What's new
  • As of today ICMag has his own Discord server. In this Discord server you can chat, talk with eachother, listen to music, share stories and pictures...and much more. Join now and let's grow together! Join ICMag Discord here! More details in this thread here: here.

Minimum amount of light to keep mother plant in veg until its naturally time to flower.

grod31

Well-known member
Veteran
I want to put mother plants outside in a greenhouse that stays above 50. Whats the minimum I can run the lights to keep them from flowering? Is one hour in the middle of the night good enough? 20 mins? i would prefer to not run an 18+ hour light cycle while they are outside.
 

Creeperpark

Well-known member
Mentor
Veteran
I want to put mother plants outside in a greenhouse that stays above 50. Whats the minimum I can run the lights to keep them from flowering? Is one hour in the middle of the night good enough? 20 mins? i would prefer to not run an 18+ hour light cycle while they are outside.
Take the normal outdoor day in a greenhouse and then add enough extra light time to extend the photoperiod enough to delay flowering. If you have enough outdoor daylight that equals 12/12 then you will only need the light on for 4 extra hours to maintain vegetative. You can add the lighting before or after the start of the day.
 

handwerker

Well-known member
I can only speak about indoor but I'm doing the Gas Lantern Routine (12/1) since ever and am fine with it. But I'm giving 1,5h instead of 1h since some lights need some time to fully shine and 1h was not enough to keep them in veg in some cases
 

CharlesU Farley

Well-known member
As long as you provide 13+ hours of light, in an intensity that is at least enough to read, it should keep the plant in a vegetative stage.

As Pablo's nephew posted, hermaphrodites are totally separate issue than vagging. :ROFLMAO:
 

BrassNwood

Well-known member
Veteran
I want to put mother plants outside in a greenhouse that stays above 50. Whats the minimum I can run the lights to keep them from flowering? Is one hour in the middle of the night good enough? 20 mins? i would prefer to not run an 18+ hour light cycle while they are outside.
Most all photoperiod plants trigger at 14.5 hours. At 14 they flower and at 15 they veg.
For a successful no light assist at setout run 15-9 of 16-8 at most.

PXL_20240315_022306220.jpg


To many timer fails so I run 24-0
 

Asentrouw

Well-known member
I want to put mother plants outside in a greenhouse that stays above 50. Whats the minimum I can run the lights to keep them from flowering? Is one hour in the middle of the night good enough? 20 mins? i would prefer to not run an 18+ hour light cycle while they are outside.

12-1 schedule works fine indoors. So 1 hour light in the night in a greenhouse should be fine to prevent it from flowering. Maybe you can even reduce it further.

However, this is also kind of depending on the genetics you use. Very photosensitive strains (early flowering, semi-auto, etc.) can freak out under such a light regime, start flowering anyway or worse they reveg.
 

CharlesU Farley

Well-known member
Yea i didn't think sorry they'll never flower as a mother :/

Pablo will be disappointed in my help :(




FYI: i'm not his nephew, i just know him lol
I'm not sure I can really trust you or not, I remember something you said in another thread, and I'm paraphrasing here cuz I'm an old man and can't remember shit... I always tell the truth, except when I lie. :ROFLMAO:

Here in the US, we would think you are a lawyer. :p

And I'm surprised nobody got my tongue in cheek reference to _vagging_ instead of vegging?

Damn, it's a tough crowd here. Need Jokerman's help. o_O
 

grod31

Well-known member
Veteran
hhhm so im getting mixed answers here . Half you yes the other other half say it can cause it to hermie.

Strong genes no autoflower.

Take the normal outdoor day in a greenhouse and then add enough extra light time to extend the photoperiod enough to delay flowering
This is what i normaly do. I was trying to avoid it. but i guess i can just do that to ease my mind.
When i put the lights on early all the birds in the neighborhood think the sun came up. When i leave them on past sunset it ruins the atmosphere of my small yard. and im stuck doing that untill the summer solstice.

I'm gonna aim for 15 hours of supplemental + sunlight but these moms are running at 20 so i will probably go threw the dance...
I really had hopes an additional 30 mins or an hour at night would solve that problem.
 
Last edited:

Potads

Active member
I'm not sure I can really trust you or not, I remember something you said in another thread, and I'm paraphrasing here cuz I'm an old man and can't remember shit... I always tell the truth, except when I lie. :ROFLMAO:

Here in the US, we would think you are a lawyer. :p

And I'm surprised nobody got my tongue in cheek reference to _vagging_ instead of vegging?

Damn, it's a tough crowd here. Need Jokerman's help. o_O
here's a fake laugh to make you feel better old man, then a nap i would recommended haha !

93ff16c97a4e6394e0a144ce9b839acf.gif



I lie a lot, Just being honest was just a joke, i don't lie at my age, only to the chicks .. 9" baby come see !!
 

Potads

Active member
hhhm so im getting mixed answers here . Half you yes the other other half say it can cause it to hermie.

Strong genes no autoflower.


This is what i normaly do. I was trying to avoid it. but i guess i can just do that to ease my mind.
When i put the lights on early all the birds in the neighborhood think the sun came up. When i leave them on past sunset it ruins the atmosphere of my small yard. and im stuck doing that untill the summer solstice.

I'm gonna aim for 15 hours of supplemental + sunlight but these moms are running at 20 so i will probably go threw the dance...
I really had hopes an additional 30 mins or an hour at night would solve that problem.
sorry for the wrong answer buddy, it was the right answer if they wasn't mothers so i was kinda right



Pablo would be disappoint :(
 

grod31

Well-known member
Veteran
wtf are you talking about im lost what were you wrong and or kinda of right about ?
should i give them .5- 1 hour at night or not? only 1/3 is an old mother the other two are just large plants with excessive veg time. (there is a difference with metabolism i dont really wanna get into atm)
 

Potads

Active member
wtf are you talking about im lost what were you wrong and or kinda of right about ?
should i give them .5- 1 hour at night or not? only 1/3 is an old mother the other two are just large plants with excessive veg time. (there is a difference with metabolism i dont really wanna get into atm)
If you're planning to keep cannabis mother plants in a greenhouse to prevent them from flowering, you'll need to provide supplemental light to maintain a vegetative state. While outdoor conditions typically follow natural light cycles, you can extend daylight hours using artificial lighting to prevent flowering. Here are some considerations:

  1. Lighting Duration: Cannabis plants typically require at least 18 hours of light to remain in the vegetative stage. However, you can experiment with shorter light cycles to see what works best for your plants.
  2. Minimum Light Duration: While one hour of supplemental lighting during the night might not be sufficient to prevent flowering, it's unlikely to trigger flowering either. Cannabis plants are sensitive to changes in light cycles, and consistently interrupting the dark period, even for a short time, can disrupt their photoperiod and potentially induce stress.
  3. Optimal Light Duration: To ensure your mother plants remain in the vegetative stage, it's recommended to provide at least 16-18 hours of light per day. This mimics the long days of summer and helps maintain vegetative growth. You can set up the lighting system on a timer to automatically turn on and off, providing consistent light cycles.
  4. Greenhouse Conditions: Keep in mind the natural light conditions in your greenhouse. If the natural daylight already provides a sufficient duration of light, you may only need to supplement it with a few extra hours to maintain vegetative growth.
  5. Monitoring: Regularly monitor your mother plants for any signs of flowering, such as the development of pre-flowers (small structures indicating the onset of flowering). If you notice any signs of flowering, adjust the light duration accordingly to ensure the plants remain in the vegetative stage.
Ultimately, the goal is to provide enough light to simulate long summer days while ensuring the plants receive adequate rest during the dark period. Experimentation and close observation of your plants' response to different light cycles will help you determine the most suitable lighting duration for your specific setup.
 

grod31

Well-known member
Veteran
thank you mr Chat GPT
as i said i have done this before. nd was looking for a shortcut. Apparently the shortcut i thought i could use will just cause herms or atleast unwanted stress.
 

Potads

Active member
thank you mr Chat GPT
as i said i have done this before. nd was looking for a shortcut. Apparently the shortcut i thought i could use will just cause herms or atleast unwanted stress.
You said you don't want to run 18hrs because of cost i'm guessing, so a 20w cfl will do for 18hrs and cost you the price of a beer a day.

Are you wanting them to grow outside ? or is it just a temporary home for them until you get back inside ?

Don't forget, the less light the stretcherer they'll get leading to cuttings with long internodes.


Hope this helps
 

CharlesU Farley

Well-known member
You said you don't want to run 18hrs because of cost i'm guessing, so a 20w cfl will do for 18hrs and cost you the price of a beer a day.

Are you wanting them to grow outside ? or is it just a temporary home for them until you get back inside ?

Don't forget, the less light the stretcherer they'll get leading to cuttings with long internodes.


Hope this helps
Now that's a _human_ answer Pablo's _nephew_ (gotta correct that on your sig tag, that's how I know you're real and not an AI :cool: ) quite correct!
 
Top