No. Give your plants a dark period every day. Leafy greens and herbs grow well with long days, but running lights around the clock uses more power and can stress some plants without a worthwhile gain.
Why Plants Need Darkness
Plants do part of their growing and recovery at night. Some, such as tomatoes and peppers, can be damaged by continuous light. Others tolerate it, but long days with a dark break give good growth for less electricity.
How Long to Run Lights
Many growers run lights for around 14 to 16 hours a day for lettuce and herbs. Fruiting plants and plants you want to keep from flowering may need different schedules.
Use a Timer
A simple plug-in timer switches the light on and off at the same times every day, which plants respond to better than an irregular schedule. Set it so the dark period falls when the room is dark anyway.
Heat and Your Containers
Lights add heat. With a dark period, the containers get a chance to cool, which helps keep the solution from getting too warm.
Related guide: growing Kratky under grow lights.
