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lighting Lighting Cycle Question - Hours on and Off

C

cmpman1974

I'm playing around with this a lot lately trying to save electricity. I used to go 16 on / 8 off for years thinking it was necessary. No more. I've dropped from 12 on / 12 off to 10 on / 14 off and plan on dropping again to 8 on / 16 off. I've got gorgeous plants with the 10 on / 14 off cycle. Why give my electric company more $$$$ for nothing? Anyone else take the hours on this low and do OK with fluorescents? I'm referring to just typical T12 40 watters..4 per shelf (18" L x 48" W).

Note, I grow them just to get them ready for outdoors, not to produce fruit inside. This cycle would never work for that purpose probably.

Chris
 
I've been dropping too, and actually find more growth when the lights are off. I started cutting back on light because I still have at least 5 weeks until plant out and wanted to slow down, but the oppisite happened. It seems like they do all the growing in the dark. It could be that or just a growth spurt...I don't know.
 
I'm going to cutback on the lighting for my Vaquero jalapenos. Guess I'm joining the experiment. Save the planet... it's the only one with peppers.
 
Chris, I have been at 8/16 as well and agree that mine are looking better than ever. I say, do what works best for you.
 
I'm only using two T5s a shelf and mine are ready to go outside!!
The structure and color of all the plants looks really good too!!
I just don't see the need to increase the light quantity!
I'm going with 12-on/12-off and not ready to cut it back yet. Don't want to mess with a good thing right now.
 
Interesting topic:

I cycle 17 hours on 7 hours off. I do notice more growth differences in the morning, after the rest from light. Maybe more rest will be better. I don't feel like changing anything now. I may test a shorter cycle next season and report the results.

Regarding the electric bill issues, I haven't yet worked out the math, but even with the absurd rate that I pay per Kilowatt per hour, I don't think leaving off my florescent light for 5 hours a day, will have a big impact on my monthly bill.
 
You should expect more growth in the dark because pepper plants are part of the nightshade "Solanaceae" family. Hints they only grow in the dark :hell:
 
They also grow in the light as it is easy to notice plants bending towards the light if they are not directly under the source.

TheLonelyHab said:
You should expect more growth in the dark because pepper plants are part of the nightshade "Solanaceae" family. Hints they only grow in the dark :hell:
Click to expand...
 
I had been running T12's/40W for the first couple months @ 16 on and 8 off. About two or three weeks ago, I cut back to 12 on and 12 off. I did this in hopes it would slow them down. Especially the blooms. They haven't skipped a beat. There are more buds on them than I can count. Still have 5 weeks or so before they go outside permanently. I probably won't change the lighting schedule until then.
 
Several scientific tests have proven that 24 hours of light is ideal for the first 6 weeks or so and then around 20 hours/day after that.
Its been discussed here quite a bit in the past, and links to these tests are posted here somewhere

My plants getting 18+ hours are doing much better than my 12/12 plants
 
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