Indoor veg light cycle and outdoor move question

  • Thread starter GreenwayTrey
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GreenwayTrey

GreenwayTrey

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Hello, All. I’m getting ready to start some seeds for an outdoor grow in Maine, and I have a question about light duration during indoor veg and timing of moving the plants outside. I have searched this forum and others and have seen differing practices, but here are the two I am looking at:

18/6, Move outside June 15 (15 hours 32 minute daylength) and plants 8 weeks old
14/10, Move outside May 15 after last frost (14 hours 50 minute daylength) and plants 4 weeks old

What is the benefit of the 18/6 light schedule? More controlled environment during veg? Does the "shock" of going from 18 hours of light to 15 1/2 initiate flowering earlier so they will finish sooner?

What is the benefit of the 14/10 light schedule? Will the plants be larger/healthier with an extra month under full sun and a natural light cycle? Average outdoor temps here range from 65 high/43 low on May 15 to 74 high/53 low on June 15.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
 
TripsRabbit

TripsRabbit

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I move mine slowly down from 18/6 to 15/9 a half an hour or hour. It's best to do it over the course of a few weeks but a hardy strain can be done in less than a week. You then move outside after the last frost.
 
Farmer88

Farmer88

222
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I move mine slowly down from 18/6 to 15/9 a half an hour or hour. It's best to do it over the course of a few weeks but a hardy strain can be done in less than a week. You then move outside after the last frost.

This works well.

Good to start syncing your lights on around civil twilight for your area.
 
Sparky1980

Sparky1980

127
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I move mine slowly down from 18/6 to 15/9 a half an hour or hour. It's best to do it over the course of a few weeks but a hardy strain can be done in less than a week. You then move outside after the last frost.
Thanks for that tip, Trips. I started some from sprout outdoors in early March and now half of them are trying to flower. Appears I started too early and/or should have started indoors and followed your light schedule recommendation. Hopefully they will re-veg here soon.
 
GreenwayTrey

GreenwayTrey

10
3
Thanks for your replies. The closing on the land I’m purchasing for my grow got pushed back to the end of May, so I won’t be able to plant outside until mid-June. Looks like I’ll just veg under 18/6 until close to the solstice.
 

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