preventing early spring flowering with clones

[Deezl]

So, I need to keep some outdoor plants vegging until (at least) August 20th.

I have neighbors, not too close, but close enough that I can't just hang bright lights.

They aren't under any kind of frame, so I can't cover it (to keep light from shining out).

So I'm trying to figure out the minimum time and light that I can give them.

Questions (thanks in advance):

1.Do the plants care if the light is coming from above or below the plants

2. Do the plants care what part of the plans get the light, or is it ok if only the lower branches get light

3. Are incandescent a that much better or are LEDs ok?

4. What is the minimum time that the lights can come on and still interrupt the photo period?

Basically my idea is to wrap LED strips or strings of bulbs around the bottoms of the plants and turn them on for a bit in the middle of the night. Or maybe in the morning or evening instead, whichever ends up looking least noticeable.

 

[CrushnYuba]

I would use a couple led light bulbs. Regular bulbs. You can get one with a reflector on the bulb itself. Par20 7w leds have reflectors built in and are about 2.50$ on Amazon. This way you can direct the light somewhat down so you aren't blasting light outwards. Also they sell those clamp lights with reflectors At Any hardware store. and you can put any bulb in it. You want the top of the plant getting light. Individual branches can flower. The lowers are not as important as tops though. Put lights on a pole above plants casting down and out.
2 hours in the middle of the night is good. Right in the middle of dark cycle. Midnight to 2am.

 

[Deezl]

Thanks for the advice

 

[two-cousins]

If you look at the almanac you will see day light peaks at around 15 hours and not even that 14:49. To minimise what I call trigger shock. Yes you need to veg with 15 to 16 light cycles. So whenever you transition outside the light cycles indoor and out will match. What I've learned is most strains will trigger with a very small differece in light cycles.

 

[smokinfat024]

I would use a couple led light bulbs. Regular bulbs. You can get one with a reflector on the bulb itself. Par20 7w leds have reflectors built in and are about 2.50$ on Amazon. This way you can direct the light somewhat down so you aren't blasting light outwards. Also they sell those clamp lights with reflectors At Any hardware store. and you can put any bulb in it. You want the top of the plant getting light. Individual branches can flower. The lowers are not as important as tops though. Put lights on a pole above plants casting down and out.
2 hours in the middle of the night is good. Right in the middle of dark cycle. Midnight to 2am.

Yo CrushnYuba since you swear by vegging plants in a greenhouse I’m gonna try that this year. I got two 20x10 carports that I use to dry in and I’m gonna throw over greenhouse skin that I have. I’m gonna get a few more of those $7 solar led lights so I don’t have to run a generator since I’m off grid. Got a few questions for you big dawg


1 - Should I run the lights all night long or only a cpl hours when the sun sets OR turn them on a cpl different times to interrupt the light cycle?


2 - Should I try an plant around mid May and use the solar led’s in each pot to get a cpl week jump on getting them in the ground? OR plant 3rd week of May OR just go for June 1? May 16, my bday : ) , sun comes up at 5:48 an goes down at 8:24 and the last pretty cold day (34 degrees) was on the 12th of May.


3 - You told me before to use fabric pots instead of the hard plastic ones I have(5 gallon). What size/gallon pots should I get if I’m gonna be getting clones with roots around mid April?


Thanks in advance homey

 

[CrushnYuba]

1- you only have to run them once for 2 hours if its decently bright and in the middle of the night. Extra times on wouldn't help.

2- with your climate, i would go June 1st. I wouldn't plant unless day highs were over 70f

3 - a 10 would probably be good for something you are growing in for 6 weeks.

You do need a little bit of power for your greenhouse. Maybe a little Honda 2000 or even 1000. You need air movement fans inside or the stagnant air will promote rot and mildew. You also need power for whatever heart source You use. I run my early veg house off solar batteries so I'm super energy conscious. l use these little 13$ ht900 Honeywell fans that only draw 30w on medium. I use a pellet stove to heat that probably draws 200w. You could also use a propane rv furnace that runs off 12v that draws very little power. I got one used for 200$.

 

[smokinfat024]

Ok looks like I’ll be staying out on the property next year to keep an eye on things haha. Got a 1 year old baby at the house but my wife is really cool so lucky there. I got a 25k diesel genny a cpl year ago that is really efficient and quiet. Kind of went overkill with an thought I was gonna be lighting a greenhouse with gravitas then never did that. I really want to trade or sell the thing an get something smaller I can take to an from my place with ease. Since some tweakers came last year an took some things from me I’m scared to leave it.


CrushnYuba in another thread you talked about these cheap Velcro 10 gallon pots that were $1.60 I just tried searching an everything I saw was around $4 a pot. Do you know the brand name or can you link me to these?


I’m excited to see the difference using the sun makes in getting my starts ready ������


I’m using Grass Roots shorty soil saver 200 gallon pots. I’m gonna hopefully build boxes for 2020 and make them around 300 gallons. The boxes will be easy to put wooden stakes in the corners for trellis. I pounded 4 rebars around the pots and since there’s hard rock everywhere i could only go so deep. They stick up maybe 2.5ft and I tie yarn from them over to cages I made using cattle fencing. The cattle fencing is what I thought ppl were using to hold up plants but when mine start putting on weight they start bending over some of them to the ground lol. Gotta get something better here.

 

[CrushnYuba]

Haha.. That is a big genny. I also have a big one that is useless for anything other then running lights. I have a family also, and i have figured out how to be with them, and automate everything on the hill so i can check it every couple days. I'd recommend whatever u get has electric start so u can automate it turning off and on.

There are some cheap gasoline and propane generators with electric start for 500$ to 1000$. I use one on a timer to run an irrigation pump to run my drip for a remote garden.

Those pots are 247garden.com. the biggest velcro they have are 7s. You would have to cut a 10 or 15.

concrete remesh is what allot of people use. There is some cattle fencing that is the same as remesh but taller. Stiff and welded.

 

[TychoMonolyth]

Time to start planning. Lol

 

[#1cheesebuds]

I understand that this threat is about how to prevent early spring clones from flowering. But what if you want them to flower before spring. Would i treat them like a normal flowering plant?
Im in tx and there's no snow here.

 

[marmarb]

Started some beans been on 24/7 for 2 weeks I've scaled back to 20/4 for a week going to drop down to 16/8 than they heading out hopefully that's will be enough keep them from early flowering.

 

[therevverend]

Started some beans been on 24/7 for 2 weeks I've scaled back to 20/4 for a week going to drop down to 16/8 than they heading out hopefully that's will be enough keep them from early flowering.

It's only with clones you need to worry about plants getting fooled and flowering. Seedlings do fine with any lighting regime as long as they're less then 4-6 weeks old. I like them growing at natural daylight hours because there's a greater chance of forming pre-flowers and sexing early.

 

[big315smooth]

had clones reveg going out to early a couple times its a bummer

 

[Ibechillin]

It's only with clones you need to worry about plants getting fooled and flowering. Seedlings do fine with any lighting regime as long as they're less then 4-6 weeks old

3 Cheesecake seeds planted in my greenhouse on March 29th start flowering immediately after reaching mid week 5 this season. First plants to do it out of the ~50 bagseeds I sprouted same time last season.

 

[Davesnothere420]

Clones on 18-6 in northern cali Eldorado county if I plant directly in ground after June 1st. Do I have to worry about them pre flowering

 

[KGB47]

I used some of this: https://drearth.com/product/nitro-big-liquid-fert/ on my Thai clones this year, took them out of their 18/6 cycle and smoothly into veg state outdoors.

 

[Davesnothere420]

I used some of this: https://drearth.com/product/nitro-big-liquid-fert/ on my Thai clones this year, took them out of their 18/6 cycle and smoothly into veg state outdoors.

Sweet thank u. Any idea on how much per clone. There going in 100 gallon smartpots if that makes a difference?

 

[troutman]

I like starting indoor plants with 16 hours if they are going outdoors. This way they get exposed to slightly more
hours of light when they go out. Using 18 to 24 hours of light is more likely to cause early flowering due to the
reduced photoperiod upon transplanting outdoors.

 

[Davesnothere420]

For nextvyear I will do that but would it be fools proof if I don't plant until next week. Like June 7th any real feed back. I got gh I can. Put them in 5 gallon pots n move them to a gh to ween them off that schedule if that's a good idea. Where there at indoor isn't on the farm.

 

[KGB47]

Sweet thank u. Any idea on how much per clone. There going in 100 gallon smartpots if that makes a difference?

Well the instructions say use 4 tablespoons of concentrate to every gallon of water and 2 cups of solution per plant. I have my plants in 10 gallon smart pots so I gave them a wee bit extra, I think you could get away with 3-4 cups per plant in the 100's.