I would think that was most certainly the problem.
Think of it like this…
From far away the equipment light is very dim.
But if you put your eye right up on it or even touch it you would say it is very very bright.
That is what a plant right up against the light perceives.
A very very bright light.
In this case, it would seem that the intensity and duration have both gone over the threshold.
I would just put a small piece or 2 layers of black electrical tape over the light source and worry no more.
3 Likes
Issue was me letting them veg an extra 17 days, when I flipped most were significantly taller than I like when I flip. So the majority really pushed height limits. That UFS#18 the buds were so ginormous and just huge up and down and side to side they almost blocked me from reading any of the equipment on the right side. I never even thought about the couple of green lights up there , even after I was scratching my head trying to figure out where I went wrong . Now I’m pretty positive this was the culprit. Finishing prepping it today for the next round , I’ll cover them up anyway. Better safe than sorry
5 Likes
I personally don’t give a damn fck. One hour is nothing for the plant. If i’ve problem with my planning and have to treat the plant earlier/later than usual … i just light the lamps earlier or lock the timer to shut off them later manually.
When i’ve to reveal quickly herms from a line only by lights stress, i’ve to set the numeric timer for a full week on randomized time slots. With pure sativas it’s even more long. Most effiscient(fast) being to annoy the night of the plants in changing their timing each 48 hours. A real full change of cycle, not just progressively adding/removing one hour per day.
3 Likes
Wouldn’t you use 730nm at night? That’s how plants know its night, 730nm overtakes 660nm. Moonlight is redder than daylight.
“… green light inhibited flowering of all short-day plants. Chrysanthemum ‘Cheryl Spicy Orange,’ C. ‘Cheryl Golden Improved,’ C. ‘Cheryl Jolly Red,’ and marigold flowered 16, 19, 32, and 11 days later under green light at 2 µmol∙m–2∙s–1 than under short days. Increasing the green light intensity from 2 to 13 or 25 µmol∙m–2∙s–1 further inhibited flowering of chrysanthemum, but not marigold. Compared to full spectrum light, green light at 25 µmol∙m2∙s1 was more effective at inhibiting flowering of chrysanthemum but similarly effective for marigold”
(unfortunately the chart stops at “PAR” but you get the point)
5 Likes
Im still just basng this as one of the best specrums in leu of darkness.
2 Likes
i’ve always treated it like nature. a full moon is bright enough to read a book by and certainly doesn’t hurt the plants or we wouldn’t have pot at all. i forgot what the numbers were when i read it, but it is around somewhere. i used to think it was way more bright than it was until doing the research. i never kept any of the links because i found what i needed to know. i’d look at that video series from the guy in one of the comments above, i think that was where i found it. you can use red light on a flashlight if it’s not too bright, or alternatively blue light since it is really dim and bright enough to see to water. as long as it doesn’t get brighter than a full moon you’re good. that is nothing but bro science so take it with the shaker of salt and use at your own risk.
5 Likes
1 hour I’d just light em up early.
4 Likes
sorry - just a line your tent grow WITH your time frame - easy as pie - if I understand question correctly ?
1 Like
Plants can sense 1/4 lumen for a fraction of a second.
So, yes, even a minute early or late can effect the plant.
Ive done diminishing light schedules for several years, and it had a huge effect. I just dropped a minute or two ever several days. It sped up flowering considerably
3 Likes
Thanks everyone for the tips & data. I had to leave early yesterday to help someone in need so I took my chances.
I ended up watering them with nothing but a cellphone screen pointed at ceiling from across the room. Took about 5minutes.
I could barely see, I definitely couldn’t have read a large-print book. So hopefully it’s all good 
5 Likes
I’ve always wondered about this, mostly because I’m sort of lax about stuff sometimes. I’ve never had any problems from a quick exposure and especially if you aren’t repeating it every night. They shouldn’t miss a beat.
I’m like the others, the plants get moonlight most nights and even around here, sort of in the country, those damn streetlights from neighbors properties is what has always worried me.
So far the distant streetlights don’t seem to cause any harm. I had one in my yard when I first got the house, and I had it turned off. It was too close to my plants and the first year I grew outside here, a plant in the back of the yard was just tall enough that the small outbuilding next to it wasn’t blocking the light. It hermed early.
So, I agree with the others, it’s the intensity, plus repetition that seems to create a problem. I enter my grow room (a bedroom) without any worries. You just can’t do it every night at the same time, if that makes sense. And, complete darkness is always the safest, but life happens and we all experience it, lol.
7 Likes
Well, I suppose that the irregular exposure time is most important.
And why I suppose that? Because if all were sensible to short exposure times, then we will have always hermies in exterior.
How many summer storms with lot of lightnings are in a season? Here with the summer storms lightning is almost day. And when is a big storm, then lightnings are intermitent by hours.
Well, only my ignorant comment.
HG!
3 Likes
The moon is a fraction of a lumen.
A cellphone screen turned all the way down pointed towards the wall is more than a lumen
The issues is lumen delta, or, the change in lumens (level of darkness).
If you have a streetlamp on your street all through veg and still there in flower, its all good because there is no increase.
The issue comes when the plant senses in increase of any level during the dark period in flower.
4 Likes
Ok thanks, fortunately it was only 15 minutes before lights-on… like I watered & 3mins after I closed the tent, timer lights turned on.
That’s good to know though, that it’s more about the sudden change vs low level light itself.
3 Likes
I agree completely. A few years ago the neighbors automatic outer garage light hermed their plants but mine were far enough away it didn’t affect them, except for the pollen floating around.
Several times, while sitting on the deck at night, my wife heard/saw what she perceived to be bud bandits, lit up the area with a spot light, and have had no I’ll effects.
3 Likes