Didn't get much traction on r/Microgrowery so reposting question:
Details:
First time growing (semi) outdoors, (mostly) organic and in large pots. Will see if I'm able to get these to flower ASAP. Got too excited and started this round at least a month too early (next time will wait until mid March) so that they can flower naturally w/ the outdoor light-cycle (around late July into mid Sept). I am trying to get these to flower now and finish up by late July (about 8 week flower time). Was scared that if I only took them outside w/o supplemental lighting back around 4/20 1) they would've gone right into flower (since only 6 ish hours of direct light) but then as the days gradually got longer into July, they would've gone back to veg for a few weeks and thus stunt, 2) wouldn't be dense/high quality b/c of so little direct light, 3) gotten too tall/stretchy, and 4) been root/pot bound from 7 months of veg...(until end July)
Question --
As a result, I started putting a tarp over the plants for ~12 hours a day to restrict light hours. It's super annoying, manual, and tedious. Also scared the side branching will eventually snap as they've gotten wide (and this is even before packing on weight) and the tarping process is cumbersome/physical on the plants. For anyone that's forced flowered outside, Do you have to continue light deprivation after week 3 or 4? Will the hormones naturally take over and if they only get direct light for ~10 to 11 hours (but with background light starting at 7 am)? I don't want to continue doing this for months/am wary that it'll snap branches and buds as flower progresses...Will the prior months of direct veg light (5 am to 9pm) for 16 hours vs natural light at (7 am) and direct light (10 am to 9 pm) for 11 hours be enough of a difference to plant to remain in flower...?
Hoping to yield at least 1/2 p each but the genetics make it questionable..
Thanks!
First photo is either at flip or within a week; Second is now, after 14 days (about a week into flower)
Details:
- The Clone Guy's Londonchello (x4) - sativa dominant hybrid from clone
- Veg'd for ~3.5 months (indoors then outdoors for final month)
- Lights: ~5 hours of sunlight (west facing balcony) USDA zone 10b + HLG 600 + Mars Hydro FC6500 (see below)
- Final Pot Size: 24 gal
- Medium: FFOF + Bu's Compost + organic earthworm castings + aeration
- Amendments/Top Dress: Build-a-soil Craft Blend, Build-a-soil Build-A-Flower, insect frass, Gaia green 2-8-4, GG mineralized phosphorus
- Watering: Blumats drippers w/ 21 gal reservoir (x2)
- Nutes: FF Grow Big, Cal Mag, Kelp, Humic Acid, Fish Emulsion, FF Big Bloom, Flower Fuel
- Others: B1, Recharge, aloe, molasses
- Feed Schedule: Mostly water via drippers w/ occasional feed / foliar spray / compost tea
- Training: Topped about 4-5x, spread out w/ goat fencing (but not super even canopy)
- Light Schedule:
- Veg (for last month outdoors): Lights on 5am to 1pm, Sunlight 1 pm-5 pm ish, Lights on 5 pm to 9 pm; about 16 hours/day
- Flower (currently week 1..hopefully): Tarp uncovered at 9-10 am, Lights on 10 am to 9 pm w/ concurrent sunlight between 1 pm-5 pm ish and covered tarp after 10 pm
First time growing (semi) outdoors, (mostly) organic and in large pots. Will see if I'm able to get these to flower ASAP. Got too excited and started this round at least a month too early (next time will wait until mid March) so that they can flower naturally w/ the outdoor light-cycle (around late July into mid Sept). I am trying to get these to flower now and finish up by late July (about 8 week flower time). Was scared that if I only took them outside w/o supplemental lighting back around 4/20 1) they would've gone right into flower (since only 6 ish hours of direct light) but then as the days gradually got longer into July, they would've gone back to veg for a few weeks and thus stunt, 2) wouldn't be dense/high quality b/c of so little direct light, 3) gotten too tall/stretchy, and 4) been root/pot bound from 7 months of veg...(until end July)
Question --
As a result, I started putting a tarp over the plants for ~12 hours a day to restrict light hours. It's super annoying, manual, and tedious. Also scared the side branching will eventually snap as they've gotten wide (and this is even before packing on weight) and the tarping process is cumbersome/physical on the plants. For anyone that's forced flowered outside, Do you have to continue light deprivation after week 3 or 4? Will the hormones naturally take over and if they only get direct light for ~10 to 11 hours (but with background light starting at 7 am)? I don't want to continue doing this for months/am wary that it'll snap branches and buds as flower progresses...Will the prior months of direct veg light (5 am to 9pm) for 16 hours vs natural light at (7 am) and direct light (10 am to 9 pm) for 11 hours be enough of a difference to plant to remain in flower...?
Hoping to yield at least 1/2 p each but the genetics make it questionable..
Thanks!
First photo is either at flip or within a week; Second is now, after 14 days (about a week into flower)
