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Thread: Can you safely 'hibernate' an early flowering cannabis plant?

  1. #1

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    Question Answered: Can you safely 'hibernate' an early flowering cannabis plant?

    Say I have a plant 1week in 12/12 but it is gonna be without a home for up to 2 weeks. It's gonna have to be stored out of the way.

    I was thinking that provided it is watered, wrapped up carefully and stored in a cold(frost free), completely dark place, it would hopefully survive.

    Something else that crossed my mind is somehow getting an airtight seal around the plant? The effect being like old-fashioned grain storage, whereby the plant uses all the oxygen in the environment, but being dark does not consume co2. Once the O2 is depleted the plant shuts down, and is additionally protected by the cold.

    Is this correct? And If so how long could they be safely hibernated?

  2. "Just found this...

    Not a lot to go on really but thats all I have been able to find on the subject.

    ISHS Acta Horticulturae 54: Symposium on Propagation in Arboriculture COLD-STORAGE OF PLANTS

    Author: I. Nyholm Abstract:
    While cold-storage of tree-seeds has been used for many years, large-scale cold-storage of plants has only been carried out the last 15–20 years. From uptake to planting the plants are exposed to serious influences: Drying, frost damages, attack of fungi and decomposition of storage matter.
    By using cold-storage of plants you are able to:

    1. Keep the plants dormant, i.e. no decomposition of storage matter
    2. prolong the time of transplanting
    3. provide a longer sales season
    4. lift plants during the winter when weather conditions are favourable
    5. protect the plants against winter damages and drying
    6. avoid the traditional time-taking and expensive storage method.

    To keep the plants living from lifting time to planting out the store room must be constructed so that the plants can be kept dormant. As the plants cannot stand drying, the humidity in the store room must be maximal, and the temperature alone determines the respiration capacity.

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    And a bit more...

    What is Dormancy?

    Dormancy is a survival strategy that temperate climate species have evolved to stay alive over the winter. These species have a biological clock that tells them to slow activity and prepare soft tissues for an onslaught of freezing temperatures. Species that have well developed dormancy needs cannot be tricked out of them. If you attempt to give a such as species, for instance Japanese maple, Acer palmatum, an eternal summer by bringing it in the house, it will grow continuously for as long as two years. After a maximum period of sustained growth, a temperate climate plant will automatically go dormant no matter what the season or condition. Deciduous plants will lose their leaves, evergreens will curtail all new growth. This is very stressful to the plant and usually fatal. It will be 100% fatal if the plant does not receive the necessary period of cold temperatures required to break the dormancy.
    To summarize, temperate climate plants require a cold dormant period. They have internal clocks that tell them when to go dormant. The clocks can be tricked to some degree. After a normal growing season, dormancy can be brought on by decreasing temperatures and shortened daylength, or delayed by maintaining summer temperatures and daylength.
    Cold Hardiness

    Cold hardiness acquisition is also a necessary part of dormancy in temperate climates. Plants begin entering dormancy by setting buds in mid to late summer. Stem tissues begin increasing levels of sugars and carbohydrates in response to lowering temperatures in the fall. By the time freezing temperatures arrive, they have developed enough natural antifreeze to survive freezes. Different species develop different degrees of cold hardiness according to their natural environment. The degree of cold hardiness they can acquire is genetically determined. Roots do not develop cold hardiness in the same fashion and must be protected to a greater extent than top growth in container plants.
    Breaking Dormancy

    In order for these species to break dormancy and begin growing again they must acquire the requisite number of hours of cold temperatures. For most of these species it is 1000 hours of temperatures below 40F. Once this requirement has been satisfied the plant may begin growing again immediately. The new growth is triggered by temperature alone. If temperatures rise much above 40F for any extended period of time, say a week or so, the buds will break and the plant will begin growing. This can happen outside in January if there is a freak warm spell, or it can be artificially manipulated if plants are brought indoors. A return to cold weather will of course kill the new growth and buds.
    Dormancy in Tropicals

    Tropical and subtropical plants that have evolved under milder conditions have modest or no dormancy requirements. They are capable of continuous growth at 70F+ temperatures. In fact most tropical species will grow more slowly or not at all at certain times of the year, but this is not related to dormancy. Andy Walsh refers to this phenomenon as 'quiescence'. Temperate climate plants also exhibit this phenomenon, most notably during the hot dry part of summer for desert plants. Growth resumes when favorable conditions returns.
    Treatment of Subtropicals

    Subtropicals such as Chinese elms, Ulmus parvifolia, have little if any dormancy requirements. In colder areas they drop their leaves, go dormant and act like deciduous trees. In milder, non freezing environments, they are evergreen and exhibit continuous growth except for occasional 'quiescence'. They require fairly high light levels and that will be the most difficult factor to maintain. A sunny window is usually insufficient and supplemental light, such as a fluorescent lamp six inches above the plant, is strongly recommended. Most subtropical plants that do not have strict dormancy requirements, still seem to perform better if they have a brief cold dormant period that allows them to lose their foliage. Both Chinese elm and Pomegranate, Punica granatum, fall into this category.
    Determining Which Plants Need Dormancy

    When determining whether or not a plant can be grown indoors, the strongest clue will come from its natural environment. If the species is native to a temperate climate area that receives regular freezing winter temperatures, it will be impossible to grow this plant continuously indoors. It can only be an indoor plant if you can also satisfy its dormancy requirement by providing it with the requisite number of hours of temperatures under 40F.
    How to Give Plants a Dormant Period

    It is not easy, but some people have become adept at growing temperate plants indoors by giving them a dormant period each year. This can be done by keeping plants in the refrigerator, in a cold garage, or outside until the dormancy requirements are met. The plants are then brought back into the house and growth is reinitiated by providing warmer temperatures and increased daylength with grow lights. This is not a procedure for beginners, and if you wish to try it, expect failures until you learn the proper techniques and the eccentricities of each species.
    If, for some reason, you cannot keep your temperate plants outside all winter to give them a dormant period, here is how you can do it can do it in the refrigerator: First (if possible), keep them outside and let them enjoy a few light frosts. Ideally, four to six weeks of decreasing day length and mild cool weather where the temps are around 25 to 35F at night, will adequately prepare them. If this is not possible, just keep them as cool as possible as late as possible in the fall, and then put them in the fridge. The above preparation is not strictly necesary, but it does keep them healthier and minimizes the refrigerator period. Going directly from a growing state (AFTER a full season of growth) into cold storage will not adversely affect any temperate climate plant. They will just go dormant in the fridge, drop their leaves, etc.
    Some precaution against drying out in the fridge must be taken, especially in modern frost free refrigerators. You can wrap them loosely with plastic, but do allow some circulation. Take them out weekly and check to see if they need watering. They still must be watered normally when they begin to dry out. Light is not necessary as long as the temperature is low, about 35F or lower. If you have the option, keep the temperature hovering just above freezing, it will minimize fungal problems.
    As a minimum, keep them in the fridge for six weeks, longer is fine. After six weeks, they will have the 1000 hours of chill considered necessary for most temperate climate plants. You can then take them out and return them to growing conditions. This may be inside, but please read the articles on growing indoors. This will almost certainly mean good air circulation, grow lights, and added humidity such as a growing chamber or small greenhouse.
    In the beginning, it is far more important to learn how to properly water, prune, fertilize, and repot your tropical bonsai than it is try to manipulate the dormant period of temperate climate species.
    And finally

    Why is there so much apparent conflict in the advice of individuals and books on which plants can be grown indoors? The key goes back to my opening statement: All plants are outdoor plants, but any plant may be grown indoors if you give it what it needs. Some people have discovered what a particular temperate species needs, others have not.
    As a beginner, stick to tropical plants, such as Ficusspecies, that have no dormancy requirements for indoor growing. Match their natural growing conditions as closely as possible. As you gain experience you may want to try to grow some temperate species indoors by providing them with a yearly dormant period."


  3. #2
    Master Poet Guest

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    I cant see that happening tbh. For a day or 2 then yes but 2 weeks without light even wrapped up would do it no good at all and I would think it would end up dead. Try it with another plant and see what happens. I could be wrong but I dont think so.

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    It's not really something I can experiment with, just dictatorial circumstances

    We read about putting plants into prolonged dark periods of up to a week at end of flower, but I suppose she'd be getting killed anyways, also at switch to flower with no issues. (His Right Royal Herminess excl) and hear about timers blowing and not being trapped for a week and such with no major issues. Yield'd be another thing obvioulsly. It's just the air supply/temps I'm worried about, and indeed, if the plant would hibernate/shut down successfully and be able to recover afterwards

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    do you reckon it would hibernate in a fridge? cuts have been known to last months. how big is the plant? can you not just hide it? I had the letting agents round inspecting my house the other day and managed to cram my whole grow into a 60x60x120 tent then just disguised it amongst a pile of boxes(most of which contained grow equipment)

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    I dont know the answer to this and have never experimented with this kind of thing.
    What I can say is I have had plants lots of times where they do not grow, do not due, do not appear to be taking on board water or nutrients but they live quite happily. When root bound is an example of this.
    I believe the technical term is called "photosynthetic compensation point". Where some event has caused a plant to not grow (not stop growing since it will start again), not develop more growth in any way, including flowers. Usually if a plant does this, I give it a drop of superthrive, kick its arse and away it goes again. When root bound is the best example I can think of.
    Unfortunately, I dont know if this type of thing can be induced by restricting light.
    W
    Any suggestions are opinion only. I get some right, I get some wrong but I always try to help.

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    Thx cavemanjah but the Fridge is out, it'd be locked in a 26fft storage container say,no electrics or water

    Thx WoodyJ, it's not the light but the air though I'd think.

    No light = long night (up to a point) I co-incidentally saw a program the other day on ancient britain and how the ability to store grain was a major leap in civilisation. It showed how they sealed up the grain in a pit. The seeds would start to germinate and soon run out of oxygen then hibernate for up to two years and still be viable. That is a biological reaction that theoretically, may work on bigger plants, sort of suspended animation, and as long as no cell damage through frost I might get away with it?

  11. #7
    Master Poet Guest

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    You have to remember GB that was grain not a full blown plant with leaves and stem and everything. I would imagin that the leaves would go all droopy and start to wilt and die off.

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  13. #8
    Hillbilly Guest

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    Boy this one has me stumped, don't ever remember anything about cold storage plants or what not from Collage days. I know no light for one week all new growth will be light and stretched, two weeks will be a lot, and a lot of stress and might throw it into flower too, if it made it. I think you would have to chop any of the growth you got and re-veg it for a bit after to get an ok yield.. other then that two weeks is a long time but maybe it could be done!

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    Yes, I saw that prog too with Neil Oliver.
    I think the point I was trying to make was we have all seen plants that look like they should be dying but dont, for whatever reason. There will be a way of doing it I think but I wouldnt try it with a valuable plant such as MJ.
    I once experimented by covering up one branch on a plant overnight to try and get one branch to flower so I could sex it. Disaster, the branch fell off & died. I was told due to lack of transpiration and photosynthesis. I wouldnt know about that!

    Maybe if you are going to try & put them in a container for 2 weeks, a battery powered light with a battery powered fan may do the job of keeping them alive but I wouldnt like to think what state they will be in afterwards.
    W

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    Interesting idea. Maybe do some research into cryptobiosis and dormancy?

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