How to successfully veg plants indoors and then transition to outdoors in spring without plants going into flower?

[greengoblin2014]

Hi, so what I would like to learn is how to successfully veg a plant indoors in a tent, mainline the plant to 8 tops over 2-3 months before winter finishes and then successfully move the plant outside without it going into flower and remaining in veg and then flowering naturally in the end of summer. I have attempted to do this before but plant went into flower and have wasted time trying to get back to veg and have even had one hermy on me from messing around with the light cycles. The beginning of spring is 11 hours 20 minutes of sunlight, the longest day is around 14 hours 40 minutes of sunlight. One idea I was thinking of is that if I can keep the plants indoors in veg on the most minimum amount of light possible, maybe 13/11 or 14/10? and then waiting until the length of the day matches with the light cycle I have and then moving them outside. Or is there a better way?

 

[DustyDuke]

Hi, so what I would like to learn is how to successfully veg a plant indoors in a tent, mainline the plant to 8 tops over 2-3 months before winter finishes and then successfully move the plant outside without it going into flower and remaining in veg and then flowering naturally in the end of summer. I have attempted to do this before but plant went into flower and have wasted time trying to get back to veg and have even had one hermy on me from messing around with the light cycles. The beginning of spring is 11 hours 20 minutes of sunlight, the longest day is around 14 hours 40 minutes of sunlight. One idea I was thinking of is that if I can keep the plants indoors in veg on the most minimum amount of light possible, maybe 13/11 or 14/10? and then waiting until the length of the day matches with the light cycle I have and then moving them outside. Or is there a better way?

If I start mine inside I start at 18/6 and reduce it by an hour a week until I do a week of 15/8 then I move them outside. Not saying this method is perfect but it hasn’t failed me yet. I don’t move them outside until half way threw spring but there 3 weeks old so makes up for it

 

[greengoblin2014]

Ok, cool, and do you know how long the day is when you move outside middle of spring? The middle of spring where I am has 13 hours of daylight.

 

[too larry]

You need to know when your strain triggers to flower, and wait until after that to put them out. Also like DD said, you want to gradually lower light hours to match outdoor hours.

Use this site to figure out your light hours. Just plug in a town near you.

Sunrise and sunset times in San Jose

Calculations of sunrise and sunset in San Jose – California – USA for November 2024. Generic astronomy calculator to calculate times for sunrise, sunset, moonrise, moonset for many cities, with daylight saving time and time zones taken in account.

www.timeanddate.com

 

[greengoblin2014]

How would I find out when the strain triggers to flower? Let's say it's Jack Herer, or Critical Jack, how would I find this out?
What would be the lowest light cycle I can go to without flower kicking in? 12.5/11.5, 13/11, 13.5/10.5, 14/10?

 

[greengoblin2014]

After reading DustyDuke's comments I'm thinking if I start at 18/6 and then gradually lower the hours down to 13/11 to match with the middle of spring to put outside, then hopefully that will be ok? Then from 13/11 the days will naturally get longer through into the summer. I wasn't aware that different strains trigger flower in different light cycles.

 

[greengoblin2014]

I once read somewhere that if a plant gets more than 10 hours of darkness then it will go into flower.

 

[greengoblin2014]

If I start mine inside I start at 18/6 and reduce it by an hour a week until I do a week of 15/8 then I move them outside. Not saying this method is perfect but it hasn’t failed me yet. I don’t move them outside until half way threw spring but there 3 weeks old so makes up for it

Actually looking at your reply again I noticed that 15/8 doesn't make sense? do you mean 15/9? And what is the natural ligjt cycle outside in your area at the middle of spring?

 

[too larry]

How would I find out when the strain triggers to flower? Let's say it's Jack Herer, or Critical Jack, how would I find this out?
What would be the lowest light cycle I can go to without flower kicking in? 12.5/11.5, 13/11, 13.5/10.5, 14/10?

I've never run Jack Herer, but I do have Jack Herer X Shit/Skunk. It can handle a little longer dark period. Meaning it will flower later in the fall, so it can go out earlier in the spring. But trial and error is the best teacher. If your space and setup allows, you could put out a few a week and see what did what. Then you would know for next year.

Assuming these are going into your yard or somewhere with electricity, you can run lights for two hours at midnight after they are in the ground to make sure they stay in veg.