Best light schedule and lights. Led with uv supplement or dual 315 cmh at 12/12?

Yukondanmac

Active Member
I have some autoflowers and I am wondering if I should run them at 18/6 under my 400 watt(wall power) led with supplemented uv light or should I put them in my flower room at 12/12 under two 315 cmh's with my other photo plants? I think the cmh's and the bigger room is an overall better environment but I worry the 12/12 schedule will be too short for optimal growth. Which way should I go? Any help would be appreciated. They are all grown in 7 gallon smart pots with a good organic super soil and supplemented with nutes when neccessary.
 

Oldreefer

Well-Known Member
There is no rule for autos. Nothing ever states auto require anything, only that they can handle it.
That being said, I'll relate some real world long term results of 12/12 vrs any other schedule of lighting.
I've run autos alongside photos perpetually for over 15 yrs, using various lights, blurple, hps, led, qb.... and various locations, as in tent, greenhouse, outside....some on 12/12, some on 18/6, at times 24/0.....
As in drag racing, there ain't a substitute for horsepower except for more horsepower but there are real #s you can put on results...both in costs and yeilds. Those two things get farther and farther apart as a grow continues. Running 24/0 is twice the cost in every area, along with increased worry but Yeild is nowhere near doubling. Potency is not affected by yeild.....
Regardless of costs, we all want the biggest, bad-est colas. For those of us who grow perpetually, it just isn't justified.
 

MATTYMATT726

Well-Known Member
There is no rule for autos. Nothing ever states auto require anything, only that they can handle it.
That being said, I'll relate some real world long term results of 12/12 vrs any other schedule of lighting.
I've run autos alongside photos perpetually for over 15 yrs, using various lights, blurple, hps, led, qb.... and various locations, as in tent, greenhouse, outside....some on 12/12, some on 18/6, at times 24/0.....
As in drag racing, there ain't a substitute for horsepower except for more horsepower but there are real #s you can put on results...both in costs and yeilds. Those two things get farther and farther apart as a grow continues. Running 24/0 is twice the cost in every area, along with increased worry but Yeild is nowhere near doubling. Potency is not affected by yeild.....
Regardless of costs, we all want the biggest, bad-est colas. For those of us who grow perpetually, it just isn't justified.
I keep seeing you say this, but yeah... 24/0 will give you double and maybe mire than 12/12. Maybe you just don't get good autos or your grow methods are outdated. So many old time growers grow with what they learned 30 to 50 years ago when there was no advancements in technology to make factual research like today. The only reason to go 12/12 on an auto is if you really can't afford the electric bill. Even putting it in a photo tent just cause there is room is a waste. Might as well just do 12/12 straight from seed photos.
 

MATTYMATT726

Well-Known Member
24/0... there's a lot that goes on for every plant while the suns down. Photosynthesis is a two part system. There is stuff that goes on at night like maintenance and healing that can't occur during the day. Unless you have the perfect understanding of that strain and can dial in exactly what it needs as soon as it stops sprouting I would do 20/4 or 18/6. Imo...take it or leave it. There's lots of research that has been done on the benefits of a night time.
Well 100% FACTS Mephisto uses 24/0 and they are the top auto breeder that sells out in less than 30 minutes each drop they have. Sorry to disagree with "research", that is unseen to the naked eye compared to evidence of Mephisto genetics. Can they benifit from a few hours of dark? Sure. Does it hurt them to not have dark? Look up Mephisto and come back and tell me XD
 

Zogs

Well-Known Member
Here is another way of looking at it. How much light can your plant absorb thought the day. I've run my plants on multiple schedules but for the most part I keep them 24/7 to keep temps up. What I've recently come to notice is I need to keep my lights further away on a 24/7 schedule. So I think a lot of this comes down to how intense your lights are and how far you keep them away from your plant to dial in the optimum light cycle. I believe what I'm talking about is referred to as DLI. I've been planning on reading up I just havn't had time.
 

Zogs

Well-Known Member
Mephisto uses 24/0 for breeding purposes and to speed things up. Doesnt mean it creates the most potency. Love ur attitude tho broseph
I don't think that is correct. The light cycle wont effect the time it takes to finish flower or for any breeding purposes.

(Edit) When I make seeds it takes atleast 4 to 5 weeks after pollination for them to mature on a 24 hour light schedule. I don't believe this is any shorter then a plant done with 12/12.
 
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