Fixing a late start in the grow season

[stilgar11]

I didn't buy my clones until almost the end of the planting season here in California (April thru May). (Purchased them on May 28.) I had planned to veg my plants under lights in my garage for three or four weeks until they were more sturdy. I'd then acclimate the plants to outdoor growing conditions so the sun could do the rest of the work.

Since I started late in the season I'm worried I've shortened the vegging period my young plants will experience if I move them outdoors. Would it be better to fully veg them under lights in my garage and THEN move them outdoors? Or am I making much ado about nothing and I should just go with my original plan?

Any advice from experienced growers would be welcomed! Thanks.

 

[Stealthboat]

It all depends on the light cycle of the sun in your area and the weather conditions. Wish I could say more but I don't have any outdoor experience

 

[MrRudeSnowman]

It's gona be just fine.

 

[stilgar11]

In my area the length of the day peaks on June 22nd at 14hr 46min. (My clones will be about 4 weeks old then.) Keep in mind comparing indoor growing schedules to outdoor growing schedules is kinda comparing apples to oranges. Outdoor plants will begin to flower long before the days become 12 hours long (in late September). I was told at the dispensary that the peak start time for this area is late April / early May, with harvest sometime in October depending upon the strain. If most plants flower for about 10 weeks before they are ready for harvest, that means they probably start flowering late July / early August....(the daylight is still 14 hours long at that point). Of course, researching on line leads to many conflicting opinions....but the grow season I described above seems to be the one most consistently repeated.

I suppose I'm answering my own question. Regardless of whether I veg in my garage for 4 weeks, 6 weeks or even 8 weeks, the plant's shouldn't start to flower until that late July / early August time period. I'll have moved them outdoors a few weeks before then. So I think MrRudeSnowman was right. I'm making much ado about nothing. I'll go back to my original plan....Veg in my garage for 4 weeks until they are more sturdy, then move them outside. My plants will just end up a little bit smaller than those who started growing a few weeks earlier.

I suppose I could keep them vegging in the garage a couple of extra weeks into mid-July in order to catch up with plant size....but I promised the wife that I'd not jack up the electric bill again. I only have one other grow experience under my belt, and that was in my unheated garage during the dead of winter. I had to use a heater almost 24/7 to keep the plants alive and growing. The effort was far more expensive (utility bill wise) than I ever imagined it would be, and the final product somewhat sub par. I'm hoping quality and yield will be much improved with the outdoor grow.

 

[MrRudeSnowman]

Using HPS lights & tent can help with temperatures, usually very little extra heat is needed even in winter... but it all depends of course.

Well your plants will finish late i guess, that's my experience when starting late. Maybe some aspects depend on strain too. I had late start with Superskunk and it still finished like monster cannabis tree in mid october. Can't say that shorter veg resulted shorter plant.

And little of the topic - by the way, this is the secret of outside growing cannabis. Start indoors in early march under 20/4, move plants outside as night temperatures become tolerable (in my case it's just now)... and boom. Plants will get super huge more like trees. That's it bro. You don't need super bloom, mega grow or any nonsense of that kind. This is the secret.

 

[stilgar11]

Yeah, during my previous grow (my first) I was using four 150 watt HPS lights for my three 4' plants. Towards the end of the veg period cold temps (nights consistently in the low 40's) became an issue. So out went the floor heater. I knew a grow tent would solve my problem, but the cost would have been the last straw for my wife since I'd already spent a lot of money getting started. With hindsight I can see that a tent set-up would've been cheaper than the utility costs that resulted from the use of the heater. I was fortunate to get enough yield (sub par quality though it was) for the whole effort to have been cost effective. But I doubt I'll go the indoor grow route again...assuming the outdoor grow goes well.

I really appreciate your feedback and you've eased my concerns. I'll probably still use the fox farm soils, fertilizers and plant food...whether it is beneficial or not, I don't know. But on a psychological level, it makes me feel warm and cozy that the plants are getting "special" treatment.

Thanks again for your thoughts.

 

[MrRudeSnowman]

Too much nutes is the biggest enemy, like 98% of problem reports here are because of that. Be sure what you are doing & have fun. If it's foxfarms... then check the NPK ratios, you might have enough just like it is. Throw in some extra guano when flowering and you are golden. All i am saying - it's not like "i did some nutes whatever"... rookie mistake, it's bad if not needed. Cheers.