A common practice in the industry is to quickly change light scales to a set 12-12 or 10-14. The funny thing about natural time scales is that it is a progressive change not an instant one. What I have found is that the instant switch from a 24on or 18-6 veg timescale to the common flowering timescales causes stress. My way of battling this and keeping your plants on the verge of flower is to use the 12-1 scale. 12-1 explained is: 12 on 5.5 off 1 on 5.5 off (24hrs). This is essentially the optimal balance of photosynthesis disrupted by an hour of light. This balance keeps the plant in a more rapid vegetative state because it thinks it is flowering. They have chances of mutations (often good ones) that will make your plant more banchy and more lush. Once you switch to flower you eliminate the 1 hour disruption and the plant will instantly produce strictly flowering hormones. You treat them the same as 24on or 18-6 and it cuts down heavily on energy consumption. If you align your veg light with your flower light (if using separate staging areas) then you will always be ready to move plants to flower without any stress or confusion of the plants.

-Duchess Cannabis Co.