outdoor grow - the best times?

[nedesnik]

i have been teaching myself for a few years the art of outdoor growing in the southern hemisphere, i mostly grow in pots, and scrog/lollipop/monster crop, and or tie my ladies down, but when i hit a wall, the only thing i have to refer to, is indoor/hydro techniques, and timing wise it is always in weeks, which doesnt help. i know different strains have different timing, but im still not sure when the vegetative phase starts and ends, and when the stretch starts and ends, so its hard to know when the best times are to trim and bend my ladies. as i understand it, it is best to do this just before the budding stage, and that plants can start maturing after the summer solstice (yesterday). i got it right with one of my ladies that was in the ground last year and got a 3/4 lbs yeild of dry heads, but it was a fluke......... so if anyone can shed some light on this (excuse the pun), it would be much appreciated

 

[Auggie]

Sorry, but I've never grown "down there". I have no experience. I'd bet that the reason you haven't rec'd many (any) responses is because few here have had experience.

Here in N. California summer solstice is in middle of June. I try to get my plants in the ground the second or third week of May. I know of growers who don't plant until late July. Your summer solstice was yesterday, so, using the same formulae, if I were next door to you I would plant any time from now and for the next three weeks. But, like I said, I've seen gardens planted late and the plants catch up real well. Plants done in August are usually about the same size as mine planted in May by the time harvest comes around.

One determining factor would be low temps at night ... if it gets cold wait a bit.

As far as 'training' times, it's no different than indoor. You just LOOK at your plants and do what needs to be done. Don't look at a calendar - look at the plants. Start fimming when it's needed. Start training and pruning when it's needed. No difference than indoor - but easier in a way because if you miss by a week outdoors its not such a big deal. If you miss by a week indoors it IS a big deal.

Hope that helps.

~ Auggie ~