Outdoor Flowering

Hello all! I have a question about outdoor flowering but i want to add a little background first. I got this plant growing in a large plastic pot(2ft across x 2ft deep) and about a month ago i realized that the bottom of the pot was breaking apart and there were visible roots. Clearly this plant was root bound. So i dug a hole and filled it with soil and then pulled the bottom of the pot off so it was completely open. I then moved the pot into the hole i dug, so the roots could expand into the new soil. Bottom line, i cant move the pot now because its in the ground.
Now to my question, I have read that in some northern latitudes, it can take a long time(late in the year) for a plant to start flowering. I'm now worried that my plant will not start flowering until sept-oct and there is a high chance of frost during this time.
Finally my question. If i put up a tarp on one side of the plant and shade it from light for a larger portion of the day, will it help it to begin flowering earlier? I am confused because, i know that it needs a least 12hr of uninterrupted darkness to flower and a tarp will just shade it for more of the day. Without tarp, plant gets full sun from 9am to 6pm and ambient light from 6am-9am and 6pm to 9:30pm. If i put up a tarp i can shade most of the plant from 9am to 9pm but it wont be complete darkness. Will this method start it flowering earlier or just slow growth because of less direct sun?
Any info would be appreciated.
Thanks

U can take a black garbage bag and put it over the plant for 12/12 removing it after 12on... That'll be your best bet, or even a black tarp.... But you'll need total darkness, 1 side might not be enough. I'd cover it with a large plastic black garbage bag. U'll need to do that for atleast 3-4 weeks, that'll put it into flowering and you could stop covering it end of next month will be effecient enough lighting for it to finish on its own.

Wont a black garbage bag cause the heat to be too high and also sweating and high moisture under the bag? How far along in flowering must it be before it will take off on its own?

If you put the bag on in the evening hours, it won't maybe 9-9 or 7-7 something after 5pm when the sun's not intense and the humidity has lowered. It will take off on its on in mid August. What strain is it? Once its heavy into the flowering schedule 2-4 weeks, it'll be fine to be more relaxed w/the 12/12 more of a 11-13 would be easier.

I'd put 2 bags over it...one bag won't block out all the light.I'd put the bags over the plant around 7pm and take it off around 7am.I'd do this for about a month during beginning to mid August.I don't think it would get that hot under the bag between 7pm and 7am,it will also help protect against frost later on.I'm growing mine outside also and I'm not far from Canada so I know all too well about the frost and all that.This is my first grow and I think the black bags are the best bet for the crops up here to mature on time.

yah i live in canada, and i'l prob get a shit load of frost, garbage bags are best way to go, its very hot up here right now and very humid but im not worried about moisture, so ya use garbage bags, make sure you dont put them on too tight tho

Yea better off giving your plant some room to breath.Has anybody ever tested this bag theory??I'm still goin with it myself either way....

Frost here starts end of sept maybe beginning of oct....best off to have a game plan for that shit cuz I ain't losin my crop for nothin cept maybe the 5-0 but I ain't worried bout them where I'm at.

I\'m going to try the double garbage bags starting the first of Aug. If i give it 12+ hours of dark all through Aug and its flowering good by Sept, i should be able to harvest by the 1st of Oct or sooner. I am putting a bag over one small branch to determine the sex. I really hope its a female. Thanks for the help

No prob...I dunno bout the beginning of Oct I'd say mid-Oct 2 be safe but u never know,some plants mature faster than others.Most plants I've heard about took 6 weeks to mature.

Your right it could be later, i will play it by ear. Anyway, early to mid october is waaayyyy better than late october to early november. The weather is so unpredictible here, we could have frost in sept(its happened before). We had a hail storm two weeks ago and i have witnessed snow in the second week of october and in the last week of april, you just never know. I\'ll keep you all posted on my double bag approach, it works for a butter face, so hopefully it will work for the budding plants.

U in Canada?? I live in Maine so we get about the same climate ur talkin about.The bags will protect against the early frost anybody who grows anything around here covers their stuff when the temps drop under 45.Better safe than sorry right?

Michigan, the weather can be very unpredictible, two weeks ago it went from 90degrees and humid as hell to upper 60s and hail, in an hour. Crazy

Sounds like here...temps and weather bounces around like crazy.That's why I'm always keeping an eye on temps and weather patterns daily.It's tricky in the north but it's been done,time and time again.

I'm going to do this as well since i have no hide set up.

Good luck to everyone! I'm here in the south...My plants are starting to flower as we speak 4 out of 10 are starting. They've been out since mid June? They're were under 24/7 floro's.. I'm letting them do there own thing. I'm not stressing, this is my first outdoor and it just a test crop, Tell me what you think they're doing really well, not 1 problem.....

I think they look really nice....keep us posted on your progress

Thanks! I will... I was wondering, seeing they're outside, I haven't did much for them. Their in premium soil. I have given them a dose of biobizz nutes, Bloom/grow/top max. Will that help them out w/flowering outside? I'm a indoor grower, so I'm confused when they say outdoor plants need nothing but light & water, Does that mean they get no nutes? Does guerilla grows get nutes? Well, I figure once a week w/biobizz couldn't hurt.

I'm only on my first grow but here's what I use and I'm getting good results so far even tho I'm still in Veg.I'm using plain soil(no perlite or anything),once or twice a week I water them with MG all purpose mixed with some epsom salt.I foliar feed with the same mix at dusk once a week.

Cool, Thanks! I guess I'll stick w/biobizz nutes for the entire flowering, I've had excellent results indoors, Hopefully, it'll do the same for the outdoor plants..... This is my 4th grow since Nov 06.... I've had 3 harvests indoors since March. I'm doing a prepetual harvest.... The plants outside are all clones and revegg's.. So, I'm not really sweating their outcome.