Do city lights negatively effect my rose bushes at night?

Question

From what I understand, ideal conditions for flowering plants would be complete darkness at night. There are a few pretty bright street lights by my rose bushes.

Also, I leave a front light on all night that is kind of close to the rose bushes. I'd like to keep the light on, to help with the security of my house, but would it really make a difference to my rose bushes to turn it off?

Answer 1

Those lights aren't bright enough. This is one of those Urban Legends I hear all the time at Orchid shows and meetings. Don't know how it got started but... O.K. the strength of those streetlights at the surface of your bushes is at best a couple of hundred foot candles, sunlight is 3,500 FC or more, the math speaks for itself.

Answer 2

I have never heard this about roses..and have seen plenty grown around porch lights etc..but it is a good question for I do know that if you place a christmas cactus(which blooms late novemeber to early december here) that it totally messes up the cactis' ability to bloom and will prevent it from doing so...

Answer 3

It's unlikely that normal street lights or domestic lighting would affect rose bushes in any way.Consider the number of public parks,coastal resorts and entertainment sites which are brightly floodlit and roses grow well.

Artifical day light using lights with special filters is used in the trade to stimulate roses into growth under glass,your lights should be quite OK.