Can plants have too much light, or do they need night/rest?

Question

Because we live in southern Canada, in the late fall, my mother likes to take as much of her garden indoors as she can fit, for the winter.

She usually brings in her potted palms, a few flowers, at least one pot of each of her dozen or so types of herbs, and before moving to a smaller place, she would also bring in as many pots of tomatoes as she could fit.

She arranges them all next to the window, waters them once a week, and plugs one or two lights into a timer that is programmed to turn on just when it’s getting dark, and off just when it’s getting light.

This has always made me wonder if plants can have too much light. I tried Googling it, but all the discussions I found were about burning from too much sun (ie, too much heat/UV/etc.) That is not the issue here since the light(s) are just 13W CFLs. My issue is more with the idea that as far as the plants are concerned, it is always day and night never comes.

When I was studying psychology at University, one thing I found very interesting was the study of sleep and circadian rhythms. I’ll never forget reading about various experiments on sleep deprivation and its effects. Moreover, in my biology courses, we learned how (most) plants have a two-phase cycle: an anaerobic one (i.e. “breathing” CO₂) during the day, and an aerobic one (“breathing” O₂) at night. These make me wonder what effects having a constant source of light would have on the plants. After all; all day and no sleep make humans something something… what about plants?

Answer 1

It would definitely depend on the plant species you are talking about. Some plants specifically thrive in continuous light. For example, in northern Alaska the day-night cycle can during the summer can become 19 hours of light (or more) and 5 hours of night. This allows people to grow giant cabbage (the record weighing approx. 127 lbs).

Some plants respond better than others. In a study they found that 24 hour light increased the growth of chickpeas under the same amount of time as opposed being grown under normal conditions. Roses experience a shorter blossoming period, but more buds were produced and blossomed. Cucumbers and corn experienced no net increase in mass compared to plants grown under normal conditions. Certain plants such as sweet peppers and tomatoes actually experience decreased growth and yields compared to standard conditions and also experienced blistering from continued light.

So truly it does depend on what plant is being grown.

Answer 2

Actually.. Here's a study that shows tomatoes do pretty well in a 24 hour continuous, but they varied the temperature and they didn't get the spotting that had occurred with 24h lighting in the past. Did better than the 16 hour light / 8 hour dark, anyways.

http://hortsci.ashspublications.org/content/40/2/374.full.pdf

Answer 3

Moreover, in my biology courses, we learned how (most) plants have a two-phase cycle: an anaerobic one (i.e. “breathing” CO2) during the day, and an aerobic one (“breathing” O2) at night.

Wrong. There are two main cycles of photosynthesis colloquially called light and dark cycles. The light cycle requires light. The dark cycle does not require dark. It happens constantly because it is independent of light.

Answer 4

You need to distinguish between vegging and flowering when it comes to light cycles!

Vegging light cycle can be 18-24 hours under MH (Metal Halide with a good Daylight Spectrum Bulb) or fluorescent lights (T5's are great).

For flowering, cycle 12 hours on, 12 hours off with a good HPS (High Pressure Sodium) bulb.

Answer 5

I would like to point out that plants do not have an "anaerobic" phase. Plants ALWAYS "breathe" O2. Just the net balance during the day is the production of O2 by photosynthesis because that only occurs under influence of light.

Basically two reactions occur: (Simplified)

reaction one: glucose (C6H12O6) + 6 O2 --> 6 H2O + 6 CO2 (+ heat)

This reaction releases about 2900 kJ/mol (dG ~ -2900 kJ/mol) That energy is used to drive the synthesis of ATP, the "universal energy currency" of all organisms we know of. I will not go further into this as this strays too far off the subject.

reaction two: 6 CO2 + 6 H2O + hv --> glucose (C6H12O6) + 6 O2

In which hv is the energy of a photon of a particular wavelength. I again want to again point out the simplification of this example, as for one glucose is not the only carbohydrate produced and this is just part of a complex system of reactions.

Imagine the cellular respiration (reaction one) occuring at a constant rate, lets say 30 reactions per second (All rate values are arbitrarily chosen). Reaction two is light-dependant so at night the reaction might only occur at a rate of 1 per second due to stray photons. So the net reaction would be 29 times reaction one per second. As the dawn approaches and the plants light exposure increases, so does the rate of reaction two, until it eventually reaches, lets say 100 reactions per second at maximum light exposure. This will mean that at this point the net reaction is 60 reactions per second of reaction two. But the plant still also consumes oxygen (meaning it is NOT anaerobic)! The plant just produces more oxygen in the same time period. If the day and light periods last equally as long the average rate of reaction two would be around 50 reactions per second versus 30 reactions per second of reaction one. This means the overall average reaction rate would be 20 reactions per second. Enabling the plant to store carbohydrates (glucose in this example) and to oxygenate the atmosphere other aerobic organisms require to live.

The requirement of a day-night cycle depends on the particular plant. However all plants do require light at some point, for the reasons above. Also most plants can not grow properly under continuous light due to oxidative stress (accumulation of free radicals) and deregulation of various plant processes (Exhaustion of crucial compounds). I like to imagine it to overdriving an engine, although that damage is irreversible wheras the damage done to plants is partially reversible.

Answer 6

I've had plants of all types my entire life.I honestly believe all "living" things need a rest. Just like the change in seasons, everything gets that growth spurt in the spring after that long rest.

Answer 7

I grow broccoli sprouts under a fluorescent bulb. I, too, wondered whether continuous light had an adverse effect on germination/growth. My experience has been that this species thrives in 24 hour light conditions. There may be some optimal on/off ratio that would produce even better results, but since the sprouts seem so happy, I don't sweat the details! :)

Answer 8

Just some observations of my own experiments with tomatoes. Concern about lighting costs and heat generation can be alleviated to a great degree by using LEDs. Also, full spectrum lighting is not needed. UV and infrared aren't necessary. White light is not even necessary. Tomatoes appear to thrive best under red light.

Now a red incandescent is good but for the electricity and the heat. LEDs have several frequencies of red light available. I couldn't find the specific range that is best for tomatoes, so I created floods with several different "colors" of red LEDs. My results were amazing considering the size of my experiment of only 4 plants.

Answer 9

It seems your major concern here is that the plant be able to "sleep" per se; but since most plants produce their own energy "sleep" isn't really necessary. As others have mentioned, respiration (the process of breaking down glucose into energy for the plant, which requires oxygen and of which carbon dioxide is the by product) occurs 24/7. The plant would die without it. Photosynthesis only occurs with light, and only if certain spectrums are present. For examples, plants may do a tiny bit of photosynthesis at night from star and moonlight. But mostly they are completing respiration, which occurs at a constant rate and doesn't change based on whether there is light or not. The plants should be fine with a tiny bit of light, but if you notice the leaves bleaching maybe mention something to your mom. Kinda sounds like she is experienced though.