New Grower Does Lighting schedule affect how fast Af plants mature?

[PhammyDavis]

For example you grew you plants 18/6 all the way through. And someone else grew the same strain under the same conditions but had there lighting schedule 20/4. would the person running 20/4 plants mature faster?

I wanna know this cause to me, the whole point of growing auto flowers is they are fast. after my plants show sex and I transplant them, I try to harvest them 40 days after they have been transplanted. all together about 65 days germinating. I recently switched my lighting schedule to 22/2 to try and make them finish quicker. Do you think this will work?

 

[The Medicine Man]

I haven't heard that 2 hours of light per day will help anything at all.

 

[ANCB]

Not a clue, but i'll keep an eye here as i'm a tight arse cnut and begrudge leaving my lights on for 18 hours...

 

[PhammyDavis]

I haven't heard that 2 hours of light per day will help anything at all.

2 hours a day x 40 days which is an extra 80 hrs. Thats a big difference

 

[agito]

it does not mean the plant can use that extra light efficently

 

[AutoMan]

I've been using 12/12 on all my autos this summer as I grew a couple of phots alongside....mine did well...IMO....Now that the photos are done, I've ramped up ato 16-18 hrs and actually have not got enough documentation to show me much diff so far....BUT...I do think more light produces firmer nuggs.....

 

[hitman_64]

The only thing that you'll really accomplish with long light schedules is more males and hermies. Run your lights on blue for 17 hours until they sex and you'll end up with a lot of females quick. Fact. I do however once a male sexes keep him under the lights 24/0 and they do mature faster. Females never see more than 17 until the last 10 days before cutting just to make them push more of the good stuff to the bud. at that time I cut thhe lights to 12/12 and gradually lower it to 8 the last two days. That tends to dry up the bottom pretty well.
Some things I would like to note. I've ran plants under every conceivable schedule. Shorter hours have tended to show tighter vegetative growth. This is at 12-14 hours on. 14-17 shows the best results overall. This gives me a 85+% female ratio and the difference is nothing major than if you ran the lights at the 18-20. In fact if you take 10 regular seeds and run a 20 hour schedule I'd venture to bet that if I ran the same strain on 17 that I'd end up with more overall weight just because of the extra females. Not to mention that 2 hours a day for a month versus the yield received just won't pay for itself. Any more than 20 proves ineffective and in some cases I've noticed stunting. Once the male sexes I don't care if it stunts or not. I just want it to do its shit so I can reuse the pot.

 

[The Medicine Man]

2 hours a day x 40 days which is an extra 80 hrs. Thats a big difference

Yea, a big difference in the electric bill. A plant isn't going to see that extra light like that equation.

 

[PhammyDavis]

Yea, a big difference in the electric bill. A plant isn't going to see that extra light like that equation.

That's funny cause my Auto blueberry just showed amber trichs at day 57 from germination. So yea it does make a difference. I have trialed and error with 16/8 18/6 20/4 and now 22/2. Have you done any trial and erroring with light schedules??? And the only difference I see is that they mature quicker. WHen I was on 18/6 my trichs turned amber around day 65-70. Fuck that. The whole point of growing Af is because there fast. TIME IS MONEY. You're electricity bill will rise a little more but the investment is worth the return. If I can harvest 10 days sooner it'll give me more crops for the year.

Hitman64 I disagree. More males and hermies??? I run my seedling 24/0 and get about 60% female ratio. I've been growing these for 3 years NON STOP. And stunting has to do with transplanting. They key to making your plant not stunt and become a little 10 inch single cola is transplanting right when they show sex. If you wait too long to transplant your sexed female I guarantee you it will stunt. I've been on 22/2 for the last few month and have had no problems. and I run full 1500ppms of Co2 as well.

 

[Northern Grower]

For example you grew you plants 18/6 all the way through. And someone else grew the same strain under the same conditions but had there lighting schedule 20/4. would the person running 20/4 plants mature faster?

I wanna know this cause to me, the whole point of growing auto flowers is they are fast. after my plants show sex and I transplant them, I try to harvest them 40 days after they have been transplanted. all together about 65 days germinating. I recently switched my lighting schedule to 22/2 to try and make them finish quicker. Do you think this will work?

Just so you know, we get along here fine not calling other members retarded. Might want to take notice.

My plants have matured faster if i 12/12 them the last 2 weeks. 20/4 first few weeks 18/6 then 12/12. There are many more factors that effect finish times, than just light schedule.