18/6 12/12 Lighting Question

[terrapin]

Okay, maybe a dumb question but ... I've had a few plants on an outdoor grow and have been wondering about light schedules. I realize with an outdoor grow the lighting is sunrise/sunset dependent, but what I can't seem to understand is this: where I live today sunrise was 5:35 AM sunset 8:46 PM = 15 hrs. 11 min of sunlight, 8 hrs 49 min darkness ... but it is definitely light before and after sunrise/sunset at least as far as visibility goes. So my question is the sunlight referring to when sunlight is directly on the plants or just light in general?

I wish I could explain better, but I hope you all understand what I'm trying to ask?

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[Spitz]

It's general light that will trigger the flowering cycle. You likely have the equivalent of 18 hrs of light on them. They won't flower for some time. Also, different strains flower at different times. Some may flower at 10 hrs of dark or so. Some equatorial strains have trouble getting started at 12/12 too. There are many variables.. time, strain, sun color (seasonal), and the maturity of the plant are just a few. How long has she been growing so far? Is she big?

 

[terrapin]

I put seeds in on 4/1/15, on 5/1 they went outside into a little hoop house, on 6/1 they went totally outdoors. Right now they are 50" +- and really looking good. I just am bad at determining sex before putting them into flower. I am curious to as to when they should go into flower naturally? I'm brand new to the Pacific NW, and I'm in a high desert to boot. To me dark is virtually NO light, but here I can still see outside easily until around 10 PM, even when th sun officially sets at around 8:40 ish ... Same holds true in the mornings.
I read so much about indoor grows where they say even a pinhole of light coming into the flowering room can stress them out?
Even though these are from bag seeds I brought with me from back east, I'm hoping for some decent buds. They look like an Indica/Sativa hybrid ... more Indica but ...

 

[Spitz]

What are preflowers?

For sexing. They should preflower by now.

Look for blooming around the 2nd week of August for a typical hybrid. Don't sweat ambient neighborhood light (unless you live on the Vegas strip). If you can, bring them in every night for 12 hrs and start flowering now. You just need to be consistent. Tag along in my journal... It's lonely in there. New pics up this weekend! Good Luck!!

Good luck!