I'm going to plant in the woods but it has been very hard finding a spot that gets direct sunlight. Do the plants necessarily need direct sunlight or can they survive with indirect light? I think in the location they can get 5 hours direct sunlight tops. Later in the day the trees block out some of the light, which is a bummer Also in the area I've noticed a few random ants scurrying around, are they any real danger to the plant? Last question, in New England it has been mainly cold (50F-60F) & rainy for the past couple of weeks. If I plant the seeds now will the survival rate go down, or should I wait? It's going to be warm & sunny next week though from what the weather report says. Thanks!
direct sunlight is definitely a must. ants most likely will not cause a problem, but when you plant outside your taking chances with pests. just check the undersides of the leaves and the nodes periodically for pests. also, look for holes or random spots of discoloration on the leaves. also, rain could wash away your seed. as for temperature, you dont have much of a choice. the general rule for outdoor growing is to plant on june 1st, you cant wait too much longer.
Five hours is plenty, if it can be depended on every day in your climate. Look at my outdoor grow journal, my plants get no more than that.
and remember, the sun is a lot more intense than even the best lights you can get for an indoor grow. 5 hours in sunlight is gonna provide quite enough energy for the plant.