Where I'm at ( East coast as well ..a little further north however ),I've had a few headaches with the sativas finishing before the fall rain or cold snaps ..
I usually try to mix a few. Had a Della Haze last year that was given to me by a friend...wow what a high and smell she gave. I transplanted her sideways in the ground and lst'd the shit outta it until the end of June(planted in ground end of May).She got 10 ft tall and at least 10 ft around..(My goats loved the fact it grew into thier pen...I thinks ,,but dont quote me on it..but the constant nipping and chewing the goats gave it for a month,,mighta helped stregthen it for budding).I finished with 2 lbs off it..give or take.
Every year I try to do 5( enough to last me in smoke for the year)..I plant 3 of my favs and 1 of two other strains I can try for next year or incase something happens to my main strain.
I start 1 plant in winter ( Actually got the clone about a week ago), I lst and crop her for the next 2 months under 5 13w cfls 24/7.
She turns into my " mom" within a month ,I ve got a good amount of clones to cut off her and train her underside.I keep the best 2, I then sell of the clones to pay for any nutes I will need for my 5 babies for the summer. The mom is trained to become my monster ( I let 1 grow as big as possible..the others are "blended" into the veggie garden..so have to be a little more stealthy).
Just after I cut all the clones off ,I transplant into a bigger pot..prune to roots. then switch the nutes for a few feedings back to root growth formula. Seems to work wonders.
When time come to send her outside for the remainder of her life,I dig a big hole(3 ft deep 3 ft wide).I add in an empty gallon jug or 2 (filled with holes and a hose taped to the top leading to the surface).I filled the hole with chicken shit goat shit and composted bedding( you may not be so lucky as I to have these animals on hand..but u get the idea lol) .Whenever I went to water the plants I simply poured into the hose which sent the water deep underground to the roots. ( see the pic..its what I tried on my tomato plants.. and thought if it worked for them....)
When I used the jugs buried under the plant it cut down on the watering by 40 % and the roots were as white as snow when I dug her u at the end of the year.. the water stays in the jug if the soil is wet enuff until it is needed..which was great,,no runoff of nutes,plant fed when needed and less often I think contributed to the tripling in size from the year without.
Good luck in your journeys tho wither way... its a fun ride.
