Does photoperiod affect autoflowerer harvest time at all?

[qpwoeiruty]

I'm trying to do a perpetual harvest of 2 plants in 2 plants out every month with various autoflowerers which until a month ago were on 20/4. Out of the first pair of plants one seemed to be taking way too long to ripen and I countered this by shortening the photoperiod to 18/6, the idea being that perhaps even autoflowerers will ripen faster with longer dark periods.I know that the immediate thought might be that they are autoflowerers and therefore photoperiod will have no effect, but I was hoping that while autos will start to flower according to how long they have been growing they might stil finish faster with the further prompting given by a shorter photoperiod. Does anyone have anything firm on whether this is a waste of time?I'd like to go back to 20/4 or even longer because of the extra yield from the extra light but I only have 120cm*60cm and so plants staying longer than 90 days is not ideal and they need to be out by about day 104 for sure. I feel my harvest dropped in yield when I went to 18/6 and the new ones haven't reached the same sort of size while vegging, I know different strains etc but my berry ryder which was under 20/4 all the way produced more than my supposedly higher yielding and Trans Siberian and now my next ones are flowering smaller than the BR did or the TS (which was under 20/4 for all it's veg time). My suspicion is that they don't get as big in vegging under shorter photoperiods and then produce less again proportionately for the less light per day in flowering, and then again for actually finishing faster. If they are finishing faster then that's still worth it to me to keep them all on schedule but if they are not actually finishing faster then I am really just throwing away an opportunity for a better yield. I was expecting about 60g from the TS but only ended up with 40g.

Here is some info about me and my grow...

I'm not an absolute newb, I've been growing (on and off) for about 8 of the last 20 years but am far from pro level.

First time growing autos, first harvest was 42grams Berry Ryder and 40grams Trans Siberian, it was the TS that was taking too long to finish went to 94 days (breeder claims 70 ish) but I have seeds for 90 day plants that I think might go beyond my 104 day absolute max). BR took 84 days.

120*60cm tent grow, perpetual harvest, 6 plant intended max (but up to 8 if they take too long to finish and I need to squeeze the next ones in).
3*Cheap ass unbranded COB LED blurple lights which claim 600watts each but actually pull 60w
25litre cloth pots with multipurpose compost, vermiculite, fish blood and bone (FBB) - Trying to do a low maintainence grow but I have had to top up with P, K and epsom.
LST to start, growing into a scrog net and some defoliation a week into flowering then again about 2 weeks before harvest.

[Gjourney101]

No solid evidence, but you can apways experiment and fill us in.

[Korn]

Since autos are not photosensitive I recommend using 20/4 light cycle for all stages of growth both veg. And flower. Some folks do 24 hours per day 7 days a week with autos, but i feel all plants need a little dark time.

[vostok]

I know that the immediate thought might be that they are autoflowerers and therefore photoperiod will have no effect, but I was hoping that while autos will start to flower according to how long they have been growing they might stil finish faster with the further prompting given by a shorter photoperiod. Does anyone have anything firm on whether this is a waste of time?[/COLOR] [/COLOR.

You are right the first time, plants don't understand Human 'Hope' and autoflowers automatically flowers lights on or off, I have wished this myself
however the stuff we seek Trics and THC etc are all made by the plant in the dark from energy made in the light,

the plants will be short on size but still carry a punch when toked

many of my photo grows end up with just 10 hours light per day(I too work) at harvest that works out to be about 1 week short of light in total
in return I let them grow 1 week more to make up for the short at 10 hours a day = makes a potent but short plant

good luck

[qpwoeiruty]

Korn That's the traditional thought, auto means no photoperiod therefore it won't have an effect, but I couldn't find any info on it specifically. I know that they are triggered to flower by time, but does that replace photperiod characteristic by actually removing the photoperiod characteristic or is the characteristic still there but masked by the fact this plant will start flowering by time so it appears on the surface not to respond to light changes, because by the time it is mature it is flowering anyway. The difference being that it would still ripen faster under shorter photoperiods.

vostok I'm not really hoping as in willing my plants to do something, I'm hoping that a mechanism that the plant has functions in a one particular way rather another.

[Korn]

My take is that once an auto has received X amount of light hours it will be finished with its life cycle. Therefore, if one were to use a 24 hrs per day 7 days a week light cycle it will mature sooner, bigger and faster than the same auto on 18/6. Why not try an experiment and see what you find.