lights on or off?
- Thread starter MeenGreen
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LUDACRIS
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My plants just broke the surface of the soil a few days ago.Im using a CFL setup and was wondering if its better to veg 24/0 or 18/6.Is there a difference in the grow rate?Is there a difference at all?Besides the electric billAny input or feedback is much appreciated.
my first grow was done 18/6 under cfls for vegg and 400w hps for flowering.
this grow was started straight under hps from the start 24/0 and the growth rate has been twice as quick.the main problem with going 24/0 under hps is that the plant grows extremely fast and tends to be more bushy.
i asked a friend(long time grower)and he said he uses 24/0 for two weeks to accelerate growth and after 2 weeks of 24/0 he switches to 18/6 untill the end of vegg.when you go from 24/0 to 18/6 you will see that after a few days of 18/6 the plant will start growing taller instead of just bushing out.i tried this theory and he was 100% right.
this plant is 20 days from sprouting the surface of the soil and was started on 24/0 for 2 weeks and now its on 18/6.
VEGETATIVE GROWTH
Once sprouted, the plant starts vegetative growth. This means the plant will be photosynthesizing as much as possible to grow tall and start many grow tips at each pair of leaves. A grow tip is the part that can be cloned or propagated asexually. They are located at the top of the plant, and every major internode. If you "top" the plant, it then has two grow tips at the top. If you top each of these, you will have 4 grow tips at the top of the plant. (Since it takes time for the plant to heal and recover from the trauma of being pruned, it faster to grow 4 smaller plants and not top them at all. Or grow 2 plants, and "train" them to fill the same space. Most growers find)
All plants have a vegetative stage where they are growing as fast as possible after the plant first germinates from seed. It is possible to grow plants with no dark period, and increase the speed at which they grow by 15-30&. Plants can be grown vegetatively indefinitely. It is up to the gardener to decide when to force the plant to flower. A plant can grow from 12" to 12' before being forced to flower, so there is a lot of latitude here for each gardener to manage the garden based on goals and space available.
A solution of 20-20-20 with trace minerals is used for both hydroponic and soil gardening when growing continuously under lights. Miracle Grow Patio or RapidGrow plant food is good for this. A high P plant food such as Peter's 5-50-17 food is used for blooming and fruiting plants when beginning 12 hour days. Epsom salts (1tsp) should be used in the solution for magnesium and sulfur minerals. Trace minerals are needed too, if your food does not include them. Miracle Grow Patio includes these trace elements, and is highly recommended.
Keep lights on continuously for sprouts, since they require no darkness period like older plants. You will not need a timer unless you want to keep the lamps off during a certain time each day. Try to light the plants for 18 or more hours, or continuously at this point. Bend a young plant's stem back and forth to force it to be very thick and strong. Spindly stems can not support heavy flowering growth. An internal oscillating fan will reduce humidity on the leave's stomata and improve the stem strength as well. The importance of nternal air circulation can not be stressed enough. It will excersize the plants and make them grow stronger, while reducing many hazards that could ruin your crop.
LUDACRIS.
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