22 and 2

[OverMedicated]

I'm running 22 on and 2 off. Anyone ever try 24 on? I plant autos and I've heard that you can run them 24 straight right up till harvest. That would be awesome if it cut a week off the time it took for the plants to mature. If anyone here ever ran 24, I would appreciate a shout. Let me know how it worked out. Also, if anyone did it all the way up to harvest, I would be interested in that as well. Thanks.

[Mr.furley]

I have run Autos at 24/0 it did not speed up harvest in fact the plants took longer then the breeder dates, one of them went something stupid like 160day from seed, got rot and i just cut it down. The next time I ran autos with 24/0 light (different breeder) they didn't flower at 3 weeks like expected and I dropped the light down around 4 to 5 weeks (was vegging Photos along side) to 20/4 and POOF!!! they started flowing.

I personally think that every living thing needs some rest.

[OverMedicated]

Good to know. Maybe I should go back to 18 and 6. At the least 20 and 4.

[OverMedicated]

Yeah, I'm kinda experimenting with this batch . I have one side of my grow room (closet heh, heh works great. (Shut the doors and out of sight.)) running 2 and 22 and the other 12 and 12. Both are flowering. The autos on 22 are loving it the buds are growing huge. On the other hand, the African photo is covered with buds, but they are small. The Magnum is going slow as well, it's an auto. I always have success with Magnum Autos, they seem to grow no matter what. I've had them less than a foot tall with one big bud, but there it was. Anyway, I appreciate your interest in my endeavors.

[OverMedicated]

I have some photos I'm running at 12 and 12. They seem to be flowering but mixed in with the white hairs are green hairs. They look like \the white hairs, but green. Anybody know what this is about?

[golfnrl]

I'm fairly new to autos. An auto can run 24/7 because light doesn't trigger the flower period like it does for photo's. But that doesn't mean it's good for the plant. My experience is after about 18-20 hours of light the girls start drooping. That's why I use the 20/4 schedule for my auto tent. Works for me.

[OverMedicated]

I'm having great success with a 22/2 schedule. I thought it was too much, but it works great my Magnum autos are sucking it up. Anyway, they are 5 weeks old and are covered with buds. I thought I'd do a little experiment and try and see what would happen if I put my auto in with my photo on a 12/12 light schedule. I thought it would take off, but it actually slowed down. I'm thinking of putting it in with the other Magnums, but I want to give it a chance. The thing with autos is that change happens really fast and if you're not there to service the need of that plant... well, it suffers. The thing about the light is not to overpower the plant. Those plants are grown with 100-watt reflector LED full spectrum lights. No fancy light system. And a couple of 100-watt lamps are much kinder on my electric bill. I hope you'll keep trying autos they are easy to raise. They are sturdy and once they get going, they are strong plants. The only thing is, is that you can stunt them if you have the lights to close when they are seedlings. I still do it. Fear not for even a small plant can get some killer buds. Hey man, thanks for your interest in my project.

[golfnrl]

Hey OverMedicated My take on autos will probably change a bit as I go along. My understanding of my girls drooping could be just the strain. But I probably contributed to their stress this time with light. I'm just now understanding the spectrum is as important as the intensity, maybe more so. I'm not giving up. Have a new grow in the works.

[Going2fast]

Autos can be run at 24/0 but no evidence supports the theory of larger yields and shortened harvest time. The only positives would be to eliminate the need for a timer and keep room temps and humidity more stable. The limited studies done point to diminished returns after 20 hours considering the extra electricity and wear on the light.

[OverMedicated]

Good points all. I will tell the tale of my personal experience with a 22/2 schedule. In three words "They loved it.". My Magnums are 5 weeks old and flowering (I guess I should say they are autos) and despite what my personal beliefs are (12/12), they are getting some of the biggest buds I've ever gotten. As far as the light bill goes, I use a power conditioner and 100-watt full spectrum LED lighting so I can afford to splurge a little.

[crucialbunny]

I think it's interesting that the ruderalis developed autoflower capabilities because of the short days and long nights of its European roots but seem to thrive under extended periods of light. I'm currently growing my first auto and going with 5 hours darkness.

[OverMedicated]

You're gonna love growing autos. Don't get discouraged if it looks like a dwarf, they do that. I'd be interested to know what strain you planted. I love Magnum autos. They have it all. High THC and big buds! Not to mention they do really well indoors. They work well with artificial light. I got some at 5 weeks flowering and running 22/2 and they are loving it. Best thing about autos is they don't take long to grow and the don't get too big for the closet.

[SoOrbudgal]

All plants need a nap

[OverMedicated]

So very true after all they are living things. I think they respond better after a little nap. I know I do.