I have clones currently under some CFL lighting, and I was planning to move them outside in approximately 1 week... but then I realized that the lighting cycles were practically the complete opposite. How can I fix this I made a plan.. will this be ok or will it shock the hell out of the plants? Current indoor lighting cycle (18/6): -------- ON: 4PM OFF: 10AM Needed outdoor lighting cycle (16/8): ------- SUN UP: 6AM SUN DOWN: 10PM Plan: ----- ON / OFF Monday - 3PM-9AM (1 hour shift) Tuesday - 1PM-7AM (2 hour shift) Wednesday - 12AM-6AM (1 hour shift) Thursday - 11AM-4AM (1 hour shift and 1 hour less light) Friday - 10AM-3AM (1 hour shift) Saturday - 8AM-1AM (2 hour shift) Sunday - 7AM-11PM (1 hour shift and 1 hour less light) Monday - Transplant outdoors into 6AM-10PM cycle Will this work or is it way too harsh on the plants? How can I fix this? If I just put them from my indoor cycle into outdoor will it just shock them or definitely make them all hermies?
Unsure of that, lighting seems like a bug factor in hermi plants might be fine just moving them out in a afternoon while sun is just letting up and going down, that way your not shocking them too much.
Yikes. That's a tough one. I think you have a good plan, but I think the transition is way too rapid. I'm not at all an expert, but I would give each shift 3-5 days before making the next transition. That's a little longer than what you had planned initially, but I think it would be beneficial. Taking your time and being patient will cause a lot less stress on the plants. I'd also suggest moving the plants outdoors under direct sunlight for a few hours a day, and incrementally increase as you get closer to moving outdoors. This is an important process called, "hardening off" that will help transition the plants to being outdoors, again, without causing too much stress. Good luck!
My indoor light would be on them from 4PM til maybe 6AM or 8AM, then I could transplant them outside and get the full day of (shaded) natural lighting until the sun goes down at 10PM. So the plants would get approximately 30 hours of straight light, and then would fall into the natural 16/6 cycle. It might not shock them too bad since it's more veg lighting and not triggering flowering? I could transplant them in the evening or at night, but it might shock them harder because that's when they usually just start to get light. They would get a few hours of light then darkness til the morning. This is a tough problem I've gotten myself into I'm not sure which will stress them more - messing with the lighting everyday (or even every few days as you mentioned) or just planting them outside from my current light cycle. Do you think it would be best just to do what I was discussing with @Dscdk and put them outside so they get 30 straight hours of light then fall into the natural cycle? Maybe less stress that way?
I could be mistaken, but prolonged periods of light (or dark) could cause enough stress to force it out of veg and into flowering, or possibly even hermie plants that haven't shown their sex yet. I truly think you're trying to rush it with anything but taking less than 10-15 days to make the transition.
Yea that's a good point, I shouldn't rush it, just I really do need to move them out to make room. I have a mother that's starting to take over the box and grow into lights etc. Ideally I want to use the cuttings as new clones.
Overthinking this i believe. Just put it outside, then for a few nights suppliment a cfl on it during night so it doesnt flower, then dial it back. It wont take long for it to adjust.
If you acclimate your plants outside in sun in the morning, then move them to shade after a short while, and do this for a few days leaving your plants outside and If you have 14.5 hours of sunlight daily, you should be able to plant outdoors without your plants flipping into flower. if you have them in 18/6. I would put the plants outside at sunrise where they are going to get immediate sunlight and move them into the shade when you see them stress. Give them plenty of Ph tested water. After outside. Evaporation is a lot quicker.
The plants I put outside go from 24 hours of light to being placed outside. I don't do anything special or alter the lighting schedule
If they are big enough to flower than just set then out! Got to be better than that crazy light schedule u have! Plants don't like that! Doesn't happen in nature Sent from my SM-G935T using Grasscity Forum mobile app
Unless you were time matched with 15-9 or 16-8 lighting they are going to flower as soon as they go out. The only way to avoid early flower is to light them up outside. 3 CFLs will hold this bunch in veg till Aug 1st when I'll shut the lights off and let them flower. BNW
