result in bigger plants faster, which leads to higher yeilds.
Hobbes
Well-Known Member
.
This is one of the best explanations I've read. By Smokey D Pot from 420.
.
Many times I’ve seen in posts that “roots grow during the dark.”. If this were true, the 24/0 photoperiod would result in a plant with a tiny root structure, if one at all! We know this is not the case - so how does it actually work?
To simplify things, lets use an analogy. Try to think of a plant as a building… one constantly under construction. The plant needs raw materials, (fertilizers and water), and energy (light) in order to “build itself”. The raw materials are the “bricks and mortar” of the building. The energy is the workers, vehicles and power tools used to assemble the building.
The Plant is capable of storing some raw materials and some energy for use later, but the amount is limited...think of a warehouse and a battery.
* During the day, (Lights ON) the plant is collecting and storing light energy, and is using and storing raw materials. The plant is stockpiling raw material, and is charging it’s batteries… it is ALSO using raw materials and using the energy it is collecting. It’s building itself, literally putting itself together.
During the day however, the plant is not as efficient at building itself, as it is at night (lights OFF.) It can build itself, but not as quickly.
* While the lights are OFF, the plant is using energy and raw materials to build itself…. the plant is more efficiently using the raw materials that it stored during the day. The plant is better at transporting and assembling the raw materials.
The bad news: since there is no light energy, the plant must rely on energy it stored while the lights were ON (its stored energy). (Essentially, the plant is running on batteries, and using raw material from the warehouse.)
There is no light energy to collect. Since the plant needs energy to absorb more raw materials, it is easier for the plant to use raw materials that it stored during the day than it is to absorb raw materials through its roots.
* Although the plant IS capable of “doing it all” with the lights on, (Collect, store and use energy & raw materials) it does a better job of actually doing the work (using the energy and raw material) while the lights are out. During the dark however, it relies solely on its limited supply of stored energy and stored raw material.
One last thing to remember is the fact that a plant will always strive to maintain a balance between the size of its roots and the size of its canopy (Leaf mass.) The roots must be big enough to supply as much raw materials as the canopy can use, and the canopy must be big enough to provide the energy required to store those raw materials….
* Trim the roots on a healthy plant, and canopy growth will slow to a crawl until the roots have grown big enough to again support the canopy.
* Trim the TOP of a healthy plant, and root growth will slow similarly, until the canopy has grown big enough to again support the roots.
* If the plant is already in balance, the canopy and the roots will grow at the same rate.
If you actually measured them several times daily over several days, you’d notice that they actually DO get bigger at night, but roots and canopy at the same rate, unless either has been trimmed, and as long as the “batteries” hold out.
Author: Smokey D Dope
.
I've gotten good results with 18/6 and 24/0. The only advice I can give is to experiment to find what gives the results you want, but don't sweat it. Anything in the 18-24 hour light range will work fine.
.
This is one of the best explanations I've read. By Smokey D Pot from 420.
.
Many times I’ve seen in posts that “roots grow during the dark.”. If this were true, the 24/0 photoperiod would result in a plant with a tiny root structure, if one at all! We know this is not the case - so how does it actually work?
To simplify things, lets use an analogy. Try to think of a plant as a building… one constantly under construction. The plant needs raw materials, (fertilizers and water), and energy (light) in order to “build itself”. The raw materials are the “bricks and mortar” of the building. The energy is the workers, vehicles and power tools used to assemble the building.
The Plant is capable of storing some raw materials and some energy for use later, but the amount is limited...think of a warehouse and a battery.
* During the day, (Lights ON) the plant is collecting and storing light energy, and is using and storing raw materials. The plant is stockpiling raw material, and is charging it’s batteries… it is ALSO using raw materials and using the energy it is collecting. It’s building itself, literally putting itself together.
During the day however, the plant is not as efficient at building itself, as it is at night (lights OFF.) It can build itself, but not as quickly.
* While the lights are OFF, the plant is using energy and raw materials to build itself…. the plant is more efficiently using the raw materials that it stored during the day. The plant is better at transporting and assembling the raw materials.
The bad news: since there is no light energy, the plant must rely on energy it stored while the lights were ON (its stored energy). (Essentially, the plant is running on batteries, and using raw material from the warehouse.)
There is no light energy to collect. Since the plant needs energy to absorb more raw materials, it is easier for the plant to use raw materials that it stored during the day than it is to absorb raw materials through its roots.
* Although the plant IS capable of “doing it all” with the lights on, (Collect, store and use energy & raw materials) it does a better job of actually doing the work (using the energy and raw material) while the lights are out. During the dark however, it relies solely on its limited supply of stored energy and stored raw material.
One last thing to remember is the fact that a plant will always strive to maintain a balance between the size of its roots and the size of its canopy (Leaf mass.) The roots must be big enough to supply as much raw materials as the canopy can use, and the canopy must be big enough to provide the energy required to store those raw materials….
* Trim the roots on a healthy plant, and canopy growth will slow to a crawl until the roots have grown big enough to again support the canopy.
* Trim the TOP of a healthy plant, and root growth will slow similarly, until the canopy has grown big enough to again support the roots.
* If the plant is already in balance, the canopy and the roots will grow at the same rate.
If you actually measured them several times daily over several days, you’d notice that they actually DO get bigger at night, but roots and canopy at the same rate, unless either has been trimmed, and as long as the “batteries” hold out.
Author: Smokey D Dope
.
I've gotten good results with 18/6 and 24/0. The only advice I can give is to experiment to find what gives the results you want, but don't sweat it. Anything in the 18-24 hour light range will work fine.
.
