Say it"s not so...but does it work...will it work.

[FlowerFarmer]

I have heard theories that a plant really only need about 6 hours of intense light a day for quality results.

Has anyone ever experimented with keeping with the 12/12 cycle, but turning off HIDS after 6 hour lights on and running just a few flouros for the remaining 6 hours?

6hr ON - Full HID wattage @ 50w per SqFt.
6hr ON - a few T5s to keep the room decently lit and maintain plants circadian rhythm
12hr OFF dark period

repeat throughout all of flower.


Any thoughts?

 

[blueberrydrumz]

LMAO

From my understanding your drawing the most current and power during the ballast firing, and start up. So shutting down and powering back up multiple times a day you'd think would run your bill even higher. Not to mention the wear and tear on your ballast and bulbs.

hey man,
hope all is well with you...
yes that is true what you are saying, but if you do it like how i mentioned running T5´s for example in the off times you wont need to turn on a hid for an hr... also on flip flops you are not causing so many big spikes on say smart meters for example.. sure the bulbs needs to ignite but its less stressfull on a mag than a cold start...
12/1 is a good way to save on elect, it works well and plants are happy

 

[CannabaPitbull]

Yes this works ,why will it form hermies you only use the breaking light in veg thats a stupid asumption, and for that 1h you can use other light like bluberry says,there is a guy on youtube put in the search buton,, 12/1 army" his plants looks wery healthy ,we have this thread on here its called 12/1 if you jump over all haters you can find people who have threads in here using this method.Try it man why to pay extra money when plants grow wery well on this light schedule.

 

[bombadil.360]

I have heard theories that a plant really only need about 6 hours of intense light a day for quality results.

Has anyone ever experimented with keeping with the 12/12 cycle, but turning off HIDS after 6 hour lights on and running just a few flouros for the remaining 6 hours?

6hr ON - Full HID wattage @ 50w per SqFt.
6hr ON - a few T5s to keep the room decently lit and maintain plants circadian rhythm
12hr OFF dark period

repeat throughout all of flower.


Any thoughts?

Hello,

the only comment that comes to mind is that you can surely flower outdoors with only 6 hours of direct sun-light; however, keep in mind that outdoors the day-light still affects the plants.

so what you are saying would be kind of like mimicking that situation. I don't see why it should not work.

I've heard all kinds of stories about decreased yields if one uses less than 12 hours of light to flower, but I don't know if my experience confirms that...

I do know you can flower perfectly in a balcony that only gets 6 and even 5 hours of direct sun-light and still get pretty good results, for example:

of course, we are comparing the sun to some parking lot lights here...

peace

 

[sourpuss]

I say go with blueberries method. Leave a weaker source on for 24. Hids at 12 12. Makes sense.

 

[Waters Muddy]

I ran a successful perpetual 12/1 setup with an exception to the cycles explained. During vegetation i kept lights off 1,5-2 h instead of the 1 h. Some strains tended to start flowering too early so i had to manipulate the light cycle for fulfilling my goals. I got good results with 12/1 and i have read other really impressive discussions questioning the almighty 12/12.

This is why this topic attracts me.

But as usual in controversial discussions like this the first posts are 100% trash and zero of the topic itself. This part of ICMAG is dedicated to "Advanced Growing Science" and the reason why i read this stuff is sharing of: 1) Scientific research sources 2) Real life experience to back it up.

So if your message is that this theory is s**t just because it is against all that you believe in please: Shut up.
On the other hand if you have access to scientific studies OR you're ready to test this theory out please do that and share what you learned.

For me the number one issue is the fact that the need of manipulating light cycles constantly during flowering means that i could only run a tent full of plants at once instead of a plant at once.

 

[Waters Muddy]

...but if this gets me results i'm committing.

And sorry but i have to comment my post to point out the facts:
There is no right or wrong. Try before you judge - or back your words with knowledge. Don't argue just because.

 

[amanda88]

So there is some truth to this...but im not willing to risk my grows on it.....Anyone in the ICMAG community doing these light schedules?

Not in the slightest, if the truth be known, I've forgotten all about Delp and his tricks come budding time!
....as for your risk? why ask the membership, if you have confidence in Delps methods..?

 

[MoPho]

I have heard theories that a plant really only need about 6 hours of intense light a day for quality results.

I've heard the same, so I was wondering what about 8on 3off 8on 3off? Still give the 18/6 that a lot of people swear by, but yet it gives the plants some rest. I've noticed that the plants are real perky just before the lights come on and then by midday they start to droop. With this 8/3 cycle maybe it can help with the "midday depression"?

 

[MoPho]

9on 3off 9on 3off

 

[Bubbleblower]

I have heard theories that a plant really only need about 6 hours of intense light a day for quality results.

This is at 53N where we get close to 18 hours of sunlight in the summer and 20 hours of daylight.
Less than 6 hours of that will be intense.

Between oktober 10 and november 10 sunlight here goes back from 11 hours a day to 9 hours.
Same as the flowering part of this schedule, which for late flowering works better than most can imagine.

 

[aridbud]

theres no free ride...just a lot of mis information...yeehaw..switching on and off your lights excessively will shorten bulb and ballast life too

True...I read about intermittent off/on times, but my jury is still out. Like stoned trout said, it severely impacts bulbs (HID). Can't speak for LED.

 

[aridbud]

this guy Joseph Pietri and his followers swear by it...

I've known other followers to an unsavory situation....doesn't mean it's positive.

Go ahead and grow using that tried-and-true method.

I'll stick to what works best for moi.

 

[Phaeton]

A note on the 12/5.5/1/5.5 method to use 12 hours of light during veg without going to bud. It does keep the plant from going to bud but also destabilizes the plant. If the plant is at all sketchy to start with we are talking hermie.

A much simpler solution is using a daylight extender made by Philips for commercial greenhouses with this same problem.
A 13 watt LED bulb of 660 nm red, turn it on when the big lights go off. As long as this little light is on the plant will believe the sun is still up and will not flower nor will it stress about it.
The tech is here: http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/P/Photoperiodism.html
Marijuana is a long night plant, the tech covers other types also.

13 watts saves electricity and not cycling the ballasts on and off in the middle of the night will make them last longer as well.

 

[jump /injack]

Bump