North Texas Outdoor Starting Point

[Sparky1980]

Thanks to all of you guys for all of your sincere support and help out there. Year before last, I started my photos as seedlings outside in mid-February with the idea being I'd get an extra long veg time. Unfortunately, all of them flowered early and it was a total waste. I'm in N Texas, so it gets warm quick down here. I just watched a YouTube vid wherein dude was adamant about waiting until there are AT LEAST 14 hours of daylight before putting your plants outside, and he provided a website that showed all of the hours of daylight for any given location around the world.

Well, I went to that site and entered my location, and it said I won't get 14 hours until like mid-May! For anyone who hasn't been to N. TX in mid-May, it's hot and brutal. I wanted everyone's opinion on when I should start my seedlings. They will be in pots, outside as soon as they germinate. They'll be grown in soil with perlite in 3 gallon fabric pots using GH Flora nutes. Strains are GDP, Super Skunk and XXX/OG. The GDP and SS's are feminized, so they weren't cheap, which is why I'm concerned, lol. The rest are regular photos.

My issue is I definitely don't wanna start them too early thus repeating the disaster of the other year, but I also don't wanna wait until mid-May to start them, which would drastically reduce the time they have to veg. Right now, I'm leaning towards starting them in mid-April, based on all the reading I've been doing. Again, my current situation doesn't allow for me to start them indoors and then put 'em outside when Spring is in full swing. They're gonna be outside for their entire lives. Thanks, guys. Any advice is much appreciated!

 

[Sparky1980]

Nothin? I need y'alls help, please, lol! Welp, I've got plenty of beans, so I suppose I could start them in tranches every 2 weeks starting in April and see which ones flower early. Only issue with that is I'd like for them ALL to flower at the correct time, lol. Thanks, homies.

 

[Anthem]

Probably your best bet would be to purchase a greenhouse on say Amazon. I ran one for about 16 months but they are not easy. You would need to add some light proof tarps and exhaust fans on a basic controller plus lights. The term for this is Light Dep. You will have to take off the tarps every morning after sunrise and about 30 minutes and put the tarps back on every night after sunset. You will need to run supplemental lighting until you are ready to flower the plants. All of this cost money so that needs to be considered. Presently some of the best light dep is coming out of the Santa Barbara CA area because the climate is so mild. To be honest based on what you have mentioned about your situation I would not grow out doors. It will be very difficult based on the heat you mentioned. Green hours are not easy they get hot. You will need an air exchange about every 15 to 20 seconds based on what you have mentioned. You will be better off to consider a grow tent in the house. Once the environment gets about about 90 the plants will start to burn off temps. Indoors is your best choice unfortunately

 

[Sparky1980]

Probably your best bet would be to purchase a greenhouse on say Amazon. I ran one for about 16 months but they are not easy. You would need to add some light proof tarps and exhaust fans on a basic controller plus lights. The term for this is Light Dep. You will have to take off the tarps every morning after sunrise and about 30 minutes and put the tarps back on every night after sunset. You will need to run supplemental lighting until you are ready to flower the plants. All of this cost money so that needs to be considered. Presently some of the best light dep is coming out of the Santa Barbara CA area because the climate is so mild. To be honest based on what you have mentioned about your situation I would not grow out doors. It will be very difficult based on the heat you mentioned. Green hours are not easy they get hot. You will need an air exchange about every 15 to 20 seconds based on what you have mentioned. You will be better off to consider a grow tent in the house. Once the environment gets about about 90 the plants will start to burn off temps. Indoors is your best choice unfortunate

Anthem, many thanks for your response and insight. I was afraid of that. I don't have the space or disposable income to create a set up like that, complete with exhaust fans and light-dep tarps, etc. I think my location dictates that my best bet is to go the indoor route. But I cannot currently do so. I've read grow diaries and seen where it is possible to be successful with an outdoor set up in my part of the world, it just depends on the strain, etc. I've grown indoors in my current location with fairly good results, it's just that I can't do that again where I'm living right now.

I think I'll just start a few in the second half of April, followed by a few more in the first week of May. I'm obviously not a master gardener and know what the hell I'm doing, lol. Just a hobbyist having fun. I've just had nothing but great feedback and support on this forum, and was hoping someone would have insight on growing outdoors in TX. Thanks again, man.
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[Trixie]

Just make sure you use long-flowering sativa for plants. Start your seed now indoors in cups and after the 1st two weeks of March after the last frost plant your plants. IF they start flowering just leave them alone and by June they will be full veg. If you grow indica your plants will fail because of the 6 months is too hot and long. Heres some Sativa in June

 

[Trixie]

I have found that if I lolly-pop my outdoor plants in June, I can put a foot of wild grass mulch around the plants. I have mulch high as my knees to help conserve moisture and keep the soil cool during the 100 degrees Summer days. Since I take the native grass for mulch it costs nothing but a little labor.

 

[Trixie]

There are Guerilla grows all over North Texas. People love the long growing season and giant harvests that come from there. Since it's still against the law and growers are called chemists or drug manufacturers. It's easy to get 25 years in prison for growing weed in TX so a lot of people guerilla grow. They take their bush crafts and food stocks and live in the wild during the growing season.

 

[DannyCo]

I have found that if I lolly-pop my outdoor plants in June, I can put a foot of wild grass mulch around the plants. I have mulch high as my knees to help conserve moisture and keep the soil cool during the 100 degrees Summer days. Since I take the native grass for mulch it costs nothing but a little labor.

Good advice, noted!

 

[TSD]

Yes you need wait till at least 14, preferably closer to 15 hours of light or you risk them getting confused, as you witnessed. They can flower early before they're big, reveg, herm, or some are fine... really depends on the plant.
You have the opposite problem as me, I need to start inside because the season is short and spring is cold. I start in March, April for smaller plants, and plant in mid to late June when there's almost 15 hours of light. They are hardened off in the month of May when weather permits.

Normally I'd say you should start indoors, but you said that's not an option... not even a closet for like a month or so? That's all I have, a closet and some lights, a fan and humidifier. You don't need fancy lights to start seedlings, fluorescent shop lights are fine. If that's absolutely not an option and you must start them in brutal heat, maybe you could start them in pots under a hillbilly set up... just a tarp and/or shade cloth, but so they still get morning ad evening sun and shaded light during the brutal hours. Start them in pots so you have some control. You could put them up on something with a pan of water underneath but not touching for humidity via evaporation if needed, or just saturate the ground and put pots on top of wet ground. Then once they get stronger, go to holes. Even add a fan if possible. Anything to keep them cool. I don't know where you live, if it's private or whatnot and what your options are or what you have laying around to MacGyver with... I just know anything is possible if you're determined enough lol. I go to great lengths to grow outside in the Northeast and I usually use stuff I have lying around. Even putting them in a sunny window for like a week to start might help thier chances.

 

[TSD]

You could also try autos, as they don't care about light schedules. You'd need more cause they don't get that big outside. That way you could start when weather is a little more hospitable and it would be nice and hot come flowering.