# 12/12 back to 18/6 ?



## bud boy

i put my plants on 12/12 for about a week and a bit now and one of my plants show 2 tiny pistils, i think this is a female but i wanto change the light back to 18/6 to veg more cos the plant wiv pistils isnt big atal. is it ok to change back to 18/6 so they veg abit more beore flwering.
any suggestions ??


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## Insane

It will take a week or two for your plants to revert back to vegging. Since they've started preflowering now, it won't hurt them and they will be fine but like I said you'll be set back a couple weeks.

Also keep in mind that most plants double, triple, and sometimes even quadruple in size during flowering!


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## Mutt

Yep, insane is 100% right they will grow.

The only time I hear of using 18/6 is to give the HID a break o'wose keep it on 24 on. in my opinion.


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## Insane

Yup I like the 24 hour light schedule for vegging too, but with HIDs you can run into heat issues very easily if you don't have some serious ventiliation.


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## Mutt

> but with HIDs you can run into heat issues very easily if you don't have some serious ventiliation.



Cool tube and good intake with Carbon scrub exhaust. IMHO


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## Insane

Mutt said:
			
		

> Cool tube and good intake with Carbon scrub exhaust. IMHO


 
I agree, but thats also best case scenario IMHO, that's what I meant when I said 'serious ventilation'. This is also where it can start to get pretty expensive. 

When growing indoors and using heavy duty lights (HPS, MH), flow through ventilation becomes very important if you want to grow quality pot, or in some cases if you want to grow at all depending on the temps that your light puts out!


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## Stoney Bud

Mutt said:
			
		

> The only time I hear of using 18/6 is to give the HID a break o'wose keep it on 24 on. in my opinion.


Oh God! No, NO! Not the 18 versus 24 argument again! Heh, heh.
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 With *most* strains, I believe that the natural genetics of the plant are partially based on a darkness cycle. During the darkness, a plant utilizes nutrients and conditions in a completely different way than when the light is on. I believe it to be necessary.

But it's got to be done right. Yanking a plant back and forth between light cycles can cause a lot of problems. The reason the problems arise is that the genetic level of the plant is being altered. If this alteration is the same, or close to the same type of changes that the plant "expects", then you've fooled the plant into thinking that nature is doing the growing. If you whack the plant back and forth between light cycles, it can cause radical changes in the plant that are sometimes not good for the outcome.

I seriously suggest at least a 4 hour darkness period from the time the plants are cloned or from the seedling stage. I use an 18/6 for all of my plants now. I seem to have less problems than when I've used 24 on.

Whatever ratio of light/dark you use, it's very important to do so from the beginning. Use clones to sex the plant. It's way less stressful to the plant than tossing it between flowering and vegetative cycles and I believe you will end up with a more potent end result.

If the plant is already used to a 24 on, then don't change it. The plant has been forced into this unnatural condition and it's altered it's own genetics to enable it to thrive as best as possible. If you change it now, then you'll just cause the plant stress again.

It's important to start with a plan and continue with that plan until harvest. The plants will have less problems that way.

As for the 18 versus 24, I kinda go with what a scientist told me once. A plant needs to have the conditions that simulate nature. One can adjust that similarity to ways that are more beneficial to the plant, but one cannot force a plant to alter it's natural genetics without paying a price for that change. He said to me; show me a plant in nature that has no light variance each day. You can't. Even in an area that has light 24/7 for part of the year, each day, the light changes during the 24 hour period. The plants makeup expects this.
In almost all places, a plants genetics are based on at least some darkness each day.

If you want to maximize the plants total usage of nutes and conditions, give it at least a few hours of darkness each day.

Once again, I've got to caution you to NOT change the lighting schedule if you're already using a 24/7 light. Your plants will have already adjusted to that schedule and it will cause them stress if you change it before flowering.

Of course, if you get 20 pot growers into a room, you'll have 100 different methods of growing sworn to.
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




Sometimes, the difference can be so slight as to need a lab to tell you the difference in the end product. The more expensive THC test kits use a color chart for the content of THC. With this test, you can rate your grows potency as compared to a standard. This is how. Do a test on some "good" street weed. Remember where it scores on the color chart. Then, do the same test on some of your really good weed. You'll see that the color will be much higher on the chart. I've grown some that the test color was darker than the chart went to. That's worth a laugh. The guy who created the color chart obviously didn't smoke weed or he'd allowed for higher ratings. The test I'm referring to is a litmus test. I don't use them any more because I no longer need them. Back in the sales days, I used it to prove potency by having the buyer compare the test results in person with some he already had. Mine was always as strong or stronger. The test proved it. It makes buyers more confident in your product. Most buyers don't have a lot of trust in anyone.

The testing will show you the difference in potency when using different methods on the SAME EXACT plant; ie: genetic same, as in clone. Two seeds from the same plant can be different as hell. I've learned that the hard way. Cloning plants is an AWESOME way to keep your genetics alive and well.

I'm testing my Big Bud with a 18/6 for this crop. So far, the ladies are looking very nice. I've had to use it this time to help control the heat until my new flowering room is ready. It's going to be 10 feet by 10 feet with an 8 foot ceiling, full inside/outside ventilation and 4 HPS using Hydroponics/ebb and flow. I intend to use a graduated level method of staggering my flowering stages. I'll put new plants into flowering each week on a continuous basis. That way, I'll have a weekly output into harvest. My vegetative room will be set up to do the same thing for that cycle.

I'll be going with a 20/4 light schedule in the vegetative room and using CO2 in just the flowering room.


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## Insane

I think the main thing when using 18/6 or 24/0, like you say Stoney, is to stay very strict with the schedule you end up choosing. I've seen great results with both cycles.

PS My current Heavenly Hash plants were vegged on the 24/0 cycle, I had no problems.


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## Mutt

Damn stoney. I wondered that too, but just listened to the majority vote. They both work. (I still wish I could outdoor grow like I used to, I didn't have this stuff to worry about). I will try it 18/6 next go around just for shits and giggles.

I know potency is what we are all looking for, but growing your own bagseed bud the best you can, will still be a lot better than local schwagg.


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## Insane

Yeah I've heard this argued about more times than I care to remember, but Im mostly a 24/0 grower myself, although I think I'll go with Mutt and try 18/6 for my next grow, just for shits and giggles


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## Stoney Bud

Insane said:
			
		

> Yeah I've heard this argued about more times than I care to remember, but Im mostly a 24/0 grower myself, although I think I'll go with Mutt and try 18/6 for my next grow, just for shits and giggles


Or try the 20/4. Even the hard core darkness freaks say that a 4 hour dark cycle should provide enough of a period to let the plant do it's genetic thing. If you research transperation during the light/dark cycle of plants, you'll find a lot of data supporting this. I don't know of anyone who would argue that a plant has different chemical processes during darkness. Whether there is value to these differences is where the argument is.

Here's just a taste of what transpires, (ha), when a plant is put into darkness. You'll notice that towards the end of this article, it's explained that the plants resistance to drought is increased by this darkness stomatal action. Pretty interesting stuff. There is tons of this material available for study. Other properties of plants are improved during darkness. In a controlled enviroment like a grow room, ie:lab, some of these resistances and processes are minimized or unneeded. Maybe.

https://kb.osu.edu/dspace/bitstream/1811/2056/1/V19N08_491.pdf


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## Stoney Bud

Insane said:
			
		

> just for shits and giggles


Kinda reminds me of the last time I had the stomach flu. Sittin on the pot smokin some pot; skiwirttttttt...hehehehehe.

Is that where "shits and giggles" originates?

I know, I know, I'm a very sick person....


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## Mutt

Stoney Bud said:
			
		

> skiwirttttttt...hehehehehe.


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## Insane

come on Stoney..at least now you know that Mutt has a weak gut, that didn't even phase me man I've done the exact same thing lol

The term 'Shits and Giggles' I believe might've originated around the same time as the term 'Cleveland Steamer' lol


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## Mutt

Week gut huh. I ate a bad chili dog a while back. I bounced from the master bath to the hall bath alternating cause it was so bad, I couldn't sit in the stench. My poor wife and Kids had to leave the house for a while.

Here is a link to the Urban Dictionary for Shits and Giggles

Shits and Giggles

and check this bubble wrap thing I just found.
http://members.cox.net/shilesjack/BW532.html


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## Insane

Well shit then nevermind man you got one strong ass gut! lol


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## Stoney Bud

Mutt said:
			
		

> Week gut huh. I ate a bad chili dog a while back. I bounced from the master bath to the hall bath alternating cause it was so bad, I couldn't sit in the stench. My poor wife and Kids had to leave the house for a while.


Oh, uh, uh....Ralllpphhhhhh.
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	





			
				Mutt said:
			
		

> check this bubble wrap thing I just found.
> http://members.cox.net/shilesjack/BW532.html


Now that was fun man. I made sound like a ******* suzuki man. That would give a bunch of Harley people a good laugh.


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## Mutt

Stoney Bud said:
			
		

> Now that was fun man. I made sound like a ******* suzuki man. That would give a bunch of Harley people a good laugh.


 
I was at a club party, and seen one get picked up and threw on a bon-fire. Drunk fucks forgot about the gas tank. That was fuckin wild. Teach that kid to bring a rice burner to a club party.


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