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Thread: Light cycles advice.

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    Question Light cycles advice.

    I started my plants on a 24hr cycle under a CFL lamp. I have 4 three week old plants and two two week old ones. I germinated in two batches one week apart so the younger ones are a wee bit smaller. How soon should I drop the light cycle to 18/6 or 20/4 periods? I've read a lot of info but a lot of it, I've realised, can be contradictory. Do I need to drop it to say 18/6 or can it be kept at 24/0 until flowering? If I do need to drop it should it be done gradually over a few days or can I just do it?

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    Quote Originally Posted by Llamatron View Post
    Do I need to drop it to say 18/6 or can it be kept at 24/0 until flowering?
    If it was me i would put the lights on 18/6 for sure (unless your doing automatics praps... prob still go with 18/6 though even then)

    Quote Originally Posted by Llamatron View Post
    If I do need to drop it should it be done gradually over a few days or can I just do it?
    Assume you can just do it. If there under 24/0 at the moment, you have no dark period to interrupt, think thats all you need to be concerned bout when switching light schedules
    hope this helps

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    hi Llamatron im no expert by no means mate but im a great believer in 18/6, i feel it helps to let your babies have a 6hour rest? but ive heard arguements for both? just my opinion! good luck with whatever you choose mate?

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    I started to grow under 24/0 as I was told it would do no harm and its not. My plants are growing great after three and a half weeks. What I want to know is when I change it down to either of the above periods - to give the plants a natural break in their day, should I make the change gradually over a few days or can I do it in one step.

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    just do it in 1 step. lowering the light hours to 18 or 20 hours wont affect the plant as its still in veg.

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    Thanks for the advice. I've setup the timer tonight to reduce it by three hrs, my plan was to wait few days then drop it by another three. I'm really surprised how fast they are growing, a noticable change every day. The're soon going to out grow my small germination / seedling cupboard. What sized pots do folk normally put them in. I've only got six plants and they were feminised seeds so I'm thinking positive. Since I am hoping to take all six through to budding I plan to repot them only once more when they go into the larger grow space, probobly at the weekend. Should I just get the maximum size of pot given my floor space and the number of pots I need?

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    If you have the space i would tend to go with 11ltr square pot's mate for the final pot's. I also believe in 18/6, it gives them some sleep time which is more near nature.

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    I've turned them down to 18/6 tonight. I saw a youtube vid last night of a grass plant in time lapse. During the dark hours the plant seems to wilt then it started to stretch when the light goes back on. It looks just like the plant was pumping itself up. That has convinced me that as soon as the plant has large leaves it needs to go through a dark cycle to grow properly. I'm sure 24/0 is fine for the initial seedling to grow its first few proper leaves but I think that method might grow a weaker or more stressed plant.

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    Since germinating back at start of november, ive had my babies under 24/7 light & didnt realise that i could of done 18/6 as i would have done so just to save that ickle bit of electricity lol.

    Nee mind ive just bought 5 feminized Honey Bee's to try next so after germinating i shall try the 18/6 method & let you guys know how it went on the 24/7 on my 1st batch

    x Kandi x

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    I think 24/7 is not a bad thing for the first couple of weeks. My plants semed to be a bit happier, if that's the word, when they went to a more natural light cycle. I have all 6 sprouting plants now and all look ok. I've had a few disasters and near misses caused by other things but the lighting has not negativly affected their growth.

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