http://www.news.wisc.edu/23272 By what this is saying, tests have shown that mild shaking strengthens plants and seems to have a correlation to resistance to diseases. A couple other decent tidbits, but I'm not finding what drew me to the article (how they handled light conditions without atmospheric influences diffusing blue faster than red wavelengths).
http://www.space.com/25478-astronauts-space-lettuce-nasa-veggie-farm.html Damnit...looks like enclosed room with normal style LEDs were used. But apparently the Chinese are showing the effects of low-gravity breeding...resulting in veggies almost twice the size, and plants much more full...and the first article says, in a kind of backwards way, that the shaking of the plants mentioned has the effect it does because it mimics a higher stress environment. Which makes me wonder: A.) anyone think there would be any benefit to mild shaking on earth, as there is in microgravity? B.) if so, beyond making the plant hardier and a bit stronger structurally, do you think it would result in the same sort of larger, fuller fruits and plants? My own suspicion is shaking them would increase strength and resistances somewhat, but not appreciably in full gravity, MIGHT make the plants a bit fuller, but wouldn't have much impact on size of flowers, since THEY aren't growing in microgravity, just on plants being encouraged to be a bit tougher and more resistant to disease. Worth experimenting with, or no?
This is interesting, When I watched my plants shaking in the wind I wondered if the slight bending would be strengthening them.
Apparently it does. Wonder if that's one of the things that contributes to the difference between outdoor and indoor yields. If so, it would seem that maybe shaking them would have beneficial impact on flowering, too. Note, I'm not suggesting picking them up and shaking them like a soda bottle you want to spray all over, just the level of agitation you'd use to swirl water around in a half-full mixing bowl for a few minutes a day.
Well I have 2 of the same strain going and one plant I'm leaving more or less untouched and the other is a test dummy so I'll give it a shot on her
Might sound stupid but I thought the plants outdoors grew so much bigger because of the space they have. Same deal with snakes haha
Might be, but I've seen indoor plants grown with more than enough space that still didn't reach outdoor size and yield. Never seen one that matched an outdoor for size and yield, grown indoors, in fact. Which is part of why I'm wedded to "try to match the outdoor conditions you are able to provide indoors in your circumstances" as a concept. If you can maintain equatorial atmospheric conditions without overcontrolling...sure, grow under 12/12 the whole time, just ensuring you have more blue during veg to avoid triggering flowering. If the best you can manage in something you can't control (for instance, just can't get light levels of intensities stronger than those found at 45 degrees latitude), match it with allowable variations, light timing cycles, period under which wavelength is delivered in the highest amounts (blue or red), and such. I take a lot of flack over that...but the plants are pretty hardy, and very adaptable, and I've always been a devout believer in natural selection and using what's been naturally ingrained or selected for to your advantage.
Outdoor plants are bigger for one reason, the Sun. Unlike our grow lights that lose strength every inch further you are from the bulb, the Sun does not. The light from the Sun has the same intensity if you are 1000' off the ground, or 10" off the ground. It doesn't matter. No bulb can match that power.
If you'll look around, you'll see all over where I make that point specifically, including applicable maths. BUT, this was wondering if it ANY influence...since the same effect is caused by wind exposure. Especially since they showed in lab conditions under unnatural light in microgravity the shaking has such a level of positive impact. Conjecture, yes, from an interesting article (as said in title).