Indoor start for High Tunnel Grow. Emerald Rectangle. Elevation 8000’, Lattitude 38.5 N.
I am beginning a grow for the 2011 outdoor/greenhouse season, and am in search of some much needed advice. I am coming out of the basement and need some help with adapting an indoor start to a outdoor crop without forcing flower upon setting out. I am ready to pop seeds and take cuttings but want to make sure that I’m heading in the right direction.
Scenario A: Veg under 14.5 hour day from seed. Set out in greenhouse end of May, when the natural day length matches the 14.5 hour’s they are used to, making sure to sync the start of my indoor day to match the actual sunrise during the last week of May. Let the crop finish naturally, hoping that I will be able to heat this structure enough well into October. I should probably through down for the double poly on the roof, and will need a bad ass propane heater, or three.
Scenario B: Same Veg period and light schedule but introduce a light dep to finish by early –mid sept. When should I start the dep, and how long does it need to run? Will flower be forced in a couple of weeks and then the naturally diminishing day length provide the kick to maintain flower even though days are still long? Seems like I may need to tarp the entire flowering period or risk the dreaded re-veg!
Scenario C: To do the light dep, do I need to start w an 18/6 veg, and provide day lengthening lighting in the greenhouse (I was thinking x-mas tree lights or something similar) so they don’t begin flowering until they veg a month or so more, at which point I can tarp for a couple of weeks then let the naturally diminishing day of roughly 14 hours (Aug 5th), run it from there? I am ready to pop seeds but want to make sure I give them the right light cycle from the beginning? Generators are not an option, and I only have about 10A of power to work with, so lighting needs to be low energy. Will light without lumens screw me?
I am ready to pop seeds and take cuttings, but am hoping to look before I leap. The leap is inevitable.
Thanks a bunch.
I am beginning a grow for the 2011 outdoor/greenhouse season, and am in search of some much needed advice. I am coming out of the basement and need some help with adapting an indoor start to a outdoor crop without forcing flower upon setting out. I am ready to pop seeds and take cuttings but want to make sure that I’m heading in the right direction.
Scenario A: Veg under 14.5 hour day from seed. Set out in greenhouse end of May, when the natural day length matches the 14.5 hour’s they are used to, making sure to sync the start of my indoor day to match the actual sunrise during the last week of May. Let the crop finish naturally, hoping that I will be able to heat this structure enough well into October. I should probably through down for the double poly on the roof, and will need a bad ass propane heater, or three.
Scenario B: Same Veg period and light schedule but introduce a light dep to finish by early –mid sept. When should I start the dep, and how long does it need to run? Will flower be forced in a couple of weeks and then the naturally diminishing day length provide the kick to maintain flower even though days are still long? Seems like I may need to tarp the entire flowering period or risk the dreaded re-veg!
Scenario C: To do the light dep, do I need to start w an 18/6 veg, and provide day lengthening lighting in the greenhouse (I was thinking x-mas tree lights or something similar) so they don’t begin flowering until they veg a month or so more, at which point I can tarp for a couple of weeks then let the naturally diminishing day of roughly 14 hours (Aug 5th), run it from there? I am ready to pop seeds but want to make sure I give them the right light cycle from the beginning? Generators are not an option, and I only have about 10A of power to work with, so lighting needs to be low energy. Will light without lumens screw me?
I am ready to pop seeds and take cuttings, but am hoping to look before I leap. The leap is inevitable.
Thanks a bunch.
