Flowering: how dark is dark enough.??

[arrozkongandulez]

I'm about to flower, but problem is my grow box is not completely 100% light proof because of the way its built and the fan holes also might let some light in, the room that its in has 2 windows but they have blinds and black curtains and it only has one incandescent lightbulb to light up the room, and a tv...

for my plants to flower correctly does it have to be ABSOLUTELY dark??? like if a little bit of light from the incandescent bulb shone through the cracks, would that affect the plants? or would it not because incandescent bulbs suck for growing plants and it wouldn't matter??

is it likely for enough sunshine to go through the blinds and the black curtains into the 3 inch fan holes to revert my plants into the veg state....?????

 

[Villa]

Some will say any light leaks will hermie your plant. If I have to do work in my flowering room I open it up and put a cfl on and do whatever I have to do and it never
has hurt my grow.Unfortunelty most people give advice that comes from something someone else has said instead of from things they have experienced themselves.

 

[Warlock1369]

You do want it as dark as you can get it. If it is to much light yes you will mess with the flowering. I had leaks for years didn't have a problem. But had to run lights with the sun. Is there a way you can cover your box it help keep more of the light out? 6mil contractor trash bags work great for budget covers.

 

[scroglodyte]

at least as dark as a full moon night

 

[arrozkongandulez]

well i have 3 3.5 inch fan holes in the back and i don't think much light can leak in if the fans are constantly running, i have a little opening in the front thats about 2 inches tall by 12 inches wide and thats where i have a fan blowing cool air from the room into the box....

theres an incandescent bulb about 60 watts 5-6 feet away form that opening, and its on a couple times in the day and the tv is also about 6 feet away, but should i have to worry if the light is that far away, i mean according to the inverse square law, the intensity would be very insignificant?

 

[scroglodyte]

indoors, it is best to shoot for complete darkness. outdoors the full moon rule works.

 

[hiluxphantom]

put it in a closet broski

 

[hiluxphantom]

In hightimes and skunk mags professional growers even put electrical tape over timer leds or any equiptment leds. best option is to get a home depot 10mill tarp and section off whereever orwhatever ur growing in honestly if you posted a picture of your setup itd be easier to help you

 

[superstoner1]

yes, indoor growing is different. if you can see your hand 6" in front of your face its too much light. with todays genetic crosses they are much more prone to triggers, like light leaks. they do make green grow bulbs which is the only light you want on during dark if you have to have one. the idea of opening the door and using a regular cfl totally negates that dark period and signals within the plant are started. too many days of this will disrupt growth, trigger reveg and hermie traits. and any small lights on equipment other than green should be taped over.

 

[er0senin]

complete darkness,complete darkness,complete darkness and complete darkness

 

[hotrodharley]

complete darkness,complete darkness,complete darkness and complete darkness

Wrong. One of my best grows ever was at the end of a runway. Now the "heavies" lifted off last (747, DC10) and it looked like daylight every so often. But even the light ones super bright halogen lights were how I would tend them. Somehow plants survive without all the things we think are needed or not. Always hoped they weren't blowing a full load out of one their toilets over my plants. Darkness 100%? Yes if possible. If not then accept it and work with it. Those airport plants were KILLER and we nicknamed it "Jet Fuel".

 

[er0senin]

Fact : You get stunted growth from not giving a plant the complete darkness. even outdoor the moon shining is about max light for a dark period + light scatters in a completely different way outside than inside a growtent. Also you get a higher probability to get some first hand hermie experience, not necessarily tho. also the lightintesity differs a lot depending on daylight or moonlight or a hid light outside in the night about 15 meters away etc.

Why even try to argue with something that has been proven time and time again?

10[SUP]−4[/SUP] lux	Total starlight, overcast sky[SUP][3][/SUP]
0.002 lux	Moonless clear night sky with airglow[SUP][3][/SUP]
0.01 lux	Quarter moon
0.27 lux	Full moon on a clear night[SUP][3][/SUP][SUP][4][/SUP]
1 lux	Full moon overhead at tropical latitudes[SUP][5][/SUP]
3.4 lux	Dark limit of civil twilight under a clear sky[SUP][6][/SUP]
50 lux	Family living room lights (Australia, 199[SUP][7][/SUP]
80 lux	Office building lights in hallway/toilet[SUP][8][/SUP][SUP][9][/SUP]
100 lux	Very dark overcast day[SUP][3][/SUP]
320–500 lux	Office lighting[SUP][10][/SUP][SUP][11][/SUP][SUP][12][/SUP]
400 lux	Sunrise or sunset on a clear day.
1,000 lux	Overcast day;[SUP][3][/SUP] typical TV studio lighting
10,000–25,000 lux	Full daylight (not direct sun)[SUP][3][/SUP]
32,000–130,000 lux	Direct sunlight

wikipedia mate

EDIT : Just so you know, THC is actually produced during the dark cycle.

 

[hiluxphantom]

if they are exposed to light for more than 5 minutes it triggers their day cycle

 

[racerboy71]

Fact : You get stunted growth from not giving a plant the complete darkness. even outdoor the moon shining is about max light for a dark period + light scatters in a completely different way outside than inside a growtent. Also you get a higher probability to get some first hand hermie experience, not necessarily tho. also the lightintesity differs a lot depending on daylight or moonlight or a hid light outside in the night about 15 meters away etc.

Why even try to argue with something that has been proven time and time again?

10[SUP]−4[/SUP] lux	Total starlight, overcast sky[SUP][3][/SUP]
0.002 lux	Moonless clear night sky with airglow[SUP][3][/SUP]
0.01 lux	Quarter moon
0.27 lux	Full moon on a clear night[SUP][3][/SUP][SUP][4][/SUP]
1 lux	Full moon overhead at tropical latitudes[SUP][5][/SUP]
3.4 lux	Dark limit of civil twilight under a clear sky[SUP][6][/SUP]
50 lux	Family living room lights (Australia, 199[SUP][7][/SUP]
80 lux	Office building lights in hallway/toilet[SUP][8][/SUP][SUP][9][/SUP]
100 lux	Very dark overcast day[SUP][3][/SUP]
320–500 lux	Office lighting[SUP][10][/SUP][SUP][11][/SUP][SUP][12][/SUP]
400 lux	Sunrise or sunset on a clear day.
1,000 lux	Overcast day;[SUP][3][/SUP] typical TV studio lighting
10,000–25,000 lux	Full daylight (not direct sun)[SUP][3][/SUP]
32,000–130,000 lux	Direct sunlight

wikipedia mate

EDIT : Just so you know, THC is actually produced during the dark cycle.

lol, i see no proof.. all i see is how intense something are.. this says nothing that they will make a plant hermie...

i'm one of those people who says small light leaks won't cause a hermie at all, and have been growing for about five years in a small closet where i keep the door some what open to keep temps down..
it surely isn't dark dark dark dark in my closet, and guess what i've never had, not a one hermie in 5 years of growing...

 

[racerboy71]

if they are exposed to light for more than 5 minutes it triggers their day cycle

yes, intense light, like that which comes from an hid light, not small amounts of uninstensive light.. again, just ime..

 

[bullwinkle60]

I agree with eOsein, complete darkness. I'd cover my grow box with something during the dark period.

 

[hotrodharley]

Fact : You get stunted growth from not giving a plant the complete darkness. even outdoor the moon shining is about max light for a dark period + light scatters in a completely different way outside than inside a growtent. Also you get a higher probability to get some first hand hermie experience, not necessarily tho. also the lightintesity differs a lot depending on daylight or moonlight or a hid light outside in the night about 15 meters away etc.

Why even try to argue with something that has been proven time and time again?

10[SUP]−4[/SUP] lux	Total starlight, overcast sky[SUP][3][/SUP]
0.002 lux	Moonless clear night sky with airglow[SUP][3][/SUP]
0.01 lux	Quarter moon
0.27 lux	Full moon on a clear night[SUP][3][/SUP][SUP][4][/SUP]
1 lux	Full moon overhead at tropical latitudes[SUP][5][/SUP]
3.4 lux	Dark limit of civil twilight under a clear sky[SUP][6][/SUP]
50 lux	Family living room lights (Australia, 199[SUP][7][/SUP]
80 lux	Office building lights in hallway/toilet[SUP][8][/SUP][SUP][9][/SUP]
100 lux	Very dark overcast day[SUP][3][/SUP]
320–500 lux	Office lighting[SUP][10][/SUP][SUP][11][/SUP][SUP][12][/SUP]
400 lux	Sunrise or sunset on a clear day.
1,000 lux	Overcast day;[SUP][3][/SUP] typical TV studio lighting
10,000–25,000 lux	Full daylight (not direct sun)[SUP][3][/SUP]
32,000–130,000 lux	Direct sunlight

wikipedia mate

EDIT : Just so you know, THC is actually produced during the dark cycle.

Note: Your list is all made of static light sources. It's on and stays on. No one argues the need for light/dark in photoperiod plants. But my experience is naught and Jet Fuel sucked according to you. Figure it out - flashes of light did not halt my stuff at the airport! If a plane headlight was focused on it and stayed on it it wouldn't have.

But I reckon you're an expert. I'll have to inform the wild weed growing along roads in the Midwest that it is not real.

 

[er0senin]

lol, i see no proof.. all i see is how intense something are.. this says nothing that they will make a plant hermie...

i'm one of those people who says small light leaks won't cause a hermie at all, and have been growing for about five years in a small closet where i keep the door some what open to keep temps down..
it surely isn't dark dark dark dark in my closet, and guess what i've never had, not a one hermie in 5 years of growing...

i said higher probability and that it doesnt always happend. but in todays breeding world with all the unstable crap that is flowing around..
and yes no proof there but you can easy make a logic assumption from that chart if uoi use your brain

and hotrod harley i am not saying it wont work. it wll stunt the growth and make the weed less potent than if offered a full dark cyckle. but im sure you had the possablity of growing in the same spot with and without full light cycles to compare? whatever man im out of this conversation.

When giving people advice, i do not belive in saying "do this it works". teatch people how to properly grow good quality marijuana. saying something like "interupted light cycles is np" is complete BS and not good advice. some people out there are trying to make quality meds because they acctualy need it.

 

[imchucky666]

well i have 3 3.5 inch fan holes in the back and i don't think much light can leak in if the fans are constantly running, i have a little opening in the front thats about 2 inches tall by 12 inches wide and thats where i have a fan blowing cool air from the room into the box....

theres an incandescent bulb about 60 watts 5-6 feet away form that opening, and its on a couple times in the day and the tv is also about 6 feet away, but should i have to worry if the light is that far away, i mean according to the inverse square law, the intensity would be very insignificant?

Can you mount some of the dryer exhaust outlets over the fan holes, so that the sun doesn't shine in? Even just any sort of cover that would deflect the light, but still let your exhaust out.

 

[highboo]

dark as u can get it