What's new
  • Please note members who been with us for more than 10 years have been upgraded to "Veteran" status and will receive exclusive benefits. If you wish to find out more about this or support IcMag and get same benefits, check this thread here.
  • Important notice: ICMag's T.O.U. has been updated. Please review it here. For your convenience, it is also available in the main forum menu, under 'Quick Links"!

preventing early spring flowering with clones

So I can start fem seeds in late February under 24 hr fluorescent then put them in a greenhouse in mid April without supp lighting and they won’t flower early?
 

CrushnYuba

Well-known member
Its a gamble. They may flip on you. But if you popped them in Feb and put them in a greenhouse after a couple weeks they would be better off.

24 for that long to getting put out that early..
 

marmarb

Active member
I just took some clones that are going outdoors I'm just gonna root and than keep them under 14 hrs of light so it'll just match up to the light times that itll get once they go outdoors
 

TychoMonolyth

Boreal Curing
You think a small space heater would keep a 20x10 carport with a greenhouse skin over it and tucked under the frame warm enough?

As long as it's not below 50f outside. But they'll be hurting at that temp. Why don't you get a few sheets of foam insulation board. Make a big box and heat that?

SilveRboard R3 Graphite Exterior Sheathing Insulation (4-ft x 8-ft)

You can't beat the $10. You'll spend more in electricity without it.
1024203_08168794_001_l.jpg
 

CrushnYuba

Well-known member
Compare clones with tomato plants. Both like warm environment. 70-80 F in day, no less than 50F at night.

i know guys who run it much colder at night in their greenhouses for outdoor starts. Under 40. They do well. I personally try not to go below 55. a space heater would not keep a 10x20 at 50 in my climate. But would prevent from freezing
 
The past two years I've waited until late May or June to get clones and I place them directly outside directly into the fabric pots.

Considering the current events I'd like to get a hold of some clones as soon as I can. But I know it's still early and I don't want them to start to flower early.


I live in central/northern Cali and my yard receives a lot of direct sunlight through out the day, almost the entire day, and it's about to warm up next week. So I'll have a good chunk of direct sunlight hitting the plants every day and warm spring days.

I was thinking about just moving the plants underneath a floodlight on our porch for 2 hours or so around/after sunset.

Currently the sun sets at 7:20PM and the length of day is 12h:21m ...Will keeping the plants underneath a basic flood light for 2 hours after sunset, until about 8:30pm, be enough to prevent them from going into flowering?

Then around the middle to late May when the sun starts to set near 8:30pm, I'll just stop giving them that extra light in the evening.



Does that sound like a plan that'll work?

How much light, intensity wise, is needed to prevent them from flowering?

I'm super broke and don't have the $ to place a light over each plant, I'm hoping a flood light (I don't know the watts/lumens, it's a typical bright flood light) that's on the eve over our porch is enough. It sits about 7 feet up from the ground level.




.
 
Anyone have anything to say about this? I don't have the time to skim through 34 pages lol. I'll be getting some clones soon, just wondering if this will work.

Is simply giving the plants some extra light at the end of the day all that is needed to prevent flowering? Say, keeping some basic lights on (light a porch light/flood light) above the plants for an hour or so after sunset.

Then around the middle of to late next month I'll just stop with the supplemental lighting at the end of the day?



Is there any difference between giving them light around & after sunset to artificially "extend" the day length, versus turning the lights on for a couple hours in the middle of the night to interrupt the night cycle...?...



.
 

TychoMonolyth

Boreal Curing
In case it hasn't been mentioned, a simple 60 watt bulb on for one hour in the middle of the night will prevent it from flowering.

I met am old timer who uses 12 hours on, and 1hr 60 watt bulb on in the middle of the night to stop them from flowering. It also saves on electricity costs.
 

CrushnYuba

Well-known member
I do that in some of my veg greenhouses. I just run for a little over an hour in the middle of the night. Just a few 7 w led bulbs.

50w total for an hour a night to keep a 500sq ft greenhouse awake. It runs off a battery stored from solar so i try to keep power usage to a minimum. Also, i don't Like drawing attention to it. No one is awake at 2am. Running lights at sundown draws more attention in my opinion.
 
In case it hasn't been mentioned, a simple 60 watt bulb on for one hour in the middle of the night will prevent it from flowering.

I met am old timer who uses 12 hours on, and 1hr 60 watt bulb on in the middle of the night to stop them from flowering. It also saves on electricity costs.

I do that in some of my veg greenhouses. I just run for a little over an hour in the middle of the night. Just a few 7 w led bulbs.

50w total for an hour a night to keep a 500sq ft greenhouse awake. It runs off a battery stored from solar so i try to keep power usage to a minimum. Also, i don't Like drawing attention to it. No one is awake at 2am. Running lights at sundown draws more attention in my opinion.



Thanks for the reply ya'll.

I'm usually asleep before midnight, so giving them the extra light at sundown would be more convenient and easier for me instead of having to wake up twice in the middle of the night to turn the lights on & off. (I'm on a tight budget and don't have the $ for a timer)

Or will anytime at night work, even early in the night, say 9pm to 10pm or 10pm to 11pm?


And around when do I want to stop giving them this extra light? (I'm just east of the bay area, out in the valley)




.
 

GET MO

Registered Med User
Veteran
Thanks for the reply ya'll.

I'm usually asleep before midnight, so giving them the extra light at sundown would be more convenient and easier for me instead of having to wake up twice in the middle of the night to turn the lights on & off. (I'm on a tight budget and don't have the $ for a timer)

Or will anytime at night work, even early in the night, say 9pm to 10pm or 10pm to 11pm?


And around when do I want to stop giving them this extra light? (I'm just east of the bay area, out in the valley)




.

You can get a timer for less than 10 bucks.
 
Top