12-1 lighting schedule

[jacks]

Been using this schedule on and off for 5 years now and it works. I believe a few local growers have tried this?

[ajcapetown]

I've been so tempted to try this, especially in flower as that's where I use the most power.

 

The veg cycle looks interesting, only thing that may be a problem in this country is when we start having irregular power outages. Missing a couple of lights on times and your veg room may be in trouble.

 

Although I'm sure if Eskom starts fucking around you an just re-adjust and go back to 18/6 for veg.

[Toby]

I am going to try this 12-1 light cycle. Ill do some more research on the matter and hopefully I can cut down on my electricity bill.

 

Hopefully I get favourable results? 

[Toby]

I have done some research and all the info I have gather points in the same direction. The info below provided by jacks is slightly exaggerated in terms of the on/off periods. 

 

I have adopted the schedule and adjusted my timers accordingly. I prefer to run my lights on during the night to control temperature and also trying to prevent extreme temperature changes between lights on and off to ensure more tightly internodal growth. Below is the logic behind the 12-1 schedule.

 

 

How to reduce the cost of growing cannabis saving 30-50% on your electricity bill using the 12-1 lighting schedule.

 

The biggest innovator in the history of cannabis in my generation is Reinhard Delp. Not only did he invent and is the holder of the patent for ice water extraction, he has been building flower forcers since 1992. His new solar powered Sun-gate is the leader of the industry. He was the first to feminize seeds and sell them in Europe in the late 90’s. His process was done naturally, without the use of any chemicals.

 

No one is more copied but seldom matched than Mr. Delp, who to me is the top grower of our generation. The first time he impressed me he showed me 2 plants, planted next to one another, 1 completely covered in powdery mildew, the other completely clean and beautiful. He was developing mildew and mold resistant genetics..

 

In the late 90’s Reinhard brought back the gas lantern routine that you find in any college grade horticulture book, and applied it to cannabis. Cannabis needs only 13 hours to stay in the vegetative growth stage. The 18-6 lighting schedule in vegetation, actually stress your plants, that never get that much light in one-day outdoors. Cannabis is an outdoor plant. Growing indoors you should copy how it grows outdoors. No Cannabis growing in Afghanistan gets 18 hours of light in growth pattern. Most strains today have some part Indica in their genetic pool. Even equatorial strains don’t get 18 hours of sun a day.

 

The 12-1 lighting schedule is as follows 12 hours lights on, 5.5 lights off, 1-hour lights on, 5.5 lights off, and repeat schedule. The 1 hour on in between off period fools the plants that stay in vegetative growth state!  Your immediate savings are 5 hours in energy costs daily, as well as your bulbs and equipment lasting longer. But how do the plants react to this lighting schedule?

 

You see immediate growth response from your plants, they are happy from the added rest time. By day 14 the plants tripled in size. The plants are bushy with twice as many bud sites without topping or bending, In fact when you top and stretch your plants out, you get many more bud sites than you would have had under 18-6 using same procedure of topping and stretching plant, your growing bigger and better and faster.

 

12 - 1 light cycle gas lantern routine 

 

So your saving 5 hours daily in energy costs, as well as your accelerated growth pattern which also saves you time and energy and equipment use.

 

In the flowering stage, never use 12-12, start your flowering period at 11 hours on 13 hours off. When your are growing outdoors each day you get less and less sun light, you should copy the way the sun acts naturally in your indoor grow. So first 2 weeks of flower you go 11 on 13 off, the next 2 weeks you go down to 10.5 on 13.5 off, next 2 weeks 10 on 14 off, next two weeks 9.5 on 14.5 off and the last weeks of flower you should be at 9 hours on and 15 hours off. You’ll get bigger and better buds by copying the way the sun light works on cannabis outdoors.

 

Cannabis is an outdoor plant and you should copy the way it grows outdoors indoors. The only thing that 18-6, and then 12-12 lighting schedule’s do is make the energy companies rich as well as the people who sell lights and equipment, the more you use the more you spend. 12-1 lighting schedule is a more natural way to grow indoors and you well have the best results you have ever had and save as much as 50% in energy costs.

[Dabtzar]

It does work..

 

But its very strain dependant.

 

I had various results.

 

Some of the strains I ran were: Pineapple chunk

                                                  Skywalker Kush

                                                  Sour Diesel

                                                  Kosher kush

 

So they grew out amazingly in the veg stage, and so have every other strain ive put into the veg room on 12-1

BUT when you flower out and you go to quickly into the 6/18 schedule, what you get is super trich production but not as much yield. 

Remember this is going to stress your plant to unnatural lighting, so it will react by either 1- Protecting herself and push out as much resin as she can if all nutrients are provided.

OR

2- she will hermie on you. (Which did happen to one or two plants in the late stage of flower)

 

Now I think from what ive seen from Joe and Dan B is that this schedule will work great for sativa dom. strains (especially with those long flowering times.)

 

The revised version on the other hand works much better, because its much better matched to nature. going slowly down to 9-15...

 

Peace

[Toby]

Thanks Dabztar,

 

Yeah from what I have gathered based on user reviews on this technique, its a great way to identify strong genetics and weed out the poor ones (which will go hermie).

 

Im trying it on Blue Dream, Amnesia Haze and Thunderbud Haze, currently. 

 

I am hoping the above strains are strong enough and produce the desired results?

 

[jacks]

The info below provided by jacks is slightly exaggerated in terms of the on/off periods.

Not at all, was just sharing the old age concept. Glad you did the research and get the information. great that you talking about this lighting schedule. 

 

Remember this is going to stress your plant to unnatural lighting,

 

Had to smile at that comment, but understand what you meant.

Good growing.

[Toby]

Hi guys.

 

A quick update on the lighting schedule. It has been 2 weeks since I have implemented the schedule. So far so good. They are growing at a phenomenal rate. My medium is organic, using my own mix, cooking since last year. I had to pot up a week earlier as the roots were popping out the bottom of their containers. No nutes used to date with only dechlorinated tap water. I am very happy with the progress thus far.

 

I have attached some pictures of the progress. The small pot images was taken on the 23rd and the larger pots the 31st. Ill keep you guys posted with progress. I will move it to their post moving forward.

[Guest kimcarsons]

I'm following...

[420SA]

Very keen to see what transpires!!

[ajcapetown]

Looking great, following

[Dabtzar]

Just so you know.. Clones won't take very well under 12/1..

 

Rather use 18/6

[Toby]

Just so you know.. Clones won't take very well under 12/1.. Rather use 18/6

 

 

Thanks for the input. My ladies are all from clone. So far they growing great. Their first 4 weeks were under 18/6 before I changed to 12/1 

[Toby]

Hi Guys,

 

Another quick update. 10 days later and my ladies going strong, added about 5cm mulch to keep the moisture in. I have been watering once weekly with dechlorinated water only. Some pictures below.

[Dabtzar]

Bump

[Toby]

Another 10 days later. Going excellent IMO. No feeding as yet just dechlorinated water. Planning to flip at month end (Sunday) - It will be 10 weeks from clone. Im really happy with this lighting technique.  Some pictures below.

[Guest kimcarsons]

Dude, 10 weeks from clone?! You gotta go hydro.. You'll get two grows out of the year?!

[Toby]

Dude, 10 weeks from clone?! You gotta go hydro.. You'll get two grows out of the year?!

yeah 10 weeks from cutting. I might give the next grow a go on the hydro side. I work with numbers all day everyday. Just thinking of the PPM & EC readings I need to take puts me off it.

 

Thats why I love organics so much. Put all the effort in the soil before hand and just grow.

[420SA]

@Toby your plants are doing well without being fed! 

 

Would you be partial to a bit of recipe sharing?

[Toby]

Thanks admin. Nothing out of the ordinary. All info was sourced here on 420SA. I used a combination of Totemic's and GLO's recipes and added additional coco peat & perlite. I let it cook for about 9 months.  

 

My outdoor grow last summer was a big fail because I was over complicating things. Adding all kinds of stuff to the soil that just stressed the plants to much. This grow's approach, keep it simple and less is more approach. I will only react when the plants tell me to. So far so good, no bugs and pests (knock on wood).

[ajcapetown]

Looking fantastic! Would love to take a look at that soil recipe as well if you are keen on sharing.

 

That net is going to be super full once you change to flower.

[Toby]

Thanks AJ, I posted up some details of how I made my soil in the previous post. Yeah you right they gonna be a bit much in flower. I wasnt expecting this dense growth so soon. Ill thin out when cleaning under the net. 

[Guest kimcarsons]

Hard work is paying off now Toby. Looking stella!

[Toby]

Hi Guys,

 

Update time. Flower day 10. I have been tucking and weaving daily. Started selective defoliating and slowly but surely cleaning out under the net. So far so good. Detected a few leaves with signs of mites. I will pyrol their asses over the next couple of days. Added an addition LED grow light to supplement the HID, will change over to HPS by the weekend.

 

Some pictures below.

[TrailBlazer]

Those are some beautifully healthy plants Toby. A pleasure to look at.