how strict does the twelve and twelve cycle need to be

First of all let me say yes I know I need a timer. And I will be getting one soon. With that said my plans for about a week old and I'm trying to 12 in 12 from seed method it will probably be another two weeks before I get a timer since I run my box at night for cooler temperatures I have a hard time staying on a strict 12 and 12 edge UL the lights always come on at nine every night and I'm usually awake between 9 and 930 so the lights get shut off anywhere between 9 and 930 does that amount of time of extra light make a difference? Or do they need to be on a very strict 12 and 12?.

I was also wondering about light leaks doing 12/12 from seed I understand you can't have huge light leaks into the room but a lot of people seem to be conflicted BC the moon would be a " lightleak" anyways my box is in a. Lot in my room the only way for me to keep it cool enough even. Durinng lights off is to keep the door cracked on the opposite end of the closet so I can't say its pitch black but its pretty damn dark is this always a garunteef recipe for herms or does neone else feell like its an easy blame for having herms. I'm so confused about this sorry if I confused

Should be as controlled as possible in regards to timing and light leaks...you'll know it went to shits if you get a chick with a dick

Your fine bro, I don't use a timer either. I do mine 8 to 8 sometimes 10-20 minute variations. I am in wk 6 with no problems from it,I don't know a place on planet Earth that has a strict light schedule down to the minute.If people can still grow Buddha on the gas light routine a couple of minutes won't hurt.

very strict, down to minutes. though i once had times where it was 4 minutes before lights off on 12/12 . so give or take 5 minutes, but dont let it happen often. close to never is best.

silasraven said:

very strict, down to minutes. though i once had times where it was 4 minutes before lights off on 12/12 . so give or take 5 minutes, but dont let it happen often. close to never is best.

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I am not an expert,just stating my experience. I am sometimes off by like 20 mins everyday to turn on or off and my girls are just fine.
<----------Journal is this way if you want to see there is no ill affects.

A timer can save your ass and will regulate the chosen photoperiod chosen , but an alarm clock and diligence will suffice ! It is critical to turn the lights on and off at the appropriate times once in flower but even then a random mistake will not usually effect much from my experience .

you can be late and it wont hurt um.. within a hour or so

Well there is a grower in here whom I very much respect his opinion ^^^^ so I would go by what he says. Again I am just speaking from my own personal experience. Thanks for the heads up Professor,guess I be a little better with my lights from now on.

I've force flowered outdoors with a ridiculously irregular light cycle. Some days they'd get 12/12, but the time it happened was all over the place. Some days they got closer to 14 hours of light; some days it was closer to 10. No seeds or pollen sacks to be found. Granted, I've only done it once and the genetics I did it with may have just been rather stable.

OK so it sounds like as long as i get a timer before they get too far ill be fine if not they'll be fine as long as I don't oversleeping too much so ill get a timer I was also wondering about light leaks doing 12/12 from seed I understand you can't have huge light leaks into the room but a lot of people seem to be conflicted BC the moon would be a " lightleak" anyways my box is in a. Lot in my room the only way for me to keep it cool enough even. Durinng lights off is to keep the door cracked on the opposite end of the closet so I can't say its pitch black but its pretty damn dark is this always a garunteef recipe for herms or does neone else feell like its an easy blame for having herms. I'm so confused about this sorry if I confused you

sohighifly said:

Your fine bro, I don't use a timer either. I do mine 8 to 8 sometimes 10-20 minute variations. I am in wk 6 with no problems from it,I don't know a place on planet Earth that has a strict light schedule down to the minute.If people can still grow Buddha on the gas light routine a couple of minutes won't hurt.

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I also don't run a timer. my light run 8 to 8 too. and I miss lights out or on by 15 20 mins a lot of times. and have never had any problem. I shut off when I wake up and turn them on when I come home.

I used an alarm clock to remind myself to move my gal (the Dwarfed Dirt Dweller) from the 20/4 grow room into a dark room to achieve 12/12.

there was a few days I screwed up and missed by up to an hour....no issues...no problems

There are some strains that are really finicky that can herm from inconsistent lights.
Those strains can herm from many other reasons as well. It is best to be as consistent as possible, that way if you do have a strain that herms you can more easily deduct what may have gone wrong for it to have hermed.
Considering you can get a timer for 5 dollars, it is hard to understand why even bother taking a chance. It also will make life easier since it is one less responsibility to remember. Well worth the 5 bucks.

why not use a timer? i cant understand why you would want to do the extra work. i guess if you are home constantly its ok, my schedule would just never allow for it nor would I want to do it that way, and i will certainly never understand it.

when a plant is growing out doors it never gets 12/12 perfectly. the days are constantly changing in length by a few mins each day. at the end of the growing season a plant can be getting as little as 10 hrs of light a day compared to when it first started flowering. outdoors you can even have a porch light on and the plant keeps flowering because its use to changes.

indoors some people keep their plants on such a tight regimented schedule that when they break that schedule (12/12 being off or a small light leak when the plant is used to 100% dark at night) that the plant will flip out at the first sign of something different. they unknowingly train their plants to be super sensitive in a way.

Galvatron said:

indoors some people keep their plants on such a tight regimented schedule that when they break that schedule (12/12 being off or a small light leak when the plant is used to 100% dark at night) that the plant will flip out at the first sign of something different. they unknowingly train their plants to be super sensitive in a way.

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I definetly think your dead on with that I've grown a decades worth outdoors and had some plants overcome extreme changes, and things everyone that grows indoors swears will drastically stress/ ruin a plant and have turned out just fine maybe not for some.very serious medicinal use but very good for your average stoner , I am a newborn to indoor grows expecially stealth / micro grows I guess all this reading about UT has made me paranoid about everything! !

save yourself some grief and leave the light on for 24/0 until you get a timer.
Your plants are only a week old and a couple of weeks of long days won't change things much and they will be stronger plants when you finally do flower.
depending on the strain your daylength can vary by as much as 2 hours either way without offsetting flowering.

same time every day by the second.