Lighting What's the best lighting cycle for autos - 24/0, 20/4 or 18/6

[Vicent Van Grow]

This grow I'm running 18/6 because here in the San Diego area we have some of the highest electricity rates in the country and the weather is hot so I rest them from 1pm to 7 pm.

35 days old.View attachment 948874 View attachment 948875

I never thought that San Diego would have much in common with the North of England but it seem's I was wrong :smoking:

 

[pop22]

No, changes do not have to be slow with autos. Abusing autoflowers is my hobby........lol! If there's a despicable thing you can do to an auto, I've done it. Including ramdomly changing light cycles. I've gone from 18/6 to 24/0 to 20/4 then to 12/12 and back to 24/0 within a few days. If changing light cycles would cause hermies, that would have done it! Autos are TOUGH, not weak and fragile like the old myths say. They will take an incredible amount of stress. Look at the people here who heavily defoliate them without issue!

I've had ONE autoflower plant go hermie out of hundreds across at least 60 strrains, and it was a greenhouse plant! No need to baby your autos, show them no mercy......Bwaaahhhhahahaha!

I ran mine at 20/4 for about 7 months but when I started switching to Mephistos, i changed to 24/0. The only plant that had an issue was a Creme of The Crop Psychofruit it was a bit sensitive.
Otherwise i have not noticed any difference in growth or issues
I have been considering slowly adjusting back to 22/2 basically to just give lights a break. My temps stay btw 77-82, once in A while up to 84.
Backing off the lighting schedule i will do over a couple week period. Currently i have 5 plants all in different various stages of flowering. So will wait till I clear a 3 out over the next week for harvest.
Just don't make any abrupt changes. With Autos changes need to be slow and methodical. Unless u like hermies.
[emoji41]

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

 

[CoviklaFlaire]

yeaqh that is way I prefer autos over photos..They are finchy as hell, everything bothers them..I had light leaks, changing light cycles also, even my timer was broken and they were in dark for 2 days, nothing...
I love autoS

 

[NewDream]

I was using 20/4 lights and air domes. About a week and a half ago I left them both on 24/0 and the jump in growth in one week is amazing. I have pictures in my grow journal of my plants on 9/11 and 9/18 and it’s quite a difference. This may partly be due to the air domes buried in the pots though, which are little net domes you can blow air to the roots through using an air pump. Reading what others say it seems the exact opposite - more growth on 20/4. I’m thinking strain is a big factor in the effect lighting time has.

 

[Tony21]

The light cycle doesn't matter, what matter is the light amount of PAR received and DLI requirement. Nobody seem to know what DLI is for auto's and that could be strain dependent too.
Personally I run 22 cobs in 3 groups 18/6 staggered so 2 groups is always on in the flower tent, for a DLI of between 30 - 45 mol in the canopy. Yep, it varies a lot with distance and angle.
I have 4 PAR meters with daily DLI measurements and none the wiser so far what is optimal. I'm winging it by eye for now, and I always have some 25 amnesias going at various stages plus the odd new and old strains.
In the grow tents it's 24/0 and there's usually 1 or 2 plants going all the way to harvest there, with DLI of 20 - 35 at canopy, and there is no difference in growth and yield I think with the same strain. The lower DLI is because of lower wattage/area used in the grow tents.

This thread is moot and full of speculation I think, speaking of light cycle is very misleading and pretty useless.

This is what flower tent look like at the moment with the staggered 18/6, average about 300w/m2, all these are seedstockers amnesia, 1,2 - 1,9 m tall, okdest ones are 59 days, 12 plants in a 150 x 300 x 220 tent

This is some of the grow tents running 24/0 at about 200 w/m2

 

[Tony21]

No, changes do not have to be slow with autos. Abusing autoflowers is my hobby........lol! If there's a despicable thing you can do to an auto, I've done it. Including ramdomly changing light cycles. I've gone from 18/6 to 24/0 to 20/4 then to 12/12 and back to 24/0 within a few days. If changing light cycles would cause hermies, that would have done it! Autos are TOUGH, not weak and fragile like the old myths say. They will take an incredible amount of stress. Look at the people here who heavily defoliate them without issue!

I've had ONE autoflower plant go hermie out of hundreds across at least 60 strrains, and it was a greenhouse plant! No need to baby your autos, show them no mercy......Bwaaahhhhahahaha!

Amen to that, what you say

 

[Padawan1972]

No, changes do not have to be slow with autos. Abusing autoflowers is my hobby........lol! If there's a despicable thing you can do to an auto, I've done it. Including ramdomly changing light cycles. I've gone from 18/6 to 24/0 to 20/4 then to 12/12 and back to 24/0 within a few days. If changing light cycles would cause hermies, that would have done it! Autos are TOUGH, not weak and fragile like the old myths say. They will take an incredible amount of stress. Look at the people here who heavily defoliate them without issue!

I've had ONE autoflower plant go hermie out of hundreds across at least 60 strrains, and it was a greenhouse plant! No need to baby your autos, show them no mercy......Bwaaahhhhahahaha!

High Five to that!....I follow your mantra!

 

[CoviklaFlaire]

The light cycle doesn't matter, what matter is the light amount of PAR received and DLI requirement. Nobody seem to know what DLI is for auto's and that could be strain dependent too.
Personally I run 22 cobs in 3 groups 18/6 staggered so 2 groups is always on in the flower tent, for a DLI of between 30 - 45 mol in the canopy. Yep, it varies a lot with distance and angle.
I have 4 PAR meters with daily DLI measurements and none the wiser so far what is optimal. I'm winging it by eye for now, and I always have some 25 amnesias going at various stages plus the odd new and old strains.
In the grow tents it's 24/0 and there's usually 1 or 2 plants going all the way to harvest there, with DLI of 20 - 35 at canopy, and there is no difference in growth and yield I think with the same strain. The lower DLI is because of lower wattage/area used in the grow tents.

This thread is moot and full of speculation I think, speaking of light cycle is very misleading and pretty useless.

This is what flower tent look like at the moment with the staggered 18/6, average about 300w/m2, all these are seedstockers amnesia, 1,2 - 1,9 m tall, okdest ones are 59 days, 12 plants in a 150 x 300 x 220 tent View attachment 952652

View attachment 952660

This is some of the grow tents running 24/0 at about 200 w/m2View attachment 952654

I just hope for you are in Legal state,coz mr. you have your self nice operation going.

 

[Tony21]

I just hope for you are in Legal state,coz mr. you have your self nice operation going.

Haha, thank you man, I don't live in a state but in a country with coffee shops

 

[pop22]

Damn I love your pics!

The light cycle doesn't matter, what matter is the light amount of PAR received and DLI requirement. Nobody seem to know what DLI is for auto's and that could be strain dependent too.
Personally I run 22 cobs in 3 groups 18/6 staggered so 2 groups is always on in the flower tent, for a DLI of between 30 - 45 mol in the canopy. Yep, it varies a lot with distance and angle.
I have 4 PAR meters with daily DLI measurements and none the wiser so far what is optimal. I'm winging it by eye for now, and I always have some 25 amnesias going at various stages plus the odd new and old strains.
In the grow tents it's 24/0 and there's usually 1 or 2 plants going all the way to harvest there, with DLI of 20 - 35 at canopy, and there is no difference in growth and yield I think with the same strain. The lower DLI is because of lower wattage/area used in the grow tents.

This thread is moot and full of speculation I think, speaking of light cycle is very misleading and pretty useless.

This is what flower tent look like at the moment with the staggered 18/6, average about 300w/m2, all these are seedstockers amnesia, 1,2 - 1,9 m tall, okdest ones are 59 days, 12 plants in a 150 x 300 x 220 tent View attachment 952652

View attachment 952660

This is some of the grow tents running 24/0 at about 200 w/m2View attachment 952654