Quote Originally Posted by Rumpl4skn
I'm a newbie at this, so someone please explain this to me:

If a "flash of light" during the dark hours can mess up a plants physiology, what happens in nature when there's a lightening storm? Or is the answer that it doesn't matter in nature if things go a little goofy?

OR... is the wavelength of electrical lightening not sufficient to make a difference?

Just curious.
It's not wavelength, it's duration.
Exposure to light >0.5 Lux starts a slow chemical process that accumulates a substance that inhibits flowering.
Absence of light depletes said substance.

Or, the other way around.

I'm not naming names and and giving details about phytochromes, etc, because my memory may garble it and I'm too lazy to go look it all up again.

If you really want details, just hit the first link in my sig.
It's all there.


Summary:
So, when the dark time exceeds the light time florigen is produced and photoperiodic plants flower.
When light time exceeds dark time the plants continue to vegetate.

Aloha,
Weezard