Anyone try an Auto outdoors in early spring (Texas)

ChemDogLover

ChemDogLover

Well-Known Member
Was thinking about putting an auto out around April 1, with a finishing date of June, before summer turns into an inferno. I would probably need to set up an auto watering system and possibly a greenhouse shade cloth.

anybody tried this in Texas or the south?
 
Till Valhalla

Till Valhalla

Well-Known Member
ChemDogLover said:
Was thinking about putting an auto out around April 1, with a finishing date of June, before summer turns into an inferno. I would probably need to set up an auto watering system and possibly a greenhouse shade cloth.

anybody tried this in Texas or the south?
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i have grown autos outside in TX. they go fine provided no more frost.
if you're going to choose april wait till the 15th to start.
 
ChemDogLover

ChemDogLover

Well-Known Member
Till Valhalla said:
june/july. different cultivars with different finish times.

you can have several auto grows/harvests during the grow season. it's pretty long.
plant from april 15 - july 15th and you'll finish fine.

hell is when it's cold in Texas...
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I work outside in the summer, last thing I want to do in July and August is tend to an outdoor plant. But I appreciate you mentioning that. My main grow is inside. Just looking to play a little outside before temps reach 95+.

Also, I plan on germinating the auto indoors and putting the plant outdoors once it reaches 4-5 weeks old. So in reality I can put a plant out April 15 and harvest before July.

At least that’s the plan
 
V

VaSmile

Well-Known Member
I find the cold really slows growth, more so then heat, autos won't get but so tall so it won't take much to make a cold frame to keep them in over night if your still dipping into the 50s. Outdoor plants don't take that much daily care, just watering and checking for bugs/molds/rot at the end of flowering. You don't want to water during the heat of the day anyways.
I don't know shit about TX climate but I am getting a fell that a late outdoor auto crop is better then an early one.
If your gonna start them indoors to veg they should have the same mass in flower with the temps realy only effecting the time it takes for them to finish and not so much your final yield.
 
Till Valhalla

Till Valhalla

Well-Known Member
VaSmile said:
I find the cold really slows growth, more so then heat, autos won't get but so tall so it won't take much to make a cold frame to keep them in over night if your still dipping into the 50s. Outdoor plants don't take that much daily care, just watering and checking for bugs/molds/rot at the end of flowering. You don't want to water during the heat of the day anyways.
I don't know shit about TX climate but I am getting a fell that a late outdoor auto crop is better then an early one.
If your gonna start them indoors to veg they should have the same mass in flower with the temps realy only effecting the time it takes for them to finish and not so much your final yield.
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i have done late and early germination. late DOES have a better seedling to veg transition.
but if you're starting indoors and then putting it out in april, you eliminate the seedling/veg issues with the cold weather... though it has been known to already be 100F in late april... so there's that. ;)
 
ChemDogLover

ChemDogLover

Well-Known Member
VaSmile said:
I find the cold really slows growth, more so then heat, autos won't get but so tall so it won't take much to make a cold frame to keep them in over night if your still dipping into the 50s. Outdoor plants don't take that much daily care, just watering and checking for bugs/molds/rot at the end of flowering. You don't want to water during the heat of the day anyways.
I don't know shit about TX climate but I am getting a fell that a late outdoor auto crop is better then an early one.
If your gonna start them indoors to veg they should have the same mass in flower with the temps realy only effecting the time it takes for them to finish and not so much your final yield.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the response. A fall outdoor grow is a possibility as well. Gonna give this a go in the spring and if successful I will plan for a fall grow also. Outdoor temps can still be brutal here in early September so it would be closer to mid September before I could go out with a fully vegged plant. That would mean harvesting right before thanksgiving. I believe that is doable as well. I’ve seen temps on thanksgiving that lead me to believe it is possible
 
ChemDogLover

ChemDogLover

Well-Known Member
Till Valhalla said:
i have done late and early germination. late DOES have a better seedling to veg transition.
but if you're starting indoors and then putting it out in april, you eliminate the seedling/veg issues with the cold weather... though it has been known to already be 100F in late april... so there's that. ;)
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Agree we can be 100 in May and 100 in September, but those aren’t the norms

And an indoor veg will definitely help. Will need to slowly transition to outdoors as well. Cool nights in April could slow down growth tremendously
 
Till Valhalla

Till Valhalla

Well-Known Member
ChemDogLover said:
Thanks for the response. A fall outdoor grow is a possibility as well. Gonna give this a go in the spring and if successful I will plan for a fall grow also. Outdoor temps can still be brutal here in early September so it would be closer to mid September before I could go out with a fully vegged plant. That would mean harvesting right before thanksgiving. I believe that is doable as well. I’ve seen temps on thanksgiving that lead me to believe it is possible
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be truly experimental and start one seed each month. see which planting period works best. ;)
 
V

VaSmile

Well-Known Member
I had a plan to start an auto a month in a makeshift greenhouse I built. Just wanted to test the limits of how well I could control my environment and see how they would respond.
Unfortunately my frame broke and won't be salvageable for year round use and I can no longer make it to location on a day-to-day. Would love to hear of any and all off season outdoor grows both auto and photo. If you look at the frost threads folks are keeping perennials outside in the Midwest and Canada strong weed genetics are fucking amazing and people are creative as hell. Where there is a will their is a way!
 
ChemDogLover

ChemDogLover

Well-Known Member
VaSmile said:
I had a plan to start an auto a month in a makeshift greenhouse I built. Just wanted to test the limits of how well I could control my environment and see how they would respond.
Unfortunately my frame broke and won't be salvageable for year round use and I can no longer make it to location on a day-to-day. Would love to hear of any and all off season outdoor grows both auto and photo. If you look at the frost threads folks are keeping perennials outside in the Midwest and Canada strong weed genetics are fucking amazing and people are creative as hell. Where there is a will their is a way!
Click to expand...

I’ll check the frost threads thanks
 
ChemDogLover

ChemDogLover

Well-Known Member
So I still want to do my gelato 33 autos in spring but I popped too many seeds a couple weeks ago so I thought I would go ahead and create my miniature greenhouse. I plan to scrog two plants in 7 gallon fabric grow bags. Plan on using the above posted plastic trellis. I will use a fox farms and perlite mix. I also have a small bathroom heater that should do the trick, if need be I’ll get something a little bigger.

With so many seedlings to choose from for a late fall/early winter grow I choose the two most vigorous plants (they’ve been in hydro almost 3 weeks). One Hazeman White Grapes(freebies) and one Gorilla Grapes. Don’t remember the breeder on the Gorilla Grapes, think they were freebies also. Haven’t been sexed yet so we will see in a few weeks or so.

They are still living in my flowering room today, but I got the mini greenhouse setup so with a warm day they are acclimating.

Will pickup some 6 mil plastic soon to cover the greenhouse.

Let’s see where this goes, it’s just for fun with some payoff hopefully. My main grow is in doors so this is just to play.

Gelato 33 coming up in march.

IMG_0988.jpegIMG_0997.jpegIMG_0999.jpegIMG_1001.jpegIMG_1002.jpeg
 
V

VaSmile

Well-Known Member
ChemDogLover said:
So I still want to do my gelato 33 autos in spring but I popped too many seeds a couple weeks ago so I thought I would go ahead and create my miniature greenhouse. I plan to scrog two plants in 7 gallon fabric grow bags. Plan on using the above posted plastic trellis. I will use a fox farms and perlite mix. I also have a small bathroom heater that should do the trick, if need be I’ll get something a little bigger.

With so many seedlings to choose from for a late fall/early winter grow I choose the two most vigorous plants (they’ve been in hydro almost 3 weeks). One Hazeman White Grapes(freebies) and one Gorilla Grapes. Don’t remember the breeder on the Gorilla Grapes, think they were freebies also. Haven’t been sexed yet so we will see in a few weeks or so.

They are still living in my flowering room today, but I got the mini greenhouse setup so with a warm day they are acclimating.

Will pickup some 6 mil plastic soon to cover the greenhouse.

Let’s see where this goes, it’s just for fun with some payoff hopefully. My main grow is in doors so this is just to play.

Gelato 33 coming up in march.

View attachment 5337975View attachment 5337976View attachment 5337977View attachment 5337979View attachment 5337980
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That should work. Might wanna pick up some 6mm greenhouse plastic so you can wrapp them on cold days and still let the sunshine in
 
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