Too early for Nor Cal outdoor grow?

Hey guys,

After a successful first time outdoor grow last year, I am back for another season!

I collected 3 seeds from my clones last year, and they've been germinating the last 48 hours using the paper towel method.

So far 2 out of the 3 seeds have popped and I'm eager to get them in the ground!

It sure feels like spring has sprung out here in Northern CA....we've got temps forecasted in the upper 70's and temps are not dipping below 40 at night.

A few questions:

-Is it too early to get these seeds planted and put outside? I don't have a greenhouse to protect them....they will be sun grown fully outdoor plants.

-Since these seeds were from female clones, will they all be females as well?

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

It's too early to go outside yet, the days are too short, unless you can run lights over the plants to lengthen the daylight hrs.
Best of luck

Just a quick update since my first post.....I've had the germinated seeds growing indoors on a 18/6 light cycle.

Topped them from the 6th node to the 4th a few days ago and they seem to have rebounded quite nicely.

Been slowly hardening them off to outdoor sunlight, they were outside for a couple hours today in partial sun.

Since these were random seeds from last years harvest, I wasn't sure which strains they are, but I think I can definitely rule out Blue Dream....the leaves are way too fat.

I'm guessing the shorter one is Purple Punch and the taller one is the amazing Sour Diesel / Lemon Kush Hybrid. Both look to female to my untrained eye as well.

Hoping to get them full time outdoor by Mid-May....should I start adjusting my 18/6 light cycle closer to the 13 hours or so of daylight we have in Nor-Cal now? Don't want to shock them into flower or anything.

Cheers to another fun season!

roaf said:

should I start adjusting my 18/6 light cycle closer to the 13 hours or so of daylight we have in Nor-Cal now?

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Yes, definitely.

When I prepare plants for outdoors, I start them at 15/9 right away until they go out. This all but ensures that they won't flower when they go outside. I don't know anyone who goes as low as 13 hours, nor have I tried it. Dial the 18/6 down an hour every few days or so. Thankfully you've planned ahead and have time for the adjustments.

Lots of people run a normal veg cycle, and wonder why the plants immediately flower when put outdoors

Pics below!

I think this one is the Purple Punch: Hoping this is the Sour Diesel x Lemon Kush Hybrid:

spek9 said:

Yes, definitely.

When I prepare plants for outdoors, I start them at 15/9 right away until they go out. This all but ensures that they won't flower when they go outside. I don't know anyone who goes as low as 13 hours, nor have I tried it. Dial the 18/6 down an hour every few days or so. Thankfully you've planned ahead and have time for the adjustments.

Lots of people run a normal veg cycle, and wonder why the plants immediately flower when put outdoors

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Thanks buddy. I bumped it down to 17/7 for today. Will continue lowering down to 15/9 and leave it there until they're fully transitioned to outdoors.

Also forgot to mention I have them in Fox Farm Ocean Forest Soil....I was using Black Magic soil last year and I can already see the difference. Leaves are a much darker green and the overall plant looks to be much healthier.

What's up everybody!

Wanted to share a quick update....this week I've had the plants outside in mostly direct sun and they're doing great! I also transplanted them into larger pots and couldn't believe the root systems they already had created!

I've been bringing the plants indoors towards the end of the day so they still get some additional lighting as the indoor lights are on a 15/9 light cycle, but I'm thinking about leaving them outside permanently now....

I'm most concerned about the overnight temps. This week it looks like the overnight temps will be in the mid-upper 40's.....is this going to mess them up?

Also, they are in Fox Farm Ocean Forest soil, and I have Fox Farm nutes left over from last year. The plants are about 6 weeks old...is it too early to start feeding them?

Here are some pics....my dog Dusty loves to watch me tend to my crop



Thanks everyone!

Thing is you dont want to leave them out til the outdoors light is 14.5 or higher. If you take away the supplemental lighting now they will go into flower early then as the days get longer will reveg. You can end up losing a lot of potential yeild because the plant is concentrating on hormonal change instead of vegetative growth.

ganga gurl420 said:

Thing is you dont want to leave them out til the outdoors light is 14.5 or higher. If you take away the supplemental lighting now they will go into flower early then as the days get longer will reveg. You can end up losing a lot of potential yeild because the plant is concentrating on hormonal change instead of vegetative growth.

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We’re at 13 hours 44 minutes right now.

roaf said:

We’re at 13 hours 44 minutes right now.

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Anything outdoors that is under 14 will flower once its sexually mature

ganga gurl420 said:

Anything outdoors that is under 14 will flower once its sexually mature

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Interesting....guess I'll keep bringing them inside for now until the days get longer.

ganga gurl420 said:

Thing is you dont want to leave them out til the outdoors light is 14.5 or higher. If you take away the supplemental lighting now they will go into flower early then as the days get longer will reveg. You can end up losing a lot of potential yeild because the plant is concentrating on hormonal change instead of vegetative growth.

Click to expand...

Thanks!

roaf said:

Interesting....guess I'll keep bringing them inside for now until the days get longer.

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Yeah it's a good idea too. Indoors and out is two totally different beasts...
You will be happy you brought them in trust me.

Looks like we hit 14 hours of sunlight on 5/7....I think I’ll start them outside full time then.

After reading this thread I found this interesting website.. you can plug in your location and it breaks it all the way down.

http://www.tulsa.climatemps.com/

The plants have been topped a second time and have hardened off nicely now in full sun for hours each day.

Really wanting to get them outside full time, but it looks like we have a few days of rain in the forecast next week! Once that passes they'll be permanently outside.

Trying to sex them and I think sadly the taller one might be male...going to keep a close eye on them as their pre-flowers are so small it's hard to tell.

The taller one is definitely showing pre-flowers....girl or boy?? Hard to tell.

Well I think the big one is definitely a male...

The smallest one is a lemon lava clone that I recently snagged. Pretty sure the other is purple punch.

They’ve taken really well to being outside full time!

Leafly has some info of possible interest. Good luck with your grow.

The big guy was definitely male Chopped him last week.

The purple punch has such a nice bushy shape to it. I’ve topped it twice and I don’t think I’ll do it again.

The lemon lava is looking great as well. I’ve topped it once and may do it once more.

They’re loving the sun