Hardening off for windy and sunny conditions?

[thizzness]

Hey fellas, I'm going to be starting a bunch of plants inside under cfls for around 2 weeks before I transplant them outside. However, the place I will be transplanting them is in the top of a tree that gets a lot of direct sunlight and a LOT of wind. I'm concerned that the second I put the little girls out there the wind and sun will completely ravage them. So how should I go about hardening them off before I put them out?

I don't have any way to gradually expose them to sunlight unless I construct something to go on the 5 gal bucket up in the tree.... or maybe I could just move some branches in front of them so the sunlight is diffused for a week?

And to get them ready for extreme wind, I have no idea. Maybe a fan aimed at the seedlings on full blast for a few hours a day?

 

[creep]

Whats up Thiz,

Let me get this straight... You're going to transplant them into a canopy? Like on a terrace or something? Don't tell me you've got a treehouse =)

I just don't understand.


Well to toughen up my transplants I let them catch some rays from the sun coming in through the window for a few days and just increase my fan speed. I'll do this for the two weeks prior to the voyage into the great outdoors.

 

[thizzness]

I've got a big bucket hidden in the top of a big tree.

Its really windy up there some days so I need to beef up my seedlings stems before putting them out.

 

[Canada]

i would cut a cylinder from a 2lt coke bottle . Just cut the top and bottom off the bottle and bury the cylinder about 2 inches in the soil kinda liek a force feild to block the wind from snaping the little stem .

 

[figment42]

Nice setup. Where did you score the camo burlap?

 

[thizzness]

http://www.amazon.com/Hunters-Speci...e=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1302746761&sr=8-1
shit works real good

 

[20/4]

Buy some wooden dowl(spelling?) And tie them to it for extra rigid support...I love the bucket in a tree! Pretty nifty! Let's see that bucket from the ground, or can you even see it?

Cheers bud, goodluck I can hardly wait to watch!

 

[thizzness]

Dowels...yeah thats a great idea haha, I didn't even consider it because I only ever see them used for heavy flowering plants.

Heres the view from the ground before I put on the camo burlap. Its only visible from directly below so there shouldn't be a big risk of anyone seeing it, unless someone is hiking around looking up for birds nests or decides to climb that particular tree. Though the bucket is way easier to see than this picture would make you think.

 

[20/4]

What bucket?! Haha, just kidding, but it is difficult to see, even without the burlap, I'm sure its nearly invisible for even someone look, let alone a hiker lol..

I'll be around to watch this

 

[yoss33]

I'd suggest that you let the plant grow a little bigger and stronger (3-4 weeks under cfl) before you put it out. A 2-week plant has a weak stem.
I'm amazed by your guerilla tactics, though I'm wondering on how you are going to water it Good luck

 

[Maj.Cottonmouth]

Silica products are good for strengthening stems, might be worth a try.

Are you going to have a thread about your canopy grow? It is a very interesting idea and I would love to see how it turns out.

 

[thizzness]

Yeah I've got a thread going in the outdoor forum and I'll be documenting the grow there
https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=206137

Watering is tricky but I've got a system set up with blumats that will automatically water whenever the plants need it. I've got a 5 gal gas can for a water reservoir and hopefully will only have to refill it once a week max.

 

[figment42]

You gonna be covering that can with burlap as well?

 

[thizzness]

Of course. That was just a test to see how it would fit.

 

[angustotse]

I still disagree with your growing in trees idea but that's for another thread

I think the best way is to start them in place. I always start autos outside in their final container and they do fine. You could even take some sticks or wire and build a frame and use some screen or chicken wire to protect them from critters until they are a few inches tall.

You shouldn't transplant autos ever

good luck

you'll need it