12 ON... 16 OFF...LIGHT SCHEDULE...?x

T

T.H.Cammo

Well-Known Member
guitarabuser said:
---- would using a sunrise/sunset schedule that corresponded to nature effect yield?
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My immediate guess would be "It sure would". But keep in mind that the Dark/Light ratio of sunlight changes substancially during the several weeks that outdoor plants are flowering. Each "day" the "lighted period" grows shorter and shorter - untill, at some point, they start growing longer and longer again (but still within the "Guidelines" of flowering!).

Many people assume that we are trying to "duplicate nature, indoors" - actually I like to think that we are trying to "improve on nature" when and wherever possible!

Someone mentioned earlier about the controversy - does a plant grow during darkness or light? As I understand it, most botonists agree that, they do grow mostly at night. BUT that's not because the hours of darkness is what produces growth, it's just that the plant is less active during the dark hours so the growing process (physical enlargement) is shifted or postponed untill "night", when the plant can "spare" the energy. Most of the work a plant does (and that is really "quite a bit") only happens during the lighted hours - that's why they call it Photosynthesis! In other words, a plant grows at night by converting everything it has produced, within itself, during the day. Given a "24/7" photoperiod, a plant in veg will do everything with the lights on, so it obviousely doesn't need "darkness" to grow, but given a choice it would prefer to grow and repair itself in the dark.
 
gogrow

gogrow

confused
T.H.Cammo said:
My immediate guess would be "It sure would". But keep in mind that the Dark/Light ratio of sunlight changes substancially during the several weeks that outdoor plants are flowering. Each "day" the "lighted period" grows shorter and shorter - untill, at some point, they start growing longer and longer again (but still within the "Guidelines" of flowering!).

Many people assume that we are trying to "duplicate nature, indoors" - actually I like to think that we are trying to "improve on nature" when and wherever possible!

Someone mentioned earlier about the controversy - does a plant grow during darkness or light? As I understand it, most botonists agree that, they do grow mostly at night. BUT that's not because the hours of darkness is what produces growth, it's just that the plant is less active during the dark hours so the growing process (physical enlargement) is shifted or postponed untill "night", when the plant can "spare" the energy. Most of the work a plant does (and that is really "quite a bit") only happens during the lighted hours - that's why they call it Photosynthesis! In other words, a plant grows at night by converting everything it has produced, within itself, during the day. Given a "24/7" photoperiod, a plant in veg will do everything with the lights on, so it obviousely doesn't need "darkness" to grow, but given a choice it would prefer to grow and repair itself in the dark.
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gonna chop a piece out here....

In other words, a plant grows at night by converting everything it has produced, within itself, during the day.

this is what i was talking about, if the above is true, then...... I agree, we are trying to improve nature wherever possible.... could it be possible in our indoor grows, (with their crazy lumens and abnormal CO2 levels), that the plants could react better in a longer night cycle during flowering?? Its worth a thought
 
genuity

genuity

Well-Known Member
Latitude and Photoperiod

Change in photoperiod is the factor that usually triggers the developmental stages of Cannabis. Photoperiod and seasonal cycles are determined by latitude. The most even photoperiods and mildest seasonal variations are found near the equator, and the most widely fluctuating photoperiods and most radical seasonal variations are found in polar and high altitude locations. Areas in intermediate latitudes show more pronounced seasonal variation depending on their distance from the equator or height in altitude. A graph of light cycles based on latitude is helpful in exploring the maturation and cycles of Cannabis from various latitudes and the genetic adaptations of strains to their native environments.

The wavy lines follow the changes in photoperiod (daylength) for two years at various latitudes. Follow, for example, the photoperiod for 400 north latitude (Northern California) which begins along the left-hand margin with a 15-hour photoperiod on June 21 (summer solstice). As the months progress to the right, the days get shorter and the line representing photoperiod slopes downward. During July the daylength decreases to 14 hours and Cannabis plants begin to flower and produce THC. (Increased THC production is represented by an increase in the size of the dots along the line of photoperiod.) As the days get shorter the plants flower more profusely and produce more THC until a peak period is reached during October and November. After this time the photoperiod drops below 10 hours and THC production slows. High-THC plants may continue to develop until the winter solstice (shortest day of the year, around December 21) if they are protected from frost. At this point a new vegetative light cycle starts and THC production ceases. New seedlings are planted when the days begin to get long (12-14 hours) and warm from March to May. Farther north at 600 latitude the day length changes more radically and the growing season is shorter. These conditions do not favor THC production.

Light cycles and seasons vary as one approaches the equator. Near 200 north latitude (Hawaii, India, and Thailand where most of the finest Cannabis originates), the photoperiod never varies out of the range critical for THC production, between 10 and 14 hours. The light cycle at 200 north latitude starts at the summer solstice when the photoperiod is just a little over 13 hours. This means that a long season exists that starts earlier and finishes later than at higher latitudes. However, because the photoperiod is never too long to induce flowering, Cannabis may also be grown in a short season from December through March or April (90 to 120 days). Strains from these latitudes are often not as responsive to photoperiod change, and flowering seems strongly age-determined as well as light determined. Most strains of Cannabis will begin to flower when they are 60 days old if photoperiod does not exceed 13 hours. At 200 latitude, the photoperiod never exceeds 14 hours, and easily induced strains may begin flowering at nearly any time during the year.

Equatorial areas gain and lose daylength twice duringthe year as the sun passes north and south of the equator, resulting in two identical photoperiodic seasons. Rainfall snd altitude determine the growing season of each area, but at some locations along the equator it is possible to grow two crops of fully mature Cannabis in one year. By locating a particular latitude on the chart, and noting local dates for the last and first frosts and wet and dry seasons, the effective growing season may be determined. If an area has too short an effective growing season for Cannabis, a greenhouse or other shelter from cold, rainy conditions is used. The timing of planting and length of the growing season in these marginal conditions can also be determined from this chart.

For instance, assume a researcher wishes to grow a crop of Cannabis near Durban, South Africa, at 300 south latitude. Consulting the graph of maturation cycles will reveal that a long-photoperiod season, adequate for the maturation of Cannabis, exists from October through June. Local weather conditions indicate that average temperature ranges from 60~ to 80~ F. and annual precipitation from 30 to 50 inches. Early storms from the east in June could damage plants and some sort of storm protection might be necessary. Any estimates made from this chart sre generally accurate for photoperiod; however, local weather conditions are always taken into account. Combination and simplification of the earth's climatic bands where Cannabis is grown yields an equatorial zone, north and south subtropical zones, north and south temperate zones, arctic and antarctic zones. A discussion of the maturation cycle for Cannabis in each zone follows.
:clap::clap:genuity:clap::clap:
 
KitchenKhemist

KitchenKhemist

Active Member
buggin69 said:
i posted this two or so weeks ago... everybody just told me to do it myself
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That's what's we're sayin here too man...go for it! And if you're kind enough to share the info with us when you're done, we'll all know a little more and appreciate the time and effort involved.

I'm pretty sure that's why this site was started, it's just hard to sweep aside all the bullshit and negative attitudes toward others' ideas/lighting types/growing methods/equipment/etc.
 
T

T.H.Cammo

Well-Known Member
gogrow said:
could it be possible in our indoor grows, (with their crazy lumens and abnormal CO2 levels), that the plants could react better in a longer night cycle during flowering?? Its worth a thought
Click to expand...
I am not a professional horticulturist or botonist, so I can't really give a diffinitive answer to your "longer night cycle" question. But I have done a "fair amount" of research and I have only found a few benefits that "nightime" (hours of darkness) actually deliver:

1. During the hours that "The Sun don't shine", the cannabis plant produces a certain "Nightime Hormone" (please, don't ask the name!). It takes about a 12 hour,uninterupted stretch, to accumulate "X amount" of this hormone. The plant has to maintain "X amount" of this hormone in order to "trip the switch" and change to "Flowering Mode".

Although the plant can actually maintain itself in "Flowering Mode" with a little bit less than "X amount". In other words, once the plant has switched to "Flowering Mode", it can actually maintain "Flowering Mode" with a little less than 12 hours of uninterupted darkness. This point is not well known to many and probably understood by even less. I don't thourougly understand it myself. It's amazing, what you run accross when doing research!

2. During the hours that "The Sun don't shine", the plant is able to shift the schedual of some of it's functions, in an effort to operate more "efficiently". It also "rests" at this time. In other words "The plant grows at night, when it's not so busy with other stuff".

3. During the hours that "The Sun don't shine", the Sun also don't heat things up!

These 3 things are the only positive things I know of that "hours of darkness" are responsible for, there may be more; but I don't know of any. If more than 12 hours of darkness would provide some benefit, somebody should do the experiment!
 
gogrow

gogrow

confused
T.H.Cammo said:
I am not a professional horticulturist or botonist, so I can't really give a diffinitive answer to your "longer night cycle" question. But I have done a "fair amount" of research and I have only found a few benefits that "nightime" (hours of darkness) actually deliver:

1. During the hours that "The Sun don't shine", the cannabis plant produces a certain "Nightime Hormone" (please, don't ask the name!). It takes about a 12 hour,uninterupted stretch, to accumulate "X amount" of this hormone. The plant has to maintain "X amount" of this hormone in order to "trip the switch" and change to "Flowering Mode".

Although the plant can actually maintain itself in "Flowering Mode" with a little bit less than "X amount". In other words, once the plant has switched to "Flowering Mode", it can actually maintain "Flowering Mode" with a little less than 12 hours of uninterupted darkness. This point is not well known to many and probably understood by even less. I don't thourougly understand it myself. It's amazing, what you run accross when doing research!

2. During the hours that "The Sun don't shine", the plant is able to shift the schedual of some of it's functions, in an effort to operate more "efficiently". It also "rests" at this time. In other words "The plant grows at night, when it's not so busy with other stuff".

3. During the hours that "The Sun don't shine", the Sun also don't heat things up!

These 3 things are the only positive things I know of that "hours of darkness" are responsible for, there may be more; but I don't know of any. If more than 12 hours of darkness would provide some benefit, somebody should do the experiment!
Click to expand...

number 2 is what interests me the most..... maybe i'll do any experiment ;)
 
brick20

brick20

Well-Known Member
here is what i mean:

lights on: lights off:
12am mon 12pm mon
4am tue 4pm tue
8am wed 8pm wed

.....and so on. just
adding 4hours each on cycle
 
T

T.H.Cammo

Well-Known Member
brick20 said:
here is what i mean:

lights on: lights off:
12am mon 12pm mon
4am tue 4pm tue
8am wed 8pm wed

.....and so on. just
adding 4hours each on cycle
Click to expand...
It seems like you could just run a "regular" timer, but you would have to make a point to re-set it everyday - without fail!
 
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