Indoor Lighting vs. Mother Nature

I am seeking information/correspondence with those who consider themselves advanced growers or those who are interested in mimicking nature as best they can....
I am not a grower and haven't grown since the 70's and then it was always outdoor. Nonetheless, I was able to grow some very good weed here in western Washington, but I can't seem to find that type of weed in any dispensary. I have some theories I want to explore and I am seeking those with knowledge about such things as, Light tracking (lights on moving tracks), Micro bursts of high intensity lights (light goes not come in consistent waves naturally, indeed, it varies greatly throughout a day.) Do you see what I am getting at? I really want to know if any of this is actually being done... and or, if not, who out there is thinking the same way?

Peace and I hope to generate some ideas/information here...

IndigenousAlien said:

I am seeking information/correspondence with those who consider themselves advanced growers or those who are interested in mimicking nature as best they can....
I am not a grower and haven't grown since the 70's and then it was always outdoor. Nonetheless, I was able to grow some very good weed here in western Washington, but I can't seem to find that type of weed in any dispensary. I have some theories I want to explore and I am seeking those with knowledge about such things as, Light tracking (lights on moving tracks), Micro bursts of high intensity lights (light goes not come in consistent waves naturally, indeed, it varies greatly throughout a day.) Do you see what I am getting at? I really want to know if any of this is actually being done... and or, if not, who out there is thinking the same way?

Peace and I hope to generate some ideas/information here...

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Not sure why you would want to mimic outdoor conditions. Indoor is superior.
Adding rain, humidity, pests, etc seems like a bad business plan

Light movers aren’t all that common anymore, they are more of a solution to not having an adequate amount of light or possibly not enough cooling so you run less wattage on light movers. The better solution obviously is to add enough light and have good enough spread that you don’t need movers.

The only real benefit I could see for a light mover is for supplemental lighting such as hanging bare bulbs between rows of plants.

As for mimicking the sun, I know growers who run Gavitas on a controller that will start the lights at 600w and increase 50w every half hour and then decrease till lights out. For instance

8AM : Lights on (600w) +50w each 1/2 hour.
12PM-4PM : Running 1000w
4PM - 8PM : -50w each 1/2 hour until lights off

Most of them do this because in a large commercial scale it saves a lot of money in electricity costs without significantly decreasing yield/quality, at least that’s the idea.

Boatguy said:

Not sure why you would want to mimic outdoor conditions. Indoor is superior.
Adding rain, humidity, pests, etc seems like a bad business plan

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not all factors, LIGHTING... where my interest lies is in cannabinoid profiles and what the correlation is between light and cannabinoids. Indoor lighting may be superior in many ways, but there is much last has been lost as well or should I say harder to find in the mega-plethora of strains coming out each year. I am not an expert, I am simply curious. Like when CBDs were considered taboo because they were believed to "negate" THC then here comes all the new strains without CBD and who knows what else they bred out of existence? There are many other compounds in cannabis referred to as the entourage effect and that is what I am getting at. Like the newly discovered THC-P, this one is a big deal, but how many more are there other than THC-A (THC), THC-V, and THC-P...? I hope I am making my point clearly. this is not a business idea for me, but If I discover something useful or heaven forbid significant... I would like to talk with some growers and see what happens. I can't imagine anyone being in the growing business that doesn't see the advantage of "Exclusivity" in a rare or newly discovered strain that raises the bar. But I am a long way from that,,,, LOL! I am a very tenacious person that when my hooks get sunk into something, well, I don't let go until I must or fruit is realized...

NukaKola said:

Light movers aren’t all that common anymore, they are more of a solution to not having an adequate amount of light or possibly not enough cooling so you run less wattage on light movers. The better solution obviously is to add enough light and have good enough spread that you don’t need movers.

The only real benefit I could see for a light mover is for supplemental lighting such as hanging bare bulbs between rows of plants.

As for mimicking the sun, I know growers who run Gavitas on a controller that will start the lights at 600w and increase 50w every half hour and then decrease till lights out. For instance

8AM : Lights on (600w) +50w each 1/2 hour.
12PM-4PM : Running 1000w
4PM - 8PM : -50w each 1/2 hour until lights off

Most of them do this because in a large commercial scale it saves a lot of money in electricity costs without significantly decreasing yield/quality, at least that’s the idea.

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Thanks for the info... Have you heard of anyone working with light burst? High intensity... perhaps to shock the plant or provoke a more robust coating of trichomes and terpenes... I knew someone who used a damn fire extinguisher on a few plants and it turned them purple!!!! NO, I didn't smoke any of that stuff. LMAO. It would be way kewl if someone could figure out the entire "Entourage" of cannabinoids and how the work so beautifully together, but perhaps nature does it best...

IndigenousAlien said:

I am seeking information/correspondence with those who consider themselves advanced growers or those who are interested in mimicking nature as best they can....
I am not a grower and haven't grown since the 70's and then it was always outdoor. Nonetheless, I was able to grow some very good weed here in western Washington, but I can't seem to find that type of weed in any dispensary. I have some theories I want to explore and I am seeking those with knowledge about such things as, Light tracking (lights on moving tracks), Micro bursts of high intensity lights (light goes not come in consistent waves naturally, indeed, it varies greatly throughout a day.) Do you see what I am getting at? I really want to know if any of this is actually being done... and or, if not, who out there is thinking the same way?

Peace and I hope to generate some ideas/information here...

Click to expand...

I would actually argue against some of the earlier opinions. Natural lighting is stronger, more even, and produces larger fuller buds. The reason people shy away from outdoors is the other conditions included....like pests and weather.

The all time best quality to quantity ratio from what I've seen/smoked is a climate controlled hoop house with a light deprivation setup.

SpawnOfVader said:

I would actually argue against some of the earlier opinions. Natural lighting is stronger, more even, and produces larger fuller buds. The reason people shy away from outdoors is the other conditions included....like pests and weather.

The all time best quality to quantity ratio from what I've seen/smoked is a climate controlled hoop house with a light deprivation setup.

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That all being said I am only growing indoors myself right now but you see the same things with tomatoes/vegetables grown under artificial light vs natural lighting.

IndigenousAlien said:

I can't imagine anyone being in the growing business that doesn't see the advantage of "Exclusivity" in a rare or newly discovered strain that raises the bar.

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I agree with that. Just not that a gradual increase and decrease in intensity makes any difference. All the other things in natural light probably do make a difference.

SpawnOfVader said:

That all being said I am only growing indoors myself right now but you see the same things with tomatoes/vegetables grown under artificial light vs natural lighting.

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I just checked out your system, thanx for the link. I am gearing up for a small tent, 1 to 2 plants... Ill take all information I can get.

Boatguy said:

I agree with that. Just not that a gradual increase and decrease in intensity makes any difference. All the other things in natural light probably do make a difference.

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Indeed, if find it very interesting and Im looking forward to playing around with such things on a micro scale.

IndigenousAlien said:

Thanks for the info... Have you heard of anyone working with light burst? High intensity... perhaps to shock the plant or provoke a more robust coating of trichomes and terpenes... I knew someone who used a damn fire extinguisher on a few plants and it turned them purple!!!! NO, I didn't smoke any of that stuff. LMAO. It would be way kewl if someone could figure out the entire "Entourage" of cannabinoids and how the work so beautifully together, but perhaps nature does it best...

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Not light bursts per say but people supplement reds/deep reds/UV to increase bud size/trichome production.

It’s all about manipulating the environment to best suit specific genetics. Some strains like intense lighting and heavy nutrients, others like lower light levels and light feedings.

NukaKola said:

Not light bursts per say but people supplement reds/deep reds/UV to increase bud size/trichome production.

It’s all about manipulating the environment to best suit specific genetics. Some strains like intense lighting and heavy nutrients, others like lower light levels and light feedings.

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Yeah, I have been reading about such recently. I have a theory about light burst but until I have things going, all I can do is ask for help, info, and educate myself. Thanks for your input... What I am really wanting to do is isolate strains that are high in THC-V and -P, as well. but, there isn't much data on THC-P yet. We need to get this pushed through at the federal level to open up more research!!!!

If you are looking to run 1-2 plants in a small tent I would suggest to keep it simple. There are so many other factors in producing quality cannabis, lighting is just one component.

if you want some 70s style pot, find a South American landscape strain, pollinate it, and then finish out the grow.

The difference in today's weed and 70s weed isn't lack of sun (or sun-like lighting), its that the pot is grown differently, using different genetics. A lot of the oldschool bud was seeded (which changes the cannibanoid profile) and from strains that have long since been crossbreed into strains that don't even resemble the ancestors they came from.

BluntMoniker said:

if you want some 70s style pot, find a South American landscape strain, pollinate it, and then finish out the grow.

The difference in today's weed and 70s weed isn't lack of sun (or sun-like lighting), its that the pot is grown differently, using different genetics. A lot of the oldschool bud was seeded (which changes the cannibanoid profile) and from strains that have long since been crossbreed into strains that don't even resemble the ancestors they came from.

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INDEED! I was thinking along those lines... I would love to work with the same type of seeds I use to get... Mexican, Panama Red, Columbian Gold, Oaxacan, etc. even some REAL Thai weed or, one of my favorites, Durban Poison... Thanks for your two-cents! and now it is time for...

IndigenousAlien said:

INDEED! I was thinking along those lines... I would love to work with the same type of seeds I use to get... Mexican, Panama Red, Columbian Gold, Oaxacan, etc. even some REAL Thai weed or, one of my favorites, Durban Poison... Thanks for your two-cents! and now it is time for...

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Not 70’s but seedsman has some mid 90’s bubba kush seeds right now

BluntMoniker said:

The difference in today's weed and 70s weed isn't lack of sun (or sun-like lighting), its that the pot is grown differently, using different genetics. A lot of the oldschool bud was seeded

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Went way past the 70's where i grew up. Mexican brick was the norm here into 2000. Unseeded kind, was a treat

SpawnOfVader said:

Not 70’s but seedsman has some mid 90’s bubba kush seeds right now

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Perhaps I simply need to buy a bag of some Mexican brick weed and play Johnny Pot SEED! That's how we use to do it and the results were good. I do believe much has been lost, but not lost forever... If I had the funds, I would be knee deep in this already, but we know how that story goes... Hey, I wonder if Belushi Farms in Bend, Ore. would be interested in some Old School genetic exploration to go along with Captain Jack's work? LMGDFARTFO

IndigenousAlien said:

INDEED! I was thinking along those lines... I would love to work with the same type of seeds I use to get... Mexican, Panama Red, Columbian Gold, Oaxacan, etc. even some REAL Thai weed or, one of my favorites, Durban Poison... Thanks for your two-cents! and now it is time for...

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If you google around for "landrace strains" you'll find what your looking for. Im pretty sure there's a breeder or two that specialize in them, I just don't know them off the top of my head.

The landrace strains, are essentially untouched by man... or as close to it as can be. They're essentially the genetics you'd get if you pulled a naturally occurring pot plant put of its natural habitat.

But again, thats just one factor, and majority of those strains are not going to be as THC potent as today's heavily crossbred strains. But good luck! Hopefully someone can point you to the landrace strain dealers so you can start your journey!

BluntMoniker said:

If you google around for "landrace strains" you'll find what your looking for. Im pretty sure there's a breeder or two that specialize in them, I just don't know them off the top of my head.

The landrace strains, are essentially untouched by man... or as close to it as can be. They're essentially the genetics you'd get if you pulled a naturally occurring pot plant put of its natural habitat.

But again, thats just one factor, and majority of those strains are not going to be as THC potent as today's heavily crossbred strains. But good luck! Hopefully someone can point you to the landrace strain dealers so you can start your journey!

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Thanks a bunch... Let the journey begin.

Boatguy said:

Went way past the 70's where i grew up. Mexican brick was the norm here into 2000. Unseeded kind, was a treat

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Lol yeayour right... 20 years of the good stuff and I almost forget that I had to buy "mids" unless my guy happened to have "fire" for sale at 3x the price.

But it was insane how quickly that change happened. It was always the low grade brick weed, then every once in a while there was the good stuff, then out of nowhere EVERYONE was selling higher quality pot, and the low grade brick weed became almost impossible to find unless you knew someone who's dad was growing in their back yard.