Photocycles

[Alice]

Does anybody know anything about photocycles ? I know it relates to the amount of daylight hours a plant gets, but then, by the same token, it will relate to the amount of darkness it gets. I think what I'm really asking is - is more light always better or do some plants depend on a certain amount of darkness for best results. I've tried googling for this but the information was so academic it made no sense to me.

[madderbat]

Hi Alice
As i remember from very rusty Biology classes, darkness is as important as light, otherwise plants get confused and try to keep going.
As we are all aware, a certain amount of rest is important

[rustylady]

Sorry Alice, it's all a bit technical but I do know some plants grow or crop according to the amount of daylight (or darkness) they receive, not just the temperature.

Things like poinsettias (not a food crop but the first thing I could think of) need a certain amount of darkness before the bracts will colour, and I think this is also the reason commercial growers use artificial light as well as heating to produce crops.

[Alison]

Don't know much (if anything about this) for sure but it would make sense. If you think about it, some seeds need to be in the dark and some in the light to germinate so I would assume it's the same for actual plants.

[nick the grief]

Hi Alice.

can't speak for veggies but the late spray chrysanths are classed as short day plants ( all Chrys's are in fact but these more so). What they need is a pereiod of darkness to trigger the formation of buds. So what I have to do (because I want them to flower "out of season") is cover them over with black plastic. They don't need total darkness just the equivalent of moonlight . And I have to carry this out for 12 hours a day for 3 weeks then the normal growing phase is suppressed & the Flowering phase is triggered & they come into bloom.

This is a simplified summary but it also applies to things like Poinsettias and most of the autumn flowers (dahlia's etc)

This may help to explain

http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles1201/lighting.asp
http://www.allotment.org.uk/articles/Day_Length.php

[Alice]

Thanks everybody and thank you Nick for the info and the links. I'll follow that up. What I was thinking about was my Big Jim competion and the fact that Chillies come from Mexico were light / dark is about 12/12. In Scotland in midsummer we probably get 4 hours dark. I was wondering about covering them to make more dark and if this would help. Will keep researching but if anybody knows anymore do let me know.

[Petuaria Pete]

... I was thinking about was my Big Jim competion...

Haa! I have a rival. I'm not saying anything!!!!

PP

[Snadger]

I think day length can effect different plants differently and your theory about the chillie plant could be sound.!! All I would say is experiment, with some and not others then next year you can enlighten all of us!

I have Egyptian Tree onions planted and they don't seem to grow through the summer, but once the day length changes to Egyptian Winter time length(which is when I would imagine most Eguptian plants will grow, being too hot in the summer!) they romp away!

[Alice]

Thanks Snadger, but the competition is this year. Maybe I'm just trying to put my rivals off on the wrong road If they all keep their chillies in the dark I might have a better chance. We're competing against the world here !

[Snadger]

Thanks Snadger, but the competition is this year. Maybe I'm just trying to put my rivals off on the wrong road If they all keep their chillies in the dark I might have a better chance. We're competing against the world here !

Good luck with your chillies Alice!
Just wondered how are they to be judged, by length,weight,straightness,size,hotness,taste, total amount grown etc? If its length, try hanging a weight on the end,probably keep em straight as well!

Doesn't seem very fair competing against growers from where they originated though? There's will be flowering now!

[Alice]

Chilli competition

The competition is by length Snadger. The opening date was 1st January so competitors could only start then - but they could be anywhere in the world. I've put on a link to it. You'll see some other people you know on the leaderboard. There's still time to join us. Why not. It's just for fun and the Guiness book of records.

big jim chillie competition