Plants are unable to adjust to high lumens. Need help.

[VagPuncher]

Hi,

So, I veg under 400 watt bulbs for 24 hours a day. The plants usually get around 2 feet and I move them in to the flower room.

The flower room is 14,000 watts. I lift the lights as high as they can go and turn them on.

Within a day or 2, the plants are completely curled up and yellow.

OK, fine. Made a mistake. I turn off half the lights. The plants under the lights that are turned off return to a healthy green color, but the plants under the lights that are on stay yellow and curled. So I switch em. Now the plants that were yellow become green and the ones that were green become yellow. I can't raise the lights any more.

Now, what I want to know is:

Can I turn the veg lights to 18 hours on and 6 off? They've been on 24 hours of light for about 5 weeks.

Will that mess them up or will they continue to veg along?

My theory is that the continuous time spent under the light is way to stressful and they would benefit from 6 hours of darkness.

Any help?

 

[Green Supreme]

Yes you can. No chance the plants under the lights are drying out? Peace GS

 

[BrownThumb]

Yes you can go from 24 to 18/6 no problem, just did that 2 weeks ago. I don't think the light cycle itself is stressing the plants having grown a number of different varieties under 24 hours of light. What about the lights? What are we talking about 14x1K HID or? That is a shitload of watts!

 

[DocCrow]

Yes, you have several options. Another method that many have used is the 12/1. 12 hours on, 5 off, 2 on, 5 off, 12 on, etc. the 2 hours of light interrupting the dark cycle keep them out of flower. There is a good thread somewhere on here about it. It is not good for clones though, takes them forever to root. It also makes them flower quicker when you put them into the flower room with less stretch.

Like I said if you look around there is a good thread here on it. 18/6 is also fine for veg.

 

[Billy Ocean]

If your environment is sound maybe ita a nutritional issue...you like runnin her hard and fast homie !! Ain't that some peace

 

[astartes]

It's the humidity that's the issue, not the intensity. Get your humidity up a bit and the plants will recover in kind. Having some lights off time would help, as humidity increases during lights out. Running some humidifiers would be your best bet.

a.

 

[VagPuncher]

Yes you can. No chance the plants under the lights are drying out? Peace GS

No chance, man.

They get fed daily in coco. Stay nice n moist all the time.

 

[VagPuncher]

Yes you can go from 24 to 18/6 no problem, just did that 2 weeks ago. I don't think the light cycle itself is stressing the plants having grown a number of different varieties under 24 hours of light. What about the lights? What are we talking about 14x1K HID or? That is a shitload of watts!

I agree. It's not the light cycle. I think it's the light intensity.

 

[VagPuncher]

It's the humidity that's the issue, not the intensity. Get your humidity up a bit and the plants will recover in kind. Having some lights off time would help, as humidity increases during lights out. Running some humidifiers would be your best bet.

a.

Interesting.

I do have the dehuey on. I will turn it off tmrw.

 

[VagPuncher]

If your environment is sound maybe ita a nutritional issue...you like runnin her hard and fast homie !! Ain't that some peace

Was thinking that, but it's so weird how the plants under the lights only get yellow and claw up.

Once that specific light is off, boom; nice and green 2 days later. Repeat.

 

[Kush Technician]

Lately my 18/6 plants seem to go to sleep around 2 hours before lights go out. It's like they know the season is changing outside. It is really frustrating because it started happening all of a sudden and it is affecting the entire veg room. No yellow or curling leaves, just droopy leaves.

The plants I have look tired. Would you say your plants look tired? Have you noticed slower growth in addition to the curling, yellowing leaves?

 

[skull and roses]

I had the same thing last week. I'm in coco also. When I put the plants back in the veg they perked up. Put them back in the room and they drooped and yellowed. I am growing Og's though. I fed them 1/2 tsp Epsom and they pulled out in less than 24 hours and then took off like mad and have been perfect ever since.

Moral: could be the same as me needed mag, or its not the light intensity like it seems. Cuz I could of sworn it was! Good luck

 

[BluEyeDevil]

Maybe its heat stress..add more fans.

 

[TGT]

I have had my plants claw up and turn yellow when under my 1000 watt bulbs, but when under my veg 400's were fine and a nice dark, healthy green. It turned out (for me anyways) that my nutrients were too low. The plants seem to use way more nutes when under intense light, but when under lower light levels don't go through as much, hence being fine under lower light. I added more veg nutes and all was well. I don't know if this is your problem, but is it possible for some reason your nutes have gone bad, bad batch or just under ferting? I doubt it since you really know what you are doing, but it worked for my garden. I hope this helps.

TGT

 

[vukman]

Was thinking that, but it's so weird how the plants under the lights only get yellow and claw up.

Once that specific light is off, boom; nice and green 2 days later. Repeat.

hmmm..maybe a combination of things Vag. The fact that you hit them with such high intensity of light that they go into overdrive photosynthesis and the need 'fuel' for that. Since they are in 'hyperdrive', even a normal amount of nutrient in the soil would become 'toxic' due to the rate at which it pulled the nutrients into the leaves.

I think if you can tone down the lights and then gradually increase them to full strength over a period of a few days and let the plants acclimatize, I think they'll be okay.

It's the same as when we go out into the summer sun after a winter of being covered up.. Stay too long and POW...major sunburn but work your way into it and you're good to go.

Just a thought...

<add edit>......just read TGT's post.......hmm, that's an interesting point. Normally low nutrients do now cause 'clawing' but with such a major change in light intensity, I guess anything is possible.... thank you TGT

 

[Phillthy]

im a big believer in time off for veg plants. i run 18/6 for that reason. i cant really help you here but would love to stay tuned to see what helps. good luck bro.

 

[SeaMaiden]

Based on what you're describing I'm sure it's light intensity as well. Since you can't raise the lights any more, and I'm sure you're eventually going to want to run what you've got, I'll suggest the coral reefkeeper's trick--shade.

We usually use a piece of glass or Plexi to shade the corals in question, but you can use fabric of some sort. I would use a white sheet unless you can get 20% shade cloth. Then, simply begin to move it aside every couple of days. This is how I acclimate my clones going from fluoro light to direct, full sunlight.

 

[Green Supreme]

Light intensity, hmm. How far are the lights from the plants? Mine are 6-8 inches from 1000 watt bulbs and this has never happened. Must have another angle perhaps you have not noticed. Good luck regardless. Peace GS

 

[teemu shalanie]

Vag, I always start with 1 or 2 bulbs on, then add more lights and lower then down as , they can take it , 18- 6 , 60-65 % RH , then once they love life I add a lil gas ,.....
sounds like heat stress a bit/ lumen shock , temps alll good?
good luck hommie !
TS

 

[opt1c]

look into a humidifier as others have said... flower rooms, if they aren't packed with vegetative matter, eat humidity like no other

first time with this strain? my boy grows og's under 750w ballasts for this reason