How much ambient light during lights out is acceptable?

[az2000]

I'm in veg (18/6). During the six hours of lights out, how dark must it be?

I'm using a spare bedroom with blinds. I also leave the door open for ventilation.

1. Between 6-8AM the room has enough low light to walk around in. But, it's far from bright. Low twilight.
2. There can also be light from hallway (less light than 6-8AM).

The reason I ask is: Reviewers of grow tents sometimes complain about pin-hole "leaks" in stitching. Is that due to the photosensitive requirement, or stealth/security (seeing light from the outside?).

Thanks in advance. (Want to avoid being needlessly obsessive).

 

[David Bowman]

Great question! My experience is that more light leaks through the zippers than the pinholes. My solution was to put the grow box within a built-in closet with wooden folding doors. I worried less about the dark cycle during vegetation than I am right now during flowering. Since I used the Gas Lantern Routine, I had to leave the vents and closet doors open for the 1 hour light cycle in the middle of the night with no apparent problems for my plants. Another solution would be to drape a light-proof cloth over the entire tent during the dark cycle. Once I complete my first grow I'll have a better idea how much dark is necessary for a successful grow.

 

[Purplehazer]

No problem during Veg....during flower period you cant have any Light Leaks and a candle light flame can be enough to cause you problems

You could try to hang some Green colored plastic for the light source...Green light is not registered by plants according to my info

Oops sorry i already responded before i saw the date of this thread

 

[Stoneface Jack]

No problem during Veg....during flower period you cant have any Light Leaks and a candle light flame can be enough to cause you problems

You could try to hang some Green colored plastic for the light source...Green light is not registered by plants according to my info

Oops sorry i already responded before i saw the date of this thread

Yeah, but we're answering for the algorithm now.
Outdoor plants flower even with the full moon shining on them. Consistency is more important. If there are lights appearing and disappearing at random, that's more likely to give you a problem.

 

[Purplehazer]

Yeah, but we're answering for the algorithm now.
Outdoor plants flower even with the full moon shining on them. Consistency is more important. If there are lights appearing and disappearing at random, that's more likely to give you a problem

And why do outside plants that flower in the open elements always have seeds...because they produce male flowers which you will never find because of the size of outside plants and by the time of harvest Male flowers have all been long blown away by the wind

 

[SmokingWings]

Yeah, but we're answering for the algorithm now.
Outdoor plants flower even with the full moon shining on them. Consistency is more important. If there are lights appearing and disappearing at random, that's more likely to give you a problem.

Outdoor plants flower without any problem in the city when there are lights over the streets and nearby parking lots. Lights from neighbor's porches and patios don't stop the flowering.

I really believe that the cause of hermaphrodites is not a little pinpoint of light but a natural process for the female plant to grow a few male flowers to get some of the flowers pollinated before the absolute end of the growing season.

My Blue Dream clones do not form male flowers outside or inside unless I leave them in flower for 11 or 12 weeks. Harvest at 9 or 10 weeks no problem.

 

[Stoneface Jack]

And why do outside plants that flower in the open elements always have seeds...because they produce male flowers which you will never find because of the size of outside plants and by the time of harvest Male flowers have all been long blown away by the wind

Not all outdoor plants have seeds, I've had outdoor plants that didn't have any. The chances of getting seeds are higher now that industrial hemp operations are spreading everywhere, and outdoor grow ops where there are 200 plants being tended to by 4 or 5 people, but those are outside sources of pollen. Not to mention the ditchweed, and guerilla grow ops.
I also grow plants in pots outdoors, and they aren't all that much bigger than indoor plants. They definitely don't have male flowers on them.