Which light cycle do you use?

[Cwmoore577]

I just started two autos from Seedsman. One is Zkittlez and the other is GelatOG.

I was wondering which light cycle do you guys recommend? Should I go 24-0? 22-2? 20-4?
Are there pros and cons to each?

 

[puffdatchronic]

i personally feel like giving them unatural amounts of light could only act to stress them. photo plants require ,flower and yeild perfectly with 12 hours of dark . i give my autos a 9 hour dark period

 

[Cwmoore577]

i personally feel like giving them unatural amounts of light could only act to stress them. photo plants require ,flower and yeild perfectly with 12 hours of dark . i give my autos a 9 hour dark period

Wait so you give autoflowers only 15 hours of light? Are they outdoor? I don’t think I’ll go below 18.

 

[puffdatchronic]

like i said i feel like they benefit from more rather than less dark. 18 is probably a good amount

 

[iNFID3L]

18/6 for me, always have done this for 9 years.

 

[MrToad69]

Everyone will have their own range of hours with what they're comfortable with..It all depends on how much Cannabis you want to produce per plant..All 3 options will have healthy plants..current debate of best cycle time is inconclusive..few conventional growers have felt the need to do their own experiments on the topics..That said, Mephisto, one of the most highly regarded Auto breeding companies actually runs much of their stuff 24-0.

Toad

 

[SwiSHa85]

24/0
Consistent VPD
Coco/Megacrop

When done right autos can be just as large/potent as their photo counterpart, given they were bred properly. 24hr of light is more on the elec but I roughly shave an entire month off my harvest time.

 

[iNFID3L]

a month jeez, that sounds interesting, lol

 

[R Burns]

20/4 at least. Roots grow during the dark period. Roots are the most important part of your plants. Especially with autos, this matters, because of the short veg and overall time. There are also many hormones/compounds created during dark period, to be used during lights on. Terps and cannabinoids are more properly formed with light and dark cycling.

 

[Cwmoore577]

20/4 at least. Roots grow during the dark period. Roots are the most important part of your plants. Especially with autos, this matters, because of the short veg and overall time. There are also many hormones/compounds created during dark period, to be used during lights on. Terps and cannabinoids are more properly formed with light and dark cycling.

That’s good to know. Perhaps why mine are still a bit small as I had the light on 24-0 for the first few days and now put them at 20-4

 

[iNFID3L]

would it be worth starting out like 16/ 8 then changing to 18 / 6 ? based on the above quote its got me thinking, im talking about the 1st week or so .. ?

 

[R Burns]

would it be worth starting out like 16/ 8 then changing to 18 / 6 ? based on the above quote its got me thinking, im talking about the 1st week or so .. ?

Nah. I say 20/4 for the happy median. Best of both worlds kinda thing. For me, I would run them 18/6. 6hrs is a proper dark period. Can get away with 4, for the people who want to go 24hrs. Best for roots in those first wks, besides the dark period, is to water slowly and completely as infrequently as possible. No foliar spraying. You want roots to grow in search of water. Phosphorus and molybdenum are your root nutes. A little extra of these, in the first couple wks, help tremendously.

 

[MrToad69]

Infid3l..
If anything, I would err on higher hours at the start..20hrs min..build that plant structure to build buds on..Auto need light hrs greater than 18..not sure why you're aiming to use fewer other than perhaps to save your electricity..Some might suggest start with 24 hours straight continuous until it begins to flower then cut back a few hours..so the plant can rest..In spite of roots growing in the dark...light still provide the foundation for photosynthesis

 

[iNFID3L]

i think ill step it up to 20/4 , then drop to 18 /6 , didn't even think about no misting either, its obvious really.

im already 2 weeks into a 18/6 grow so ill just have to wait, but excellent tips, thanks guys !

 

[MrToad69]

I'd flip them to 20/4 now in spite of the light cycle presently at 18/6...Autos dont trigger the same way photos do come flower..and dont typically react to changing light.
How tall are they?

 

[iNFID3L]

currently around 4/5 inches ive already switched the timer from 'auto' , to on , lol ill not be home when it would normally turn off, i arrive home 2 hours after, so ill turn off when i get home , then reprogramme the timer for 20/4

 

[mordynyc]

20-4 until afternoons cool down then 24-0. PPFD/time grows plants.
LOL Roots grow fine during light hours.

 

[PURPLEB3RRYKUSH]

20/4

 

[iNFID3L]

i use a trek, its super light, 21 speed lol

 

[HighLowGrow]

20/4 ONLY to save a bit on the bill. For the last 10 years my light only went off a few times a year when I had to replace the bulb or move the light. Otherwise 24/0. 600hps