For quite a few years now, Ive been engaged in a number of half assed studies about the behavior of seed grown cannabis outdoors, and specifically, how I could improve on the results that mother nature provides with regaurd to size and yield.

Ive tried everything from colchicine and growth stimulants, to pregrowing indoors for months in an effort to get a bigger, heavier yielding plant. Different approaches had different results, but one approach had a consistent result that was suprising and contrary to commonly held beleifs of outdoor growers, and that is the approach of pregrowing plants indoors in a effort to increase yield or speed maturation.

Over several years and a number of strains and plants, I realized no dicernable difference in size , yield or finish date to the postitive between plants pregrown for 60 days or more indoors and then transplanted OD, and those planted OD as seedlings on May 1, when measured on Oct. 1. In fact in over half of the plants, the pregrown plant was smaller and yielded less than the plant that was not pregrown. The potential for sexual confusion also seemed to increase dramatically as the time of indoor pregrowing increased. In over half of the pregrown plants, flowering was later by as much as 2 weeks and as pregrowing time lengthened, the more the plant tended to be confused about whether to flower or veg, so it does both at the same time.

Those results were so consistent regaurdless of strain that about 4 years in, I stopped pregrowing cannabis more than 30 days under any circumstances.

Then I began focusing on planting dates and made another discovery. Most often, I could find no real difference on Oct. 1 in size and yield in 3 week old seedlings planted on April 25th, and those started from seed on May 1.

Conclusions:

The results measured at the end of the season, against plants not pregrown demonstrates that pregrowing cannabis for more than 30 days indoors before transplanting OD doesn't result in a larger, higher yeilding plant and may infact, increase dramatically sexual and growth stage confusion and other conditions as well as a decreased yield.


*High nitrogen available during certain high growth phases of the plant, combined with topping, seems to have a much greater effect on size and yield than any attempt at pregrowing.


Just me thinkin and talkin again. One of the joys of membership here. Any input or ideas?

For quite a few years now, Ive been engaged in a number of half assed studies about the behavior of seed grown cannabis outdoors, and specifically, how I could improve on the results that mother nature provides with regaurd to size and yield.

Ive tried everything from colchicine and growth stimulants, to pregrowing indoors for months in an effort to get a bigger, heavier yielding plant. Different approaches had different results, but one approach had a consistent result that was suprising and contrary to commonly held beleifs of outdoor growers, and that is the approach of pregrowing plants indoors in a effort to increase yield or speed maturation.

Over several years and a number of strains and plants, I realized no dicernable difference in size , yield or finish date to the postitive between plants pregrown for 60 days or more indoors and then transplanted OD, and those planted OD as seedlings on May 1, when measured on Oct. 1. In fact in over half of the plants, the pregrown plant was smaller and yielded less than the plant that was not pregrown. The potential for sexual confusion also seemed to increase dramatically as the time of indoor pregrowing increased. In over half of the pregrown plants, flowering was later by as much as 2 weeks and as pregrowing time lengthened, the more the plant tended to be confused about whether to flower or veg, so it does both at the same time.

Those results were so consistent regaurdless of strain that about 4 years in, I stopped pregrowing cannabis more than 30 days under any circumstances.

Then I began focusing on planting dates and made another discovery. Most often, I could find no real difference on Oct. 1 in size and yield in 3 week old seedlings planted on April 25th, and those started from seed on May 1.

Conclusions:

The results measured at the end of the season, against plants not pregrown demonstrates that pregrowing cannabis for more than 30 days indoors before transplanting OD doesn't result in a larger, higher yeilding plant and may infact, increase dramatically sexual and growth stage confusion and other conditions as well as a decreased yield.


*High nitrogen available during certain high growth phases of the plant, combined with topping, seems to have a much greater effect on size and yield than any attempt at pregrowing.


Just me thinkin and talkin again. One of the joys of membership here. Any input or ideas?

[glock23]

I absolutely and totally agree with you! My best crops were always started outdoors. I have NEVER had a herm outdoors.

[Greens]

silverback, you have brought up an interesting point. To tell you the truth, I've discovered the same thing over the years of growing.

For example, this year I decided to plant everything outside as seeds at the end of May. All the plants in this thread were started as seeds directly outside at the end of may: https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.p...28#post1943528.

Every other year, I started them inside and grew them for like 2 to 3 weeks inside before taking them out at the end of May. This year, my yield per container and per plant was a little better than any other year (and we've had much better seasons in the past compared to this one). Furthermore, the finishing time was about exactly the same as the other years where I started them inside first (Guerilla Gold end of August and GG crosses early to mid september). So, needless to say I will never be starting seedlings inside first before taking them out ever again.

Now, I have seen people online post pictures of beasts that they grew inside for quite some time before taking out. I think it is somewhat dependant upon the strain, climate, and growing conditions. All that I know is the way that I grew growing my strain, I will never start seedlings inside before taking them out.

Greens

[zapatoloco]

Ialso fully agree Silverback. I believe indoor pre-grown plants form woody stems which are very slow to revert to tender green fast-growing stalks again. This year some guy put out some 5 foot moms out in the spring close to a spot of mine ( weird surprise indeed ) he harvested 6 foot plants in the fall !

That said i believe a greenhouse head start in a big pot which doesn't inhibit vigorous growth could make for a bigger plant in the fall. Too much trouble for guerillas but ok for backyard giants.

Hi all.

Glock, I also get a higher percentage of females with germination under the sun. Indoor starts = 3-4 females per 10 pack. Outdoor starts = 5-6 females per pack.

Greens, Ive found the same thing. I do believe there are two instances where pregrowing may be helpful if done very carefully. The first would be far northern growers that need a little more time in the season and the second would be the fragility of seedlings. A 3 week old seedling has a much better chance of surviving a bug attack or snails than a tiny tender seedling, but thats pretty much it.

I also found the effects of pregrowing to be greatly reduced when the plant does not become rootbound in anyway. Plants that i pregrew in 5 gallon buckets, did not display some of the problems noticed in other attempts with up to a 3 gallon container. While this seemed to help, its impracticle to try and start plants in 5 gallon buckets. How many can you start? Further, the issue of lighting stabilty becomes more and more critical as the length of pregrow continues. I have never been able to get a plant pregrown for more than 60 days to flower normally when taken from artificial light to natural. The daylength, the intensity of the light, the colors of the light all cause deep trauma for the plant and screw up its normal growth processes.

zapatoloco, youre right, out in the backyard you can do a lot of things a guerilla cant do. Youre also right about the rigidity of the stem and development of the plant. In landscaping, there's a saying about planting a tree. The bigger the transplant, the longer it takes to recover from being transplanted.

The first year they sleeep
The second year they creep
The third year they leap

Even though cannabis is an annual plant, the effects of transplanting larger plants is universal. The larger the plant, the more it suffers during transplant and the longer it takes to recover.

[blynx]

Originally Posted by silverback

Greens, Ive found the same thing. I do believe there are two instances where pregrowing may be helpful if done very carefully. The first would be far northern growers that need a little more time in the season and the second would be the fragility of seedlings. A 3 week old seedling has a much better chance of surviving a bug attack or snails than a tiny tender seedling, but thats pretty much it.

Pre-growing doesn't extend the season for northern growers, the frost is still gonna come whenever it does.

Are you talking about northern growers pre-growing a plant indoors, starting it flowering and then putting it out mid/late season?

It's been my experience that the further north you go, plants (veggies, mj, etc) that are started outside might have a lower survival rate at the beginning, but the ones that do make it are way hardier than plants that are started inside and transplanted outside.

[hamstring]

SB
I also agree. I have recently started growing all my plants from seeds outdoors (cold frame). Before that I cloned and brought 2 ft plants to the grow sites. I was sure that this produced trees but the last couple of years have proved otherwise as I have been able to produce large plants from seedlings set in there final spot on June 1st.

I will say that as Greens replied the strain might make a difference and survival rate also.


Peace

Hey hamstring. I start planting on april 25th and plant up until july, but its hard to tell much difference between seedlings transplanted out on april 25 and those planted June 1, when october comes. Sometimes the earlier plants appear a little taller or bigger, but when you measure the yield there aint a spit of difference.


blynx, I hear you on the frost and no, pregrowing dont make them flower any sooner, I just thought it might let a northern grower get a little bigger plant with a month or so pregrow. Not living there though, Im just guessing. I ll bet youre right about the hardiness of the survivors. What a great place for selecting for hardiness. Anything that survives is breeding stock.

[Purkle]

Very interesting topic..........so would you all say to not pop seeds early in the year and put out clones. Just grow out the seed instead and dont pregrow for more than 50-60 days. Thank you for your help

good thread silver thanks its got me thinkin..root the clones in a coldframe too maybe. i gave up pretty much on the outdoors by my ol man still slaves away at it. i will suggest this to him for next years but you know ol folks can be stubborn... and still insist i pregrow him a shitload o clones again but on the idea i agree with ya. i think most of these backyard monsteers may be started in but thats different kinda i guees. i vow to find out one day