Professional Marijuana Grower May-June 2019 Issue | Page 28

stop the production of these hormones altogether. When this happens, a cannabis plant that has begun creating its fl owers will actually revert back to vegetative growth. Although reverting back to a vegetative stage can be a useful tool for cannabis breeders, the vast majority of indoor growers do not want their cannabis plants to revert back to vegetative growth after the fl owering stage has been initiated. A light leak does not always cause a noticeable prob- lem, like the fl owers becoming seeded by a hermaphro- dite’s pollen. However, this does not mean there are no negative effects to the cannabis yield. It is quite common for cannabis plants whose dark cycles have been regu- larly interrupted to grow more spindly as the interruptions cause the plants to attempt to convert from vegetative growth to fl owering growth time and time again. One of the most common questions asked by indoor horticul- turists in regard to photoperiods and the dark cycle is how the moonlight affects cannabis plants in nature. Yes, it is true that in nature the moonlight interrupts the dark cycle and is seemingly bright. However, cannabis plants fl owering outdoors do not seem to be negatively affected by the moonlight’s interruption of the dark cycle. THE ORIGINAL TWO-PART, PH BALANCED HYDROPONIC BASE NUTRIENT. • • • • Ensures maximum growth and flowering Highly concentrated pH balanced for increased yields Over 20 years of outstanding results High Performance Products. High Performance Service. To see the full line of products and find a dealer near you please visit: www.tradewindsgarden.com 28 • Professional Marijuana Grower In order to understand why this is, we need to take a look at the inverse square law. Essentially, the inverse square law states that light diminishes exponentially from its source. Simply put, the farther the distance from the light source, the less light energy is present. In nature, moonlight, which is refl ected sunlight, has a great distance to travel and has minimal intensity when compared with the actual sun. In other words, it is the great distance the light has to travel (past the Earth and then refl ected back) that makes it relatively weak when compared with direct sunlight. Artifi cial light sources act much differently than sunlight. The close proximity of any light source in an indoor grow space to the cannabis plants will make the light signifi cant enough to interrupt the dark cycle. The relative intensity of the artifi cial light sources is why having a pitch-black, light-tight grow room is so important. Look for Light Leaks The fi rst step to ensuring a pitch-black dark cycle is to physically check the grow room’s darkness. This involves more than just fl ipping off the lights for a few seconds, seeing that the room appears dark, and moving on. Can- nabis growers should spend at least fi ve to ten minutes in the grow space during the dark cycle to see how dark it really is. It can take up to fi ve minutes for the human eye to adjust to the darkness and become sensitive enough to detect any protruding light. After waiting fi ve minutes, a grower should turn around very slowly to get a full 360 degree view of the grow room. A grower should look for any signs of light leaks. This includes lights on electric de- vices in the grow room, such as atmospheric controllers, May/June 2019