24/0 or 20/4 for seedlings?

I ain't exactly a newbie, but been off the scene for a while. I am having trouble with getting started from seed again. I am using coco for first time rather than soil too. What is the best light cycle to get my seedlings big enough n roots strong enough to withstand nutes as I have read that I need to introduce nutes more or less straight away as coco doesn't have any natural, usually I don't use nutes till first 5 blade leaves are showing but that's in soil. Would they be OK if I just done them 12/12 from seed as it's lemon skunk and I know this is a good strain for this. Any help on anything be appreciated....I'm a bit rusty after such a long time in her majesties pleasure hotels

I only grow in soil so I cannot speak to the nute question. The original question about light for seedlings, that depends on light source. But, I assume you are not using 1000w or anything. I do my seedlings 24/0 under cfl or tubes. Any strain can grow in 12/12 but personally, I would rather do an auto and let photos do their thing.

Good luck!

I would say 18/6, i tried 24/0 recently with a 125w cfl and burned the shit outa one of my babies lol. I have seen some vids of 12/12 from seed, but why would you risk potentially hurting your yield, give your plants a good long veg period to get the best out of them

Tried 24/0 using Aerogarden lights. Plants didn't seem to like it. 20/4 got the survivor behaving like a proper sprout again.

I 12/12 the seedlings using 1kw hps set at about 44"'s, FIMM and put the snip under 24/0.

$bkbbudz$ said:

I only grow in soil so I cannot speak to the nute question. The original question about light for seedlings, that depends on light source. But, I assume you are not using 1000w or anything. I do my seedlings 24/0 under cfl or tubes. Any strain can grow in 12/12 but personally, I would rather do an auto and let photos do their thing.

Good luck!

Click to expand...

Cheers m8, I usually use soil myself, start off with 20/4 then go onto 18/6 for 4 weeks then into their 12/12 but due to me being at court in February for " scaring " someone breaking in my house trying to steal my gurls, which got me caught with them too I had to gather what I could, and get this grow done asap, so I'm stuck with coco. I much prefare the cheap £6.99 John Innes. I always use cfl until my seedlings grow and sprout their 1St true leaves, then it's into the rhino buckets and under the hps. I don't fancy doing those auto flowers coz do they not give a much smaller yield because you can't veg them as long as you want?
Ching-Chong

TheLemon said:

I would say 18/6, i tried 24/0 recently with a 125w cfl and burned the shit outa one of my babies lol. I have seen some vids of 12/12 from seed, but why would you risk potentially hurting your yield, give your plants a good long veg period to get the best out of them

Click to expand...

I agree M8, would if I could but have court in February lol so......

Lord Kanti said:

Tried 24/0 using Aerogarden lights. Plants didn't seem to like it. 20/4 got the survivor behaving like a proper sprout again.

Click to expand...

Cheers m8, I put them to 20/4 yesterday coz my first 5 seedlings all died on me under the 18/6, (first time doing seeds at 18/6, and last) though I think maybe heat was a problem it that time, but my new 5 seedlings are behaving well under 20/4. Now I just need to know when it is safe to add nutes to coco as I have read about people pre soaking their coco in nutes because coco has none, but wouldn't it burn the baby roots?

Dynablo said:

Cheers m8, I put them to 20/4 yesterday coz my first 5 seedlings all died on me under the 18/6, (first time doing seeds at 18/6, and last) though I think maybe heat was a problem it that time, but my new 5 seedlings are behaving well under 20/4. Now I just need to know when it is safe to add nutes to coco as I have read about people pre soaking their coco in nutes because coco has none, but wouldn't it burn the baby roots?

Click to expand...

Word on the street is to wait for the baby leaves to die back. Based on this I think it's time to add a little nutrients to my seedling. I'll probably start with seaweed, maybe a little fish, or play it safe with a 10-10-5 grow formula at 1/4 strength.

I always use 24/0.

How did your seedlings die under 18/6? Did you do anything else wrong, cause that seems strange.

you can certainly do 12/12 from seedling theres a few threads on that on here
they are smaller, so its really beneficial to people who grow in say computer cases or very small compact areas.

i personally do not like 24/0 but you can certainly do it.
i like to work more naturally and go for a dark period like the sun would

I think there are a couple of reasons to go 18/6 which is what I use. One is that I feel it is better for a plant to go through a somewhat of a normal lighting cycle, meaning a time for rest. I have done them all and 18 on seems to work fine. 2nd reason for me is saving money. I run 2 - 2x4 trays that have above them 1- 4 lamp HO and 1 4 lamp VHO fixture that combined wattage equals 572 total watts. I do my plants with 2 bubs on in seedling stage and then at 2 weeks I turn on the other 2 bulbs until bloom My point is you can save a lot of money ( ballast and bulb life and lower energy cost.) by going 18/6

i started my plants in promix hp under 24/0 till first set of leaves then i went to 20/4, they loved it strain was oh zone by dr greenthumb

used a 400 watts mh hortilux blue

TheLemon said:

How did your seedlings die under 18/6? Did you do anything else wrong, cause that seems strange.

Click to expand...

How did your seedlings burn under 24/0?

SPLFreak808 said:

How did your seedlings burn under 24/0?

Click to expand...

Pretty sure it was the lack of airflow, she was an ok distance from the light tho which is strange. I wasn't trying to be rude here btw, just wondering if anything else went wrong, sorry if it looked like i was being a prick lol.

Edit: she was in a different grow area to my tent, a wardrobe with no airflow and 1 125w cfl

TheLemon said:

Pretty sure it was the lack of airflow, she was an ok distance from the light tho which is strange. I wasn't trying to be rude here btw, just wondering if anything else went wrong, sorry if it looked like i was being a prick lol.

Edit: she was in a different grow area to my tent, a wardrobe with no airflow and 1 125w cfl

Click to expand...

The only way 24/0 would burn them over 18/6 is if you underwatered them and still i highly doubt that would happen with cfl's.

Fastest photo growth would be 24/0 and its noticeable by the end of the week ,18/6 isnt bad at all either (unless your using cfl's lol) but you have just a bit more stretch and less overall "size" of the plant. After some veg time its noticeable. It's good if you want to save electricity while growing on a time limit and it will help mature the plant quicker to show its sex. Roots will still grow vigorously with the lights on 24/0 infact they might grow faster.

I've been running the Gas Lantern veg cycle ever since I read up on it. Doing a small 2nd run with it and also keeping a very small mother under a T5. They love it and it's getting good results. Even threw some experiment clones under it that were on 24/0 for a month. They didn't try to kick over into flower with the added dark time or anything.
12on
5.5 off
1on
5.5 off again.
Rinse/repeat.

SPLFreak808 said:

The only way 24/0 would burn them over 18/6 is if you underwatered them and still i highly doubt that would happen with cfl's.

Fastest photo growth would be 24/0 and its noticeable by the end of the week ,18/6 isnt bad at all either (unless your using cfl's lol) but you have just a bit more stretch and less overall "size" of the plant. After some veg time its noticeable. It's good if you want to save electricity while growing on a time limit and it will help mature the plant quicker to show its sex. Roots will still grow vigorously with the lights on 24/0 infact they might grow faster.

Click to expand...

Wasn't underwatered, I will not be trying 24/0 again.

ZaraBeth420 said:

I always use 24/0.

Click to expand...

yep mee too and no problems just nice fast growth