Late Start to Season: Delay flowering to catch up?

[AcidSourDank]

Basically we got a late start on transplanting and now we're trying to figure out a way to catch up. My thought is that, similar to how people put plants out in the early spring with lights to keep them from flowering, it might work out best if we put lights out so that the girls have a chance to get bigger before going into flowering.

A bit of background- My girl and I finally made the dive into growing as our sole source of income. We moved to a large property located in foothills about an hour north of Sacramento. There were a lot of complications and delays with getting everything set up. This caused plants which were started in late March/early April to not get planted in their 300 gal. smart pots until July 10th. The plants also had some setbacks when temps went well over 100 and their roots got cooked while in their small transition pots. Now they are 2-4 feet and finally starting to show signs of true happiness as their roots expand. But this has all occurred much too late!

The garden is at an altitude of 1,200 ft so temperatures should be fine until December. I'm only considering extending the veg season for a couple weeks or so. I know some say that flowering earlier is better because of higher light intensity but I feel that having a larger structure from two weeks veg growth is more important for yield than a two weeks difference in sun intensity. The strains being grown are all supposed to be high yielders, if given the chance.

I've search all over the 'net and I haven't found one single discussion of doing what I propose. Considering that we're "all in" at this point a low yield would mean a very desperate year ahead financially so it's starting to get pretty scary. Hopes had been high for 4-6 pound plants, then 3 pounders... Now I'm worried if we'll even get one pound per plant. It will be great next season when there won't be all the difficulties with getting things setup. I'm hoping we can pull this season off well enough so there can be a "next season".

Any experience, suggestions or other helpful thoughts are greatly appreciated!!!

 

[below frigid]

I have pondered what you are thinking about. Get a bunch of clones in September. Keep them in vege for a month then flower them out done early December weather permitting. If you could light up just half of them ( the smaller ones ) without effecting the others might be a way to go. Pots are probably too close together though. 4 footers should get you close to a pound each maybe a little more. If it were me I would probably put the lights on for at least an extra week. If you can keep them from flowering until the middle/end of August you should do ok. Chop them the middle of November or earlier if a early frost comes. Good luck!

 

[caregiverken]

Yeah, I think you could do that.

Your sole source of income?

That is the scary part!:nailbiting: a lot can happen.

Best of luck to you and your girl!

 

[SunGrown]

Basically we got a late start on transplanting and now we're trying to figure out a way to catch up. My thought is that, similar to how people put plants out in the early spring with lights to keep them from flowering, it might work out best if we put lights out so that the girls have a chance to get bigger before going into flowering.

A bit of background- My girl and I finally made the dive into growing as our sole source of income. We moved to a large property located in foothills about an hour north of Sacramento. There were a lot of complications and delays with getting everything set up. This caused plants which were started in late March/early April to not get planted in their 300 gal. smart pots until July 10th. The plants also had some setbacks when temps went well over 100 and their roots got cooked while in their small transition pots. Now they are 2-4 feet and finally starting to show signs of true happiness as their roots expand. But this has all occurred much too late!

The garden is at an altitude of 1,200 ft so temperatures should be fine until December. I'm only considering extending the veg season for a couple weeks or so. I know some say that flowering earlier is better because of higher light intensity but I feel that having a larger structure from two weeks veg growth is more important for yield than a two weeks difference in sun intensity. The strains being grown are all supposed to be high yielders, if given the chance.

I've search all over the 'net and I haven't found one single discussion of doing what I propose. Considering that we're "all in" at this point a low yield would mean a very desperate year ahead financially so it's starting to get pretty scary. Hopes had been high for 4-6 pound plants, then 3 pounders... Now I'm worried if we'll even get one pound per plant. It will be great next season when there won't be all the difficulties with getting things setup. I'm hoping we can pull this season off well enough so there can be a "next season".

Any experience, suggestions or other helpful thoughts are greatly appreciated!!!

you can do it, and since you must have power on your property, and only at 1200 feet go ahead.

I am sorta in your area, but I stay around 3000 feet and above on properties due to how well cannabis grows at elevations about 3k.

As far as income goes, once harvest is over, just blow up a 12 lighter or something and pull in another 40 k that way before xmas hits, easy peasy, just takes dedication to live this way. I have been doing it well over a decade as a living and the only time it sucks financially is when you dont give it your all.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

 

[AcidSourDank]

Wow! I really appreciate all the thoughtful responses.

SunGrown: I'm off-grid but it definitely seems worth the propane given the situation. Totally agree about 3000 ft being a better elevation. Things haven't been so bad lately but a few weeks ago my girls were getting rocked by the heat. This season has been a major learning lesson and next year I will be more prepared to manage the heat issues and not let roots get cooked.

Here's some pics of the main garden. Pineapple Skunk, Sour Blueberry and OG Critical are some of the ones I'm more excited about.

Thanks again for the input!

 

[grayarea]

SunGrown: I'm off-grid but it definitely seems worth the propane given the situation.

was the house built with a generator ?

 

[SunGrown]

Wow! I really appreciate all the thoughtful responses.

SunGrown: I'm off-grid but it definitely seems worth the propane given the situation. Totally agree about 3000 ft being a better elevation. Things haven't been so bad lately but a few weeks ago my girls were getting rocked by the heat. This season has been a major learning lesson and next year I will be more prepared to manage the heat issues and not let roots get cooked.

Here's some pics of the main garden. Pineapple Skunk, Sour Blueberry and OG Critical are some of the ones I'm more excited about.

Thanks again for the input!
View attachment 425483 View attachment 425484 View attachment 425485 View attachment 425486 View attachment 425487 View attachment 425488

Looking great bro, love the clean set up. I used to use pvc for my irrigation but it started to crack after the first year so I ripped it out in favor of black pipe, so just a heads up. The white pipe isn't supposed to stay in full sun too long and last.

I built a cabin off gennys and solar before, easy to do. I always ran diesel kubota or gas honda genny's, which model propane do you have and is it efficient? I am on grid now but still conserve like I am not, except indoor grows.

I suggest looking into a whisper watt if you plan to do big indoor off grid, sometimes you can find good deals on craigslist.

Grow well!

 

[SunGrown]

I think I notice a telephone line, you know a tele line puts out a few watts....deep cycles and trickle charge, they get mad if you do it without paying the monthly fee for telephone, so pay the bill, then you could trickle charge a large set of deep cycles that way if you do not have solar set up yet.

 

[BeenBurned]

Real nice place man!! Best of luck...it will only get better

I think I notice a telephone line, you know a tele line puts out a few watts....deep cycles and trickle charge, they get mad if you do it without paying the monthly fee for telephone, so pay the bill, then you could trickle charge a large set of deep cycles that way if you do not have solar set up yet.

I think I notice a telephone line, you know a tele line puts out a few watts....deep cycles and trickle charge, they get mad if you do it without paying the monthly fee for telephone, so pay the bill, then you could trickle charge a large set of deep cycles that way if you do not have solar set up yet.

!!!!!! Awesome idea!!!!!!!,
That looks like a phone drop.

 

[SunGrown]

Real nice place man!! Best of luck...it will only get better





!!!!!! Awesome idea!!!!!!!,
That looks like a phone drop.

It does work, I have done it, I meant volts though, not watts, my line measures roughly 3 volts pretty consistently

 

[Seamaiden]

Let me put BELLS on the white PVC being left out in the sun. I've seen it burst WAY too many times.

 

[grayarea]

Let me put BELLS on the white PVC being left out in the sun. I've seen it burst WAY too many times.

yep:eek:.... lol i learned about that from dusty.

 

[below frigid]

Let me put BELLS on the white PVC being left out in the sun. I've seen it burst WAY too many times.

Wow? I am wondering why you decided to go the pvc route. With all the extra time and cost putting it in. Drip line a lot cheaper and does just as good a job. Less labor to install.

 

[Seamaiden]

Wow? I am wondering why you decided to go the pvc route. With all the extra time and cost putting it in. Drip line a lot cheaper and does just as good a job. Less labor to install.

You can't use drip line for a main supply line. When we bought this house it had ONE spigot, right at the well head. We needed the whole exterior area to be plumbed and Dave did it quick & dirty.

Or... can you wash your dog using drip line? :o

 

[grayarea]

if your garden is a single bed you can use drip line for the main line . smart pots were designed around consumers more then around plants or people . good product if you use them properly lol people building gardens around them is a funny thing to watch cause the gardens never look very permanent or like they are built to last as long as the pots they are using .....

 

[Seamaiden]

Yeah, but connected to what, then? You've gotta have a main plumbing line to connect to.

I'm finding that my Smartie plants are going through more than double the water of my plants in the deep raised bed. It's killin' me, I'm totally paranoid about the well running dry.

 

[caregiverken]

Awesome garden ASD

my cats would love those smart pots as scratching posts :)

 

[grayarea]

Yeah, but connected to what, then? You've gotta have a main plumbing line to connect to.

I'm finding that my Smartie plants are going through more than double the water of my plants in the deep raised bed. It's killin' me, I'm totally paranoid about the well running dry.

connected to a res .

basically imo the main line goes to the res not to tha garden ;) can only be one main line .
u can fuck up a "main" line that runs to part of your garden and only loose that part of the garden but if the line leading to your well or reservoir gets broken then u loose everything .

 

[SunGrown]

Yeah, but connected to what, then? You've gotta have a main plumbing line to connect to.

I'm finding that my Smartie plants are going through more than double the water of my plants in the deep raised bed. It's killin' me, I'm totally paranoid about the well running dry.

I used pvc one year and it failed that winter, and to use it correctly I had to use my 2" honda pump from the main 3000 gal tank.

But now any garden I ever set up has black pipe as the main line, I don't understand what you are saying here sea.

You connect your plack pipe to either a holding tank or a spigot, and typically off each row are the timers. Sometimes one timer at the main tank or the spigot depending on garden size and number of spaghetti lines.

 

[Seamaiden]

I'm saying don't use the white PVC if it's going to be left exposed to the elements, and I'm also saying that I would find using drip line *as* the main supply line entirely bereft. I don't use a reservoir. I feed the soil, it all gets watered. If a feed is needed, it's occasionally only, so again, no need for a reservoir (which would require what is to me constant maintenance). Using quarter inch drip line as *the* main supply line to get water to the gardens doesn't fit in my scenario.