12/1 lighting--Any truth or banana in the tail pipe?

[coldcanna]

So is the consensus on 12-2 definitely reduces stretch? I run a screen in the flower room so I appreciate the branching for training and filling spaces.... Thoughts? Because otherwise shutting those HID's down for 12 hours from my current 24/7 sched is looking REAL attractive

 

[Mick]

I use this method and it works great. On the plus side it saves electricity, is as fast or faster in veg, definitely flowers faster, more bushy, less stretch, way more frosty, the plants seem to like it more than 18/6.
I like growing sativas so less stretch is good for my situation, but if you're growing short, stocky plants, then less stretch maybe not so desirable.

 

[Miraculous Meds]

So is the consensus on 12-2 definitely reduces stretch? I run a screen in the flower room so I appreciate the branching for training and filling spaces.... Thoughts? Because otherwise shutting those HID's down for 12 hours from my current 24/7 sched is looking REAL attractive

ime, 12/2 will keep u rollin pretty much like normal. 12/1 I had more probs with preflowering n slower stretch.

Im sold on it enough to run in permanently, unless I need to fill an empty room n the veg plants aren't ready. then I would use 20/4.

U might experience less stretch, so test appropriately. don't go all in n be pissed ur screen isn't filled.

And I usually have a coupe lights going for veg. So I set them on different timers, 2 hours off set from each other. that way the veg room is only dark for 3 hr periods instead of 5. Just another little trick to keep preflower from setting in. but 12/2 has been pretty solid anyway.

 

[coldcanna]

So when you say going 20/4 to fill an empty room, is that acknowledging the growth is a little slower with 12/2?

 

[Miraculous Meds]

So when you say going 20/4 to fill an empty room, is that acknowledging the growth is a little slower with 12/2?

I think so. I haven't ran it long enough to confirm either way for sure.

Again for safeties sake, if ur close on time needed to get ur veg ready for flower, id stay with more light hours. that's just my instinct till I get more time with this reduced light schedule n confirm more with experience.

For me, it takes around 45 days for my target veg size. I usually have an average of 60 days to veg before next flowering. So I have room to play with extra time.

 

[coldcanna]

OK thanks for clearing that up MM, I too have the full length of flower to play with so this still seems promising

 

[Jonny Lan]

i wonder if all the on and off will put a beating on my ballast after time

 

[Miraculous Meds]

i wonder if all the on and off will put a beating on my ballast after time

its twice a day instead of once a day. so yeah, it should wear out twice as fast, maybe? whatever that is. ive got ballasts that are really old. only thing I do is keep them cool when operating them.

magnetics seem to go a lot of years, but seem to get louder as time goes on. Ive never had a elec go out on me yet either n I been using those for probably 3 to 4 years on my oldest ones. Ive got magnetics that work still that I retired after 8 to 10 years cause of the noise.

 

[3rdEye]

i wonder if all the on and off will put a beating on my ballast after time

In case you had not noticed Jonny Lan. It is only the HID that is on for a 12 hour cycle. The other portion of the light cycle, the interruption during the night cycle, is normally done with a fluorescent light of some type. The reason being to cut down on switching for the HID.

 

[Jonny Lan]

In case you had not noticed Jonny Lan. It is only the HID that is on for a 12 hour cycle. The other portion of the light cycle, the interruption during the night cycle, is normally done with a fluorescent light of some type. The reason being to cut down on switching for the HID.

ahh you know what that little detail went right over my head, my mistake.

sounds like a great idea for mother plants if it works.

 

[coldcanna]

Wonder if anyone here has used LEDs for those middle of the night hours? Would seem to be the best of both worlds, much more light than a french fry while at the same time not hammering on the electric meter...

 

[Mick]

I use this method and it works great. On the plus side it saves electricity, is as fast or faster in veg, definitely flowers faster, more bushy, less stretch, way more frosty, the plants seem to like it more than 18/6.
I like growing sativas so less stretch is good for my situation, but if you're growing short, stocky plants, then less stretch maybe not so desirable.

Just like to add a few words on stretch. My sativa girl takes at least 3 weeks to show pre-flowers when flowered after the old 18/6 veg, but with 12/1 they showed in less than week, and that's why you make such big reductions in flowering times, because you're a week or more in front of the game. I reckon you could knock 2 or 3 weeks off the flowering time of some sativa's. It takes about 2 weeks off mine.

I've been thinking of what I said about growing stocky, indica plants this way. Maybe there will be no reduction in stretch in short, stocky plants as they don't have much anyway. I don't grow indica's so I'm just guessing.

 

[coldcanna]

It seems the possibilities are endless. I'd like to try vegging the first 6 weeks under 18/6, then the last couple weeks under 12/1. If you really can shave off a couple weeks of flowering your looking at an extra harvest every year and that's big money to stack on top of your electric savings. With some finesse you could use this method to pre flower sativa doms so that throwing them into the bloom room with indicas everything is lined up to finish at the same time.

 

[Stradel]

Amaizing guys ,thanks for sharing,it sounds very good keeping bills down and not get suspicious for the electric companies ,i am sure they help cops to get some of us busted and i am ok that others are con iven if they didnt give it a chance, this way we wil be stealth for many years, with the clasic light cycle is to easy to track down growers, thank you wery much i will go in youre hands for my first indoor because it makes sense and i trust you guys.(sory if i did typing mistakes i learned english by myself)

 

[Mick]

It seems the possibilities are endless. I'd like to try vegging the first 6 weeks under 18/6, then the last couple weeks under 12/1. If you really can shave off a couple weeks of flowering your looking at an extra harvest every year and that's big money to stack on top of your electric savings. With some finesse you could use this method to pre flower sativa doms so that throwing them into the bloom room with indicas everything is lined up to finish at the same time.

In my experience, vegging under 12/1 is faster than 18/6. It's kinda counter intuitive as you'd think that the plant with the longer light exposure would veg faster, but not so. I had to adjust my veg times down a week.
The only downside I can see is that 12/1 seems to get rid of foxtailing. I love watching foxtails grow and mature. The plant I grow doesn't foxtail outside or under 12/1, but foxtails beautifully under the 18/6 and 12/12 regime.
For the commercial guys it makes many sativa and sativa dom plants viable and desirable.
cheers

 

[Mick]

Amaizing guys ,thanks for sharing,it sounds very good keeping bills down and not get suspicious for the electric companies ,i am sure they help cops to get some of us busted and i am ok that others are con iven if they didnt give it a chance, this way we wil be stealth for many years, with the clasic light cycle is to easy to track down growers, thank you wery much i will go in youre hands for my first indoor because it makes sense and i trust you guys.(sory if i did typing mistakes i learned english by myself)

The 12/1 vegging is only half the story. In flower you start off at 11/13 and every week drop the light by 15 minutes, until you reach 9 hours light, and leave it at that until finished. This saves a lot of electricity and seems a good option if you're worried about smart meters. I've tried this in flower and to be honest couldn't tell the difference in yield, but the buds didn't look quite as tight, but that could be because it was a winter grow and the room was cold.

 

[coldcanna]

The 12/1 vegging is only half the story. In flower you start off at 11/13 and every week drop the light by 15 minutes, until you reach 9 hours light, and leave it at that until finished. This saves a lot of electricity and seems a good option if you're worried about smart meters. I've tried this in flower and to be honest couldn't tell the difference in yield, but the buds didn't look quite as tight, but that could be because it was a winter grow and the room was cold.

I'm a legal caregiver so don't need to worry about meters really, more concerned with boosting the bottom line and maintaining top quality- To me if you save 200 on electricity but come up an ounce or 2 low its really a self defeating purpose. What is captivating here is the shortened flower time... many of the top strains your looking 10-12 weeks, if you could bring that closer to 8-9 that's a whole extra harvy every year merry christmas!

 

[Stradel]

Yes Mick i know that thats why i like it because its not a routine ,but i put it on paper and if start with 12/12 and drop it 30 minutes every 2weeks i would be at 9h on in week 14 and thats perfect for the long flowering sativas i want to grow also to be even more safer for the next grow(so they cant see a routine regarding the previous grow) i will drop from 12/12 once a week 15MIN and i end up the same in week 14 and so on and mixing since the guy who invented this is talking about a more natural way to grow i think the drop from 12/1 to 12/12 its more natural and for those cons in here who say wtf is so naturaly on day breaking night well it is hapening on our planet in nordic countrys there is summer to and abundent vegetation check out countrys in north emisphere haha what planet are YOU living ?this is real qiuck check on wiki or youtube in those countrys they have jobs during that night break.Also i was thinkin' but not sure ,in veg i would like to drop the light from 24h, 1h every day and change drop method for future grows but stil let some time minimum 2weeks for the 12/1 because this is how it works plant full up with flowering hormones so i said i am not sure about this and wont do it because i saw growers having problems by mixing 16/8 with 12/1 ,problems like no more progres no new leafs no branch or start flowering so probably wont do the drop in veg dont want problems its prety safe only with 12/1.

@coldcanna i am not woried about final weight because i am not a comercial grower aka dealer, i want this special sativas for me and share it with my girl and close friends ,not woried about quality either 'cause i will use big lamps for that. Later edit: why worry about yeald if growers claim having the exact or better yeald the ones who said they didnt i am sure they did something wrong or didnt folow the rules ,read this from start to finish is not very long and judge, this i what i think.

 

[Mick]

I'm a legal caregiver so don't need to worry about meters really, more concerned with boosting the bottom line and maintaining top quality- To me if you save 200 on electricity but come up an ounce or 2 low its really a self defeating purpose. What is captivating here is the shortened flower time... many of the top strains your looking 10-12 weeks, if you could bring that closer to 8-9 that's a whole extra harvy every year merry christmas!

From my experience, which is limited, I'd say you could get a 10 weeker ripe in 8, but it probably depends on the plant. Have a crack and see what happens.
As a bit of an experiment, I've started a couple of seedlings under 12/1 and so far they look really healthy. Been taking clones from a clone for a few grows and they look great and no hermies.

 

[Mick]

Yes Mick i know that thats why i like it because its not a routine ,but i put it on paper and if start with 12/12 and drop it 30 minutes every 2weeks i would be at 9h on in week 14 and thats perfect for the long flowering sativas i want to grow also to be even more safer for the next grow(so they cant see a routine regarding the previous grow) i will drop from 12/12 once a week 15MIN and i end up the same in week 14 and so on and mixing since the guy who invented this is talking about a more natural way to grow i think the drop from 12/1 to 12/12 its more natural and for those cons in here who say wtf is so naturaly on day breaking night well it is hapening on our planet in nordic countrys there is summer to and abundent vegetation check out countrys in north emisphere haha what planet are YOU living ?this is real qiuck check on wiki or youtube in those countrys they have jobs during that night break.Also i was thinkin' but not sure ,in veg i would like to drop the light from 24h, 1h every day and change drop method for future grows but stil let some time minimum 2weeks for the 12/1 because this is how it works plant full up with flowering hormones so i said i am not sure about this and wont do it because i saw growers having problems by mixing 16/8 with 12/1 ,problems like no more progres no new leafs no branch or start flowering so probably wont do the drop in veg dont want problems its prety safe only with 12/1.

@coldcanna i am not woried about final weight because i am not a comercial grower aka dealer, i want this special sativas for me and share it with my girl and close friends ,not woried about quality either 'cause i will use big lamps for that. Later edit: why worry about yeald if growers claim having the exact or better yeald the ones who said they didnt i am sure they did something wrong or didnt folow the rules ,read this from start to finish is not very long and judge, this i what i think.

The guy who reinvented the Gaslight Routine Method says to go 11/13 instead of 12/12. Makes sense for sativa dom plants but works for indica's too.
Yeah, no need to go 18/6, just go 12/1 and you're gold.