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

[Peter Wiggins]

I am doing very small containers. Nonstop light has worked best for me due to this

 

[hank]

I am doing very small containers. Nonstop light has worked best for me due to this

I think it works well for everything.

 

[hank]

the general rule of thumb while learning to grow is wattering till you get around 10% runoff to ensure harmful buildup is cleansed
but this is done even if it is not needed just because it is a good rule of thumb to go by
but truthfull this stresses the plant because each time you reach the point of the runoff you have already saturated the soil to the point it lacks oxygen and the plant has to wait for the conditions to readjust each time technically slowing growth and each time clense reducing the amount of partially broken down organic compounds(from more complex chain harder to break down organics depending on nutrients used and source of them) that could have been more easily used if not flushed through alot of chemical nutrients are instantly available and do require a more aggressive stance on salt buildup but in a case like this i would rec premium gas for premium performance when expected
but this is mainly due to the addition of too much at one time in alot of cases
i only encourage runoff a few times in a entire cycle for full development sometimes more depending on the nutrients used organic or synthetic
depending on development and needs once during seedling/juvenile transition once during preflower and reduction in verticle height growth after mixing ratios of bloom and grow depending on the limits of the setup and desired effects wanted
depending on your R/H and plant needs as compaired to volume of medium used it can take a few hours heck the better part of a day w/ some mediums just to readjust the medium while the plant needed this nutrient time if lights were on after wattering it would have to draw from stored energy only increasing stress
a plant during a dark cycle can only use gathered energy to produce results
a plant during a light cycle is using and storing energy depending on the plants specific needs at a given time
the larger the pot and the smaller the plant this can take even longer but the larger the plant and the smaller the container the less time this will take of course
so that being said to be simple if it takes just an hour for sake of discussion each time to readjust and you watter twice a week during a ten week cycle that is an entire day behind not including the real compounding ramifications of other things effected like damage to beneficial bacteria cultures if they are used
w/ that little bit of thought it is quite easy to see how many end up weeks behind schedule when the time are all added together w/ quite possibly issues maybe not even seen
now that being said 10% runoff every wattering is a good rule of thumb till one is able to up their game to the next level
this isn't even touching on the topic of breeding and if you didn't sex under 24/0 you can not truely "guarantee" it is an autoflowering trait for sure you are passing on and not a more photo sensitive trait

Ahh someone that I can agree with. Its about time can explain why 24/7 is the way to go!

If the roots are taking up so much then more of a reason to use organic nutes that will adjust as the by live microbes as the plant needs.
And way to make soil hard. Now a DWC seems easy.
PS I water with a 100% or more run off. They love it.

 

[Peter Wiggins]

so, if oxygenated water is what it is saturated in, does that part about flooding suffocates the root system even matter?

 

[cannabusiness]

EVER heard of CAT Napping your Veg and Auto Plants?

This may sound Kinda Weird but here is what I learned off an Article in Skunk. and its not called Cat Napping there I just nick named it this:

You can keep a Plant in a veg state a save Energy at the same time by doing light at 18/6 we know. BUT

try this:
Example 1:

about 4 hours in this 6 hour dark Period set timer to Cut the Lights on for 15 Minutes. This kinda wakes the Plants and then you set light to Cut back off for another few hours for a little nap again

Example 2: if you did not get what I wrote above lol:

You can do this also to save energy: by doing 12 hours light and and during a 12 hour dark period, set timer to wake plants in the first 4 hours for 15 minutes then in another 4 hours extend this to turn on for Two Hours and then shut off - Then Last time let it wakes itself into the next strait 12 hour strait phase.

If working with an 8 week strain I would harvest a week out doing this cat nap way.

P.S. I have not seen a stressed auto yet doing this. It also keeps girls in veg when you keep waking then. Autos it will keep them awake more lol

 

[Kaellan420swe]

I vote 20/4 cous its 4/20 dark hrs hehe
Got to be some kind of sorcery!

 

[hank]

so, if oxygenated water is what it is saturated in, does that part about flooding suffocates the root system even matter?

I think u can only due 12 PPM on oxygen. With that I flood my plants when I water. Always have. Works fine. I also drill holes in the sides of my pots. Helps air get back in.

But extra air in the water helps the plants take up the goodies.

 

[Peter Wiggins]

Thanks Hank! Next time I am sewing up my own fabric containers.

 

[Kaellan420swe]

Hank, would co2 watter from a soda stream work? ^^

 

[jawnroot]

Very interesting indeed. Seems like the consensus falls at 20/4 by a huge margin with 18/6 getting an honorable mention.