Why Should I turn out the lights?

I found this today and find it to be a brief, yet concise reason behind the truth about photoperiods, and the necessity of 6-8 "dark" hours
Thank You goes out to Chronic chrissy for the post...Thanks:smokin:

Any further credit or footnotes will be added if necessary. peace

Jan-20-2007, 22:19
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" Light Cycles

The dark cycle is very inportant to palnts. Respiration (this is when plants are making energy from sugar to oxygen) Continues in dark but at a much slower pace, almost independent of available oxygen because the leaves are not making oxygen in the dark.

In the dark there is a shift from leaf production to root production as the leaves transfer excess energy down to the branches and roots. Therefore, some dark time allows for better root structures. The "Experimental Root Growth 10 Days After Cutting" graph on page 33 shows that giving plants a 24-hour light cycle is not the way to supercharge growth"

This is from "How to supercharge your garden" With the graph on page 33 this follows...

"Light period for cuttings

Plants have a free running internal bio-rhythm of 21-27 hours. In this rhythm, they need dark time. Cuttings have a built in daily rhythm (age also) that they inherit from their parent. Cuttings will root better with a 6 hours to 8 hourdark period because this is the main time when leaves and the stems transfer energy down to the root zone for storage and growth."

The chart has hours of light per day on the bottom, and length of roots in millimeters.
-@ 4hours of light the roots after ten days were only 22mm long
-@ 8 hours of light after 10 days the roots were 25 mm long
-@12 hours of light we shoot up to 40mm long
-@16 hours it peaks at 50mm
-@20 hours it drops down to 37mm
-@ 24 hours it drops down to 29mm

There is also a shitload of info regarding root to yeild ratio vs veg to yield ratio, and draws the conclusion that at the end of the experiments the root to yield ratio was higher
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So by my calculation starting on 18/6 will actually maximize your root growth..and establishing a more stable plant.

Good read Latewood!

Thanks Chronic Chrissy,
Bob.

transfer to light section