Nor Cal guys: when are you putting in ground without supp lighting?

[KDT]

Hey guys, thought I'd get an idea of when everyone is feeling confident putting them in the ground with the warm weather we're having. Mine are hardened off and ready to go, giving them a bit of supp light til about 10pm, but I'm itching to get them in the ground. They are all from seed stock, but I had a nightmare of putting out some (from clone however) too early one year and pre flowering.

Thanks for the input

 

[Jetlife]

Mine from seed have been out and left out for about 2-3 weeks now and im much further south in cali then you.

 

[BigDaddyTrax]

In NorCal as well... Mine have been outside since I planted them from seed on March 25th. No problems with frost or pre flowering.

 

[Daub Marley]

Hey guys, thought I'd get an idea of when everyone is feeling confident putting them in the ground with the warm weather we're having. Mine are hardened off and ready to go, giving them a bit of supp light til about 10pm, but I'm itching to get them in the ground. They are all from seed stock, but I had a nightmare of putting out some (from clone however) too early one year and pre flowering.

Thanks for the input

The are two main reason why everyone grows from seed here in Cali. One is because you don't have to give them supplemental light to prevent flowering. The other is because of hybrid vigor. So why would you give seedling supplemental light? You made the whole process much more difficult by doing so. Now that you have already acclimated them to the additional light you're forced to continue this regiment until around early June.
Clones are different in that they are very rarely grown with less than 16 hrs of light during veg, so putting them outside at pretty much anytime will induce flowering so you need supplemental lighting for clones.
If that is unattainable kill them and just start over. You have plenty of time and you will still get some very large plants come late September.

 

[HillBilly1]

Last weekend of may , I will be 1-2 weeks later in june

 

[KDT]

The are two main reason why everyone grows from seed here in Cali. One is because you don't have to give them supplemental light to prevent flowering. The other is because of hybrid vigor. So why would you give seedling supplemental light? You made the whole process much more difficult by doing so. Now that you have already acclimated them to the additional light you're forced to continue this regiment until around early June.
Clones are different in that they are very rarely grown with less than 16 hrs of light during veg, so putting them outside at pretty much anytime will induce flowering so you need supplemental lighting for clones.
If that is unattainable kill them and just start over. You have plenty of time and you will still get some very large plants come late September.

Thanks for the valid input, now I know. I've always started seeds inside, looking like next year I won't.

Do you think I can dial back the lighting with them over a week or two or will that also trigger flowering?

I'm working with all seeds btw

 

[KDT]

Mine from seed have been out and left out for about 2-3 weeks now and im much further south in cali then you.

Did you start yours inside?

 

[Bulldog420]

In the past I have put seeds out as early as March 1st without re-veg issues. I have also had seeds sprout naturally from previous seeded seasons as early as late Feb. Seeds are genetically programmed to deal with these light levels early in the season, as appose to clones that can be 10 years old from the original seed grow.

If growing from clone, the general rule of thumb is June 20th without supplemental lighting and your good. You can push it and try for June 1st, but a percentage will induce flowering right away.

Good luck, hope you kill it.

 

[Hemphrey Bogart]

I started my seeds indoors late February on a 18/6 cycle.

I'm growing out some mostly sativa plants (Apple Pie from RMS, Love Potion #1 x Nev's Haze that I made last year, and Nev's Haze from MNS) along with some OGR Wifi Alien that was started from seed indoors around mid march.

Not sure how it's all gonna work out, but my Apple Pies have started showing sex and are about 3' tall by now and still stretching, so it may be time to get those puppies outdoors and hardened off.

I've taken clones off the LP#1 x NH plant and hope to get those rooted in a week or so and outside by next month.

My general rule when doing it like this is to try to get them outside when they start to show sex. By this time, I've potted them up at least once and I'm not worried about wasting any additional soil/containers/time on any males that pop up.

I'm not too worried about them going into heavy flower too early or revegging or whatever since almost everything I've got going are sat dom and will likely not be done until mid October or so.

HB.

 

[Daub Marley]

Thanks for the valid input, now I know. I've always started seeds inside, looking like next year I won't.

Do you think I can dial back the lighting with them over a week or two or will that also trigger flowering?

I'm working with all seeds btw

It might be okay if the light cycle is still over 15 hrs of light, but I can't say for certain because some sativa dominant strains respond very rapidly to changes in the light cycle, quickly shifting from flowering to veg while indica dominant strains like to finish and are much harder to reveg. I don't think you can get away with it without stunting them, but the younger and more sativa they are the less time is lost during this stunting phase.