Late Season Florida Grow

[Spalding420]

Hey guys, first time grower here. I am in northeast FL about a 1/2 mile from the ocean. I have 1 northern lights photoperiod feminised seed, and 1 pineapple express autoflower seed. I have germinated them over the last several days. The tap roots were beautiful and I’m looking forward to the grow.

I will be growing in FF ocean forest as my medium, and will be done in 7 gallon pots outside. That being said, I’ve done a ton of research and realize that in order to get the feminised photoperiod seed to flower, you shift the light to 12/12.....how does one accomplish this for an outdoor soil grow in a container? My main concerns stem around how much sunlight they get during veg...I mean I don’t see it possible to give them anymore than 6-7 hours of direct sunlight tops....can you guys just shed some light on a soil container grow done outdoors in Florida? I’m just looking for some basic do’s and dont’s of an outdoor grow.

Any and all help will be greatly appreciated!

 

[TorturedSoul]

If the plants are getting around 12 (or more) hours of uninterrupted darkness per day, they will begin flowering as soon as they are able to do so (aka mature). If you want larger plants, then interrupt that darkness each day (night) until the plants approach the size you are wishing to see.

They'll still be growing during the first ~40% of the flowering phase ("the stretch"), of course.

 

[Spalding420]

If the plants are getting around 12 (or more) hours of uninterrupted darkness per day, they will begin flowering as soon as they are able to do so (aka mature). If you want larger plants, then interrupt that darkness each day (night) until the plants approach the size you are wishing to see.

They'll still be growing during the first ~40% of the flowering phase ("the stretch"), of course.

Thanks man. By interrupting the darkness, do you mean by like turning on my LED porch light on the patio? or bringing them indoors for a few hours and putting them closer to an LED light? I know I can get them about 6 hours or direct light per day, but as far as our Florida days, we will be about 11-12 hours of day light per day. Do you have any recommendations for giving it maximum light for as long as I can to get it to grow as big as it can outdoors. Thanks a lot for your input!

 

[TorturedSoul]

I don't know if your porch light would be enough (although if you are actually growing the plants on your porch, then... probably?). Presumably, the light of our moon isn't enough to interfere with the flowering cycle.

I've kept plants from flowering in the grow room when I didn't want to run my normal lighting for a regular 18-hour vegetative schedule by setting a couple of low-wattage CFL bulbs on a timer to come on for an hour in the middle of the dark cycle (and it probably doesn't take an hour). I might have been okay with just one, but my grow space was long and narrow.

The porch light might work, but IDK. Bringing them inside would for sure work if the space is reasonably well lit. I'm just hesitant to say, "Yeah, the porch light would work," and then later learn that I was wrong, lol.

I'm not sure what your legal / security / safety / LEO situation is. People with greenhouses full of "legal crops" sometimes use strong HID lighting (or I suppose, these days, powerful LED) to extend the hours of light, setting them up to come on as the sun starts to go down and turn off a few hours later. But that's a fairly obvious giveaway that you're growing something. On the other hand, this doesn't just delay flowering - the plants actually continue to grow under the lights.

I'm just rambling. Past my bedtime. Have a good night.

 

[Jackalope]

Outdoor grows in your climate can be as tricky as they are easy. Big thing is you have the temperatures you need almost year around. This year you are starting late and may want to extend veg time with a little light. It doesn't take much to keep it in veg. What you don't want to do is extend the grow time to much. If they don't finish in time you risk the plant trying to regrow right when they are starting to finish. This shouldn't be a problem unless they are a mostly sativa that has a long flower time.

If all goes well. Next year you can have multiple harvests. Just start a few seeds indoor around August then move then outdoors later in the season. Some places you can get 3 harvest's in a year. Florida I am not sure of but I bet 2 would be easy. Except bad hurricane years then you may get nothing. Mother nature is a evil woman at times.

 

[Spalding420]

Outdoor grows in your climate can be as tricky as they are easy. Big thing is you have the temperatures you need almost year around. This year you are starting late and may want to extend veg time with a little light. It doesn't take much to keep it in veg. What you don't want to do is extend the grow time to much. If they don't finish in time you risk the plant trying to regrow right when they are starting to finish. This shouldn't be a problem unless they are a mostly sativa that has a long flower time.

If all goes well. Next year you can have multiple harvests. Just start a few seeds indoor around August then move then outdoors later in the season. Some places you can get 3 harvest's in a year. Florida I am not sure of but I bet 2 would be easy. Except bad hurricane years then you may get nothing. Mother nature is a evil woman at times.

Thanks for the advice! So I just planted the Pineapple Express autoflower seed in its final pot, a 7 gallon filled with ocean forest. I also planted the Northern Lights photoperiod feminised seed in a solo cup. I was wondering if they should be outside already? We are still due for 88-90 degree days and 75-77 degree nights, with of course high humidity around 80% daytime and 60-65% night time. Is it ok to have them as seedlings outside already? I don’t plan on giving them direct sunlight until I have some leaves and then I will slowly introduce them to the sun. Can you or anyone else advise me if I should sprout them indoors or outdoors? Outdoor would be preferred but since it is still hot, do I need to do anything special to them so they don’t get too hot?

MANY thanks!

 

[Jackalope]

Better to do your seed starting indoors. Lots of time between when they pop through the soil and when they really take off. Indoors you have much more control over everything. Thy don't need a whole lot of light at this time so indoors is not a problem. Best to keep them indoors tell they have 3 or 4 sets of leaves.

Containers outdoors can be tricky. Heat can't be dissipated in pots like it is directly in the ground. You may end up with high soil temps if pots are left in direct sunlight.