question, going outdoors

[cbgb]

i am in the northeast and plan on moving the girls (hopefully) outdoors ....right now they have germinated and were placed into small pots on 04/01/15.... we get about 12/12 sunlight (not direct) at this time. they are about 4-5 inches high ....... i am running them on 12/12 cfl w/ a couple of blue plant lights. the reason for the 12/12 was to sort of mimic the outdoors. i plan on moving them outside and in to their forever pots at about 12''. my question is~ since i am doing this ah' natural ~ am i doing the right thing... ? i know when i do indoors i do the 18/6 or 24/0 for veg and then 12/12 for flowering........

p.s. on a side note for a different set up "indoor" when do you know it is time for flowering mode??

thank you all in advance......everyone here is always very helpful

 

[CptnFantasy]

You generally want to flower when the plants are 1/3 to 1/2 the height you want them to be in the end or when they plants reach sexual maturity(they will start to grow asymmetrical nodes)

 

[Tead]

I'd like to take a moment to speak in general about a combined indoor outdoor grow. I did it for many years, and it can be extremely effective... provided you follow some simple guidelines.
You really have to be freakishly religious about moving things from the outdoor environment to the indoor area. Bugs are evil, and will catch a ride on anything. A small moth hiding under the lip of a pot that you had just cleaned can cause so much grief. Consider any tools, buckets, sprayers, etc. as well. Shoes and clothing are another big vector. Be religious.... freakishly religious. Straying from this religion will cause constant infestations.
If you have any pest preventative maint. program going, you'll really want to step it up. If not, now is the time! Give them some sort of protective treatment before you move them outside. I use neem oil.
Perhaps critters are not as vicious in your neck of the woods, but one single round of mites will lay your garden bare is record time.
Another thing to keep an eye out for is mold issues. Bud rot after a nice rain storm sux hard and long.
When you first make the move outside, try to keep them a bit protected from the sun. It can burn up leaves grown under lesser light when you first move them out.

 

[oiuhdfukg]

All strains are different, some grow tremendously after 12/12 and others don't. Do a little research on your strain to see how big they typically get in flowering. When you go 12/12 depends on how much space your grow area allows, based upon what you know about how big the strain is expected to get.

I've never grown outdoors but it seems to me you're stressing and/or confusing the plants by starting them at 12/12 and then going to veg.