Blackout Film

Farm Plastic Supply uniquely offers our 3 signature light deprivation products in…”Total Blackout”.  We offer Total Blackout 6, Total Blackout 8, and Total Blackout 8S.  Total Blackout 6 is produced 6 mil, Total Blackout 8 is produced 8 mil and Total Blackout 8S is produced in 8 mil SKRIM.  Our blackout films are tough, pinhole free, and pitch black with an ultrawhite outer layer and are the choice for many growers who are force blooming.  The 6 milis the most economical while the 8 mil smooth bodes of increased toughness needed in windy regions.  The 6 mil Total Blackout is listed at a great price point that is the most widely chosen by many growers.  For optimal toughness but still at a reasonable price point, choose our Total Blackout 8.   If you want the absolute top of the line in blackout, checkout our Total Blackout 8S Dura-Skrim line.  Duraskrim is similar to our 8 mil smooth but has a fabric/string reinforcement. 

 All of our light dep products are true blackout recipes specifically formulated for greenhouse plastic application.  The black is double layered made with “Black Master Batch” containing vulcan P.  In addition, we have UV additives to withstand 18 months of UV.  The white layer is Ultra-White to keep the sunlight reflecting away from the greenhouse.  These greenhouse blackout tarps are proven and used by 1000’s of growers nationwide often used to force bloom flowering.      

We often think of a greenhouse as a sunny enclosure with either clear or white plastic film covering a structure that contains their pride and joy their plants.  You may be surprised to learn that even though a greenhouse structure may look white from the outside, it may be a complete blackout from the inside.  A greenhouse that is a TOTAL BLACK is for light deprivation.  Light deprivation is a breakthrough greenhouse concept that is now very commonly used to stimulate flowering in angiosperms (flowering plants).  For many growers, it is often the flower and the fruit that pay the bills.  So how does this all work?

Understanding light deprivation was a major breakthrough that was proven in the 1920’s.  Black out light deprivation is all about flowering.  A plant will meter the light cycle and then naturally decide to flower based on its species.  Growers have found a way to control flowering by changing their focus from daylight hours to night time hours.  Let me try to simplify.  Flowering plants have a meter on them (actually a photoreceptor protein).  It was first thought that the meter was for measuring changes in sunlight.  Later is was proven that many flowering angiosperms will flower based on the duration of the night.  Simply amazing, control the dark hours and you can get your plant to flower.  For some plants, a single season flowering plant could now flower multiple times per year with light deprivation! 

The key is to try to understand the night time hours required for flowering your plant.  When you have a handle on the night, you then can start inducing nighttime by using Farm Plastic’s Total Blackout film.  This will require raising and lower blackout shades but the reward will be timely and more predictable flowering.  In addition, flowering will go from once a year to multiple times a year.  Plants are very receptive so be sure to use proven blackout films.  Keep in mind, shade is not blackout.  Do not spin your wheels or waste your effort by using inferior products for total light deprivation.

When total blackout light deprivation is required, this can be best accomplished using Farm Plastic Supply’s blackout film.  Two of the 3 melted layers of our film are black while the other external layer is deep white to help from keeping the greenhouse from overheating.  Some will call this plastic film type Panda film.  Our light depo film is not basic Panda film.  Our blackout sheeting is thicker starting at a tough 6 mil while basic Panda is only 5 mil.  We also provide 2 dark black layers of melted virgin resin to one external white layer to be sure to provide the best in darkening.  We have it all here at Farm Plastic supply, we have a tough total blackout film that will not break your bank or your back!