Off-season marijuana crops outdoors

Tim Alchimia 2020-12-24
Thanks for your comment, we're so happy that you0re enjoying our content! Best wishes and happy growing!

Tim Alchimia 2020-06-08
Hi Jordam, thanks for your comment and question. Good on you for starting your first grow, well done! Sounds like the soil you're working with is great for the job, it should be in a well-drained spot because if there's one thing that cannabis can't stand, it's waterlogged roots! As for the sunlight/shade issue, is the spot in shade all day long or does it receive direct sunlight for a few hours? If it's in shade all day then you'll definitely need some extra illumination, although what you use will largely depend on your budget. I'd say that you should use the most powerful lamp that you can get hold of, after all, you're trying to compensate for lack of sunlight! You'll also need the additional illumination to stop the plants flowering immediately under the winter sun. This is because the days are currently short enough to trigger flowering, so as soon as the plants are sexually mature (usually 4-6 weeks after germination), they will start to flower unless you artificially extend the daylight hours to at least 16 hours each day. In this way, you'll be able to control the size of your plants by giving them 16 hrs light or more per day until you decide they're the right size to flower. At this point, you can cut the hours of artificial light to match the natural photoperiod and, and as long as you do this before September/October (Southern hemisphere), the plants will start to flower. Be aware that the natural spring photoperiod, with daylight hours increasing every day, can stress the plants somewhat, often leading to hermaphrodite flowers appearing. To avoid this, you should use your artificial lighting to compensate for the lengthening days. I would do this by calculating the approximate day length on the predicted day of harvest (i.e. the longest day of the flowering cycle) and then using that day length as the flowering photoperiod throughout. I hope that helps, best wishes and happy growing!

Tim Alchimia 2020-03-27
Hi Connor, thanks for your comment and questions. To be honest, it's probably a little early in the year to be starting autoflower seeds for outdoors, mainly because the lower temperatures and bad weather at the start of spring mean that they're not going to get the perfect conditions for growth, so they're not going to be able to give you the yields you might get if you sowed them, for example, a month later. So, yes, now you've started them I'd recommend that you do as much as you can to optimise their growing conditions until spring gets warmed up, so you might need to bring them indoors on cold nights, and you're definitely going to want them in full sunlight for as much of the day as possible and protected from the cold at night. You can do some LST on the plants, but I wouldn't go too extreme on autos, with them having such a relatively short cultivation cycle. I usually tie down the main stem to lie it roughly horizontally, this is to prevent it from making one large main cola, which can cause mould problems in my relatively humid climate. I definitely don't recommend any pruning or topping with autos, as the time it takes out of their short lives for them to recover means it isn't worth it. The main tip I can offer for autos would be to be very careful not to overwater or over-fertilise them, again, because they have relatively short lives, any problems like this will greatly affect the yield you'll get at harvest time. We've also got a couple of blog posts that would be worth reading: Tips for growing autoflowering cannabis and Growing autoflowering cannabis. I hope that helps. Best wishes and happy growing!

Tim Alchimia 2020-03-04
Hi Jorge, thanks for your comment and question, I'm really glad you're finding the blog useful. If you're planning to move your plants outdoors so early in the season, they're definitely going to need some supplementary lighting to stop them flowering. From everything I've read and experienced over the years of growing outdoors, most cannabis plants are triggered to bloom by days of less than 14 hours (or conversely, 10 hours of uninterrupted darkness), give or take. Of course, there are exceptions, like some extra-early varieties that will flower when the days are even longer, as well as other varieties that will only begin to flower when the days are 12 hours or less, for example tropical "Sativa" varieties that might not finish flowering till December or January. So, to avoid this, you'll either need to put them out later in the season when the days are longer or provide them with a few extra hours of supplementary lighting. Personally, I put my plants outdoors in mid to late-May but I use a couple of solar-powered LED lamps that switch on automatically at nightfall to provide enough light to ensure they stay in vegetative growth. I don't think it's a good idea to match the indoor photoperiod to the outdoor one if the outdoor one is less than 14 hours. I believe that would cause plants to bloom prematurely, and in general, I'd be really uneasy trying to veg plants in such a short day. I much prefer to give 18/6 photoperiod indoors and then supplementary light for a few weeks once they are outside, I feel I get more growth and much less chance of a plant starting to flower. It's also worth noting that cuttings/clones are more likely to start flowering than plants grown from seed, simply because the clones are already mature, adult plants ready to reproduce, while as a general rule, the seedlings must go through certain hormonal changes before they can be triggered to bloom. I hope that answers your question clearly enough. If you have any further doubts, please feel free to ask. Best wishes and happy growing!

Tim Alchimia 2020-02-27
Hi again and thanks for the kind words and your question. The answer will depend on whether the seeds were "autoflowering" or not. An autoflower plant will start to bloom after a few weeks of vegetative growth, regardless of photoperiod. This means that the time listed on the pack will represent the full life cycle of the plant, from germination to harvest. On the other hand, non-auto plants will give the time needed for the flowering phase only, as the vegetative growth period can be as long or as short as we like, controlled by the photoperiod. In either case, as you've started the seeds quite late in the growing season they won't have much time for vegetative growth before being triggered to bloom by the photoperiod (if they're non-autos). Here in the northern hemisphere, my outdoor plants start the transition to flower around mid-August. For you, (I'm guessing you're in the southern hemisphere) this translates to mid-February (depending on just how far south you are), so your plants are very likely to begin flowering as soon as they mature because they're already growing in what is effectively the "flowering photoperiod". Unfortunately, this means that they probably won't get very big in size, or give you a huge crop at harvest time, simply because they won't have had enough growing time to get big before flowering. The harvest you'll get from a non-auto will depend almost entirely on the amount of vegetative growth the plan gets, for example, I like to germinate my outdoor seeds in March/April to give them 4-5 months growing before they begin to flower so they get really big and give large harvests! I hope that helps out, best wishes and happy growing!

Tim Alchimia 2020-02-26
Hi there, thanks for your comment and question. I think you'll be fine. It sounds like you've chosen a good spot to grow in, a low of 13ºC isn't going to cause any serious problems for the plants, in fact, a little cold at the end of the flowering period can be really good for flavours, resin production and can also give some beautifully coloured flowers too, depending o the genetics! If you want to be absolutely sure that your plants don't suffer on cold nights, you can use some horticultural fleece to cover them once the sun goes down and temperatures start to drop. It's lightweight, breathable and allows light to pass, but acts very well as an insulating layer over the plants. I hope that helps, please let us know how you get on. Best wishes and happy growing!

Tim Alchimia 2020-02-19
Hi Matheus, thanks for your question. The answer depends on the type of seeds you're planting. For example, a Sativa-dominant variety would probably give you a good harvest and grow to a decent size before flowering, as Sativas are naturally used to growing in 12/12 photoperiod, like the tropics. Indica-leaning varieties are more likely to start flowering before they've grown very big and end up giving a relatively small harvest as the plants won't have had time to develop sufficiently in size to produce much quantity of flowers. I hope that helps, all the best and happy growing!

Tim Alchimia 2020-02-13
Hi pixi, that's a great idea! There are various thicknesses of shade-cloths available for hot, sunny areas and they also do a great job at hiding plants from prying eyes! Enough sunlight ought to get through to allow your plant to flourish, even though these things are really designed for use in summer. If the plant's not getting enough light you'll notice slower growth and the buds will be more airy and fluffy at harvest time, but hopefully, you won't have too many issues of that sort, by the sound of it. Let us know how you get on please, all the best and happy growing!

Tim Alchimia 2020-02-10
Hi Mike, thanks for your comment. Okay, a couple of points here... Firstly, the photoperiod for springtime flowering starts around the beginning of March. Personally, I like to get my plants into the greenhouse to start flowering in the first week of March, and up till that point, I keep them indoors under lights and take them outside on sunny days to get them used to the sunlight (otherwise they can get a shock/stress at the sudden change in light intensity). Secondly, if you want to put them outdoors in Spring in the UK then they're going to need some kind of cover or protection like a small greenhouse/polytunnel to keep the worst of the weather off them and to raise the temperatures a bit. Otherwise, I'm afraid they're just going to be too cold to grow properly. If you've got a sunny south-facing wall then that's a great spot to set something up, even if it's just a cover for night time and when it rains or hails etc. Spring cultivation never gives the same results as summer/autumn in terms of flower size or weight, because the temperatures are lower and the plants grow slower, and also the light is less intense, so yields are somewhat less. However, the cold weather means that resin production is boosted, and the terpene content is higher, so you'll end up with potent and tasty weed, but less of it than if you'd cultivated in summer & autumn. A bit of advice for you... when you do harvest these plants (around mid-May) try leaving some bud and leaves on the plants so that they can re-veg and you'll be able to get another harvest from them at the end of summer. You'll have to re-pot them and feed them properly, but once the photoperiod gets over 14 hours of daylight per day they will cease flowering and begin to grow again in response to the longer days. I'd recommend you keep the plants you were happiest with and let them grow again all summer, you'll be rewarded with a much bigger harvest! I hope that all makes sense, best wishes and happy growing!

Tim Alchimia 2020-02-04
Hi pixi, no problem at all, that's what we're here for! A fan or some air movement is definitely a good idea to help strengthen the stem of your plant. I'd start with a gentle setting and if possible use an oscillating fan, which rotates in a slow arc so it doesn't keep the air current directed towards the plant at all times (which can definitely stress the plant too much!). I hope that helps, if you have any more questions you know how to find us! Best wishes and happy growing!

Tim Alchimia 2020-02-03
Hi pixi, yes a normal light bulb will do the trick, although to be honest, even on a cloudy day, the sunlight will be more powerful than a household bulb. At this point, the most important thing is to keep it in vegetative growth and for it not to initiate flowering before it's big enough to offer you a decent crop. So you could have it outside during the daytime and then bring it indoors at night for a few hours more of artificial light. I'd recommend you to read our post The Photoperiod of Indoor Cannabis Plants to get a better idea of how these things work. I hope that helps, all the best and happy growing!

Tim Alchimia 2020-01-31
Hi pixi, thanks for your comment. I'd start the plant indoors, under a light of some sort. At this time of year, the sun is not very powerful and the hours of daylight are too short for proper vegetative growth. Ideally, you want to keep it indoors with 18 hours of light and 6 hours of darkness until early March, when the outdoor photoperiod reaches roughly 12 hours of darkness and 12 hours of daylight, perfect to initiate flowering. This way you'll get a nice sized plant before you start flowering, whereas left outdoors it won't grow much and may even begin flowering very quickly due to the short days, resulting in a very small plant and a tiny harvest! Even though you're in the Mediterranean area, once you put it outdoors you might need to give your plant some protection from the elements (like a small patio propagator/greenhouse), especially if you want it to grow well and get a half-decent harvest. By the time it begins to fully flower around late-march, the weather ought to be good enough that you'll be able to leave it to finish uncovered unless there are any heavy storms, in which case it's a good idea to bring it indoors or put it in a greenhouse. I hope that helps, all the best and happy growing!

Tim Alchimia 2019-09-17
Hi Isabel, thanks for your comment and question. All the pop-up type greenhouses I've seen on the market are rather cheap and nasty things that wouldn't last very long at all outdoors exposed to the sun, they mostly lack decent ventilation so wouldn't really be suitable for leaving on when not raining. I have seen some with small ventilation windows, and these may work to some extent but I wouldn't trust my buds in there! Quite apart from that, I've not seen anything tall enough to accommodate 7ft plants! I'd say the best option would be a quick hoop-house. These can be made to almost any size you like, using PVC tubes as the arch and ridge poles, then covering with a transparent plastic sheet that can be rolled off in good weather and quickly rolled back over the plants when it rains. All the best for the rest of the season, happy harvests!

Tim Alchimia 2019-08-30
Hi Emma, thanks for your question. Yes, you're right, at this time of year and in your part of the world Autos will grow fine started at this time of year, although as you already know, the yield will be considerably less than when planted in late Spring/early Summer. Any supplementary light you can give them at night will definitely reward you with a higher yield. Being autos, they can be under 24h of light and still flower perfectly, so don't hold back with the lumens! As far as the rest of the grow goes, just make sure that you protect the plants from any early frosts that could cause damage to the flowers and if you can cover them when it rains they will appreciate it. I hope that's helped, if you need any more advice, you know where we are! All the best with the rest of the season, happy growing!

Dani Alchimia 2019-06-18
Hi Art, I don't think your plants will be stressed for taking 15 hours only one day. 2-3 consecutive days could cause it to start revegging, but not just one day. About keeping it in complete darkness for 36 hours, there's no problem at all as long as humidity levels don't raise too much. I think it's safer to have them one day with 15 hours of light mainly because of the humidity issue. But if you can solve that, 36 hours of darkness won't be a problem at all. Hope this helps!

Tim Alchimia 2019-05-27
Hi Bart, yes, I'm afraid clones will do that, being mature plants, they will begin to flower if put outdoors before mid-late may. At this stage, what you do next depends on a few factors. If it's a special clone that you're not able to easily replace, personally I'd try and reveg it so it grows bigger before it begins to flower naturally around mid-august. This may stress it somewhat but it shouldn't provoke hermaphrodite traits unless those traits are already present. I would re-pot it, pruning some roots away in the process, and possibly removing the flower tips as well to provoke more vegetative growth. Applying foliar feed of Kelp solution can help reduce stress and start growth again. On the other hand, if it's an easily-replaceable clone, I'd just leave it to do it's own thing and it may well reveg naturally outdoors, and in the meantime, I'd try and get another new clone. I wouldn't really recommend doing a light dep for the next 2 months just to finish one plant. In my experience it's a real chore having to cover and uncover a plant at the same time each day. I cn understand putting the effort in for a hoop house full of plants, but for just one plant it seems excessive. I hope that helps, please let us know how you get on. Happy growing!

Tim Alchimia 2019-01-02
Hi Randy, thanks for your comment and question. Because of your tropical location the daylight hours are pretty much stable throughout the year, meaning that any clones will begin to flower as soon as you put them outdoors at any time of the year. You can avoid this by giving them supplemental lighting to fool the plants into thinking the days are longer, so they will continue to grow and not start flowering. Another option would be to start plants from seed, using genetics that are native to the tropical zone, which should be able to grow to maturity outdoors without any additional illumination. For that kind of seed I can highly recommend seed banks such as ACE Seeds, Cannabiogen Seeds, and Underground Seed Collective who have all worked extensively and had great success with tropical varieties. I hope that helps, all the best and happy growing!

Tim Alchimia 2018-12-05
Hi CaliMist, thanks for your question. In Spring the natural photoperiod (hours of daylight) is the same as in autumn when cannabis flowers in the wild. The only difference is that instead of the days getting shorter as the season progresses, they get longer. So if you put a (non-auto) plant outside at the beginning of March it will begin to flower and if all goes well should be ready to harvest in mid-May when the daylight period gets over 14 hours, at which point plants will try and revegetate. If you say you're starting sativa seeds, then maybe germinate them a little earlier as they'll take longer to mature. For a spring harvest I personally much prefer using Indica varieties as they flower quickly, will definitely finish before mid-May, and are much less prone to revegging, whereas sativa varieties can be touch and go, often not being mature in time. It's worth noting that the increasing daily photoperiod can provoke the appearance of intersex traits/hermaphrodite behaviour in plants, so you'll need to keep a close eye for male flowers on your female plants. However, on the positive side it's a great way to stress-test plants and select stable individuals as mother plants for future cultivation. I hope that's helped clear up your doubts, happy growing!

Tim Alchimia 2018-10-31
Hi again Chris, hahaha yes I definitely read that wrong, so that's one thing you don't need to worry about at all then! Personally I'd try and keep it at the same photoperiod as outdoors, so as not to confuse and stress the plant, which could lead to problems like halted growth and possible hermaphroditism. As far as temperature goes, a lot depends on the genetics, some plants will deal with the cold really well while others can't stand it. I've got plants outside now and at night they have been getting as low as 35ºF. They're not growing much but they don't appear to be suffering either, but daytime temps are more reasonable, around 60. An extended cold period would not do them any good at all. So, if you can bring it inside on the coldest days you'll definitely be doing it a favour, as long as you don't mess about with the photoperiod. The light you use will definitely affect the outcome, in short the more powerful it is, the more flower you'll get, although I think a cheap and simple solution would be to put the plant on a south-facing window sill and have it outside when temperatures permit. If you are going to get a light bulb to finish the cycle, for the best results make sure it's designed for flowering, with a low colour temperature, (ie between 2000k and 3000k) a reddish light spectrum to simulate the autumnal sun. Hope that helps, all the best and happy budding!

Tim Alchimia 2018-10-30
Hi Chris, great news, I'm glad your plant is a female and doing well too! Sounds like you've got a handle on things at the moment, the only thing I'd say is that since it's quite a large plant, you'll need to make sure she's in a container that's large enough for her to complete flowering without any problems. Of course, since you're moving her twice a day I can understand you not wanting to use a huge, heavy container, but my advice would be to try and get her into the biggest one you can manage as soon as possible, taking great care during transplanting to make sure not to cause stress which could delay flowering. Apart from the size of container, just take care to irrigate properly, not too much, not too little, and make sure the plant receives all the nutrition she needs at the right time. The nutritional needs are dealt with on our blog in a more detailed post on Flowering in Cannabis Plants which should be of help to you. All the best for the rest of the season, happy flowering!

Tim Alchimia 2018-10-29
Hi NormA, thanks for the question. Sounds like a good setup for your zone. The only thing I'd say is that with the photoperiod at this time of year, the plants will start to flower very quickly, after a very short growth period. This means that if they're mostly Indica genetics then they won't grow very big in size and won't yield all that much. If the seeds are mostly Sativa then it shouldn't be a problem as they will start to flower a little later and will tend to continue growing well into the flowering period, meaning they'll also deliver a bigger yield at harvest time. All the best with the grow, keep us updated please. Happy growing!

Tim Alchimia 2018-10-22
Hi Terri, thanks for the question. Yeah that'll be a good idea as long as it doesn't get too cold it'll grow fine. However because of the short days in autumn & winter it will start to flower as soon as it goes in the greenhouse and it won't grow very big at all, meaning it won't give you much bud. You can either add some supplementary lighting to give your plant another 6-8 hours of light until it's big enough to give a decent yield, and then remove the extra lights so it will flower. Or you can forget about extra lighting and simply have more plants to compensate for the small yield you'll get from just one. All the best and happy growing!

Tim Alchimia 2018-10-03
Hi Ginnette, thanks for your question. How long have your plants been flowering? Plants usually take anything fro 2-4 months to mature fully, so if they've only just started and it's turning to winter in your area, then you'd better bring them inside and give them 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness each day if you want them to finish flowering properly. Otherwise a greenhouse could do the trick as long as winter conditions are not too harsh where you are. However if the plants have been flowering for a while now they may be nearly ready to harvest. Keep a close eye on them to remove any possible mould infections which could devastate the crop. Make sure they're in a position to receive as much sunlight as possible during the day. If you're growing in an area with a short summer time and harsh early winters, then we'd recommend planting fast flowering varieties, or even autoflowering plants to ensure the flowers are mature before the first frosts. If you could supply a bit more information about the plants and how they're growing, maybe we can help a bit more. All the best and happy flowering!

Tim Alchimia 2018-07-24
Hi Chino, thanks for your question. To be honest I think late Aug/early Sep is a bit too late to sow anything apart from the most extreme tropical sativa plants. This is because Indicas and hybrid plants would start to flower almost immediately after germination, giving them very little, if any, time for vegetative growth, so they'd be really small and produce almost nothing. A tropical sativa (Colombian, Panamanian, Malawi, Thai, Haze etc.) would at least grow a bit larger, as they are slower to flower and more accustomed to growing in a 12/12 light/dark photoperiod. You'd probably be looking to harvest around Christmas time, which ought to be be enough time to get a half-decent harvest from the plants. I hope it works out for you. Happy growing!

Tim Alchimia 2018-07-18
Hi again Art, thanks, I'm really glad I could be of help. As for plant spacing... are you pushed for space? If not then I'd put the plants at one or two per square metre to guarantee maximum growth, ventilation and light exposure, as they're hopefully going to grow fairly big, being sativas. Of course, you can plant them closer together, particularly if your area has a dry climate, but there's always a chance they might not get as big that way. I grow in a humid part of the world, so I tend to err on the safe side and maximise spacing. Sorry I can't be more specific, but it really does depend on each individual situation. All the best and happy growing!

Tim Alchimia 2018-07-16
Hi Art, thanks for your question. It's an interesting proposal. You're planning to put small seedlings out in the grenhouse in late August, where they will start to flower practically immediately, without much, if any, of a vegetative growth period. Well, you're right about Autos, there's no benefit to planting them in this scenario, the days are short enough for photo-dependant plants to flower so why bother with inferior genetics. With such a short veg period I'd advise you to plant Sativa-leaning varieties if you want to have any kind of a yield. They will grow bigger and continue to stretch during the start of flowering, so they'll definitely yield more than indica varieties, which will tend to stay short and compact and finish much faster. Personally, I'd go for the longest flowering varieties from among your selection, maybe Jack Herer, Moby Dick and whichever of the various Amnesia or Haze options you think would be the last to finish (and possibly the least smelly). If you really want to grow Indicas I'd advise you to start them earlier in the season so they can develop a large enough structure before flowering. As far as the odour goes, a lot depends upon the particular phenotype you're growing, you can get both really stinky plants and less smelly ones from the same packet of seeds. However, bear in mind that most varieties have been selected for the intensity of aroma and flavour, rather than the lack of it, so non-aromatic varieties aren't that easy to come by. In fact, we're currently working on a blog post dealing with this very subject, so keep an eye out for it in the near future. Hopefully that's helped you out a bit, happy growing!

Tim Alchimia 2018-06-04
Hi Clint, thanks for your question. I've been looking at the hours of daylight you get in Antigua, and even at the height of summer it's barely over 13 hours a day, which should be low enough to trigger flowering in cannabis plants as soon as they're mature enough. I'd say it won't be long before you start to see flowers appear on your plants, but really it depends on the genetics you're growing. I'd say you live in a great place to be able to grow some really impressive tropical Sativas. All the best and happy growing!

Tim Alchimia 2018-05-14
Hi Dominic, thanks for your question. I'm assuming you're in the Northern hemisphere, so yes the plant will start to re-veg if you put it outside any time from mid-May onwards. If you really want to keep it flowering outside then you can cover it for 12 hours each day to simulate the darkness of night, a technique known as light-deprivation. All the best and happy growing!

Tim Alchimia 2018-05-14
No problem Ian, my pleasure! Thanks for your kind words they are much appreciated!

Tim Alchimia 2018-05-04
Hi Ian, I'm not sure which plants Jake was referring to either, it's not really clear. However there are several options for landrace sativas that I can recommend. Firstly a great option recently released on the market would be ACE Seeds Lebanese landrace, which is a sativa with naturally occurring high CBD and therefore a great option for medicinal use, and besides, these are plants that traditionally would have been planted close together in large fields just as Jake describes. Could be worth a try. Aside from the Lebanese, ACE Seeds do a fair few pure landrace sativas like Ethiopian and Honduras among others. Other highly reputable seed banks for landraces include Cannabiogen and Underground Seed Collective. Hopefully you'll find something suitable for your needs, or maybe Jake will get back on the thread and enlighten us as to what genetics he means. All the best and happy growing!

Tim Alchimia 2018-04-10
Hi Dian, thanks for the question. I think you'll be okay, but only just. The Indica-dom should be ok as generally they're faster and genetically less prone to reveg anyway, but if the sativa-dominant plant isn't finished by 15th May then you may need to pull a tarp to finish it, but here at 43ºN I usually have 15th May as my limit. Just keep a close eye out for any male flowers that may pop up at that late stage, the stress of the increasing photoperiod can really bring out any intersex characteristics if they're there. All the best and happy growing!

Tim Alchimia 2018-03-29
Hi Dian, we're counting the hours of daylight, not twilight (Civil, Nautical or Astronomical). Hope that helps!

Tim Alchimia 2018-03-13
Hi, thanks for your question, we've got a whole blog section on outdoor growing most of which information is perfectly applicable to growing in warm climates. As far as seed banks or varieties go, to be honest in that sort of climate you'll be able to grow almost anything apart from the very longest flowering sativa varieties, so I'd recommend choosing the kind of flavours you like the most. Many of the Indica strains we offer will finish around the end of September, we've also written another article about fast flowering varieties which could also help you choose the ideal seeds. All the best, happy growing and when you want to visit the shop we'll be pleased to see you!

Tim Alchimia 2018-02-06
Hi, thanks for your question. In my experience, at my latitude (43ºN) it's not till mid May that plants get enough hours of daylight to want to re-veg. And Indicas are genetically the least likely varieties to want to re-veg, so I'd say that you won't have a problem, although I'd recommend looking into the hours of daylight in your area, once plants are getting more than 14.5 hours of light a day then there's a chance of re-veg. Of course, you can probably accelerate the finish of flowering by pulling a tarp during April, but it shouldn't be necessary. All the best!

Tim Alchimia 2018-01-02
Hi A Khan, thanks for your question. It depends on the genetics involved and if they're fully acclimatised but I'd guess that most of these seedlings will start to flower in early march as the natural photoperiod approaches 12/12, and will be ready to harvest in mid-may, as long as the winter doesn't get too cold and kill them off! Good luck with them!

Dani Alchimia 2017-12-18
Hi Art, I know Tim is travelling today, so I'll answer your question. If you don't want re-vegging problems, then the best option for you is to use autos. They don't care about photoperiod so you know you'll be harvesting them X days after germinating the seeds. Still, if you want to use photoperiod strains you must be aware that they'll be re-vegging by mid May. I've aways used clones (actually small mother plants) for my spring crops, which were growing indoors with 18/6 photoperiod until I took them outside by early February. In this way, they start flowering in a few days and I normally harvest them by May. One thing I've noticed is that mostly Sativa strains can start re-vegging by early May, while mostly Indica plants continue flowering without problems until late May/early June. But yes, May is the crucial month. Hope it helped!

Tim Alchimia 2017-12-12
Hi Art, thanks a lot for your question. As you've already worked out, plants that are flowering outdoors in spring in the Northern hemisphere will start to re-veg after mid-May. I think you may be right in thinking that the F1 Fast version genetics produced by companies like Sweet Seeds, Royal Queen Seeds and Delicious Seeds might have enough ruderalis in them to not re-veg as readily as fully-photoperiod plants. I haven't tried them but I think they may well be worth a try. My own personal experience with this has been that Indica plants are slower to re-veg than Sativas, and the one time I did an our of season crop I ended up having to finish off a few more Sativa-leaning plants by using light-deprivation techniques, ie covering them with a tarpaulin to simulate an extra hour or so of darkness. If the plants are in pots and are easily moveable then you can take them indoors to a dark room for the extra night time needed. So, in summary I would try some pure Indica varieties and some Fast versions, planting them early enough in spring (early March) so that they have time to finish before mid-May brings this kind of complication. Best of luck, happy growing!

Dani Alchimia 2017-10-09
Hi Josh, I'd definitely try what you say in your experiments. Also, and when growing indoors, I've experienced an increase in yields if I switch the photoperiod from 18/6 to 12/12 gradually. A few days at 15/9 before finally switching to 12/12 have often translated into higher yields. This makes me think that perhaps the plants you start at july 1st are somehow stressed for the sudden increase in the amount of dark hours. Have you ever experienced changing the photoperiod in this way? The bloom period is a little bit longer, but from what I've seen is worth it in terms of overall yield (bud production/time needed). Best!

Dani Alchimia 2017-07-13
Hi Matt, You won't definitely get "monster plants", but they can reach a decent size if you plant them in the ground and try to develop a nice root ball asap. If you can't plant in the ground, 40L/10gal containers (at least) will work. If you want bigger plants, you can use some artificial lighting for 2-3 extra hours each day to extend their growth stage, delaying the start of bloom until the moment you stop using extra light. (notice that, with this technique, harvest time will also be delayed, so do not use it unless you have good weather in the autumn. Hope it helped!

Dani Alchimia 2017-07-10
Hi Charlie, Harvest will depend on the strain, but it should be readu by late December/early January. Best!

Dani Alchimia 2017-07-03
Hi Tim, If you're now planning on using light dep, expect them to flower again in 10-15 days. Best! ;)

Dani Alchimia 2017-06-26
Hi Tim, As you say, you should do some type of light dep until they're done. You should cover them during 2-3 hours (dawn or sunset) so their night period is longer. Basically, and when taking indoor plants outside, you must think about your outdoor garden as an indoor grow room with the following photoperiod: From June to August: 18/6. Any plant you take outside during these months will grow From August to June: 12/12. Any plant you take outside during these months will flower If you'd have taken your plants outside about a couple of weeks later they'd have never go bloom but grow until August, just like any other outdoor plant. If you take your indoor plants outside on late February, they'll bloom and they'll have enough time to complete their flowering before June, when they'd start revegging. Hope it helped!

Dani Alchimia 2017-06-23
Hi Eduardo, No problem at all!! Put them outside, on a shady place (spray them with water twice a day) for a couple of days and then put them in direct sunlight. They'll grow until August (approximately), when they'll start flowering. Best!

Tim 2017-04-25
Hi dylan, You can try and stop your clones flowering by giving them a few extra hours of artificial lighting to make the daylight duration up to the 16-18 hours needed for vegetative growth. If you do it now, they'll probably be ok in time to start flowering normally in late summer, although the process of stopping blooming and beginning the re-vegetating process takes time and energy that could be better devoted to vigorous growth. If you have the option of getting more clones, I'd throw these ones away and start with fresh clones for best results. Make sure they get 16-18 hours light a day, supplementing the lighting until June, when you can leave them outdoors without any fear of them flowering early. Seeds can be started outdoors at any time from early spring, they won't start flowering early as they will be growing in natural light conditions and will become accustomed to the gradually increasing photoperiod. Seeds started very early will be at higher risk from frosts, pests and diseases simply by virtue of being outside for a longer period in less than ideal conditions. It's always best to sow after the risk of frost has passed and once the consistently good weather comes, where i am (42.5ºN) it's around the second half of April, but conditions will vary locally. For really big plants, outdoor cultivators often germinate in January and grow the seedlings to a really big size indoors or in a greenhouse with supplementary lighting, planting outdoors in large-capacity smart pots from mid-may onwards. Hope that helps, good luck and happy harvesting!

Tim 2017-04-20
Hi Ben, thanks for your question. In my experience, after mid-May you'll need to force flower them, if you can move them to a dark room indoors after 12 hours daylight they'll finish up fine. It's strain-dependant though, with Indica varieties less willing to re-veg than Sativa-dominant cultivars. Keepin them rootbound will certainly help to stop them re-vegging but if you're going to force them then it's not necessary and may well affect the quality and quantity of the final crop. Me, I'd re-pot them and force flower them. Good luck! Tim.

Dani Alchimia 2017-03-02
Hi Paul, If you start now, you'll harvest by mid-late May. The natural photoperiod will make your plants to grow again in June, so you should start asap in order to have your plants ripe before June. Try not to use long flowering strains and remember to open the greenhouse during the day so humidity and temps remain optimal. You can also use some type of heater for greenhouse at nights if temps drop too much. Btw, I assume we're talking about clones. If we're talking about seeds, then you should try some auto flower strain, otherwise your seeds will grow until July-August and then start flowering. Hope it helped!

Dani Alchimia 2017-01-09
Hi Abe, Being Indica plants, they should be ready about 8-10 weeks after they started to develop buds. Here's an article on how to determine harvest time for cannabis. You can put some more Indica plants before mid February, which should be ready by early May. Hope it helped!

Dani Alchimia 2017-01-09
Hi Gronomo, Thanks for your excellent comment, I can see you're an experienced grower! All the best!

Dani Alchimia 2016-11-29
Hi Devin, Best thing would do to wait until spring, your small seedling would probably die due to winter cold temperatures. All the best!

Dani Alchimia 2016-09-22
Hi So Kong, Well, it all depends on night temperatures in your area. If they drop below 15ºC you should definitely try it with a greenhouse (especially in February-early March). All the best!

Dani Alchimia 2016-09-13
Hi Andy, We LOVE helping you guys to get the best possible crop!!! ;) Speak soon!

Dani Alchimia 2016-09-12
Hi Andy, Glad your spring crop was harvested successfully! Mid October is a bit too late for an Autumn crop, especially if your plants are not early flowering Indicas. Still, and if the place is safe, I'd definitely try it, even if it is only for making concentrates. The ideal in this case would be starting the seeds indoors in late August and putting them outside by mid October). About your second question: vegging outside in October/November would be almost the same as starting your seeds indoors with 12/12 photoperiod (unless you light your plants at nights). I think your plants will grow for a few weeks (October) but then they'll start flowering as soon as they reach their sexual maturity (which would happen in November). As you're actually growing outside under a bloom natural photoperiod, you can put your plants inside at any time (12/12). They'll need some days to adapt to the new environment, but there's no problem. Hope it helped!

Dani Alchimia 2016-08-18
Hi Eddie, If you're in the northern hemisphere and you put your cuttings outside right now, they'll start flowering as soon as they adapt to the outdoor conditions. If you want them to grow a little bit more, you can either grow them indoors for a couple of weeks or put them outside and prolongue their daylight hours with artificial lights. Hope it helped! ;)

Dani Alchimia 2016-06-07
Hi tgp, I assume you started your plants from seed and directly outside. What may have happened is that the strains that started flowering are a bit sensitive to photoperiod. I wouldn't worry about it, they'll probably start re-vegging pretty soon. It is strange, since normally seeds planted outdoors don't start flowering until August, but it can happen sometimes. Best of luck!

Dani Alchimia 2016-05-23
Hi Love my weed, Indoor plants are normally grown with a 18/6 photoperiod. If you take them outside before June, they'll start flowering since the natural photoperiod is shorter than indoors. We use this to take indoor plants outside on late february so they can complete their flowering before June, when they would start re-vegging. Hope it helped!

Dani Alchimia 2016-04-01
Hi justin, I'm affraid your only choice is putting the plants in a warm room every night and then putting them outside again every morning. There are heating mats and other elements that could work, but their efficiency is almost zero if you don't use a greenhouse. Hope it helped!

Dani Alchimia 2016-03-29
Hi andy, Pretty fast strain! I would bet you will harvest it without problems. Perhaps I would recommend taking the plants out a week or so earlier, since they need some days to adapt to the new environment. Please keep us updated, we would love to read that your plant has done it! ;)

Dani Alchimia 2016-03-22
Hi andy, It will mostly depend on the strains you're growing: I've had mostly Indica hybrids that were still flowering by the last weeks of may, while Sativa hybrids often tend to reveg earlier, by early May. Best of luck!

Dani Alchimia 2016-03-08
Hi Orlando, With your natural photoperiod, most cannabis strains will grow until reaching sexual maturity and will then begin flowering. Thus, these varieties will stay shorter (especially Indicas and mostly Indica hybrids) than they would in other climates. If you want larger plants, you can grow them indoors (18/6 photoperiod) until they reach the height you want and then take them outside, where they'll start flowering immediately. Hope it helped!

Dani Alchimia 2015-09-16
Hi George, Remember that growing outdoors from December to March is difficult in many areas. Where I live I can start an outdoor crop in late February and harvest it in March. Start another one in June and harvest it in October. And start another one in September and harvest it in December. But I can't grow from December to March, yields are ridiculous. All the best!