how dark is dark??

[rdgx34]

Im just wondering how dark does it have to be during flowering dark period? Its pretty dark in my room except a little bit of light from my fan sucking in air from outside.
I can kind of see my way around but i cant see the pllants, is that dark enough?

 

[del66666]

how do u mean, is it a light on the fan or light from outside, use black speaker material or black netting of some sort,dark as you can or you may get herm or turn them completely male, my m8 did.

 

[rdgx34]

Thanks anybody else?
Does it have to be COMPLETE darkness? or a littttle bit of light is ok

 

[MrFishy]

Total black is simply insurance. Think about it. Outside you've got all kinds of night lights and plants do fine on their own . . . and then there's the moon.
AS DARK AS YOU CAN GET IT SHOULD BE FINE.
I do total black until flowers established, then don't worry so much about a little bit of light now and then. NO hermies here.
I also stapled a dark sheet up in front of my intake fan, which waves in the breeze while shading the light even more.

 

[phreaq]

if you can, you should have no light.

Light destroys the chemicals the plant makes when it should be in darkness.

You should use the speaker material as suggested, or some other light blocker (possible cardboard that covers directly in front of your fan, but not around it)

 

[coadus51283]

Total black is simply insurance. Think about it. Outside you've got all kinds of night lights and plants do fine on their own . . . and then there's the moon.
AS DARK AS YOU CAN GET IT SHOULD BE FINE.
I do total black until flowers established, then don't worry so much about a little bit of light now and then. NO hermies here.
I also stapled a dark sheet up in front of my intake fan, which waves in the breeze while shading the light even more.

Now I'm not trying to highjack this thread but I saw that you say you use complete darkness until flowers are established. You mean to say you keep them in total darkness for 24 hours a day? I know the kind of darkness your talking about. It's that little bit of light that allows you to make out the objects in your room but you can't really see the floor. That should be plenty dark enough but like the experts say, use a black cloth or something to just cover that light up....shouldn't be too bad though. Good luck bud.

 

[MrFishy]

Oops . . . I meant the 12 dark hours needed every day to induce flowering. Then, when my plants are covered with pistils and small buds, I don't worry about the total darkness on those plants any longer . . . but I still keep them in darkness for 12 a day for the rest of the grow.

 

[coadus51283]

Alright I was confused a bit as to what you were saying. I'm good now. Good luck with that grow though.

 

[reefcouple]

pitch black is perfect... ry a dark towel to place between the fan and light, maybe that will do the trick..

 

[medgrower49]

You don't wont light getting in. That being said as long as the amount of light your letting in is no stronger than the light you would get from the moon outside then you should be fine.

 

[rushbuds]

YO...to check on your plants when there in there dark period you can install any ordinary light socket and put one of those GREEN LIGHTS in it instead of the ordinary light bulbs... the plant reflects the green light instead of obsorbing it...or you can install GREEN christmas tree lights......just for the tips

 

[corcoran]

hey there peeps,another ona of them hijackers,lol,im a newbie myself(second grow) an kno enuff 2say,the darker the betta, darker 4 insurance, and i thought i was smart but the one about the speaker cloth over the fan inlet was good. all the best yea.1.