new to growing please help

hey hows it going everybody... i have a pretty decent setup in my closet and have started germinating some seeds... have 4 seeds sprouting in the rockwool cubes that are in 3 in net pots with hydroton grow rocks with my 5 plant bubble ponics system i have 4 60w floro lights with 10in dome hoods on them (one over each plant) and i have a fan on them 24 hours on a low breeze... and i was wondering how long until i take it off of 24 hour lighting... should i wait 2-3 weeks and go to 18on-6off or just stay on 24 hour lighting until veg is over? any help would be greatly appreciated thanks much

btw... the space i have is about 2ft x 3ft x 5ft and i have painted all the surfaces white... i do not have a digital camera so i cannot take pictures =( sorry.. but ya they are just barely seedlings and i was wondering about the light cycle... thanks for the help peace

_pR_

im curious about this myself actually,.
i have a friend that veg's 24h/light untill flowering, and i veg at 17/light 7/dark. whats better?

This was originally posted by Garden Knowm:

" Light Cycles

The dark cycle is very inportant to palnts. Respiration (this is when plants are making energy from sugar to oxygen) Continues in dark but at a much slower pace, almost independent of available oxygen because the leaves are not making oxygen in the dark.

In the dark there is a shift from leaf production to root production as the leaves transfer excess energy down to the branches and roots. Therefore, some dark time allows for better root structures. Giving plants a 24-hour light cycle is not the way to supercharge growth"

This is from "How to supercharge your garden"

"Light period for cuttings

Plants have a free running internal bio-rhythm of 21-27 hours. In this rhythm, they need dark time. Cuttings have a built in daily rhythm (age also) that they inherit from their parent. Cuttings will root better with a 6 hours to 8 hourdark period because this is the main time when leaves and the stems transfer energy down to the root zone for storage and growth."

The chart has hours of light per day on the bottom, and length of roots in millimeters.
-@ 4hours of light the roots after ten days were only 22mm long
-@ 8 hours of light after 10 days the roots were 25 mm long
-@12 hours of light we shoot up to 40mm long
-@16 hours it peaks at 50mm
-@20 hours it drops down to 37mm
-@ 24 hours it drops down to 29mm


I was doing 24 hr on all the time for my week old babies, but changed it a few days ago to 18/6. Hope this helps...

thanks BTT for that... i will surely try that right now as a matter of fact... i'm going to put it on a 18/6 light period right now thanks for the help... as far as that goes... 18/6 until i ready to flower? or should i go to 16/8 in a month and then stay on that until i flower?

Stay 16/8 the whole time vegging, then when they are big enough (usually 12-16in.) start the flowering process and switch to 12/12. After about 8 weeks you should be swimming in bud!!

for sure pauliojr i'll go 16/8 for a while and when i'm ready go to flower thanks...

_pR_

Cool idea. I just switched clone closet over to 18/6. It just seems right.

I only keep my lights on for 24 untill it sprouts, then i change it to 20/4. I notice a little growth diffrence everyday, its nice ^_^ But it does grow faster then when I had my other plants a;ways on 24.

Your clones or seedlings should start on 24 hour cycle when roots have well established after about 2 weeks you can cut back to a 20/4 cycle if you want.Watch temps cuz if you dont have a heat pad clones can die in the lights off period or you can get stretching.I usually run 24 hours on for 3 weeks then cut back 18/6 for 1week then 12 til done seems to work perfect reflecting a full seasonal change with no shock to plants cycles.Just my way hasnt failed me yet..

thanks french ill keep it in mind

Heeeyyy itz Fletch not no stinkin French grrr

get over it i'm stoned! you should be too!

emptypackofcigs said:

hey hows it going everybody... i have a pretty decent setup in my closet and have started germinating some seeds... have 4 seeds sprouting in the rockwool cubes that are in 3 in net pots with hydroton grow rocks with my 5 plant bubble ponics system i have 4 60w floro lights with 10in dome hoods on them (one over each plant) and i have a fan on them 24 hours on a low breeze... and i was wondering how long until i take it off of 24 hour lighting... should i wait 2-3 weeks and go to 18on-6off or just stay on 24 hour lighting until veg is over? any help would be greatly appreciated thanks much

btw... the space i have is about 2ft x 3ft x 5ft and i have painted all the surfaces white... i do not have a digital camera so i cannot take pictures =( sorry.. but ya they are just barely seedlings and i was wondering about the light cycle... thanks for the help peace

_pR_

Click to expand...

Kepp under flourscents for 24 throughout veg cycle. Flowering 12/12, and 13/11 works too. After this grow use that money from the herb to buy a hps system for about $269 at www.bghydro.comwth enchanced bulb for more of that blue specturam.