Adjusting Lights-on Time

Hey all

I've searched and found a few threads on this subject, but there's such a variation of conflicting responses, I thought I'd try again:

My Show's timer is currently set to turn lights on about 6:20pm, 30-45mins after I get home from work. Daylights Savings just ended, so my time actually comes on at 5:20 going forward. Next week I start a new shift at work, getting home around 8:30. I hand feed, so I'm now very concerned that in the 3ish hours between lights-on and me getting home, plants could dessicate and cook before I get home to feed. Being about 4 weeks into my best effort yet, I want to keep on top of it to a beautiful harvest.

My timer is broken into 20minute intervals (obviously half the buttons are up and half are down). My idea is move adjust it 20mins ahead every 4 or 5 days until I hit about 7:30, which is more manageable for my new hours. Do I risk stressing them to the point of hermieing by doing this? If figure that in nature, sun-up gets later and later as the season progresses, so they should be ok. I just don't want to screw it up.

One thread I saw said "Just extend the dark period to your new time, you'll be fine". Another concludes "Don't screw with it, ride it out"

Whattya think RIU? Anybody have any experience with this? Thanks.

I think you could just make the bump in one day. The first day would have the extra couple hrs of darkness. This should not have any negative effects. Doing it gradually would likely work just as well but is a PITA.

For what it is worth, I usually wait an hour or so after lights are on to start watering. I let the plants wake up a bit before hitting them.

I think you're missing the point of daylight savings.

The sun doesn't start coming up an hour later or earlier just because we change our clocks.

What you want to do is cause the sun to come up 1 hour earlier or later. We don't change the sun, we change the clocks!

Leave your timer alone... Nothing changed.

OP does not seem concerned about the "daylight Savings" aspect Looks to be more concerned about the new three hour later work schedule..and wants to bump his watering/lights on time by the +3 hrs to accommodate, is the way I read it. Makes sense, I like to follow a similar schedule and like to be home when the lights come on when I can.

Why do you water everyday? And if you don't, what's the problem?

more darkness is better than more light in flower.

and x2 on the watering everyday. increases the chance of root rot, and other bad shit.

Never had any trouble flipping my hours from summertime[ nighttime flowering period] to fall/winter[ daytime flowering].

Thats the beauty of growing auto's, they correct themselves for the time change, automatically.......

Just ignore it.

DemonTrich said:

more darkness is better than more light in flower.

Click to expand...

This is exactly how I'm managing it. I've left it the last couple of days and will be fixing it up tonight after work.

-spek