Seedlings under 24/0 going outside May 15. Options?

Suggafire

Member
Small batch of 4 week old seedlings between 3 and 6 nodes looking really good but caught in an incorrect light schedule. I’ve got 30 days till they go outside full-time. I’ll be starting to put them out for a couple hours each day to harden off. I don’t have time to scale down the lights to match OD. What are my options to get them out? Anyone know a creative lighting solution? If I drop them right to 16/8 now are they old enough to just start flowering or is there an opportunity to still do that now? Thanks for any help!
 

blake9999

Well-Known Member
You don't have to worry about matching the outside light schedule. That is for people that like to over think things. Just keep them at 18/6 or whatever your current schedule is until they go outside. You right for hardening them off.
 

Suggafire

Member
Won’t they flower if I go from 24/0 to outside May 15th? I’d like to get them off 24/0 asap, never had seedlings on that schedule. Heat and space were issues.
 

blake9999

Well-Known Member
You can put them on any schedule you like but gradually matching the outside light is a myth. Drop them to 18/6 and run them like that till they go outside, that is what I do for mine and they always come out great.
 

Suggafire

Member
Interesting. Greenhouse has always been the way. I was a believer in matching light schedules. So I guess this is new territory for me. Just don’t want to lose precious veg time by triggering early flower..
 

Suggafire

Member
Do like everyone else does and put them out on 4/20
I hear ya. So just put them out from 24/0 or bump them down to 18/6 first? I’ve not heard of folks going from 24/0 to an outdoor pot, so I’m just feeling a bit out of order with my transition from the room. Most of them are showing 5-6 nodes about 6-8” in height, 4-5 weeks in veg. One started a week after the first. All under 24/0 the whole time.
 

Suggafire

Member
Ok. Since going to 18/6 is such a big jump, would it be better to just make it 16/8 since it would be closer to May daylight hours or would 8 hours dark be way too much? Thanks for the help Blake
 

Suggafire

Member
Sounds like a plan. Is the main difference in sensitivity more related to clones than seedlings? I’ve flipped clones indoors only. When they’re flipped that’s it. Have never experimented with them outdoors. So the situation I’m in at the moment with my seedlings is new territory for me. I’m getting the feeling that the seedlings won’t be as stunned by the light schedule change as clones would be?
 

Cannabis.Queen

Well-Known Member
Interesting. Greenhouse has always been the way. I was a believer in matching light schedules. So I guess this is new territory for me. Just don’t want to lose precious veg time by triggering early flower..
They will flower when given 12/12 lighting or in this case anything less than 13 apparently. I always put mum seedlings out in April, for a few hours to harden them and then may they go out for good.

You'll be good :)
 

Suggafire

Member
They will flower when given 12/12 lighting or in this case anything less than 13 apparently. I always put mum seedlings out in April, for a few hours to harden them and then may they go out for good.

You'll be good :)
So do you suggest switching to 18/6 now before I put them out permanently on May 15th. Gonna be bringing them out daytime (weather permitting) and back in to the room 18/6 every day after sunrise and before sunset. I could put them out safely on May 1st for good but I think it would be too soon of an adjustment from 24/0 light schedule. So switching to 18/6 seems like the right course of action. For a couple weeks then outside for good with natural light. Again, my concern is them flowering/revegging. Any suggestions to avoid that scenario. If I’m on the right track, thumbs up, thanks for the help.
 

Rob Roy

Well-Known Member
Won’t they flower if I go from 24/0 to outside May 15th? I’d like to get them off 24/0 asap, never had seedlings on that schedule. Heat and space were issues.

Your question could be better answered if the strains and latitude involved were known. SOMETIMES you can take a plant under 24/0 outside and everything will be okay.

Other times, earlier flowering types and "near auto flowers", will do weird stuff, like going into a shitty kind of half flowering if they go outside after being under 24/0. That can kill veg time and affect your yield and bud density.
 
Top