HELP: :badday: outdoor plants blooming too soon!

[Elk Woman]

Hi folks, we need your help.

I was visiting a friend who showed me two clones she'd been gifted with: both are in gallon pots, and unfortunately in full budding mode as she didn't understand the daylength issue. I offered to take them home and put them under 24-hour blue and white fluorescents, hoping they'd come back to veg-growth in time to plant outdoors; but I don't know what else to do.

Shall I pick off all their buds? Are they doomed? Are there nutes that would help the turnaround?

They're in full white-hair mode now; it's almost a shame to pluck all the buds off, but my friend would do anything to get these girls back in rhythm with the season, back into veg-phase so they might produce more than just a few ounces by fall. She intends to grow them in pots in her backyard, as "pets."

The Northern Lights is about 12" tall, and the Blueberry/Trainwreck is about 15" (and God, does it smell awesome!).

I eagerly await wisdom from the group mind. Thanks from both of us and from the girls!

Keep on growing,
Elk Woman

 

[Huey69]

If she leaves them outside, they will re-veg on there own. I had the exact same problem this season, put out 2 groups of clones a month a part from each other(the latest going out April 16th), all plants started flowering. Now, 11 of the 12 are re-vegging and should be fully re-vegged in just a few weeks.
I've been told to cut out the buds after a few weeks, and also been told the buds will naturally die off and fall off(however, the previous statement was also stated with the reasoning that it can cause rot if the buds are left on too long).

I think if you were to place them under 24/hr they would re-veg faster, but we'll need someone with a bit more expertise to state whether or not once the plants go back out if they'll flower or not..

 

[CocoaNutz]

a few of mine did that too. I have been spraying them with a high N gro formula 2 times a week and watering with strong N based nutes as well. They are growing out of it very well. ALso try having a light on a timer come on at night for 15-30 minutes and they will snap out of it. Just break the long night up...

 

[Elk Woman]

Thanks, Huey69 and CocoaNutz;

Since I took the clones from her, I've had the girls under 12-14 hour lighting indoors (evenings and nights), and bring them outdoors for the rest of the time. In effect, they're under 24-hour light yet still receive real sunlight so they'll be hardened off to the local weather if we can get them back into a natural rhythm.

CocoaNutz, I'm a bit shy of giving them more nitrogen, as I managed to kill a couple of other clones by overfeeding several weeks ago, and it was a sad day. If I do fertilize soon, it will be diluted by half until I can see whether it's making things worse, or better.

What do you think: shall I pull the current buds off the plants? Theoretically, they'd be smokable. . . and oh God, that BlueberryTrainWreck smells sooooooo good... Excess moisture is not a problem here in Northern Cal at this time, so I don't worry about mold etc. She plans to grow them out in large pots on her deck (we live in a VERY laid-back community that is quite 'erb-friendly, and the homes and gardens tend to be pretty private) once they've stabilized the flowering issue.

I'll keep setting these girls out daily, until I see either re-vegg activity or the plants declining in quality. As long as what I'm doing isn't actually making things WORSE, I guess I can wait to see if the girls go back to vegg or remain in long-term budding phase.

If anyone out there is reading this and knows more, I'm open to suggestions.

Again, thanks for any help.

 

[Rainman]

They are simply falling for the change in lighting and are reacting to that. They will re-vege on their own or in your room but go very light on the feeding. You still have time to place them outside for a larger crop if that was the goal. When I get new clones I always place the new girls in a light schedule of 15 and 9 to better prepare them for the schedule once outside in mid May. Haven't had a auto-flower since then. Peace!