growers know
The popularity of light deprivation cultivation has been on the rise over the past few years . There are several reasons why , but key factors include higher-quality yields and off-season harvest times , allowing growers who utilize this method to supply the market with a particular product when others can ’ t . In light deprivation growing , horticulturalists use sunlight to fuel their gardens while simultaneously employing environmental controls not seen in traditional outdoor grow scenarios . This blend of cultivation styles allows light deprivation gardeners to combine their knowledge of indoor and outdoor growing to produce exceptional crops . Furthermore , light deprivation requires less electricity and allows for harvests during better weather .
Plant Photoperiods
The most definitive characteristic of light-deprivation cultivation is the artificial simulation of equal 12-hour light / dark photoperiods . Using light deprivation , cultivators seek to mimic the photoperiods of the late summer and early fall , which trigger plants to produce flowers . This idea of artificially induced flower periods represents a merging of outdoor and indoor growing methods . While indoor growers have timers that simulate night and day in a growroom , light deprivation growers must devise other means to black out the sunlight during the 12-hour dark period . It should be noted , however , that artificial light deprivation methods are only necessary in evening and morning in most areas . Exposing your plants to sunsets , moon rises , and the fresh air of summer nights will generally improve their quality . With that said , light deprivation enthusiasts must devise blackout systems that cover the entire canopy and exterior of their gardens to block all sunlight in the simulation of nighttime conditions .
Frames , Hoop-houses , and Greenhouses
No matter how sophisticated or simple cultivators wish to make their operations , all light deprivation crops require an exterior frame which
supports a blackout system . There are three routes one can take in the creation of a framework : wood frames , hoophouses , and greenhouses . Gardeners can create wood frames by placing heavy wooden posts in cement at the ends of the garden . These wooden posts have heavy cables that support the tarp and allow for it to easily slide over the canopy of the garden . Secondly , PVC hoophouses can be constructed by pounding two-foot pieces of rebar into the ground at opposite ends of the garden and simply bending the PVC over the canopy and onto the rebar , forming a “ hoop .” Finally , greenhouse kits and frames make excellent support over which to pull blackout tarps . Greenhouses provide growers with the ability to utilize more environmental controls than with wood frames and hoop-houses , and greenhouses have opaque walls as well as door systems , making them more attractive for privacy and security .
Tarp Systems
The sort of tarp-pulling system one chooses for a light deprivation operation will prove to be important for the duration of a flowering cycle . This is because the tarp has to be pulled over the entire canopy of the garden twice a day for an entire 55- to 70-day flower cycle . Therefore , light deprivation cultivators have to be present twice a day , for two months solid , to ensure this task is complete . In the novice operation , as seen with wooden frames and hoop-houses , it ’ s often possible to simply pull the tarp over the frame by hand or with the aid of ropes . To aid in this process , growers also devise pulley systems mounted on trees and wooden poles to help with getting a tarp over a large or tall frame system . Finally , greenhouse companies have designed a number of automated , less labor-intensive systems that black out daylight . These automated systems include motorized tarp pulley systems as well as large blinds that fold over on one another to create a completely dark environment .
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THERE ARE THREE ROUTES ONE CAN TAKE IN THE CREATION OF A FRAMEWORK : WOOD FRAMES , HOOP-HOUSES , AND GREENHOUSES .”
134 grow cycle