2010 Congo - guerilla style

hello Ace growers! mind if I join in?

I have 6 congo seedlings that are vegging under 24 hr light 400 watt MH, they are now 3 weeks old. I soaked seeds for 24 hrs in tap water, then put them into the starting mix and all six seedlings broke soil within a few hours of one another! They have filled their cups with roots and are ready to repot this weekend, they are growing with great vigor. When should I put these outside to flower without risk of them revegging?

I was going to wait until after the solstice and then begin to force flower indoor with 13/11 light schedule, at the same time putting them out to harden and bringing them in at evening starting the first week of July 1 then put them out and leave them to finish around July 15 I am at 39 deg

This post is where I get force flower idea from https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=86345

Does my plan sound good? I have only grown outdoors once before. I just don't want them to re- veg and delay the flowering.

thanks for helping friends
bb

Sounds to me like you're trying to fight Nature. Nature is a tough opponent! 1 option would be to move the plants into a dark room after 12 hours of light, until the days are shorter than 12 hours.

This is more like a Guerrilla Grow, Indoor style.

GM

GreenMind said:

Sounds to me like you're trying to fight Nature. Nature is a tough opponent! 1 option would be to move the plants into a dark room after 12 hours of light, until the days are shorter than 12 hours.

This is more like a Guerrilla Grow, Indoor style.

GM

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Not trying to fight nature my friend, just work with nature and the Congo to help my plants to have an earlier finish. Its not necessary for flowering to have days shorter than 12 hrs when growing cannabis outdoors. Here is a good thread to read about flowering outdoors Finishing times, Photoperiod, Latitude, and how it all works!!

Dubi and others say Congo will be mature by third week of October, and Congo finishes in about 10 -11 weeks. So counting backwards with this info I'm guessing that Congo begins flowering aprox. first or second week of August. I hope this is correct? Other outdoor Congo growers please speak up, when does Congo begin to flower? Remember I am at 39 deg North

The force flowering induces bud growth in the plants, and then as the days get shorter after the solstice the plants will continue to flowering until they finish. I dont think I explained my intentions very well in my first post. Please take a little time to read the thread I provided in my first post about force flowering cannabis and you might better understand how I am planning to do this. https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=86345 The only thing different is that I want to transplant the Congo plants into a well prepared hole in the ground filled with fresh organic potting soil, rather than transplant into a bigger pot and finish the plants like the author of the force flower post does. I think this transplant idea should be fine since I have seen Dubi post that transplanting 2 weeks into flower is good strategy to reduce stretching.

I hope this follow up has clarified my plans a little for everyone.

I look forward to your comments!

bb

Oh, I get it badbeans!

Any particular reason for forcing an earlier flower? Time constraints? Too cold in October?

Any reason why, if you're looking to keep the plants stretch down by transplanting 2 weeks into flower, you're planting in the ground?

I guess I just have a different philosophy on growing in the outdoors. I try to help the plants do what they WANT to do. transversely, you try to force the plants to do what YOU want them to do outdoors.

Nothing wrong with either philosophy. In fact, I see this a lot. People who have experience growing indoors, trying to apply indoor techniques to the great outdoors. Some of it works, some of it doesn't. I find that Outdoors, less can be more. A plant allowed its full life cycle naturally is a beautiful thing. JMHO.

But I see no reason why what you propose wouldn't work to jump start flower.

Some of the Nute companies also offer products to force flower early.

Also, you could put the plant in complete dark for 3 days then plant as days get shorter.


GM

Some may work.
Most indica hybrids can still flower with around 14 hours of daylight maximum (as said before is really night lenght but we understand it like this for better comprehension) As far as sativa genetics, they will try to reveg if days are longer than 13 hours or 13:30.
Some pure sativa need less thatn 13 hours to flower or will try to stretch forming new leafes

Depends as you say of local photoperiods and genetics. We can take clones in flower here in Spain around mid-end august to finish outdoors.
Hope it works for you.
best wishes

thanks for your reply

Let me first state that I'm a newcomer to growing cannabis. I've had three indoor harvests, and harvested one outdoor plant last year that I was able to save from the hands of the rippers.

The reasons for considering this way are this:

1. I am vegging these Congo plants (and a few plants from other breeders too) under400 watts MH the light is kept on 24 hrs constant. In past grows I vegged 18/6 and had no problems putting my plants out after Jun 22. I am afraid to put these plants outside now, I DO NOT want them to begin to flower and then re-veg. Should I change the light schedule to more closely match the natural sunrise/sunset (like 18/6) or will this induce flowering?

2. I want to keep the plants on the small side (2 meters max. height) to provide better security from thieves.

GreenMind said:

Any particular reason for forcing an earlier flower? Time constraints? Too cold in October?

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my grow last year was stolen by thieves, so I would like to grow smaller plants this year to be able to hide them a little easier. An earlier harvest would have me finished and the grow site abandoned by end of September, a month earlier than what they would normally finish. October here is usually pretty good, last year we didnt get frost until second week of Nov.

GreenMind said:

Any reason why, if you're looking to keep the plants stretch down by transplanting 2 weeks into flower, you're planting in the ground?

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Security, my grow last year was stolen by thieves, so I would like to grow smaller plants this year to be able to hide them a little easier. I would like to minimize the number of visits to this grow as much as possible, I would be able to greatly increase the time between watering visits by planting in the ground. I think pots would require very frequent watering.

GreenMind said:

I guess I just have a different philosophy on growing in the outdoors. I try to help the plants do what they WANT to do. transversely, you try to force the plants to do what YOU want them to do outdoors.

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I think our philosophy is not different, just different way to grow thats all. We can probably agree that what the plants WANT to do is flower. If I start to acclimate my plants to the outdoor sunlight while at the same time beginning a 13/11 light schedule by bringing the plants in for the night, they should begin to flower. After 2-3 wks of this I would transplant them into the ground and leave them to finish. I think I would transplant into the ground no earlier than July 15 in my area July 15 has about 15 hrs of daylight. Will this be good enough for the plants to continue to flower as the days shorten and as the nights are getting longer? Or will they re-veg?

GreenMind said:

Nothing wrong with either philosophy. In fact, I see this a lot. People who have experience growing indoors, trying to apply indoor techniques to the great outdoors. Some of it works, some of it doesn't. I find that Outdoors, less can be more.

Click to expand...

I see this as an indoor/outdoor guerilla grow. Veg plants indoor, force flowering to begin then transplant to finish outdoor (mine will flower in guerilla plot). Many growers start their seedlings/cuttings indoor then move them outside for flower naturally, the only thing different here is that you establish flowering indoor then you plant it out for it to finish. The main thing is to plant it out late enough that it will NOT re-veg.

A plant allowed its full life cycle naturally is a beautiful thing.

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I know what you mean brother, my grow last year was stolen when my plants were 3 weeks flowering. I would have loved to see those beauties finish, thankfully I took a few cuttings that I flowered indoors.

bb

charlie garcia said:

Some may work.
Most indica hybrids can still flower with around 14 hours of daylight maximum (as said before is really night lenght but we understand it like this for better comprehension) As far as sativa genetics, they will try to reveg if days are longer than 13 hours or 13:30.
Some pure sativa need less thatn 13 hours to flower or will try to stretch forming new leafes

Click to expand...

Thank you charlie, does this mean that most indica hybrids will naturally begin flower at 14 hrs daylight or are you saying that they must be under 14 hrs to continue flowering? I know what I am proposing seems unnatural and maybe will fail.

I am concerned with shocking them into flower if I change the light schedule now. They have grown under 24 hrs light since they germenated. Will a change in light schedule now mess them up?

charlie garcia said:

Depends as you say of local photoperiods and genetics. We can take clones in flower here in Spain around mid-end august to finish outdoors.
Hope it works for you.
best wishes

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are you taking Congo clones mid-end august to finish outdoors? when does Congo naturally begin to flower outdoors?

Thanks

bb

Now things are making a bit more sense, badseed!

Here I was thinking you were attempting that '60 in 60' concept, that thread you posted... ' not growing plants, growing flowers'

sucks getting robbed! thats for sure, good luck this year!

GM

basically yes
Let me put an example with a quick and most indica one like Tom Hills Deep Chunk I was able to work a few and you know is very quick to finish. For putting cuts of them OD we need to wait untill maximun daylenght or they will tend to flower instead. With days longer than 14 hours they will not flower. Days shorter than 14 hours they will flower
Mostly sativa clones instead can be put od for vegetative growth earlier as fast as days are 13-13:30 hours

Not difference if you change from 24/0 hours to 18/6.. they will veg

Inducing indoor flowering earlier thou is fine and then best its to slowly taking them od when daylenght is below 13:30 hours to bulk up and mature

Sometimes if too many hours or longer than this, they can stop doing what they are doing for a few weeks trying to see if they will go reveging or will keep on flowering. Sure helps that days get shorter day by day very quick and plants can understand also like better to keep on flowering due this quick daylight reducing.

This is how our local photoperiod goes aprox

21 jun - 15 h - 04 min
15 july - 14h - 47 min
31 july - 14h - 20 min
15 aug - 13h - 47 min
31 aug - 13h - 08 min
15 sept- 12h - 29 min
30 sept- 11h - 49 min

Remember plants need few days to get used to direct sun in a shadow area or sunlight can burn your leafes at first
Congo starts to flower here beginning Sept, but maybe is not correct because plants take bit time to change from vegetative stage to first flowers so in fact starts earlier

more or less, as said before things change depending on genetics and local photoperiods. Anyway there is not better proof than trying. We can start long sativas here indoors at 13/11 in july and then place them to finish od at the end of august when days get shorter quicker as days go on
best

Welcome badbeans,

I'd let them outdoors after summer solstice, they still would grow for a few weeks and will finish naturally without revegging problems. Thanks for trust in our work, best wishes.

charlie garcia said:

basically yes
Not difference if you change from 24/0 hours to 18/6.. they will veg

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I trusted in your advice charlie, I changed the light from 24hrs to 20/4 for about three days then to 18/6 and started putting them outside for a few hrs per day for about 3 days, then I just left them outside. Their vegetative growth is very vigorous, I planted them into their outside homes today. We have a long hot week coming up next week, but I had to plant them out today! I will be making at least one or two visits this week to provide water and to see how they are settling into their new homes. They looked very happy to be out of their little pots, I am hoping for a nice burst of growth soon.

charlie garcia said:

This is how our local photoperiod goes aprox

21 jun - 15 h - 04 min
15 july - 14h - 47 min
31 july - 14h - 20 min
15 aug - 13h - 47 min
31 aug - 13h - 08 min
15 sept- 12h - 29 min
30 sept- 11h - 49 min

Click to expand...

My photoperiod is about the same as this you posted. This is great information for me to use charlie!

charlie garcia said:

more or less, as said before things change depending on genetics and local photoperiods. Anyway there is not better proof than trying. We can start long sativas here indoors at 13/11 in july and then place them to finish od at the end of august when days get shorter quicker as days go on
best

Click to expand...

This sounds similar to the force flower idea I was considering. are your plants already flowering when you place them out to finish at end of August?

dubi said:

Welcome badbeans,

I'd let them outdoors after summer solstice, they still would grow for a few weeks and will finish naturally without revegging problems. Thanks for trust in our work, best wishes.

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Thank you for the welcome dubi.

I have planted them out today, I hope to see them continued vigorous growing. I have grown seeds from another breeder that uses landrace genetics, and the Congo so far has also growed with this kind of strength and vigor. I am hoping for some females, and a nice male to make a few crosses with a few of my other plants! Next season outdoor I want to grow some other Ace strains, any suggestions from the breeder??? can you help a brother, I am at 39 deg North I can grow until the end of Oct and sometimes even into November before we have a frost.

Thanks again charlie and to dubi

bb

Hola Ace growers! A little update for those who are interested. Here a two pics of two cornfield Congos



I have two more Congos growing in another spot in the field but I forgot to take pics of them, next time friends!

They are growing with great strength, really beautiful plants. One is confirmed female and I suspect one other to be male, two others not sure about. No sign of flowering yet but I think they are starting to stretch, there has been about 12 inches growth in one week. I gave them a topdress feeding of Plant Booster Plus and Indonesian bat guano yesterday.

Thanks again friends for all your helpful advice

bb

quick update for those following along: Pics were taken 8-15-10

This is my first grow with Congo and I love these plants! Very thick, sturdy stems and strong growing branches. The deer are nibbling the Congos a little, but not too bad. They should yeild well if they ever get around to flowering. This past visit I pulled out a male, but not before I cut off his top to take home. I'm going to try and get him to spill some pollen so I can make a few seeds for next year.



I have really enjoyed growing the Congo, and looking forward to growing more Ace stuff next season! Thanks for looking friends

bb

when I arrived to harvest the Oct23 the combine was sitting in a cut corn field. I hope the farmer was able to harvest the Congo flowers instead of cutting them without seeing them. they were beautiful plants. I was too late to harvest by one or two days perhaps, too bad for me

The first week of Oct. I harvested a small branch that was insect damaged. After a quick drying and no cure the taste was terrific with a clear headed happy buzz.

I still have some Congo seeds for next years grow. Which sativa hybrid does Ace have that finishes a little earlier. I was thinking of Orient express next year, any other suggestions?

Thanks friends

bb

Sorry to hear it Badbeans,

Its not easy to harvest guerrilla plants, at least here in my zone!! Too populated and full of thieves.

If you are looking for something earlier then i'd recommend you ErdPurt, Pakistan chitral Kush, Nepalese Jam or even Orient Express. Best wishes for next grows!