Please help!!!! Hours of light question!

I have some nice clones that are ready to come out of humidity dome(which they are under 24 hrs/day light) and get transferrred to my main room. I am a 1st timer but have a freind who does it (where the clones came from). I am using a 1000wt HPS air cooled hood. I need to know the lighting times. Ive dome alot of reading and I cold swear that for vegetative stage I should be 18 on 6 off? But my buddy is telling me to go to 12/12 and I think hes just forgetting or dosent know? Isnt 12/12 for flowering? I could really use some input here. Thanks

You'll see the most amount of growth with a 20/4 light schedule. 20 on/4 off.

Most popular veg is 18/6 or 20/4 or 24/0

Flower is 12/12

yes to grow clones and to root either 18/6 or 20/4 12/12 is for flower

very opinionated question, yes 12/12 is for flowering, i veg mine with 24 hr of light. whatever works for you, 18/6...20/4. more light keeps them from stretching when the light is out. They do not need a dark period during veg.

Ithink the roots grow during dark period so I definately give at least 4 hours of dark.

i agreee with you both in a way its a compromise tops (leaves) dont need no rest period but bottoms (roots) do need dark period
so once again i have to take all info in and do what I think is best for me which is a short down period for roots to develope

we cant do whatever we hear and read we must evaluate cause nobody is gonig to replace your money,seed, nutes,power,and maybe yo freedom in a unfriendly state --no ones going to replace your losses but you so you are responcible to your plants and their outcome

I've done both 20 on and 4 off, and 18 on and 6 off
theY're very similar, so go with with 20 on 4 off

Even plants need a little sleep

SCbudboy said:

I've done both 20 on and 4 off, and 18 on and 6 off
theY're very similar, so go with with 20 on 4 off

Even plants need a little sleep

Click to expand...

Did you do a study of the rootballs at various points to compare root growth?

Thanks for the quick responses. LIke i said I was sure I was gonna go with 18/6 until i double checked this morn and heard 12/12 for veg and it threw me off. I checked some other threads in the meantime and it seems the majority prefer 20/4 to 18/6.

Does it matter if I start out at 20/4 say for the first half of the veg stage then switch to 18/6 the 2nd half of veg stage or would it be better to just stick with whatever cycle O choose for the entire veg stage? Im pretty sure ill go with 20/4.

SCbudboy said:

I've done both 20 on and 4 off, and 18 on and 6 off
theY're very similar, so go with with 20 on 4 off

Even plants need a little sleep

Click to expand...

this is not true, they do not NEED sleep or a dark period during veg. they may grow better with 4 hrs dark who knows, but they do not need it it will not kill it if it has 24 hrs of light i do it all the time.
What they need is light, co2 & water. without those they will certainly die.

macanudo1 said:

Thanks for the quick responses. LIke i said I was sure I was gonna go with 18/6 until i double checked this morn and heard 12/12 for veg and it threw me off. I checked some other threads in the meantime and it seems the majority prefer 20/4 to 18/6.

Does it matter if I start out at 20/4 say for the first half of the veg stage then switch to 18/6 the 2nd half of veg stage or would it be better to just stick with whatever cycle O choose for the entire veg stage? Im pretty sure ill go with 20/4.

Click to expand...

A slow transition to 12/12 would be more natural but I don't think you'll notice much of a difference between a slow transition down to 12/12, 20/4 - 18/6 - 12/12, or 20/4 straight to 12/12.

Do what you would like! Just don't give light during dark and stick with something whether you decide to slowly transition to 12/12 or not