Unscientific light question...

[Ganesa_9]

So I see all these different posts that talk about how if you expose plants to light during the 'night' part of a 12/12 light cycle, it completely messes up their flowering or bud production, can stress them out and cause all kinds of doom... but I'm having some doubts about all of that. Nature is never that neat and tidy. What happens to a plant outdoors when there's a harvest moon so bright you could read by it, or what happens if there is a ferocious lightning storm where there are blinding flashes of light every minute? These plants just CAN'T be all that sensitive... can they? Sometimes it seems like regimens for plant care (watering, nutes, light cycle) are a bit unbelievably rigid! This is just out of curiosity.

 

[St_Nick]

Frankly, some strains are minimally affected by an occasional bit of unplanned light. I have a window ac that leaks light bad and in my area that causes my 12/12 cycle to be shortened by as much as 3 or 4 hours. Not by direct light mind you but by a very faint light coming through the workings of the ac unit. Doesn't bother the indicas I have grown there at all but don't even think about growing a strong Sativa in there 'cause it will do some crazy things. My takeaway from this is it is highly strain dependent, just as some feed heavily and some do not. Just my humble opinion.

 

[orangesunshine]

These plants just CAN'T be all that sensitive... can they?

you bet they can---your plant is a like a time piece with a number of factors that dictate when to grow and when to reproduce---blue lighting spectrum promotes veg growth---red lighting spectrum promotes flowering---if growing indoors---you're simply trying to replicate an outdoor light cycle---the principles are the same---intensity of the light spectrum and length of exposure to the light tells the plant what season it is and what growth stage it should be in---think of vegetables---some are grown in the winter and some are grown in the summer---all due to temperature, color and length of time in the light/dark---as far as i know the moon light does not emit the spectrums of light for mj veg growth but do influence the gravitational pull for nutrient uptake---think high or low tide levels---in fact a vegging plant doesn't even need a night period---it's my understanding the 12/12 flowering cycle is established because the majority of strains are born in and around the equator and solstices---at the end of the day most strains are hybrids and 12/12 will suffice---i can vouch for re-vegging damage a light leak can do to a flower room

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

Yes, yes they can. Great post orange. In addition, the moon is 238,00 miles away and it is reflected light, not direct light--the moon has no light of its own. This is the main reason that the moon is not a problem.

I have also found that there is some difference in outdoor plants and indoors plants. Outdoors, the day light hours gradually lengthen and then shorten and they are subject to quite a different environment. There is not an abrupt change from 18-24 hours of light to 12 and the forced flowering. I can absolutely guarantee you that if you interrupt the dark cycle indoors, you will have problems.