Will a Plant Grow Under a 6x6 Light Cycle?

Photo Sensitivity

• Every plant has different lighting needs. Some are sun-lovers, and others thrive with significantly less light. Photo sensitivity, caused by a plant's light exposure, produces plant responses to the level and duration of light. It is a seasonal effect and drives a plant to drop leaves, flower and even produce fruit and seeds. Summer's longer days produce a response that makes plants bloom. The shortening days at the end of summer cause the plant to form seed for the following season, and autumn's even shorter days produce dormancy.

Photo Period

• The photo period refers to the duration of time a plant is exposed to light. The variances in plant preferences are classified as short-day, long-day and day-neutral plants. Short-day plants need a longer period of night or darkness. They flower in periods where light is less than 12 hours a day. Long-day plants flower and fruit in areas where there's more than 12 hours of light per day. Most flowering plants and crops are long-day plants. Day-neutral plants are not affected either way.

Lighting Intensities

• In addition to the length of light a plant receives, plants also need a certain intensity of light and exposure. Indoor grow lights can be purchased in different foot-candles, which are the measurement of their light intensity. The amount needed to mimic full summer sun is 8,000 to 12,000 foot-candles. Outdoor crops need between 1,200 to 4,000 foot-candles. Inside plants can vary from 50 for low-light or shade plants, to 1,000 for bright-light plants.

How Long is Enough

• The question of the duration necessary for a plant depends upon the intensity, how close the light is and the type of light. Young plants and seedlings generally need 12 to 14 hours of light per day. Full sun is considered to be at least eight hours per day. A 6x6 lighting schedule provides the 12 hours necessary on average for a plant in a 24-hour period; this schedule is typically adequate to fuel growth.