Does Earlier Planting = Earlier Flowering? (outdoors)

This question is for straight run, non feminized seeds grown outdoors. I was curious how much the age of the plant could influence the start of flowering, and potentially how early it finished. I haven't had a chance to experiment yet with this but was wondering if anyone else had.

I know that in general, the length of available daylight triggers the flowering to start, but lets say I had a pack of seeds and started half on 3/1 and the other half on 3/21. I grow them indoors and in a greenhouse for 2 months then plant the females outside at the same time. Is there any chance the seeds that are 3 weeks older will begin flowering sooner? There's obviously going to be differences in phenotype with seeds, but lets just say on average.

I know there are many other variables here, but I'm interested in getting my plants to finish a little earlier, and aside from genetics and light manipulation, am wondering what if anything can be done?

Thanks

Just my theory but I think it's the daylight hours that dictate regardless of when you start them, best of luck with it.

The photoperiod = hours of light trigger flowering the only way around that is light deprivation

No.. Plant earlier and it will veg longer and get bigger.. The bloom cycle won't change.

Obviously they have to be mature enough to flower meaning showing sexual parts. The other thing folk outside do is put a tarp over them to reduce daylight hours but this of course depends on how large your plants are going to be

In my experience no. I cut clones and switch to 14.25 hours darkness, the ones that bloom are suitable for outdoor in my climate.

photoperiods depends on light cycle to trigger flowering. Doesn't matter when you decide to plant it.

Mulekicker said:

This question is for straight run, non feminized seeds grown outdoors. I was curious how much the age of the plant could influence the start of flowering, and potentially how early it finished. I haven't had a chance to experiment yet with this but was wondering if anyone else had.

I know that in general, the length of available daylight triggers the flowering to start, but lets say I had a pack of seeds and started half on 3/1 and the other half on 3/21. I grow them indoors and in a greenhouse for 2 months then plant the females outside at the same time. Is there any chance the seeds that are 3 weeks older will begin flowering sooner? There's obviously going to be differences in phenotype with seeds, but lets just say on average.

I know there are many other variables here, but I'm interested in getting my plants to finish a little earlier, and aside from genetics and light manipulation, am wondering what if anything can be done?

Thanks

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My own theory and experience here, more bro than science..

I will say light hours are the most important factor. But warmth, season and maturity do need to be taken into consideration too.
Outdoors because the hours are so incremental + there's light spectrum and weather as well, I believe it's a more gradual process to start flowering than indoors.
At least that's my own experience outdoors, with outdoor starts. Inside to outside, different story.
They're very light sensitive in this way I believe, and in my opinion I've observed it more than once.

For perspective, I find starting seeds outdoors asap once the nights aren't way too cold, I can usually sex them much sooner than starting them later. And because each successive day is longer, plus it isn't too warm yet, they don't take right off and flower. They also get a better headstart, than sprouting a month or so later.
Biggest problems I've had starting seeds off this way is frosts and a little stretching. Also if my own climate was warmer, I don't believe I'd get away without it revegging.

This year and every year, I try and start them by early September.
Was 11:30 light hours when they sprouted this season. 13:50 lights hours today and they've been vegging for easily two weeks now. This year's longest day is only 14:24 light hrs too.
See what I'm getting at?
The gradual shift of the photo period seems to be the main difference here. Besides temperature.
Has to be such a different plant response, going from 18hrs to 12.
Or 14/10 inside to outside.

I won't disregard the fact you get better starts indoors and then planting out. That I cannot argue with.

Thanks for the replies, I'll try an experiment next year and see if I can get any more definitive results

I know that photoperiod is the main determining factor, but if you treated that as the ONLY factor then all my different strains outdoors would flower at exactly the same time and that's obviously not the case. Even if I planted 6 girls out that were grown from the same pack of seeds, they will start flower and finish at different times. So there are genetics in play, which will always vary if I'm using seed, but I want to see how much (if any) of an influence age has....I think the only way to explore this theory is to plant seeds from the same parent several weeks apart and observe what happens in the garden.....I'll see if I can pull off a trial next year

Mulekicker said:

I know that photoperiod is the main determining factor, but if you treated that as the ONLY factor then all my different strains outdoors would flower at exactly the same time and that's obviously not the case. Even if I planted 6 girls out that were grown from the same pack of seeds, they will start flower and finish at different times. So there are genetics in play, which will always vary if I'm using seed, but I want to see how much (if any) of an influence age has....I think the only way to explore this theory is to plant seeds from the same parent several weeks apart and observe what happens in the garden.....I'll see if I can pull off a trial next year

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100% agree man. Some strains I simply can't grow to harvest with my own climate. Has to be equally important in my own opinion too.

Mulekicker said:

This question is for straight run, non feminized seeds grown outdoors. I was curious how much the age of the plant could influence the start of flowering, and potentially how early it finished. I haven't had a chance to experiment yet with this but was wondering if anyone else had.

I know that in general, the length of available daylight triggers the flowering to start, but lets say I had a pack of seeds and started half on 3/1 and the other half on 3/21. I grow them indoors and in a greenhouse for 2 months then plant the females outside at the same time. Is there any chance the seeds that are 3 weeks older will begin flowering sooner? There's obviously going to be differences in phenotype with seeds, but lets just say on average.

I know there are many other variables here, but I'm interested in getting my plants to finish a little earlier, and aside from genetics and light manipulation, am wondering what if anything can be done?

Thanks

Click to expand...

No but it should = bigger plants

No, maturity doesn’t affect the natural flowering seasons outdoors.

Guys in NorCal that start vegging clones 8 months before flowering season in order to get 10lb pound plants won’t finish any sooner than if they started the same clones only a month before flowering season. They would simply have much smaller plants that yield much less but will still finish at the same time.

NukaKola said:

No, maturity doesn’t affect the natural flowering seasons outdoors.

Guys in NorCal that start vegging clones 8 months before flowering season in order to get 10lb pound plants won’t finish any sooner than if they started the same clones only a month before flowering season. They would simply have much smaller plants that yield much less but will still finish at the same time.

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Agree with this analogy 100%.

But early season starts can go to flower. Some can get away with some Christmas smoke here, if the climate's warm enough, early enough.
Maturity matters in this sense. In the same way that a 12/12 from seed grow won't hit flower right away.

Not to be taken away from what you posted. Everything you said I believe to be true as well. Just felt the need to say.

Most plants bloom somewhere between 14 - 14.50 hours daylight.I bloom clones at 14.25 hours daylight (14 hours and 15 minutes). Anything that blooms at 14.25 will start blooming late July/early August and finish usually around early October or earlier. I definitely suggest people give it a try it works very well for me. You can simply keep cuttings in a cup of water until the hairs start showing.

Pure sativas from the equator are an exception and do need 12/12 to bloom but I'm going to assume you are not growing pure sativas.

Aussieaceae said:

But early season starts can go to flower. Some can get away with some Christmas smoke here, if the climate's warm enough, early enough.
Maturity matters in this sense. In the same way that a 12/12 from seed grow won't hit flower right away.

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Early season plants flower only because there is not enough daylight to support maintaining vegetative growth. Not because of their age?

If you plant a cannabis seed early indoors and pre-veg, it will mature and develop preflowers well before it blooms. This will enable your plants to kick into flower a little quicker after dictated by 12/12 photoperiod imo

Personal experience, first time this happens to me:

Had 3 little plants, 2 different strains, in solo cups for a LONG time under CFLs. Indoor grow took longer than expected so the cups stayed under the CFL a good time.

Took them outside, put them where light and sun hits the most time.

They started to flower and keep doing it, even now that days are getting longer. And they are 2 different strains.

Last season ive grown one of this 2 strains, and it flowered early in the season. Seed was popped in October i believe, and harvested in late February.
Also last season, i popped late some seeds, around January 1st, and harvested in mid April.

Right now i am popping some new seeds to see what happens.

Based on my experience, a sudden reduction in light hours can trigger flowering. Taking a plant that's under 18/6 and pacing it outdoors under a natural 15 hours of sunlight it'll start to flower (again, ime). But it needs a shorter day length to continue to flower. Otherwise it'll reveg.
Any plants that are started indoors for the outdoor season I keep under 15/9, because end of May, it'll be a 15 hour day outdoors.