1st 3 days of 12/12, then 0 hours of light for 5 days...

[Lapides]

Is there any chance any growers have had a similar fuck up?

I went on vacation and had about 30 million grow related tasks to complete 4 days before I was set to go.

I wanted to spray them really good before I left to keep up with my IPM schedule and I unplugged all the lights to be safe....annnd forgot to plug them back in.

The mistake would have been caught by my help had he done what was instructed, but of course everyfuckingone knows more than you do.

So yeah, they didnt get light for 5 days. They had JUST been flipped to 12/12 3 days prior to the fuckup.

The plants are still alive, but starting to get pretty pale.

I guess I'm afraid of herm problems.

Just curious if anyone had a similar fuckup and what the consequences ended up being.

Thanks!

 

[betshtick]

I've had a similar situation..

Really them getting pale/weaker is the only thing you need to address. It's not ideal of course, but they should recover and flower out just fine. Foliar with kelp, and I'd raise your lights for maybe a couple of days while they green back up.

Shouldn't need to worry too much about hermies from extra time in the dark.

 

[corky1968]

I've done that a few times for just one day in the past as well.

All longs as the plants are alive they should be fine in a week of making new chlorophyll.

I don't know about the hermie thing though.

 

[chronosync]

That is unfortunate. Betstick has the right idea, all you can do is ease them back into living life with the sun, so to speak. I bet they'll be fine. How were they doing when you left?

 

[Scrappy-doo]

Theres a technique for force starting flower where you put your plants in the dark for 3 days right at beginning flower. Thats what you did just a bit longer. No personal experience but supposed to be fine. Just be glad you weren't a few weeks in when it happened or else hermies would have been a near certainty.

 

[Lapides]

Thanks for the encouraging responses guys.

chronosync - they were in great health before I left.

I figured I would give them a week or two and see if they come around with no hermie issues. I went back again today to look for nanners and found none. I think I'll be fine. Worse case scenario is I'm set back a month or so. I've got a bunch of clones on deck.

 

[mowood3479]

I did almost this same exact thing last year...
The crop was stunted slightly.. It was about 25% lighter than normal. Quality was ok. No herms.
mine went 6 days with no light from start of 12/12... Some of the plants recovered better than others. I was contemplating chopping them but after a few days they started drinking and growing normally, so I let em grow.
I'd give them a few weeks and see how they do.

 

[mowood3479]

Oh ya n it did delay maturation.. Instead of being ready at 63 days I had to take em 70 for the same strains... So basically it sucks but it's probably worth salvaging.

 

[Scrappy-doo]

Krunchbubble is one of the growers who does 72hr dark at beginning flower. Here's a link to a grow journal where he talks about it a little and demonstrates the technique.
https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=291761&page=5

 

[chronosync]

I really don't think you'll be set back much. Let us know how they do.

 

[Lapides]

quick update

quick update

It looks like they've come around thankfully. No nanners that I can see.

By the third day of switching the lights back on, I thought for sure they were not coming back. They looked TERRIBLE. One of you suggested I raise the lights, which I didnt but probably should have. They were looking VERY droopy and burnt and pale.

Now, this looks to be the worst of it -

 

[Lapides]

But most of it looks like this, thanks again for all your suggestions and encouragement -