Mixed opinions on 24hr light cycle - What sayz the hive?

[FALaholic]

I'm getting mixed opinions on a 24hr light cycle for my seedlings. In the past I would keep my seedlings (turnip, lettuce, melon) on a 24hr lighting program. After about a month; mainly depends on size of seedlings, I would then switch to a 12/12 program, then slowly acclimate them to the outside world.
What I'm hearing now is that baccy doesn't like 24hr lighting programs. This is a first for me, as the only time you are wanting to go to a night cycle is to flower/produce product.
I feel as though at this stage no flowing is going to occur anytime soon, and keeping it on a 24 cycle for the first month (or more) allows the seedling to establish itself in its location.

So what sayz the hive?

 

[DonH]

I like a 16-8 cycle. I don't like to have a room in the house glowing with flourescent light all night long. Raises suspicion. I think having an 8 hour night cycle is good for the plants. They get rest but it's short enough to not stimulate flowering. But who knows? Saves electricity, too.

 

[AmaxB]

Don't know maybe it is a matter of opinion..
I made my 1st grow this year, when I started my seed I ran 24/7 and kept my lights close. After they started to get leafy (3-4 inches tall) and if looking a little leggy I would shut them off at night once in a while.
Myself I think the light is good and helps to keep them warm.
Post #183 http://wholeleaftobaccollc.com/forum/showthread.php?2287-AmaxB-ground-prep-an-Grow-2013/page19
Whst they looked like going to the patch..
Post #226 http://wholeleaftobaccollc.com/forum/showthread.php?2287-AmaxB-ground-prep-an-Grow-2013/page23

 

[Boboro]

It freaks em out to keep the lites on all the time. Thirs science to it but I cant send yall to it.

 

[FALaholic]

Don't know maybe it is a matter of opinion..
I made my 1st grow this year, when I started my seed I ran 24/7 and kept my lights close. After they started to get leafy (3-4 inches tall) and if looking a little leggy I would shut them off at night once in a while.
Myself I think the light is good and helps to keep them warm.
Post #183 http://wholeleaftobaccollc.com/forum/showthread.php?2287-AmaxB-ground-prep-an-Grow-2013/page19
Whst they looked like going to the patch..
Post #226 http://wholeleaftobaccollc.com/forum/showthread.php?2287-AmaxB-ground-prep-an-Grow-2013/page23

I believe you can just click on the post number, link it, and it will take you straight to the post. FYI

 

[bonehead]

i grow all kinds of stuff indoors and most plants don't grow much faster after 18 hour long days and 6 hour nights to make the extra electric $ worth it. some plants flower acording to day length some don't. (example) spinach will bolt and go to seed before you get much or any with to many hours of light thats why it is grown in spring and fall. photoperiod is inportant to some plants, short day plants some not (day nutral). some plant functions actually reverse at night which help them stay healthy. oxygen and co2 uptake reverse at night expel to clense plants. thats why if you grow crops quickly with co2 in ppm you only run it during lights on periods between fresh air exchanges so many times an hour to control heat and humidity. you really have to read about photoperiod and long and short day plants. did you ever hear of short day, long day and day nutral plants ect. 18 hours is usually plenty of light. most plants you can stop the from flowering or severly reduce it by disrupting the dark cycle for only a few minutes to many times so someone will say why are my plants not flowering,budding ect. when they are on a 12hr on and a 12hr. off scedule. they had to look during the dark cycle to many times turning on lights and screwed everything up. personally i wouldn't run them more than 18 on 6 off but thats one persons opinion.

 

[FALaholic]

I like a 16-8 cycle. I don't like to have a room in the house glowing with flourescent light all night long. Raises suspicion. I think having an 8 hour night cycle is good for the plants. They get rest but it's short enough to not stimulate flowering. But who knows? Saves electricity, too.

I thought the same, but after you've grown a couple tomatoes, melons, etc, and the black helicopters don't circle your house, and masked ninjas don't kick down your door and shoot your dag, those feelings just go away.

 

[Boboro]

A piece of plywood with a curtin stapled to it will keep the lite from gettin out. A blind in frount of that is evon better.

 

[Brown Thumb]

I thought the same, but after you've grown a couple tomatoes, melons, etc, and the black helicopters don't circle your house, and masked ninjas don't kick down your door and shoot your dag, those feelings just go away.

I just wave to those guys with a smile in the copter
Lately it has been small planes coming in at a angle taking pics out the pass window I can see the flash
I wave to them too with a smile
Stupid bungholes wasting taxpayer money

 

[Fisherman]

I think that the plants need a dark period. Studys show some varieties of tobacco at light sensitive and others are not.
My first sowing I did 24 hr lites and early in the year I think it caused some early suckering as later plantings of same sowing didnt but that could have been temps as well.

What I did notice is that when I finally did cut the lights . the roots grew like . well really fast and long at night. Notice how your tobacco seems to grow over night. That also might be just the releif from the daily wilting too

 

[FALaholic]

I just wave to those guys with a smile in the copter
Lately it has been small planes coming in at a angle taking pics out the pass window I can see the flash
I wave to them too with a smile
Stupid bungholes wasting taxpayer money

Next time, take some Pringles cans taped together lengthwise, and strap that to your shoulder .

 

[johnlee1933]

I just wave to those guys with a smile in the copter
Lately it has been small planes coming in at a angle taking pics out the pass window I can see the flash
I wave to them too with a smile
Stupid bungholes wasting taxpayer money

The scary thing is they really believe they are right and doing good. ???

 

[johnlee1933]

Next time, take some Pringles cans taped together lengthwise, and strap that to your shoulder .

A four foot length of 4 inch smoke pipe would work too. I use it for my smokehouse and the resemblance is remarkable.

 

[Knucklehead]

This was my first year using lights. I went 24/7 for a little extra warmth until the plants germinated and looked healthy. At that point I didn't know what I was doing so I let nature be my guide. I had them on at daylight and cut them off at nightfall. Seemed to work just fine and save electricity. That way there was no major change when I started working them to the outside in indirect light under a covered porch, then started introducing them to full sunlight a little at a time. The number of light hours stayed the same, just the source was changing.

 

[chillardbee]

I beleive that if your going to start seeds indoors using lights for transplanting outside at a later date, then having a light cycle set to what it will be outside at the time of transplanting would probably be the best. So, for us here, we are looking at about 15 hour on 9 hour off, which corralates to 2nd or 3rd week of april planting or moving outside. with the plants growing under those type of grow conditions and if everything is keep optimal, they will grow quickly so I would probably allow a 1 week germination and 4 week grow under the lights and with that I can gage at what point I should plant the seed. So, If I was transfering the seedlings to the great outdoors on april 15 I would be starting the seeds march 7.

There are other plants that can have reaction from a sudden cut back in light hours. these plants are known as 'photo sensitive' but I'm not sure if baccy is but why take the chance. most often that reaction is that the plant starts to flower. This is particularly the case when a plant goes from a 24/7 light down to 12/12 cycle and often age of plants make no difference.

In case your wondering why I know a bit about this subject, it's because I use to grow a different type of baccy back in my youth, wink, wink.

That all being siad, If one was to grow indoors for the intire duration of the grow, I don't think a 24/7 cycle would be harmful other than to your electric bill. For as tall as baccy can grow, you would eventually have to switch to High Intensity Discharge lamp perferably a metal halide using either 400 watt on the lower end of the scale but most likely 1000 watts which might cover 10-20 plants depending you have the lights on a tracking system. IMHO, it'd be cheeper to buy cigs from the store. It'd be cheeper yet just to grow outdoors.

 

[Boboro]

Its torcher and makes em have mintal problems.

 

[Knucklehead]

This was my first year starting seed under lights and I still don't know a thing about it. I let Ma Nature guide me on duration. I cut them on at daybreak and cut them off at night. The times changed as the daylight hours changed. I think four weeks from germination to transplant is a little optimistic. I went six weeks this year and they were still too small. Eight weeks might be a safer number to use for planning purposes, but the size and health of the plant and the projected weather outlook should be what drives the decision when the time comes. I ended up planting too early this year and the seedlings were really susceptible to gnawing critters.

 

[Southern Planter]

My first thought was that the coppers will think you're growing Mary Jane. Electric companies rat out folks with grow lights. First they bust down your door, then fill your dog with about forty rounds, tie up granny, taze your wife, shoot you in your sleep, then after pulling up all your seedlings looking for hidden naughty seeds leave with an insincere apology and let you clean up the dogs blood that they traced around the house.

As to the choppers, I take great pride in flipping them off.

I read somewhere about the uptake downtake stuff too, but then potatoes grow great in Alaska. Personally I don't like electric bills so I'd let them sleep.

 

[Boboro]

This was my first year starting seed under lights and I still don't know a thing about it. I let Ma Nature guide me on duration. I cut them on at daybreak and cut them off at night. The times changed as the daylight hours changed. I think four weeks from germination to transplant is a little optimistic. I went six weeks this year and they were still too small. Eight weeks might be a safer number to use for planning purposes, but the size and health of the plant and the projected weather outlook should be what drives the decision when the time comes. I ended up planting too early this year and the seedlings were really susceptible to gnawing critters.

Damm slugs!

 

[AmaxB]

Left mine under the lights 24/7 I shut them off maybe 5 nights out of 7 to 8 weeks.