Next Year prep

Some questions:


How many hours do I veg my clones this winter? I looked it up day light hours here in Michigan and it says June 1st (when I want to plant) 15.44 hours from sunup to sunset. How do I clone these to prevent my clones from starting to bud when I place them outside. As soon as I cut the clones do I need to start vegging on a 15/9 light schedule? Or can I start at 24 hours on and slowly decrease to 15/9? What is the best method?

Best method to make own 50 Gallon smart pots?

Hey Bro, Veg them at 18/6 and they'll take fine too your light hours. Most Northern Hemisphere areas have very close to your daylight hours in June, and this light schedule is perfect for that.

bigplant said:

Some questions:


How many hours do I veg my clones this winter? I looked it up day light hours here in Michigan and it says June 1st (when I want to plant) 15.44 hours from sunup to sunset. How do I clone these to prevent my clones from starting to bud when I place them outside. As soon as I cut the clones do I need to start vegging on a 15/9 light schedule? Or can I start at 24 hours on and slowly decrease to 15/9? What is the best method?

Best method to make own 50 Gallon smart pots?

Click to expand...

Ordering the fabric of ebay-amazon is cheap...not to hard to hand stitch just google the methods theres a few out there

I veg my plants at 14 hours in California, 38 latitude. It works perfectly. Stick to your schedule. 15 hours sounds perfect. Reducing the 'day' by several hours could cause premature budding. A lot of growers here rely on clones purchased at clubs. Most clubs keep them on 24-0 or 18-6. Either way, they start flowering when planted outdoors in 13.5 hour day. You can't miss at 15 hours.

Problem is clones are at 24 now so how do I reduce them down? Codster says 18, veggiegardner says 14-15. Can you please give some explanation? Ruby fruit, do they use landscape fabric or what?

Thanks in advance

Reduce the 'day' a half hour a week until you reach the desired (15 hour) day length. The "switch" in most Cannabis strains is flipped at five days of reduced light hours. Inspect the plants for signs of flowers a few times a week. If they begin to flower, don't reduce the day length for an extra week. 15 hours is an unnaturally long day for flowering so the plant will revert to veg very quickly, even if 'triggered'. This isn't an opinion, but based on long experience and the successes of several friends. 24-0 is commonly used in dispensaries selling clones. Smart growers buy their clones in the winter and use this process to get the day right.

ill be starting right after christmas for greenhouse light dep winter grow. then my clones for next summer will most likely come from those teens before I flip to flower in febuary(All outdoors/greenhouse)

Veggie Gardner thanks a bunch man, any input on the smart pots?

Hey to each there own, but 18-6 works fine and it's a tried and true method. If you want to make it exactly the same, than 16-8 is good too. I find I get the best growth at 18/6 but it's not a significant loss with less anyway IMO. Also I'm at 46 latitude and it's around 15 hours and 45 minutes in June, and I've never had a problem with 18/6 or 24/0 for that matter.

I like 17/7. Think it sounds cooler... Just my 2 cents.

bigplant said:

Veggie Gardner thanks a bunch man, any input on the smart pots?

Click to expand...

A lot of people LOVE smart pots. That said, there are a lot of inefficiencies in their proper use. These are NOT negatives as such. You just need to be prepared for some extra costs. They use more water than solid walled pots, or the ground, itself. The cost of the pots themselves. If the plant likes the surrounding soil, they'll put roots through the bottom, damaging the pot's fabric, reducing the chance of reusing the pot. The cost of potting mix. A cubic foot is 7.48 gallons. Potting mixes range from $3 to $20+ per cubic foot. Simple math. How much do you want to spend?

The upside? More control of the plant's environment. The pots absorb heat more readily, increasing the rate of growth. The larger sizes, like 300 gallons, can support a 10 pound plant. Truthfully, I've never heard anyone complain about their results. Just the cost.