24/0 or 20/4 for seedlings?

Dynablo

Dynablo

Well-Known Member
I ain't exactly a newbie, but been off the scene for a while. I am having trouble with getting started from seed again. I am using coco for first time rather than soil too. What is the best light cycle to get my seedlings big enough n roots strong enough to withstand nutes as I have read that I need to introduce nutes more or less straight away as coco doesn't have any natural, usually I don't use nutes till first 5 blade leaves are showing but that's in soil. Would they be OK if I just done them 12/12 from seed as it's lemon skunk and I know this is a good strain for this. Any help on anything be appreciated....I'm a bit rusty after such a long time in her majesties pleasure hotels
 
$bkbbudz$

$bkbbudz$

Well-Known Member
I only grow in soil so I cannot speak to the nute question. The original question about light for seedlings, that depends on light source. But, I assume you are not using 1000w or anything. I do my seedlings 24/0 under cfl or tubes. Any strain can grow in 12/12 but personally, I would rather do an auto and let photos do their thing.

Good luck!:joint:
 
TheLemon

TheLemon

Well-Known Member
I would say 18/6, i tried 24/0 recently with a 125w cfl and burned the shit outa one of my babies lol. I have seen some vids of 12/12 from seed, but why would you risk potentially hurting your yield, give your plants a good long veg period to get the best out of them :)
 
Dynablo

Dynablo

Well-Known Member
$bkbbudz$ said:
I only grow in soil so I cannot speak to the nute question. The original question about light for seedlings, that depends on light source. But, I assume you are not using 1000w or anything. I do my seedlings 24/0 under cfl or tubes. Any strain can grow in 12/12 but personally, I would rather do an auto and let photos do their thing.

Good luck!:joint:
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Cheers m8, I usually use soil myself, start off with 20/4 then go onto 18/6 for 4 weeks then into their 12/12 but due to me being at court in February for " scaring " someone breaking in my house trying to steal my gurls, which got me caught with them too I had to gather what I could, and get this grow done asap, so I'm stuck with coco. I much prefare the cheap £6.99 John Innes. I always use cfl until my seedlings grow and sprout their 1St true leaves, then it's into the rhino buckets and under the hps. I don't fancy doing those auto flowers coz do they not give a much smaller yield because you can't veg them as long as you want?
Ching-Chong
 
Dynablo

Dynablo

Well-Known Member
TheLemon said:
I would say 18/6, i tried 24/0 recently with a 125w cfl and burned the shit outa one of my babies lol. I have seen some vids of 12/12 from seed, but why would you risk potentially hurting your yield, give your plants a good long veg period to get the best out of them :)
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I agree M8, would if I could but have court in February lol so......
 
Dynablo

Dynablo

Well-Known Member
Lord Kanti said:
Tried 24/0 using Aerogarden lights. Plants didn't seem to like it. 20/4 got the survivor behaving like a proper sprout again.
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Cheers m8, I put them to 20/4 yesterday coz my first 5 seedlings all died on me under the 18/6, (first time doing seeds at 18/6, and last) though I think maybe heat was a problem it that time, but my new 5 seedlings are behaving well under 20/4. Now I just need to know when it is safe to add nutes to coco as I have read about people pre soaking their coco in nutes because coco has none, but wouldn't it burn the baby roots?
 
Lord Kanti

Lord Kanti

Well-Known Member
Dynablo said:
Cheers m8, I put them to 20/4 yesterday coz my first 5 seedlings all died on me under the 18/6, (first time doing seeds at 18/6, and last) though I think maybe heat was a problem it that time, but my new 5 seedlings are behaving well under 20/4. Now I just need to know when it is safe to add nutes to coco as I have read about people pre soaking their coco in nutes because coco has none, but wouldn't it burn the baby roots?
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Word on the street is to wait for the baby leaves to die back. Based on this I think it's time to add a little nutrients to my seedling. I'll probably start with seaweed, maybe a little fish, or play it safe with a 10-10-5 grow formula at 1/4 strength.
 
TheLemon

TheLemon

Well-Known Member
How did your seedlings die under 18/6? Did you do anything else wrong, cause that seems strange.
 
sunni

sunni

Administrator
Staff member
you can certainly do 12/12 from seedling theres a few threads on that on here
they are smaller, so its really beneficial to people who grow in say computer cases or very small compact areas.

i personally do not like 24/0 but you can certainly do it.
i like to work more naturally and go for a dark period like the sun would
 
Jimdamick

Jimdamick

Well-Known Member
I think there are a couple of reasons to go 18/6 which is what I use. One is that I feel it is better for a plant to go through a somewhat of a normal lighting cycle, meaning a time for rest. I have done them all and 18 on seems to work fine. 2nd reason for me is saving money. I run 2 - 2x4 trays that have above them 1- 4 lamp HO and 1 4 lamp VHO fixture that combined wattage equals 572 total watts. I do my plants with 2 bubs on in seedling stage and then at 2 weeks I turn on the other 2 bulbs until bloom My point is you can save a lot of money ( ballast and bulb life and lower energy cost.) by going 18/6
 
bobdagrowah

bobdagrowah

Well-Known Member
i started my plants in promix hp under 24/0 till first set of leaves then i went to 20/4, they loved it strain was oh zone by dr greenthumb
 
TheLemon

TheLemon

Well-Known Member
SPLFreak808 said:
How did your seedlings burn under 24/0?
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Pretty sure it was the lack of airflow, she was an ok distance from the light tho which is strange. I wasn't trying to be rude here btw, just wondering if anything else went wrong, sorry if it looked like i was being a prick lol.

Edit: she was in a different grow area to my tent, a wardrobe with no airflow and 1 125w cfl :)
 
SPLFreak808

SPLFreak808

Well-Known Member
TheLemon said:
Pretty sure it was the lack of airflow, she was an ok distance from the light tho which is strange. I wasn't trying to be rude here btw, just wondering if anything else went wrong, sorry if it looked like i was being a prick lol.

Edit: she was in a different grow area to my tent, a wardrobe with no airflow and 1 125w cfl :)
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The only way 24/0 would burn them over 18/6 is if you underwatered them and still i highly doubt that would happen with cfl's.

Fastest photo growth would be 24/0 and its noticeable by the end of the week ,18/6 isnt bad at all either (unless your using cfl's lol) but you have just a bit more stretch and less overall "size" of the plant. After some veg time its noticeable. It's good if you want to save electricity while growing on a time limit and it will help mature the plant quicker to show its sex. Roots will still grow vigorously with the lights on 24/0 infact they might grow faster.
 
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MonkeyGrinder

MonkeyGrinder

Well-Known Member
I've been running the Gas Lantern veg cycle ever since I read up on it. Doing a small 2nd run with it and also keeping a very small mother under a T5. They love it and it's getting good results. Even threw some experiment clones under it that were on 24/0 for a month. They didn't try to kick over into flower with the added dark time or anything.
12on
5.5 off
1on
5.5 off again.
Rinse/repeat.
 
TheLemon

TheLemon

Well-Known Member
SPLFreak808 said:
The only way 24/0 would burn them over 18/6 is if you underwatered them and still i highly doubt that would happen with cfl's.

Fastest photo growth would be 24/0 and its noticeable by the end of the week ,18/6 isnt bad at all either (unless your using cfl's lol) but you have just a bit more stretch and less overall "size" of the plant. After some veg time its noticeable. It's good if you want to save electricity while growing on a time limit and it will help mature the plant quicker to show its sex. Roots will still grow vigorously with the lights on 24/0 infact they might grow faster.
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Wasn't underwatered, I will not be trying 24/0 again.
 
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