Tangie Ghost Train: Understanding The Light Schedules

Posted by LB Seed Co on September 21st, 2022

Few things are as important when growing cannabis as choosing the right light schedule. Being a photoperiod plant, the quantity of light your plant receives will determine when it begins to flower and how much fruit it will produce. Your cannabis plant like Tangie Ghost Train strain will start to flower if you give it 12 consecutive hours of darkness every day.

We need to grasp how to maximize the efficiency of our lighting schedule though if you want to grow cannabis successfully.

Today, we'll go deeply into cannabis seed light cycles and the adjustments that must be made for both indoor and outdoor operations.

What Are Light Schedules?

The cycle of darkness and light that is employed to support your plant's growth is called a light schedule. Cannabis growers must be ready to adapt their system to the plants' shifting needs because the plants' high light requirements alter as they mature.

We can observe how the timing of scheduled illumination can fluctuate depending on the growth stage of your plant.

Stage 1: Light Schedule for Cannabis Seedlings

Each outstanding cannabis plant started out as a seedling. When your seeds have been procured and have successfully germinated, you are prepared to add a lighting schedule. Your plant is a seedling at this point in its development. Although seedlings may have little roots, they are not yet prepared for transplantation.

Give your seedlings lots of energy so that they can establish their root system in order to get the most out of their lighting schedule. A healthy root system demands a lot of energy, thus it needs around 18 hours of light per day, followed by 6 hours of darkness.

Since the first cannabis seeds were grown, growers have experimented with different lighting cycles during the seedling stage. Some producers choose a schedule of 20 hours of light and 4 hours of darkness to increase productivity while still giving their plants time to rest.

But beware—seedlings don't need strong lighting to thrive or develop properly. Overbearing lights may end up hurting your seedlings and limiting their capacity to develop healthily. To shield your plants from heat and potential burns, choose dimmer or weaker bulbs.

Choose an 18/6 or 20/4 light schedule unless you are using autoflowering seeds.

Stage 2: Entering the Vegetative Stage

The vegetative stage of a plant's life cycle is one of the most crucial points, hence it needs to be closely watched to ensure future success. During this phase, the plant expands both vertically and horizontally, creating stems, leaves, and other biological components required for the healthy development of its bud sites.

It doesn't matter if you're working with indoor or outdoor plants; they need at least 13 hours of light each day. If growers maintain short nights and a regular light schedule, they may be able to keep their plants in a vegetative state indefinitely.

Give your plant up to 24 hours of light per day while it is in this state to promote its growth. Some growers choose an 18/6 schedule to give their plants relaxation at night while still promoting rapid growth during the daylight hours.

Although every strain is distinct, outdoor growers will notice their plants moving from the vegetative stage late in the spring or early in the summer.

Can I Avoid Light Schedules?

Choose autoflowering seeds if you want to avoid lighting schedules if you're a beginner or intermediate grower. Regardless of the lighting their grower provides, autoflowering seeds will begin to bloom after around three months. Autoflowering strains are a terrific option to start your first plants because they are more straightforward and simpler to use than conventional outdoor cannabis seeds.

It's extremely crucial to follow the guidelines provided by your seed bank to select the best autoflowering strains for your business.

Stage 3: Entering the Flowering Stage

It's time to focus on the third and last stage of these plants' life cycles now that the vegetative state has passed. When plants receive 12 hours of direct sunlight each day, this stage naturally happens for outdoor growers. Depending on the strain, the growing climate, and the health of the plant, the outdoor flowering stage might last anywhere from 8 to 12 weeks.

A lighting schedule of 12 hours on and 12 hours off will aid indoor growers in starting the flowering cycle. The cultivator will have about six to five months of growing time after switching their lights over to this 12/12 cycle before their plants are ready for harvest.

NOTE FOR ALL GROWERS: Steer clear of nighttime light pollution. Make sure that no light, not even from spotlights or streetlights, is shining on the plants during the night or during the dark hours. Your cannabis plants may become confused by light pollution, which will hinder them from properly blossoming.

Working With Autoflowering Strains

Many people's perspectives on cannabis growing have radically changed as a result of the world of autoflowering strains. Cannabis plants that have been bred with Cannabis Ruderalis are known as autoflowering cannabis plants. The outcome is a cannabis plant that blooms according to time rather than the grower's established schedule for light and darkness.