Moon Lighting?

So I was thinking about the affects of the moon on outdoor plants, and how indoor plants don't get moonlight when flowering ever. So, what would moon light do?

The plant buds out every 2 weeks, with the biggest growths around week 4 and week 8. If you were to factor in natural conditions, it could be theorized that moon light at weeks 3-4 and 7-8 could stimulate more flowering, denser flowers, etc.

After doing a little research I found that the moon reflects the sun's full spectrum at 340 lumens per square foot. I far cry from the 10,000 of the sun.

Obviously plants don't quit flowering under the moon light, but the moon is only bright 1/4 the time during waxing gibbous, full, and waning gibbous. So it seems that as long as the plant starts to flower under the dark conditions, an increase from 0 to 340 lumens, from its usual daylight, could increase yields if applied at the right times of flowering.

I intend to apply this to my next grow so we can have an answer that has some test behind it, but in the mean time any thoughts?

Any outdoor people have anything they would like to add about the moon and their girls would be greatly appreciated.

wow i need to come back to this when im a little less high

Know anything about the moon lights for reptiles?

I was wondering about this because why's it always soooooo important to never have any light leaks or else they'll go all hermie on your ass but yet in nature the moon is shining all up in there??

the moon effects moisture in soil.. it sucks up the moisture to the surface...thats why the tide is real dramatic during full and new moons....just an FYI ...ask any surfer who grows..they know

as far as moon affecting the outdoor plants... the outdoors has its own cycles, its nature...nature knows when its time....also the sun is far more powerful and intense and has a much broader spectrum than MH/HPS lights....

Dr. Greenhorn said:

as far as moon affecting the outdoor plants... the outdoors has its own cycles, its nature...nature knows when its time....also the sun is far more powerful and intense and has a much broader spectrum than MH/HPS lights....

Click to expand...

I'm aware that outdoor plants grow so big, because of ideal lighting, unlimited growing space, etc. I am also aware of the whole water shifting as a result of the moons gravity, not exactly what I'm worried about.

What I'm talking about is the idea that since plants flower at the times they do, and the intensity that they do, and plants use light to grow, that increasing to 340 lumens at the right time could stimulate just the flower growth.

340 lumens is nothing, it's not even bright enough to penetrate fan leaves, so the only part of the plant that would absorb that light would be anything directly exposed, which is generally just going to be the buds, and top leaf layers. The extra increase in light when flowering makes its biggest gains would be like waking up in the middle of the night by your wife saying, "hey just take this bong hit real quick." Fucking sweet.

interesting theory wilson, maybe someone should experiment and try this out?? Also maybe that means that someone could have 340 lumens on their plant the whole 12 hours dark cycle and increase yield without it going hermie since it happens in nature already?? Maybe a 340 lumes UVB light so that we could be producing trichomes 24/7 baby!!!

I haven't heard of moonlighting, then again I'm not a grower, I just like to enjoy the fruits of labor.

Let us know how it turns out.

The moon on a good night is about 0.1 foot candles and it takes at least 0.3 to prevent flowering and alot more to grow, the moon dosen't have a growing effect.

CANinBIZ said:

The moon on a good night is about 0.1 foot candles and it takes at least 0.3 to prevent flowering and alot more to grow, the moon dosen't have a growing effect.

Click to expand...

Do you know that for a fact?

It's not a matter of growing, its a matter of boosting. Light is like food to plants, just because I'm not giving them a full meal, doesn't mean they wouldn't enjoy a midnight snack.

ya sounds like a good idea to test ill have to try it to

wilsoncr17 said:

I'm aware that outdoor plants grow so big, because of ideal lighting, unlimited growing space, etc. I am also aware of the whole water shifting as a result of the moons gravity, not exactly what I'm worried about.

What I'm talking about is the idea that since plants flower at the times they do, and the intensity that they do, and plants use light to grow, that increasing to 340 lumens at the right time could stimulate just the flower growth.

340 lumens is nothing, it's not even bright enough to penetrate fan leaves, so the only part of the plant that would absorb that light would be anything directly exposed, which is generally just going to be the buds, and top leaf layers. The extra increase in light when flowering makes its biggest gains would be like waking up in the middle of the night by your wife saying, "hey just take this bong hit real quick." Fucking sweet.

Click to expand...

interesting....never thought of it that way. subscribed!!artificial moonlight....hmmmmm..

I never considered that

We use blue LEDs to replicate moon light http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_AquariumPage~PageAlias~lighting_moonlight_moon_lunar_lamp__subindex.html in reef tanks to induce coral spawning. They even make timers that cycle the dimming on a 28 day cycle.

"Know anything about the moon lights for reptiles?'
I don"t know about that but I know I like what I see.

mindphuk said:

We use blue LEDs to replicate moon light http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_AquariumPage~PageAlias~lighting_moonlight_moon_lunar_lamp__subindex.html in reef tanks to induce coral spawning. They even make timers that cycle the dimming on a 28 day cycle.

Click to expand...

I'm with this guy....

Moon lighting is a natural part of many different organisms lives, along the aquarium lines specifically many freshwater invertebrates only spawn at night when under moonlight, at least in my tank. So why not for plants.

Also the timeline you gave for when bud has its highest growth rates are way too similar to the cycle of moonlight to be coincidental. Maybe it does not actually give the plant enough light to physically grow but in fact triggers certain hormones in the plant that allow it to grow larger or along those lines. I think testing is needed and i will be awaiting your results from said testing.

GL

If interested there are 1.5 W LED lights shaped like regular light bulbs the biggest is the 1.5 it replaces a 40W regular bulb.... it's 5 am so i cant turn on lights to ge package but not very many lumens. they also have a 1 Watt version that replaces 35 W. light.... both use standard features... in WAL MART lighting section Like 5 bucks close to the lumens u need..... I have had similar thoughts

From Wikipedia

The "intensity" of moonlight varies greatly depending on the current lunar phase, but even the full moon typically provides only a faint illumination of about 0.2 lx, so the full moon is about 500,000 times fainter than the sun

Click to expand...

Flowering is initiated and maintained by the build-up of "phytochrome" in the plant. When exposed to light, the phytochrome breaks down. The plant responds to peaks in phytochrome levels brought about by 12+ hours of uninterrupted night. Moonlight simply doesn't have the intensity to break down phytochrome or to initiate photosynthesis.

12 hours of moonlight would give 1/500,000th of 12 hours of sunlight. That's not going to make a great deal of difference.

I'm just putting in my input man