Indoor & outdoor

[toolman0114]

I live near Michigan, so it still gets cool at night, can I put my Blue Mammoth Autos out on the balcony in the afternoon, and back under the CFLs/LED when the sun goes down? Or should I just leave them in the closet under the lights. I'm hoping to leave them on the balcony once it warms up. The balcony doesn't get direct sun until about 1:00 in the afternoon, until sunset. I currently have them under an 18/6 light cycle.

 

[Conradino23]

Don't mix spectrums. CFL's are mostly blue, while sun mostly on red in the summer. Keep them indoor or outdoor. It's for you to decide.

 

[crawlhog]

don't know if this helps or not but I have a lady flowering now and I put it outside every day at 6am and bring it in at 6pm. been doing it for a few weeks now and shes really booming.

 

[Conradino23]

So you force flowering. I do the same
But that's outdoor, simple as that!

 

[toolman0114]

Here is a message I got from somebody:
"use the sun all you can and use lights at night, you are doing the right thing with autos."
Looks like the is a big difference in opinion.
So....CFLs are mostly BLUE
SUN is mostly RED
My LED is BLUE & RED, which to me means I should be OK doing what I am doing.

 

[daTenshi]

I think it is ok what you are doing, but not really necessary, sleep is also important. The constant change from sun to artificial light can be confusing and perhaps stressful ( I have no actual facts on what I am basing my opinion on, just my common sense ). Also there is always the chance of bringing in pests every time you bring them indoors, and that can suck.
I am also growing on my balcony and even if the balcony doesn't get direct sunlight it doesn't matter. They only need a couple of hours a day from what I've read. For them the indirect light also counts as light. So their day starts at sunrise, no matter what.

 

[iboxweed]

DURING flower I USE THE MORNING SUN to save power with my 600 watts system . During veg, the electric bill is very small sort of speaking and easier to grow. I have a cheap multi meter for light intensitity. On cloudy days I am better off indoors.Take that with a grain of salt.

 

[crawlhog]

I think it is ok what you are doing, but not really necessary, sleep is also important. The constant change from sun to artificial light can be confusing and perhaps stressful ( I have no actual facts on what I am basing my opinion on, just my common sense ). Also there is always the chance of bringing in pests every time you bring them indoors, and that can suck.
I am also growing on my balcony and even if the balcony doesn't get direct sunlight it doesn't matter. They only need a couple of hours a day from what I've read. For them the indirect light also counts as light. So their day starts at sunrise, no matter what.

I think you are correct, just found out mines a hermi, wont be moving them out and in anymore seems to have stressed it.

 

[toolman0114]

I moved them out to the balcony, the odor was getting to strong in the condo, and no way to vent the closet

 

[Teddy Edwards]

I'd be fascinated to know for sure from an experienced grower the relative benefit to the plants between daylight and direct sunlight. What crawlhog says makes common sense to me. Mine all go out at dawn and come in at night just for shelter, in case we have a summer storm (they can roll in quickly here). So no artificial lights at all for me. I think they're doing fine (see my journal for pics). Interesting thread - toolman.

 

[toolman0114]

I put them in the balcony, that gets late afternoon/evening sun, on Monday around 4:00 pm and they have already shot up about 6".
From now on I'll start them indoor for about 3 weeks, then out them on the balcony.

 

[Conradino23]

If you use only sun light from the beginning your THC content will be significantly higher as UVB rays promote its production. It is natural sun screen of cannabis. Another important cannabinoid which serves the same end is CBC found mainly in equatorial sativas. Artificial light is much milder and it prevents stretching, but won't harden your plants as well as the sun does. Then, transpiration indoor and outdoor is totally different, so your plants experience shock every time you change their light. Forcing in the early summer produces greatest buds you will ever see. Obviously, if you live in a sunny country