Auto-flowering plants...Springtime outdoor grow

I'm considering growing some auto-flowering strains outdoors this spring, curious when would be an ideal time to pop the seeds?

I'm in northern/central Cali, just east of SF in the valley...I was thinking about getting them started sometime around early to middle of next month (March).

Anyone else grow autos outdoors? Any words of advice for growing auto genetics for the first time?

I grew some last year in the early spring, I started the seeds in a unheated greenhouse on Feb 2 and harvested starting at the end of May. Same seeds are a month faster to harvest if they're started in June, that was the only real difference. I've started them in early March without the greenhouse and its a similar story, they grew fine, but slowly. This year I started some on Jan 2 outside of the greenhouse and they've put on about a week's worth of growth so far, but they're going to freeze to death this weekend, so that was too early of a start.

IMHO, you are after the sun's potency vice the calendar. It would be akin to growing an auto indoor under a 12/12 schedule.

PDX Dopesmoker said:

I grew some last year in the early spring, I started the seeds in a unheated greenhouse on Feb 2 and harvested starting at the end of May. Same seeds are a month faster to harvest if they're started in June, that was the only real difference. I've started them in early March without the greenhouse and its a similar story, they grew fine, but slowly. This year I started some on Jan 2 outside of the greenhouse and they've put on about a week's worth of growth so far, but they're going to freeze to death this weekend, so that was too early of a start.

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You have less sunlight during the late winter/early spring and a much cooler & more humid climate than I do, so I imagine mine will do pretty alright if I germinate them around the beginning of next month.

It's in the 70s here today. It is a bit un-seasonably warm right now but temps like this aren't all that uncommon around here during the early spring. It will be up in the 70s and even into the 80s by late next month. The days will still be relatively short but we'll have the warmth, that's for sure.

Thanks for your input!

Switcher56 said:

IMHO, you are after the sun's potency vice the calendar. It would be akin to growing an auto indoor under a 12/12 schedule.

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I know the springtime isn't the most "ideal" time to get the most potential out of an auto-flowering strain....

....I'm just trying to squeeze in an early spring harvest before my regular photo-period plants start to grow big.

I'll likely grow some autos during the summer and fall as well. I am really looking forward to growing one during the peak of summer under the peak intensity of sun light, flowering underneath the solstice!

It's pretty warm in my area during the spring and the spot where my plants are receive direct sunlight almost the entire day from sunrise to sunset. I think they'll do alright.





-OM

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Hi Organilush....Nothing wrong with sqeezing in an extra harvest and with auto's you dont have to worry about revegging after it just set some nice buds like the photo's. The only downside here is the final size, for a plant that can take 24 hours of light(although I'd never run them 24/0 but 20/4 to give them a rest) the half of that amount of light, 12/12 at spring equinox and counting, will eventually make a smaller plant, nevertheless, if the goal is just to get some smokeable, I can relate to that.