complete darkness = bullsh@t?

one11

Active Member
so ive got 8 plants vegging in a shed. between 3p.m and 9a.m. a tad bit of sunlight reaches them during there "dark cycle" but not much at all. and i was thinking plants dont really get complete darkness at all in nature. the stars, and the moon give off a lot more light then we think. what do you people think?
 

herbose

Well-Known Member
I think you are absolutely correct. I've been outside on a summer night when I could read the Surgeon General's warning on my cigarette pack. Still got 2lbs on some plants. What about lightening storms? That's powerful light. People get anal over the complete darkness thing.
 

hardroc

New Member
I hear what you're saying but the point is to keep the light down to a minimal as much as possible, too much light will hermi plants
 

abe23

Active Member
There's something called phytochrome in the plant that senses red and far red spectrum light to trigger photoperiodism. Even a short flash of that kind of light will inhibit flowering in short-day plants...

At night, light intensity is low and I'm pretty sure the light from the moon and stars is in a bluer wavelength and doesn't affect this. That's also why green light bulbs are safe to use during your dark period. If you planted underneath some street lights, your plants wouldn't flower.
 

FuZZyBUDz

Well-Known Member
i read a really good article on the dark cycles of plants. it that it informed me that most people can read a newspaper in a the night. i thought that was pretty crazy right there. that article eased my mind of hermies.
 

herbose

Well-Known Member
I hear what you're saying but the point is to keep the light down to a minimal as much as possible, too much light will hermi plants
I agree, the question is what's too much light. I think the threshold is a lot higher than most people think. A little bit of light coming through the cracks won't cause a hermie. Screwing up your timing and having your 1000w HID on at the wrong time is very different.
 

Fiber29

Member
There's something called phytochrome in the plant that senses red and far red spectrum light to trigger photoperiodism. Even a short flash of that kind of light will inhibit flowering in short-day plants...

At night, light intensity is low and I'm pretty sure the light from the moon and stars is in a bluer wavelength and doesn't affect this. That's also why green light bulbs are safe to use during your dark period. If you planted underneath some street lights, your plants wouldn't flower.
I think this is correct. In Veg the light is not as important to avoid during down time but in flower it is important in terms of size, density, time and the fact stress can cause especially fem seeds to herm, so you might as well try to avoid it if your stuffs worth it.
 

herbose

Well-Known Member
There's something called phytochrome in the plant that senses red and far red spectrum light to trigger photoperiodism. Even a short flash of that kind of light will inhibit flowering in short-day plants...

At night, light intensity is low and I'm pretty sure the light from the moon and stars is in a bluer wavelength and doesn't affect this. That's also why green light bulbs are safe to use during your dark period. If you planted underneath some street lights, your plants wouldn't flower.
What about lightening? If that was 100% true there would be no sensemilla where lightening storms occur. There has to be some intensity and duration threshold.

I've often wondered what the spectrum of moon and starlight was. Anybody know?
 

shoemaker

Well-Known Member
i read that the brightness cant be brighter than a full moon for over five minute?
i read that a bright flashlight on a plant in the dark cycle for 5 minutes will keeo it from flowering, soooo, thats what im doing for my plants outside now, they been there for a week and looking good, i live in deep south usa, so weather is nice now, 70 days, 60ish at nite.

sorry to be off subject, but has anyone tried to cut a flowering branch and put it to grow in a pot by itself??
 

Juggalomidgetfahker

Well-Known Member
I don't think lightning lasts long enough to make a difference and like stated about the stars and moon it is blue or white light and not red, so it'shouldn't do much...but if it happened all the time I bet it could potentially cause and issue or slow transition to flowering mode..
 

Juggalomidgetfahker

Well-Known Member
Shoe, I think it takes longer to root a clone made from a plant flowering, we will seen soon cuz I have several pre-flower and several post so I am anxious to see what happens, but I think the plant actually goes back into veg mode and it isn't really growing a bud...I don't think it would work if fully budding, it would probably wreck your harvest...
 
The sun's rays are always reflected, and for that we can thank this little solar system we live in. Lighting does not exempt the sun's rays at it operates on a different method of luminescence. I think you'll be okay, and if you're ever worried, just put up some Panda film or painter's tarp.
 

Punk

Well-Known Member
so ive got 8 plants vegging in a shed. between 3p.m and 9a.m. a tad bit of sunlight reaches them during there "dark cycle" but not much at all. and i was thinking plants dont really get complete darkness at all in nature. the stars, and the moon give off a lot more light then we think. what do you people think?
There's something called phytochrome in the plant that senses red and far red spectrum light to trigger photoperiodism. Even a short flash of that kind of light will inhibit flowering in short-day plants...

At night, light intensity is low and I'm pretty sure the light from the moon and stars is in a bluer wavelength and doesn't affect this. That's also why green light bulbs are safe to use during your dark period. If you planted underneath some street lights, your plants wouldn't flower.

Hey there guys,

That's not entirely accurate. The answer of what's too much night light is in the ratio of dark/light.

You don't want to assume that as long as the light peeking inside your indoor grow space is no brighter than the moon is ok, and here's why:

The lummens the sun emmits far exceeds what your 600 watt hps puts out, so moonlight compared to the sun is 1,750,000 : 1 , and that same moonlight against something weak like a 250 hps is maybe 300,000 : 1. I'm sure my numbers aren't spot on, but to illistrate the point...so the ratio would be like multiplying the brightness of the moon and stars by like 6x...and that would probably have an adverse effect on outdoor cannabis.
 
C

chitownsmoking

Guest
lol light leeks....can cause hermies, will delay flowering drastickly..............
 

Snowchild

Active Member
Sorry to be a little off subject here but i was wandering what else can cause a delay in the onset of flowering? I read that a prolonged night-time temp of 28 deg C will stop growth?
 
C

chitownsmoking

Guest
Sorry to be a little off subject here but i was wandering what else can cause a delay in the onset of flowering? I read that a prolonged night-time temp of 28 deg C will stop growth?

yeah if temps dip below 50 shit slows down drastickly... that being said i harvested some outdoor sativas last year deep into nov. when temps would dip below freezing at night... turned them a nice shade of purple... they can suvive, but its not ideal temps you get me?
 

Tib420

Well-Known Member
I have a light coming through my window blinds and into my room. My grow is in the closet of my room, will the little bit of light coming through the blinds affect my plants.

I do have panda film around them and one closet door is closed
 
C

chitownsmoking

Guest
I have a light coming through my window blinds and into my room. My grow is in the closet of my room, will the little bit of light coming through the blinds affect my plants.

I do have panda film around them and one closet door is closed

if no light is getting into your closet then no it wont affect them
 

Cali.Grown>408

Well-Known Member
so ive got 8 plants vegging in a shed. between 3p.m and 9a.m. a tad bit of sunlight reaches them during there "dark cycle" but not much at all. and i was thinking plants dont really get complete darkness at all in nature. the stars, and the moon give off a lot more light then we think. what do you people think?
i think it doesnt matter if ur vegging..flowering might be a different story..k so when u flower outdoors or grow in general it grows slower right? right..and thats one of the reasons we grow indoors to control light and other shit like that to make ur plant finish faster..so if ur getting light leaks it will probably just take longer to finish and maybe have a few seeds..idk
 
Top