24-hr vs. 18/6 hr during vegetation

Carlo · Jan 7, 2012

Hello All,

It has been awhile since I've posted but I'm doing well and this forum has greatly helped me to become self-sufficient. To the newbies, listen to what these people say and you'll be okay.

Anyways, my plants, when I transfer to flowering stage, stretch out quite a bit and sometimes become herms (if that's the right word for it).

I was told by a more experienced grower that I should try lighting during vegetation to 18/6 hrs or 20/4 hrs, rather than 24 hrs of lighting because plants need to sleep, which he said could cause the herms, and that stretching should occur much less.

I Have only used Barney Farms feminized seeds of various strains, except my first grow which were still quality feminized seeds.

Any input would be appreciated?

By the way, is there anything wrong in smoking herm plants? I read that most growers are terrified of this occurring, but I still tend to enjoy the smoke. Maybe I'm just twisted like that.

bho_expertz · Jan 7, 2012

Marijuana does not need to "sleep". You should see what fits best to you but 24/0 is very used around here.

I use both 24/0 and 18/6. 24/0 in the veg tent with CFL's and 18/6 the week they veg under the HPS.

Rosebud · Jan 7, 2012

I used to think the plants needed a rest but was shown the error in my thinking. 24 hour veg does not cause hermis. The thing to avoid stretch in flower is to have the plant as close to the light with out burning. Some plants will stretch more then others.
There is nothing wrong in smoking the plants that have hermied.

Locked · Jan 7, 2012

Yeah don't take any advice from that dude.....24-0 does not cause or promote hermies. Light leaks in flower during the dark period is a much more likely cause....or other grow condition factors like heat. Stretch in flower has a lot to do with strain as well in my opinion.

TGM · Jan 8, 2012

You can use 24 hour lighting but i have found to be honest that the extra 6 hours of late just realy didnt seem to do much extra for them. I know the plants do not need a dark period but i am also of the beleif that a little darkness is good for them and i would say that the plants do seem a little happy for the dark period.

i look at it like this we can work 24/7 but at some point we need a rest and i just think the plants are happy with a little darkness so i always do 18/6 light period for veg i do grow on hps light on veg after a few weeks to bring them on so maybe my thinking is to justify the electric bill in some way..but i like to disguise it as i am a plant loving hippy

....although thinking about it i dont mind chopping them down drying em out and smoking em....

TGM

Locked · Jan 8, 2012

TGM you really don't save money or electricity because in my experience you need to veg for a longer period of time on 18-6 then on 24-0. Plenty of us hve ran veg on both 18-6 and 24-0 and hve indeed gotten better growth on 24-0. Jmo

TGM · Jan 8, 2012

Hi i have never found i need to veg longer on 18/6 than on 24/7 also it can depend on the strain you are growing as well i think if you have a pure indica you may indeed veg longer depending on the size plant you want or if you top it or not.

I used to grow cheese tried it from green house and big buddha both for me where quite indica dominant and i vegged for a longer period as i knew the stretch wasnt that much. I then grew my favourite which is serious seeds white russian man that strain is just the bollocks so easy to grow anyway after a few grows i realised i didnt need to veg as long with the stretch the plant had so i think alot of factors can come into it grow room set up, space, lights you name it lol each to there own though thats what i love about this home growing lark lmao.

TGM

The Hemp Goddess · Jan 8, 2012

No, IME, it doesn't depend on strain. Plants vegged under 18/6 may be the same height as plants grown under 24/0, but they do not have the same number of internodes. During those 6 hours of darkness, the plant will stretch, which is different than growth.

I occasionally have to turn my vegging lights off during the hottest part of the day in summer. I doesn't matter the strain, they ALL stretch way way more when I am forced to use 18/6 for vegging rather than 24/7.

Carlo, I would not be for taking any more advise from your "more experienced grower". He is wrong on all counts. Marijuana does not need to sleep. We know from biology that marijuana is in a class of plant that does not need a dark period. Plants vegged under 18/6 rather than 24/7 will stretch more and have fewer budding sites, rather than the other way around. You may believe that the plant is growing because of the stretch, but it will have longer internodal spacing and therefore less budding sites than those vegged 24/7. Your vegging light also has absolutely nothing at all to do with hermies. The vast majority of hermie plants are caused by hermie genes from using seeds from hermie plants (selfed plants) and interruption of the dark period during flowering. If you are using seeds from your hermie plants, that is the reason that you keep getting hermies--it is now a dominant gene within the seed.

TGM · Jan 8, 2012

I have read that seeds from a hermie can be all female and as to the veg and internode sites i dont agree every grower may use a diffrent light strengh a few years ago it was given that MH bulb was better for vegging than a HPS light, of course a plant grown under a HPS on 18/6 compared to a plant grown on a 150 floro on 24/7 will be alot better grown with more conpact internode spacing.

Strian i think does make a diffrence to the number of internodes on a plant like i mentioned a pure indica will be smaller and have more compact internode spacing compared to a pure sativa strain. The stretch can differ in diffrent strains that is well known. I had a friend called MDS who swore by leaving the lights off for 36 hours before switching to 12/12 to reduce stretch lol dont know his reasoning for it but he felt it worked for him.

I honestly think there are just to many things involved to say 100% each persons grow room is diffrent..tempature, humidity, light strengh, height of grow room all this can effect a grow room and the veg timetable.

The best advice i can give is try it yourself in your own grow setup and just see what works for you just because a plant does not need a dark period because of its Photosynthesis does not mean that it may not like one its an age old debate and just pick what you feel is best for you.

TGM

Hushpuppy · Jan 8, 2012

I have to agree with The Hemp Goddess: 1; because she is an "age old" grower with more years growing experience than many growers online today have been alive. I am sure that she has tried it many times both as experiment and out of necessity.

2; I too have tried this as my partner was of the 18/6 mindset when we first started growing. We have been growing 1 particular strain for a while and when we switched to the 24hr light period, we saw a huge difference in growth rates. All positive and no negative.

From what I have heard, Carlo answered his problem of hermie. He said that he is growing femenized beans from Barney's farm. I don't mean to talk $h!t about Barney's but I have heard several people say that Barney's fem beans have a strong hermie tendency.

depetreono · Feb 2, 2012

Will plant grown under 18/6 stretch less then a 24/0 when switched to 12/12? If so is it due to a less drastic Change in lighting schedule. And im referring to stretch only after switched to 12/12 not prior just to clarify again.

PuffinNugs · Feb 2, 2012

thats not true at all, the amount of stretch is strain dependant and when you put it into flower when mature comapred to not.

18/6 will have more stretched plants through out the whole veg period so it may not seem as drastic, but IMO if you put a plant into flower when you have good alternating nodes stretch is minimal.

some straisn just stretch no matter what

depetreono · Feb 2, 2012

I'm not say that's how it works it was a question. I just want to reduce stretch when I flip over.

PuffinNugs · Feb 2, 2012

all you can do is make sure its fully mature and ready to flower and get it as close to the light as possible.

i have a strain right now called Holy Grail 69 from Samsara, didnt strech at all but my Sour Kush (Headband) stretched like crazy just cause of genetics. seems like kush straisn go a little wild in flower and end up needing to be tied /staked

Locked · Feb 2, 2012

depetreono said:
I'm not say that's how it works it was a question. I just want to reduce stretch when I flip over.

Lst is probably the best way to keep stretch some what in check....you gotta do a lot of bending over of branches and securing them. Jmo

Hick · Feb 3, 2012

Hamster Lewis said:
Lst is probably the best way to keep stretch some what in check....you gotta do a lot of bending over of branches and securing them. Jmo

........"super-cropping"...

Hushpuppy · Feb 3, 2012

Hey Hick, when you supercrop do you crush and bend all of your plants' stems or do you just crush some of them without bending to encourage the plant to do repairs to slow down the stretch?

PuffinNugs · Feb 3, 2012

Hushpuppy said:
Hey Hick, when you supercrop do you crush and bend all of your plants' stems or do you just crush some of them without bending to encourage the plant to do repairs to slow down the stretch?

both work. but if you dont bent i find that they still grow just as tall, want to get that bend in there so it slows it a bit then has to work to grow back "up"

OGKushman · Feb 3, 2012

A little misinformation. Take 2 near identical clones, place one in 24/0 and one in 18/6. The plant grown in 24/0 will be SMALLER with the same amount of nodes. This means you can veg LONGER on 24/0 and get more nodes in less space; ie.: bigger plant will have more bud sites.

More nodes = more and denser/closely grown buds.

Pictures from a test: 1 is direct comparison, 2 is 18/6, 3 is 24/0

*happy growin!

7greeneyes · Feb 3, 2012

OGKushman said:
A little misinformation. Take 2 near identical clones, place one in 24/0 and one in 18/6. The plant grown in 24/0 will be SMALLER with the same amount of nodes. This means you can veg LONGER on 24/0 and get more nodes in less space; ie.: bigger plant will have more bud sites.

More nodes = more and denser/closely grown buds.

Pictures from a test: 1 is direct comparison, 2 is 18/6, 3 is 24/0

*happy growin!

Awesome pic there OGK, what a great idear to document as well...I've def noticed tighter internodal spacing and not as stretched in Veg on the 24/0 vegged light schedule...gj on the pics :cool2:

24-hr vs. 18/6 hr during vegetation

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