How early to start outdoor plants?

[SmokingWolf09]

Pretty much the title says it. I may be moving to the NorCal region this winter. I'm wondering how soon can seedlings be started in a cold frame in that area this coming spring? I know the temps and last frost or freeze general to all plants but, what about the sunlight specificly the hours of light and dark there, and how it will effect the plants natural life cycle. I suppose the easier question is, when does that area get enough daylight length for the plants not to try to start off in flower and then as the days get longer revert back to veg? All help is appreciated. Thank you.
Wolf

 

[SmokingWolf09]

Hmm, interesting. I thought somebody would give some kind of intelligent answer by now. Do you folks not use cold frames there to start plants early or is there good reason to? I mean maybe the elevation or latitude was wrong for this practice what? Maybe by the time the light is right it's warm enough to just go on throw 'em out.
Any decent answer would be apreciated greatly. I hope to hear from somebody. Thanks in advance.

 

[coldcanna]

Pop beans in February indoors

 

[St. Phatty]

Hmm, interesting. I thought somebody would give some kind of intelligent answer by now.

I wrote a long answer in Wordpad, then re-booted my computer yesterday ... etc.

Pretty much the title says it. I may be moving to the NorCal region this winter. I'm wondering how soon can seedlings be started in a cold frame in that area this coming spring?
I know the temps and last frost or freeze general to all plants but, what about the sunlight specificly the hours of light and dark there, and how it will effect the plants natural life cycle.
I suppose the easier question is, when does that area get enough daylight length for the plants not to try to start off in flower and then as the days get longer revert back to veg?
All help is appreciated. Thank you.
Wolf

I think it depends a lot on how close you are to the ocean. That 50 miles near the shore where you get fog, tends to be cooler in summer and warmer in winter.

http://www.weather.com/weather/today/l/USCA0041:1:US

60 degrees in Arcata right now. In the winter it might get as cold as 40, but usually is more like 50.

Sometimes actually it will be sunny in the spring, on the coast.

Inland, say in California right over the border from Cave Junction Oregon, it's about 100 right now and in 6 months (March) could be 20 or 40.

Also, the geography of the grow site matters a lot. I have mountains on 2 sides, and a neighbor to the South who is closer to the South mountain. As the sun gets lower in the sky, he loses hours of daily sunlight. By the end of September, he will have no sun, just shade. Meanwhile, I still have sun, until about the end of October. I might actually loan him some lawn space for his 2 plants.

Also, there is another neighbor whom we do not trust to not grow-rip the good neighbor's plants. A reason to move the plants indoors for the last 3 weeks.

No big deal, just examples of how local considerations affect tactical grow plans.


Meanwhile, I am thinking now about my 2016 plants. There's a good chance I have some of them now, already growing as cuttings - I want to see which plants shine in 2015.

I think it is natural to wait for the harvest celebrations and vacations to subside and a fair number of folks start the GROWING growing on about Feb 1, e.g. vegging plants indoors. Feb. 1 would be a little early for an outdoor cold frame to be more productive than a veg. room indoors.

If you have your plant candidates lined up in a veg. grow room near your outdoor site, when the weather turns right April May 2016, you'll be ready !


But a compost pile, e.g. with greensand that benefits from time to break down, would benefit from being started before the winter, i.e. now, for use in 2016. "Langbeinite" - one of those useful soil amendments, needs time to break down.

Most of that soil wonderfulness can be bought.

 

[SmokingWolf09]

Thank you very much, that was what I was looking for.
I've heard that to be accepted into the NorCal growing community it takes a while for folks to get to know you. I understand that very well, and being a fairly long time grower myself where cannabis was very illegal, I believe it a wise posture. But rest assured, I am a middle age feller with my lower back, neck, and lower left leg, all held together with rods, plates, bolts, and screws from a car accident. I turned to cannabis for my relief after a 7 year Dr. imposed addiction to opiate pain killers. I have or had an Aunt that lived in Redding. So that just made me think of Nor Cal area to long term visit and maybe settle there. I'm not coming there to Rip no-ones plants or genetics, plain and simple. My character and honor are higher than that. I believe in a strict code of: "Treat others as I'd want them to treat me" and "what goes around always comes back around" And I always try to help my neighbor or community, in whatever way I can. Again just a 'lil about me, and a great big thanks to those who helped.

 

[SmokingWolf09]

I almost fogot, LOL I;m stoned. The reasons for the questions about early starting and cold frames and such was, I want to grow some pure sativas this coming year, and wanted to get them started as early as possible. LOL Thank's very much.

 

[St. Phatty]

I almost fogot, LOL I;m stoned. The reasons for the questions about early starting and cold frames and such was, I want to grow some pure sativas this coming year, and wanted to get them started as early as possible. LOL Thank's very much.

Yeah, I like Sativa's too, though I rarely smoke pure Sativa. I like the Full-Spectrum high, brain stimulating and body relaxing.

I think you have one kind of margin with Sativa's, growth wise. They tend to stretch more, so you can start flowering with a smaller plant. Seems like Indica-dominant's need specific attention to get them a specific size so they end up near a target weight.

Of course, that can be a curse if the Sativa is wanting to continue flowering until November 1 - and needs sun - when the sun is disappearing.

In my case, growing on a small scale this year, I am bringing my plants indoors on about October 1. 2 reasons - security and weather.

Having the plants in pots allows me to do that.

I guess that's why Sensi Seed Bank has (or had) Sativa strains like "Early Pearl" (20 years ago).


re-reading the post - early starting with Sativa's can mean 15 foot high plants. Although of course they can be trellised to keep them close to the ground.

 

[SmokingWolf09]

I can't believe anyone still knows of Early Pearl That used to be my fave. outdoor strain or well one of them. I still see listings for the seeds, but wonder about the real genetics of those. I do still have 10 or 15 E.P. seeds. They grew great in the east TN area in the early nineties.
And I understand you about the Thai taking so long the variety that I have doesn't finish until early to mid. November and does get easily to 20ft' tall and produce fairly well a LB per plant give or take has been my experience in the past. I love the smoke but am looking to breed with something that will finish sooner. I just haven't settled on a worthy beau yet. I don't judge strains by what catalogs say, I learned that lesson long ago. I take it with a grain of salt and try it for myself. Let me say this also I don't trust catalogs because they are out to rip folks off because most are not. But my growing technique and climate etc. is almost certainly different than theirs and the plants just don't grow the same under different conditions. Not really bad but different none the less.
I also understand the security thing a fn 20ft. tall cannabis tree is pretty easy to spot by a scouting or hunting hunter at that time of year when it's the greenest thing in sightLOL. This some thai seeds that were brought back to me by a very good friend in the military that came out of undoubtedly THE best Thai stick I ever had the priviledge of trying. Straight from the streets of Bangcock. I wanted to cross with Cinderella 99 but never could get any clones or seeds. I'll run up on something that suits me one day.
Hey st. Phatty, does your nic have anything to do with your lineage?

 

[St. Phatty]

Hey st. Phatty, does your nic have anything to do with your lineage?

My join date was a March 17 ... so I thought I'd celebrate all them 9 leaf clovers !!!

 

[SmokingWolf09]

LOL that's a good enough reason I'd say. I just wondered because I am of Cherokee and Irish heritage, and damn proud of it. Thought you might be of some celtic background as well but that's ok ya seem like a pretty good feller in my book. I apreciate the help. Thanks
Wolf

 

[therevverend]

The benefit to starting outdoors in cold frames in early/late February, no later than first week of March, is pre-sexing. By late April to early May they will show preflowers without fully going into flowering. You can cull the males from the females and select keepers to save for breeding.

 

[NorCalLurker]

my recipe for success: pop beans mid feb-early march, throw in a greenhouse till they're about 6-12 in tall (no supplemental lighting!!!). then you can pretty much throw em outside/ transplant into whatever. i throw feminized seeds straight into the ground and regulars in 15 gal pots till they sex

 

[912greenskell]

No wonder they are so friggin big out there in cali!! I start mine on april 1st and even then they are pretty huge plants!!

 

[St. Phatty]

The thread about "Sun position dropping too fast to finish flower" reminded me of this thread.

Sort of, how to prepare for an outdoor grow, where shadowing is part of the picture.

I am still planting outdoors (mostly garden plants) and have been out in the sunny part mid-afternoon to early evening, marking shadows of trees, to see how the sunny area morphs during the day.

Some plants that have the "sweet deal" until about 5 PM, are left in the shade when the sun moves behind a particular large tree.

So now my front yard is full of rocks and sticks that I laid down in V-shapes and also to make a cross (to mark a point).

All to tell me where to dig.


Anyway, it sort of seemed relevant to this thread.

 

[SmokingWolf09]

St.Phatty, remember that the sun also moves from North to South and back during the course of the year. It is at it's Northern most position at the summer solstice, and southern most at the winter solstice. Another trick is on any date of the year where the moon is N-S relative that is where the sun will be in the sky exactly 6 months from that date, and vice versa. So where ever your marks are now is where the sun will be this time next year, but not in the spring 2016. Have a good 'un man. Wolf.