You have probably realized the importance of using the right light management system for your grow house.
The reason is that it influences the way your plants will grow. The light cycle signals your plants to start the flowering or fruiting stage.
However, you are still likely to experience issues like light leak early in the flowering stage. Here are some things you should know about this gardening challenge:
Reasons Why Light Leaks Matter
There are various reasons why light leaks matter, which can include the following:
Reason #1. You Will Compromise the Light Cycle
The light leak will easily compromise the growth patterns of your plant. The reason is that the lighting cycle you use helps show the plant when it’s best to start the flowering process.
So, any leaks early in the flowering stage might confuse the plant. Plants also perform different functions during the day when compared to the night. Light coming in during the dark period can hurt various vital functions.
One key example involves the way plants leverage and use CO2. When the lights switch on, the plants will consume C02. However, when the lights are off, the plants will produce oxygen.
It’s why we recommend giving your plants C02 during the day. Any light that leaks during the dark period can significantly damage the plant’s growth patterns.
Even more, changing from the 18hr veg cycle to the 12 hr flowering cycle is the signal plants wait to start the flowering process. Any compromised signals will cause the plant to revert to a vegetative state. It can even lead to genetic complications in some plants.
Reason #2. Plant Stress Issues
Plants thrive best in stable settings. Any compromise to these settings can easily lead to stress complications.
When stressed, plants aren’t able to perform various vital functions correctly. While it is sometimes possible to revive plants that have experience stress issues, it’s not always easy.
You may compromise the quality of yield your plants can produce. Or you may also encounter issues like seeds from the light leak – which are challenging to handle. You also have to learn more about the first signs of the pre-flowering stage for your convenience.
Reason #3. You Will Have More Than Light Leaks to Handle
Other than light leaks, you will also have to handle various other issues due to the light leaks. A good example would be the presence of bugs.
One thing you should realize is that a sealed environment isn’t just about light availability. You also want to control various other metrics, and aspects in your grow house.
Any savvy grow house owner will be aware of the challenges in controlling issues like bugs, especially after an infestation. Such problems can also become particularly concerning during the summer season.
Reason #4. You Can Create a Disturbance
The light leak issue will easily lead to disturbances in your grow house or property. It can be particularly concerning if you use high-powered grow lights.
The light might seep through the grow tent and cause discomfort for the people on your property. You must proceed with caution in handling any light leaks that might occur when you have a grow houses in traffic-laden areas.
How to Prevent and Stop Light Leaks
There are various techniques you can use to prevent and stop light leaks in your grow tent, including:
Tip #1. Get the Best Tent Quality
There are various reasons some tents are more expensive than others.
Most of the time, the tents tend to have thicker canvases, quality zips, and improved stitching.
We have noticed that many people like using the BudBox Build. It has a dense weave on the canvas and a dense reflective coating. Thus, it’s nearly impossible for light to leak or for issues like tears to occur.
Usually, tents feature light baffles that sit on the zips. These refer to small portions of fabric whose primary role is to help prevent light seeping.
Plus, they also have a green viewing window which makes it easy to check on the progress of your plants. We also recommend you be cautious of when light leaks during flowering often start.
Tip #2. Cover the Doors and Windows Using Reflective Material
We have noticed that many grow house owners tend to resort to readily available items for their grow houses. However, this is not always applicable.
Resources like curtains won’t cut it when controlling your grow house. Why is that? It’s because the light might still seep into your grow room.
Therefore, we recommend you cover your window using reflective sheeting. Doing this will have a positive impact on your light control goals.
Tip #3. Keep Track of Plants During the “Lights Off” Cycle
Avoid switching lights at night, especially when you have other lights in the room where you have set the grow house.
Why is this important?
Any light that leaks into your grow house might easily lead to intense complications. A plant that doesn’t recieve the right light intensity will be prone to issues like pigmentation.
So, you must control the light that gets through to your grow house at all costs. We recommend avoiding switching on any secondary lights during the night when you have the lights on.
Plus, struggle to absorb and detect green light. Do this especially if you are likely to encounter a light leak when growing outdoors challenge.
Tip #4. Be Keen on Light Leaks
Light leaks aren’t often easy to detect. So, you must keep an eye out for when they might occur.
Ensure you check components like the joins, zips, and corners regularly. Some growers do this daily to reduce any likelihood of light seeping through the plant.
You must also zip the tents and stay inside. We recommend sitting in the grow house and checking all sides of the tent for any light leak issues.
Any cracks in the grow house should be easy to solve using materials like duct tape. You will also want to check the grow house at different times of the day.
Doing this gives you the best perspective on how the light will hit your grow house from different angles.
Tip #5. Be Ready for Repairs
If you’re heavy-handed, zips might break, and canvasses might tear. Plus, longevity and aging issues can also make tents prone to damage.
You must be ready to handle any costs arising from tent wear or damage issues. Most of the time, it’s easy to fix DIY using products like glue and stitching resources.
However, you might also have to consult with a professional service for additional damage (if the damage is extensive!).
Make sure you’ve got some hook & loop tape handy to replace broken zips. You can fix torn canvas using duct tape.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How Serious Are Light Leaks?
Lights leaks can have various serious side effects. For instance, it can lead to poor flowering, pigmentation issues, and decreased yield. So, it’s why you have to check your grow house at all times for leaks.
Do Light Leaks Matter During Veg?
Yes, light leaks matter during the vegetative stage. The reason is that it’s a plant growth stage that requires correct control measures. Without it, the plant might easily start to flower or experience issues like poor yield. You might also notice light leaks cause hermies.
How High Should the Light Be During Flowering?
The height of your plants should be between 16-36 inches. The reason is that this provides sufficient space for controlling aspects like heat and light intensity. Moving the plant close or farther away might lead to poor yield issues.
How Do You Tell if Grow Light Is Too Close?
There are various ways to tell if a grow light is too close. You can check the plant’s leaves for pigmentation issues. Or you can also check for whether the leaves start to curl upwards. We recommend you avoid settling for light leak myths.
How Much Light Leak is Too Much?
The amount of light leak that would be too much for your grow house depends on the structure of your setup. Any ambient light that comes from the outdoors when your plant is in the dark will likely compromise its growth.
Any light leak issues early in the flowering stage will likely harm your plants’ growth and development. You have to be keen on the occurrence of these issues throughout the life cycle of your plants.
