Upstate New York 2026 Outdoor Grow

[juliando]

As much as I like the strains Ive been working with over the last few years - Ive been looking forward to some new blood. So for my outdoor I went with Strawberry Cough and Green Crack, both from HomeGrownCannabisCo.

And after a failed gamble on global warming and an early-ish spring (like last year) I ended up in trouble pretty quick this season.

I started the SC clone mother 2/15 and it was very slow to mature at first - but eventually it picked up, and I was able to grab some clones (just after I started my last 3 green crack seeds) sometime around 3/15.

And everything seemed great, late march early april gettin some warm or even hot days...but the nights, so cold. Then late April, same freakin thing - mostly good days but every night well below 50. So, at this point the clones and seedlings have all taken off and things are gettin crowded.

And my flower tent was full with SC mother and another plant - so...I decided to top half of them, repot 1 GC and move it to flower.

And take one intact GC out and just leave it in the kitchen under low light and let it stall for a time (or spend some days on the porch - in her enormous pot meant for a tree)

So this will be the pipeline as they outgrow the veg tent, to the kitchen to the porch. And I hope, with the head start (if they can survive the transition) theyll be monsters by the end of the season. We'll see...

 

[cpurola]

What light are you using and are you sure it'll stop it from flowering? I ask, 'cause one of mine that I started the beginning of Feb. is moving into flower mode at 15hrs., 50mins. lights on in the tent. I think it got impatient and just gave me the finger.

 

[juliando]

What light are you using and are you sure it'll stop it from flowering? I ask, 'cause one of mine that I started the beginning of Feb. is moving into flower mode at 15hrs., 50mins. lights on in the tent. I think it got impatient and just gave me the finger.

Havent used anything other than the window and overhead kitchen light. 14.5 hrs seems to be enough - or maybe theyre like shocked/hibernating because its drastically lower light than the veg tent and super inconsistent temp and light.
The one in the big pot has spent the most time outdoors, and is visibly growing and reaching (could still be flower reach i guess) But i dont see any other sign.

 

[cpurola]

Havent used anything other than the window and overhead kitchen light. 14.5 hrs seems to be enough - or maybe theyre like shocked/hibernating because its drastically lower light than the veg tent and super inconsistent temp and light.
The one in the big pot has spent the most time outdoors, and is visibly growing and reaching (could still be flower reach i guess) But i dont see any other sign.

This is such a difficult time of year if you don't want your plant to re-veg. Still don't know what to do with my flower girl. I've been cautioned to let her be for now. The solstice is June 20 so maybe I can just keep her in the tent until then.

 

[juliando]

This is such a difficult time of year if you don't want your plant to re-veg. Still don't know what to do with my flower girl. I've been cautioned to let her be for now. The solstice is June 20 so maybe I can just keep her in the tent until then.

Feels like some plants are just always close to flower, the SC was born stinky and grew pistils even at 18hrs light. But the GC has been odorless and very slow to turn to flower - stretched for like 3 weeks after I flipped the light. Maybe itll tolerate the temporarily shorter days better than other strains?

Fingers crossed, i didnt plan any of this - or, I did....just poorly. So, if some reveg, thems the breaks I guess. I still have the topped clones in veg so I got some backups.

 

[juliando]

Well, it was bound to happen...forgot to bring the big pot GC in last night. Luckily it didnt get too cold, stayed in the high 40s - and she survived. Didnt get the extra hours of "light" from being in the kitchen but, still kickin. I think the extra large pot helped - big thermal mass, protecting the roots.

And starting some of the other intact plants on their first days outside. Finally have some room in the tent! Although I need to do a breakdown and cleaning before I can start any other seeds just yet, but gettin there.

 

[Galgrows]

You got lucky with that probley cause she's so big. I'm doing the same with my 4 transitioning to outdoors. I had to put bamboo stakes in my taller ones and tie them. We have strong winds almost daily right now and mine would of snapped without the stakes. And a surprise rain all last night into morning. Hey......i read about a big indoor bust in the Bronx over 300 plants.

 

[juliando]

You got lucky with that probley cause she's so big. I'm doing the same with my 4 transitioning to outdoors. I had to put bamboo stakes in my taller ones and tie them. We have strong winds almost daily right now and mine would of snapped without the stakes. And a surprise rain all last night into morning. Hey......i read about a big indoor bust in the Bronx over 300 plants.

Yes, temps look good for the next week, wind is now my biggest concern. In the past ive used some twine to brace the branches to eachother and the edge of the pot, keep everything locked in place.

Im trying to ease them in, keep them sort of in a corner and protected for now. Ill brace them before they get put out into direct sun and wind.

 

[juliando]

Almost all repotted in promix and outside now. Some suffered more than others from the delay - it was tough to keep them fed and watered in the small pots. But its nothing they cant recover from eventually.
Ive never tried this before - but I put a layer of chicken manure pellets under each plant. And now Im wondering if I should recalculate my future fertilizer doses?

I only see 1 day next week below 50 (48) so this may just be it. Theyll probably stay outside from here and Ill slowly start moving them into full sun and wind.

The Green Crack looks fine, the Strawberry cough - harder to tell, its always had bright rhubarb colored stems. So i cant tell - maybe a little more purpley than usual? We'll see on Saturday when its 80 degrees out.

 

[juliando]

Ok, everyone is out in their final positions. Most still weak and gettin blown around, but no breaks.

I decided not to brace them yet, hopefully its encouraging and not abusive. All part of the process I guess, gotta toughen up. But theyve gotten used to full sun, through two 80-90° days as well, so I think theyre adjusted - took about a week for each.

The GC in the "big" pot (btw, turns out its a 13.5g!) is almost as tall as the others are on the table - so I hope she'll be a true monster by the end of the season.

 

[juliando]

Id say all 5 are already just about as tall (or taller) than my usual harvest sized plants - with 4+ months to go. Something tells me its gonna be tough keeping them from breaking apart later on.

I ended up bracing the one intact Strawberry Cough - too big for her britches already (4 wires to middle of the stem to 4 opposite points along the pots edge)
The others were previously topped - so thier growth was much younger and more flexible. They should be able to work it on their own eventually.

I will probably need to come up with some kind of further bracing later - some sort of twine trellace type thing. Im at the end of a kinda wind tunnel because of the surrounding buildings, so it can be tough out there.

 

[juliando]

Chuggin along, everyones added quite a bit of height - suckin down a 1/2 gallon per day each on most of these really hot windy days. Weekly feeds of a 6-4-4/guano mix. But, I also put that chicken manure pellet layer inside the pots - so Im not sure if/when that will have been used up.
The Green Crack in the 13.5g pot and the intact Strawberry Cough in the 5g are over/around 6ft and the others are gettin there, filling out well after being topped early on.

But...it does look like the GC is slowing down, the top is stacked pretty tight - and starting to see some pre flower pistils around.

Nevertheless, I expect it has quite a bit of reaching to do - even if it were in full flower right now, which I dont think is the case. The last one I did indoors flowered very slow and stretched like 200%

 

[Oldchucky]

Chuggin along, everyones added quite a bit of height - suckin down a 1/2 gallon per day each on most of these really hot windy days. Weekly feeds of a 6-4-4/guano mix. But, I also put that chicken manure pellet layer inside the pots - so Im not sure if/when that will have been used up.
The Green Crack in the 13.5g pot and the intact Strawberry Cough in the 5g are over/around 6ft and the others are gettin there, filling out well after being topped early on.

View attachment 2681099

But...it does look like the GC is slowing down, the top is stacked pretty tight - and starting to see some pre flower pistils around.

View attachment 2681100

Nevertheless, I expect it has quite a bit of reaching to do - even if it were in full flower right now, which I dont think is the case. The last one I did indoors flowered very slow and stretched like 200%

Hope it’s not in full flower! Fingers crossed! They look healthy!

 

[TerpBeans]

Great looking plants!! Hope none pf those backyard neighbours get too snoopy!!

 

[juliando]

Great looking plants!! Hope none pf those backyard neighbours get too snoopy!!

Theyre up on a 2nd floor balcony - so I think theyre safe. And if my neighbors want any plants, I still have some of those volunteers that popped up in march (and a million seeds) all they have to do is ask.

 

[juliando]

Ive been finding the pots dug up a little, sometimes dirt scattered around a bit. Nothing serious, but I wondered what was going on.
Caught in the act today, this very bold porch squirrel. Taking advantage of the of the shady, wet dirt of my pots. Pretty funny to watch, doesnt seem to be doing any damage and its super hot outside (although as I write this now, I can hear my gf yelling at him. So he may have grown too bold)