New Grower Growing autos under 24 hr lights?

[Surfer Joe]

I am getting to the end of my first grow and am eager to try a second grow.
It will be winter here and the tent is in an unheated garage.
The cfl lights keep the tent at about 30 C while they are on (20/4 light cycle) when the weather is cool, and when it has been colder, it drops down to about 22-24 C with the lights on.
I have bought a 55watt tube heater for the tent which doesn't do much but it is not on a timer and runs when the lights are out at night.
Since the next grow will be during the coldest months and it can get down to 0 C around here in the winter, I was thinking of just letting the lights stay on all the time to act as a heater inside the tent.
Is this in any way harmful to the plants if they are feminized autos?
Do they need some dark time to sleep or exhale oxygen or something?
I could put in a small 700 watt oil radiator in the tent to run when the lights are off if it would be better to give them some dark periods, and I can also set the 20/4 cycle so that the lights are off during the warmest times of the day rather than at night, but if giving them 24 hours of light is ok or even helpful, I would prefer to do that.
Thanks for any advice.

 

[Magic]

With Autos You can Run the lights 24/0, actually some people prefer it, they say it adds to potency and growth. Id say you have to run them 24/7 and once you get to your next harvest start letting it get colder and colder to simulate fall/winter time, when it come to heat problems i cant help sorry i grow indoors. but I can tell you running your lights 24/0 will not hurt your plants.

 

[Kaiju]

Youve got the idea bro!

You want to avoid a heater as much as possible unless it has a thermo gage on it (Where it will turn on when it drops a certain temperature, you can get these fairly cheaply *just look for a thermostat or heat gage* 9/10 they will only turn on when its below that heat setting, normally greenhouse heaters have this capability)

But having your lights 24/0 is going to keep a steady temperature and there has not been any scientific data which shows a constant light cycle is anymore detrimental to plants.

All plants do in the night cycle is actually sleep and convert all the sugar that theyve taken in through photosynthesis and process it in the night, there is a chemical reaction which happens in the roots at night time which is the only thing a 24/0 cycle would miss out on

Only thing id be weary about if using just your lights for heat is the floor may become very cold - if this is the case you could get some heating mats

 

[koose]

I have used the seed sprouting heat mats with some success. They are around 17w, 8"x18"x 1/8 thick and cost around $10 on ebay if I remember correctly. They keep the soil warmish but may not work as well with larger pots(I use 1gal airpot). I have used underneath and wrapped around the pot. You will need to water a little more often using these.

I like an adequate heater with a thermostat better but the cost could be much higher

 

[Surfer Joe]

All plants do in the night cycle is actually sleep and convert all the sugar that theyve taken in through photosynthesis and process it in the night, there is a chemical reaction which happens in the roots at night time which is the only thing a 24/0 cycle would miss out on

Only thing id be weary about if using just your lights for heat is the floor may become very cold - if this is the case you could get some heating mats

Thanks. I worry about what you said about the plants' nighttime activities.
I would think that it would be better for the plant to let it do its thing at night and be allowed to convert those sugars and do those root reactions.
It sounds like that could affect the plant if you prevent it from doing its thing.
They are living things and I worry about keeping them happy, even though I know this may be just an emotional response.
The plants are on a shelf above the floor inside the grow tent and the tent is on top of a plywood sheet rather than on the concrete floor, but I know it will get cold in the garage during the winter since it always does.
I could add some cardboard sheets under the plywood to give a bit more insulation from the floor, and I already have the tent surrounded on all sides by corrugated cardboard from large fridge shipping boxes to add a bit of insulation around the sides. I might also drape some blankets over the tent and see if that helps.
Someone should invent a small circular heater that could slide into the intake vent at the bottom of the tent so as the extractor fan sucks in air from the bottom vent it could get a little warmer. Sucking in the cold air is more likely to lower the temperature than from it seeping in through the tent fabric, I think.

 

[Surfer Joe]

I have used the seed sprouting heat mats with some success. They keep the soil warmish

Thanks.
So it's only the soil that needs to be kept warm? If the plant itself is in the cold, won't that affect its growth or potency?
I thought that the plants like hot weather and grow better in hotter climates.

 

[Son of Hobbes]

Thanks.
So it's only the soil that needs to be kept warm? If the plant itself is in the cold, won't that affect its growth or potency?
I thought that the plants like hot weather and grow better in hotter climates.

The ideal temperature for cannabis is between 75 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit (24 to 30 degrees Celsius.) Growth slows down around 55 degrees Fahrenheit (the plants go into mild shock,) and subsequently anything below that is going to slow growth or begin to cause damage. Frost, of course, occurs around 32 degrees Fahrenheit. You want to keep an ambient temperature in your grow space as constant as possible; temperature fluctuations can have adverse effects, the cold can affect nutrient uptake, and you can have condensation problems depending on the temperature differentials.

Thanks. I worry about what you said about the plants' nighttime activities.
I would think that it would be better for the plant to let it do its thing at night and be allowed to convert those sugars and do those root reactions.
It sounds like that could affect the plant if you prevent it from doing its thing.
They are living things and I worry about keeping them happy, even though I know this may be just an emotional response.
The plants are on a shelf above the floor inside the grow tent and the tent is on top of a plywood sheet rather than on the concrete floor, but I know it will get cold in the garage during the winter since it always does.
I could add some cardboard sheets under the plywood to give a bit more insulation from the floor, and I already have the tent surrounded on all sides by corrugated cardboard from large fridge shipping boxes to add a bit of insulation around the sides. I might also drape some blankets over the tent and see if that helps.
Someone should invent a small circular heater that could slide into the intake vent at the bottom of the tent so as the extractor fan sucks in air from the bottom vent it could get a little warmer. Sucking in the cold air is more likely to lower the temperature than from it seeping in through the tent fabric, I think.

The plywood is a good start; anything to help block the cold exuding properties of cold masonry. You could also take some old carpet scraps and place those under the pots; that'd be more than enough insulation from the floor. Cardboard isn't much of an insulator. If you can actually insulate with insulation; do it. You can get a cheap roll with a high R-value for under $20 easily that will insulate the outside of your whole tent. It'll keep the warm air inside the tent; outside of what your air exchange is. Do you have a fan speed controller for your intake? You can slow down your intake speed which will slow down the air chill effect from bringing in that cool air. Also, nothing to say you can't stick a heater near the opening of your cool air intake and let me push warmer air inside the tent if it's getting that cold.

You can look at some heating options; I'm not a fan of space heaters in small enclosed spaces myself though (fire hazard.) You can get electric heat tape (the kind you wrap around pipes,) then wrap it around something metal or ceramic (that provides thermal mass for the heat to absorb into.) Then it would effectively radiate heat outward.

You have a lot of options. Pictures of your grown space would help make better suggestions! Good luck bro! :smokebuds:

 

[WEEDOSHI]

Never run 24/0. I've run 24/0 and 20/4 and noticed more vegetative and bud growth with 20/4. Plant's need a night period, growing it under 24/0 defeats the purpose of nature.

 

[TaNg]

Never run 24/0. I've run 24/0 and 20/4 and noticed more vegetative and bud growth with 20/4. Plant's need a night period, growing it under 24/0 defeats the purpose of nature.

I don't agree with this I'm afraid as I've both seen and had great success using a 24/0 light cycle whether that be veg for photoperiod or full grow for autos.

 

[WEEDOSHI]

I don't agree with this I'm afraid as I've both seen and had great success using a 24/0 light cycle whether that be veg for photoperiod or full grow for autos.

Plants grow faster in the night-period, it's been proven. I can't be bothered to link references but I'm sure if you look around you'll find it.

Some have had great success with 24/0 (like you), others like myself haven't. I prefer 20/4.