Mutt said:
The only time I hear of using 18/6 is to give the HID a break o'wose keep it on 24 on. in my opinion.
Oh God! No, NO! Not the 18 versus 24 argument again! Heh, heh.
With *most* strains, I believe that the natural genetics of the plant are partially based on a darkness cycle. During the darkness, a plant utilizes nutrients and conditions in a completely different way than when the light is on. I believe it to be necessary.
But it's got to be done right. Yanking a plant back and forth between light cycles can cause a lot of problems. The reason the problems arise is that the genetic level of the plant is being altered. If this alteration is the same, or close to the same type of changes that the plant "expects", then you've fooled the plant into thinking that nature is doing the growing. If you whack the plant back and forth between light cycles, it can cause radical changes in the plant that are sometimes not good for the outcome.
I seriously suggest at least a 4 hour darkness period from the time the plants are cloned or from the seedling stage. I use an 18/6 for all of my plants now. I seem to have less problems than when I've used 24 on.
Whatever ratio of light/dark you use, it's very important to do so from the beginning. Use clones to sex the plant. It's way less stressful to the plant than tossing it between flowering and vegetative cycles and I believe you will end up with a more potent end result.
If the plant is already used to a 24 on, then don't change it. The plant has been forced into this unnatural condition and it's altered it's own genetics to enable it to thrive as best as possible. If you change it now, then you'll just cause the plant stress again.
It's important to start with a plan and continue with that plan until harvest. The plants will have less problems that way.
As for the 18 versus 24, I kinda go with what a scientist told me once. A plant needs to have the conditions that simulate nature. One can adjust that similarity to ways that are more beneficial to the plant, but one cannot force a plant to alter it's natural genetics without paying a price for that change. He said to me; show me a plant in nature that has no light variance each day. You can't. Even in an area that has light 24/7 for part of the year, each day, the light changes during the 24 hour period. The plants makeup expects this.
In almost all places, a plants genetics are based on at least some darkness each day.
If you want to maximize the plants total usage of nutes and conditions, give it at least a few hours of darkness each day.
Once again, I've got to caution you to NOT change the lighting schedule if you're already using a 24/7 light. Your plants will have already adjusted to that schedule and it will cause them stress if you change it before flowering.
Of course, if you get 20 pot growers into a room, you'll have 100 different methods of growing sworn to.
Sometimes, the difference can be so slight as to need a lab to tell you the difference in the end product. The more expensive THC test kits use a color chart for the content of THC. With this test, you can rate your grows potency as compared to a standard. This is how. Do a test on some "good" street weed. Remember where it scores on the color chart. Then, do the same test on some of your really good weed. You'll see that the color will be much higher on the chart. I've grown some that the test color was darker than the chart went to. That's worth a laugh. The guy who created the color chart obviously didn't smoke weed or he'd allowed for higher ratings. The test I'm referring to is a litmus test. I don't use them any more because I no longer need them. Back in the sales days, I used it to prove potency by having the buyer compare the test results in person with some he already had. Mine was always as strong or stronger. The test proved it. It makes buyers more confident in your product. Most buyers don't have a lot of trust in anyone.
The testing will show you the difference in potency when using different methods on the SAME EXACT plant; ie: genetic same, as in clone. Two seeds from the same plant can be different as hell. I've learned that the hard way. Cloning plants is an AWESOME way to keep your genetics alive and well.
I'm testing my Big Bud with a 18/6 for this crop. So far, the ladies are looking very nice. I've had to use it this time to help control the heat until my new flowering room is ready. It's going to be 10 feet by 10 feet with an 8 foot ceiling, full inside/outside ventilation and 4 HPS using Hydroponics/ebb and flow. I intend to use a graduated level method of staggering my flowering stages. I'll put new plants into flowering each week on a continuous basis. That way, I'll have a weekly output into harvest. My vegetative room will be set up to do the same thing for that cycle.
I'll be going with a 20/4 light schedule in the vegetative room and using CO2 in just the flowering room.
