Transplanting to outdoors

[Freakazoid44]

I read in a thread that once the daylight hours get under 14, that will trigger the flowering period for outdoor plants.

If I start a plant indoors, under lights 24/7, gradually harden the plants off during the day, outdoors, and then transplant outdoors when the light period hits about 15 hours, will the reduction from 24 hours of light to 15 possibly trigger flowering before I want it to?

Would I be better off starting/vegging indoors under lights for 15 or 16 hours? Contemplating sneaking a plant or two in with my tomatoes in my raised beds this year.

 

[Mr. Burgundy]

Hope this helps-
I would say verging initially around the 16-18 hr mark.

Stay Classy!

 

[Dankwolf]

Depends on Strian 100%
indica 20/4
Sativa 18/6
For veg

​​​​​​Rough answer .
What are daylight hours when you plan to put them out ?
Also what time of year will it be start to finish ?

 

[Mr Jay]

will the reduction from 24 hours of light to 15 possibly trigger flowering before I want it to?

Most likely. I match my starts to the daylight hours on the day I plan to plant them outside, this prevents an early flowering trigger.

 

[Freakazoid44]

Depends on Strian 100%
indica 20/4
Sativa 18/6
For veg

​​​​​​Rough answer .
What are daylight hours when you plan to put them out ?
Also what time of year will it be start to finish ?

I looked and, on the upswing, it gets over 15 hours around May 25, so that's kind of my target date to have a plant to transplant outdoors.

It will peak at about 15:22 the week of Summer Solstice, for several days, and then, on the downswing, gets back under 14 hours on August 14. We didn't have a hard frost until late in October last year, but that was pretty unusual. Usually early October is when that happens. Not sure if MJ needs to be done by frost.

Looks like my plan is to start a couple of plants indoors, from seed under shop lights, at 16/8 hours next week. First week in May, I'll start giving them gradually increasing outdoors time on my patio, during the day, and step down the light time to 15:45 for a week, then 15:30 for a week, then 15:15 for a week, then 15:00 for the last few days. They'll go into my raised "lasagna" bed along with my tomatoes, in the middle of some indeterminate varieties, with cages, just like the tomato plants. I'm pretty sure the neighbors won't notice them. Here's what the tomatoes looked like last year.

 

[Bud Green]

Don't forget that you can add a full hour to the time between sunrise and sunset.... The half hour twilight at beginning and end of day is considered by your plants as "lights on"..

 

[Obsidian]

What I've been doing for early outdoor planting, is a little trick I learned from some cali outdoor growers

run a string of led lights or incandescent, typical clear christmas bulbs. cheap, not super bright white.
you don't want to light up the grow, just enough to stimulate growth.
I have lights spaced every 36", keep a 36" grid layout over your girls.
when sun goes down turn the lights with timer on for 2-3hrs no more, shut them off. 2-3hrs before the sun comes up turn the light on
extra light issues solved, it works great. temps need to be taken into account.

extra 6hrs can put you at 18/6 then aug 1st turn off the timers no more night lights let the sun do it's work, harvest oct 24th(at least for me)

 

[Organilush]

I read in a thread that once the daylight hours get under 14, that will trigger the flowering period for outdoor plants.

If I start a plant indoors, under lights 24/7, gradually harden the plants off during the day, outdoors, and then transplant outdoors when the light period hits about 15 hours, will the reduction from 24 hours of light to 15 possibly trigger flowering before I want it to?....

Are they grown from seed or are they clones?

If it is a seed grown plant, I don't think going from 24 to 15 hours of light will trigger the plant to flower. (not 100% positive tho)

Clones seem to be much more sensitive to/likely to flower when put outdoors early.

I wouldn't think a young seed grown plant would have issues with early flowering. I don't have experience with moving plants from under lights into the outdoors though, all of my seed grown plants are started outdoors/under the sun.


Why not just start the seeds/plants outdoors right from the beginning instead of under lights/indoors? Or is your climate still too cold/harsh at the moment?

I always start my seeds directly outdoors under the sun, directly in soil. Last year I started them around the end of March/early April, pretty much about now. No issues with early flowering, no hardening/transitioning needed.

If your climate is mild enough, seed grown plants can be started directly outdoors pretty early in the season with out any risk of early flowering.

But I assume you're trying to veg/grow the plants as large as possible and that's why you're wanting to give them 24 hours of light?




.

 

[Freakazoid44]

Are they grown from seed or are they clones?

If it is a seed grown plant, I don't think going from 24 to 15 hours of light will trigger the plant to flower. (not 100% positive tho)

Clones seem to be much more sensitive to/likely to flower when put outdoors early.

I wouldn't think a young seed grown plant would have issues with early flowering. I don't have experience with moving plants from under lights into the outdoors though, all of my seed grown plants are started outdoors/under the sun.


Why not just start the seeds/plants outdoors right from the beginning instead of under lights/indoors? Or is your climate still too cold/harsh at the moment?

I always start my seeds directly outdoors under the sun, directly in soil. Last year I started them around the end of March/early April, pretty much about now. No issues with early flowering, no hardening/transitioning needed.

If your climate is mild enough, seed grown plants can be started directly outdoors pretty early in the season with out any risk of early flowering.

But I assume you're trying to veg/grow the plants as large as possible and that's why you're wanting to give them 24 hours of light?




.

I'm not Canada-north, but I am pretty far north, for the USA. Last safe "frost date" is generally in May for my area. Also, with the ground and nights being that cold, at the start, I figure starting indoors with help the plants get a jump on that early growth.

I do the same thing for peppers and tomatoes. Planting direct isn't done for plants that need the warmth, or need the time.

 

[therevverend]

In mid May you should be fine, especially in the Great White North. I've put out clones and seedlings around May 20th at 47 degrees N. Going from 24 hours to natural light. Never had to mess around with supplemental lighting. I did take care to put them out during cloudy weather so they didn't get burned. The only time you may have a problem is with an old clone that's very photosensitive and wants to flower bad. The days getting longer is a stronger signal then just day length and the sun is much more intense then indoor lighting.

I like to put my seedlings out early to pre-sex them. Sometimes the males will flower and the females will throw a few hairs. I start them under natural lighting in mid March to April 1st. Indoors under artificial lighting you can start them earlier (January and February) and put them out later. (mid April to early May)

 

[St. Phatty]

Don't forget that you can add a full hour to the time between sunrise and sunset.... The half hour twilight at beginning and end of day is considered by your plants as "lights on"..

What if the plants are in the shadow of a hill and a tree on the South and West side ?

I have 4 plants indoors under LED's on 12/12 and want to move them outdoors. Sunrise Sunset is about 13 hours right now.

I figure most of them will continue flowering, AND in another month, maybe 1 or 2 will show signs of reverting to veg.

In this case that would be OK. I have clones and am trying to figure out which ones to grow big and flower this summer.

 

[Bud Green]

What if the plants are in the shadow of a hill and a tree on the South and West side ?

I have 4 plants indoors under LED's on 12/12 and want to move them outdoors. Sunrise Sunset is about 13 hours right now.

I figure most of them will continue flowering, AND in another month, maybe 1 or 2 will show signs of reverting to veg.

In this case that would be OK. I have clones and am trying to figure out which ones to grow big and flower this summer.

If there's enough light outside for you to read a newspaper without squinting, there's enough light for plants to consider it daytime...

 

[Freakazoid44]

In mid May you should be fine, especially in the Great White North. I've put out clones and seedlings around May 20th at 47 degrees N. Going from 24 hours to natural light. Never had to mess around with supplemental lighting. I did take care to put them out during cloudy weather so they didn't get burned. The only time you may have a problem is with an old clone that's very photosensitive and wants to flower bad. The days getting longer is a stronger signal then just day length and the sun is much more intense then indoor lighting.

I like to put my seedlings out early to pre-sex them. Sometimes the males will flower and the females will throw a few hairs. I start them under natural lighting in mid March to April 1st. Indoors under artificial lighting you can start them earlier (January and February) and put them out later. (mid April to early May)

My response was more about why I'm starting indoors, about now, from seed and planting seedlings outside, later, instead of planting seeds directly into the soil, now, previously, or later. But, yeah, mid to late May is my target, and I'll "harden off" the plants before actual transplanting.

 

[f-e]

We use 18 hours indoors, because any less and some things flower. 18 is just energy saving, it's the least power you can get away with. I have open plots and some in hollowed out woodland. The one's more sheltered flower sooner. It's a bit obvious really. The open plot are looking in flower when it's still 16 hours, strain dependent. However, for me to see it, it's been happening a week.

I won't vouch for it as I feel it's wrong, but many say you can't flower as the days get longer, even if the hours are short. Entire forums think this though. I'm perhaps at 16 hours when they go out and never see signs.

UK, plant out May 23rd, crop early September. Some will survive a frost but only survive. Once temps drop mid September I don't want to smoke it. It just goes hard and black and tastes of bones. End of August is best, if I can manage it.

Nyom nyom. Where is it.. I'm having a hit right now

 

[therevverend]

I won't vouch for it as I feel it's wrong, but many say you can't flower as the days get longer, even if the hours are short. Entire forums think this though. I'm perhaps at 16 hours when they go out and never see signs.

The obvious example of this being wrong is Autos but I've had non-Autos, strains that are photo-sensitive flower as well. I'm talking about seedlings, clones are a different game. Males are much more likely to go full into flowering in the spring. It's rare with females and I've never had it happen with regular seed planted out after May 20th from 24 hour light.

UK, plant out May 23rd, crop early September. Some will survive a frost but only survive. Once temps drop mid September I don't want to smoke it. It just goes hard and black and tastes of bones. End of August is best, if I can manage it.

That basically restricts you to either Autos or photo-sensitive types. I'm surprised it's the frost that kills you not the mold. Mold is my big problem and I know it's a problem in the UK. Above 45 degrees N time is working against you. Days are longer later so most stuff doesn't start to flower until late August. I can finish stuff until mid October if it has mold resistance but it doesn't freeze in October like it used to. Plants can take temperatures down to 31, 29 F but if it drops below that they die fast. In a lot of places the season ends quickly and you have to be on it. The season literally ends overnight and the frostbite ruins buds.

I always start indoors for a number of reasons, not just the cold. I sprout my plants in a south facing window on a heat mat. Once they sprout I put them in a sheltered area on the south side of my house. The house and windows absorb and reflect heat. If temperatures are dropping below 36 degrees F I pull them indoors for the night, put them out the next morning. This is why I'm talking about pre-sexing, I want my plants to show pre-flowers so I can cull the males. You don't get that starting under artificial lights unless you start earlier, January or February. Once the plants are big enough they want to flower, they won't be tricked into going into full flower but enough to sex and cull most of the males.

 

[CrushnYuba]

I really do think matching daylight hours is bro science. I have done some testing. I wish others would join in and test a little!
The way i understand it is its hormone build up during the night. It takes time. Less night means less hormone build up. I have seen people give their plants 24hr of dark to try to get them to start flowering quicker! And it seems to work.
seems to me that giving your plants 24 hr light for a little bit before you put them out would stop them from flowering prematurely. I started doing it to debunk the "hour matching". I have had good success.

 

[St. Phatty]

I have a Romberry mother plant that I want to flower this summer.

But I don't want it to head-faked by the shorter days. Right now sunrise sunset is 13 1/2 hours.
Guess I'll wait a few more weeks, until it's 15 hours.

Thinking that that will give 16 hours of light for the light cycle.

 

[kokomarin]

I am from coastal Mediteran climate 43,6n,and march,april,May always use for flowering,to have idea what I have .
Thh have very weak stem smell,to find best girl,some flowers sample is best way.

 

[Freakazoid44]

Update: Today I transplanted back indoors. My scheme where the plants would be camouflaged by the tomatoes was not going according to plan. The two marijuana plants were sticking up a good foot above the tomatoes, and, I imagine, if/when they are full of flowers, they are going to stick out like a sore thumb, more than now. Cultivation is still a felony, I think, in my municipality.

I moved them back indoors, transplanting them into a large Rubbermaid tub. They're each almost six feet tall. Once I figure out how to surround them with florescent shop lights, and let them settle into their post-transplant existence for a couple of days, I'm switching to a 13/11 light cycle. The plants are beasts. Not sure how much production we'll see since they are way bigger than anything I've had my lights set up for. I'm guessing the lighting will not be the most efficient. I'm going to run some clothesline to the shelves in the closet to support them.

Looking forward to the time when I can legally grow a plant or two..... this wildly exceeded my expectations.