EXPERIMENTS
I am currently playing with CFLs and HPS for the experiment. This will throw in the question of whether or not light intensity could be used here for plant manipulation.
The questions I have been asking myself are:
Will more intense light (like an HID) at a close distance slow growth compared to the same intensity of light at a further distance?
Now we all know that this is true, thus the reason behind 'stretching' to reach for the light.
Now will a less intense light (CFL) at a farther distance create more stretch than a higher intensity light (HID) at a farther distance?
Now the answer to this question is what I am really after. If this proves to work out the way I think it will, then controlling branch length will be no more than placing an a CFL closer to a part of the plant to slow its growth and allow the parts not under direct CFL light (or farther away) to catch up.
Now the idea of intensity plays a role on wither this will work, which leads me to my final question:
Because if I just place the CFL directly over one branch, will it necessarily slow the growth of anything sufficiently near it? Or will these other parts of the plant start to stretch for the more intense light (the HID)?
I want to implement both HID and CFL, using them in conjunction. I am hoping for little to no growth from the branches exposed 3-4inches from the CFLs. While on the other side of my plant, there is branch about the same height that is about 20 inches form my HID.
Now the pictures below show the two spots of growth I will be focusing on. Both on opposite sides of the plant. Now the growth that is being exposed to the HID at 21 inches is side branch off of one of the main stems. The branch exposed to the CFL is a topped main branch.
Based on logic, the main branch SHOULD have a faster growth rate naturally than any other lower side branching. Now taking that into consideration, here are some photos.
These were all taking on 24/10/13
TWO days days later, notice that the CFL branch has grown 2 inches into the CFL and the HID branch has grown the same amount at over a foot away.
Now on the 27th I had adjusted the HID 2 inches further away from the whole plant to induce an overall stretch. The main tops and the HID branch all grew nearly two more inches. But notice how the top-right area exposed to the CFL is significantly shorter in growth.
Now these were taken today on the 29th. The CFL branch (remember it was topped) acted against my predictions. One the the twin tops further away from the HID remained 2 inches away from the CFL. But the top that was closer to direct exposure to the HID seems to be ignoring the CFL and stretching towards the HID in the center.
These are the varying results I was hoping for in this experiment.
I am currently playing with CFLs and HPS for the experiment. This will throw in the question of whether or not light intensity could be used here for plant manipulation.
The questions I have been asking myself are:
Will more intense light (like an HID) at a close distance slow growth compared to the same intensity of light at a further distance?
Now we all know that this is true, thus the reason behind 'stretching' to reach for the light.
Now will a less intense light (CFL) at a farther distance create more stretch than a higher intensity light (HID) at a farther distance?
Now the answer to this question is what I am really after. If this proves to work out the way I think it will, then controlling branch length will be no more than placing an a CFL closer to a part of the plant to slow its growth and allow the parts not under direct CFL light (or farther away) to catch up.
Now the idea of intensity plays a role on wither this will work, which leads me to my final question:
Because if I just place the CFL directly over one branch, will it necessarily slow the growth of anything sufficiently near it? Or will these other parts of the plant start to stretch for the more intense light (the HID)?
I want to implement both HID and CFL, using them in conjunction. I am hoping for little to no growth from the branches exposed 3-4inches from the CFLs. While on the other side of my plant, there is branch about the same height that is about 20 inches form my HID.
Now the pictures below show the two spots of growth I will be focusing on. Both on opposite sides of the plant. Now the growth that is being exposed to the HID at 21 inches is side branch off of one of the main stems. The branch exposed to the CFL is a topped main branch.
Based on logic, the main branch SHOULD have a faster growth rate naturally than any other lower side branching. Now taking that into consideration, here are some photos.
These were all taking on 24/10/13
TWO days days later, notice that the CFL branch has grown 2 inches into the CFL and the HID branch has grown the same amount at over a foot away.
Now on the 27th I had adjusted the HID 2 inches further away from the whole plant to induce an overall stretch. The main tops and the HID branch all grew nearly two more inches. But notice how the top-right area exposed to the CFL is significantly shorter in growth.
Now these were taken today on the 29th. The CFL branch (remember it was topped) acted against my predictions. One the the twin tops further away from the HID remained 2 inches away from the CFL. But the top that was closer to direct exposure to the HID seems to be ignoring the CFL and stretching towards the HID in the center.
These are the varying results I was hoping for in this experiment.
