Bay Area Blues

I've seen this before but not to the extent that I am seeing it this season. We here in the San Francisco bay area have this tendency to see marine layer for days and in some cases weeks on end.

Four of my plants are showing sex right now. They don't do that here until the 4th of July and after. Things is, it's been cold and grey and we've only had a single day of solid sunshine in like 11 days.

I'm starting to get a little worried. I've seen them stunt in previous seasons and then revert back to veg but these bad birds are almost in full bloom.

Is anybody else having this problem right now?

SageFromZen said:

I've seen this before but not to the extent that I am seeing it this season. We here in the San Francisco bay area have this tendency to see marine layer for days and in some cases weeks on end.

Four of my plants are showing sex right now. They don't do that here until the 4th of July and after. Things is, it's been cold and grey and we've only had a single day of solid sunshine in like 11 days.

I'm starting to get a little worried. I've seen them stunt in previous seasons and then revert back to veg but these bad birds are almost in full bloom.

Is anybody else having this problem right now?

Click to expand...

Showing sex isn't the same thing as going into flowering.

That's a lot of hairs for showing sex! I have a crumby 2mp flip phone camera so I'm not even going to bother with imagery. I'm seeing pistils on top of every head.

SageFromZen said:

That's a lot of hairs for showing sex! I have a crumby 2mp flip phone camera so I'm not even going to bother with imagery. I'm seeing pistils on top of every head.

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Well, if you're not going to show a pic than I have to go by what you said.

I'll shoot pics tomorrow but again they aren't that great for quality.

SageFromZen said:

I'll shoot pics tomorrow but again they aren't that great for quality.

Click to expand...

It shouldn't take much definition to tell.

To be safe on the coastal areas you need supplemental lighting

Clones, or from seed?

SageFromZen said:

I've seen this before but not to the extent that I am seeing it this season. We here in the San Francisco bay area have this tendency to see marine layer for days and in some cases weeks on end.

Four of my plants are showing sex right now. They don't do that here until the 4th of July and after. Things is, it's been cold and grey and we've only had a single day of solid sunshine in like 11 days.

I'm starting to get a little worried. I've seen them stunt in previous seasons and then revert back to veg but these bad birds are almost in full bloom.

Is anybody else having this problem right now?

Click to expand...

If you threw your plants outdoor (assuming for a few weeks already) then of course it's going to flower. Most growers in California don't start outdoor season until mid May to early June (depending on location). You're in Frisco, which is further north. The earliest to put them outside is this week, as our long daylight length kicks in 1-2 weeks later than down south. Most growers who do start outdoor early, do it in a cold frame greenhouse with supplemental lighting. Depending how long your plants were in flower, you're going to lose 2 weeks to 1 month worth of veg time, for them to revert. You'll start to see new growth again by mid June.

Most growers in California don't start outdoor season until mid May to early June (depending on location). You're in Frisco, which is further north. The earliest to put them outside is this week, as our long daylight length kicks in 1-2 weeks later than down south.[/QUOTE]

That's backwards. Days are longer, or shorter depending on time of year, the further you get from the equator. The big difference is that even with longer days the conditions are still darker and colder because of weather.

SageFromZen said:

I've seen this before but not to the extent that I am seeing it this season. We here in the San Francisco bay area have this tendency to see marine layer for days and in some cases weeks on end.

Four of my plants are showing sex right now.....

Click to expand...

Flowering is not triggered by lack of direct sunshine, it is triggered by a diminishing period of light. If your plants are indeed flowering, it is not because of the fog. Did you put out clones, or start from seed? I start from seed every year in the same area as early as mid-April and they do just fine. Definitely not flowering or even showing sex at this point.

I start from seed. These were germinated in the paper towels March 21st and were put outside April 10th.

I've been growing since I was sixteen years old. That makes 30 years this year. My Mother's California Supreme Court case was one of the four pivotal cases that helped Valerie Corral and Dennis Peron put Prop 215 on the ballot in 1995 that passed in 1996. I was growing for my cancer ridden Mother when we were raided.

I am a seasoned and skilled heirloom vegetable seed saver, starter, grower. I've just not seen the likes of pistils and a change from veg to flower in the middle of May.

SchmoeJoe said:

Most growers in California don't start outdoor season until mid May to early June (depending on location). You're in Frisco, which is further north. The earliest to put them outside is this week, as our long daylight length kicks in 1-2 weeks later than down south.

Click to expand...

That's backwards. Days are longer, or shorter depending on time of year, the further you get from the equator. The big difference is that even with longer days the conditions are still darker and colder because of weather.[/QUOTE]
Of this I am aware. I am honestly baffled in that I amn't doing anything differently this year than I've done the last seven years that I've lived at 37.66 N. I've previously grown in coastal 34.63 N; and at 34.13 N. All California like the native that I am.

The only thing that I've done differently this year is I've added insect frass as an amendment when I was doing my soil mix on the tarp as I do every year. I've not done anything differently.

I greatly appreciate all of the input you've each given. Thank you.

Edit* I attempted multiple pictures but all I have to work with is a 2mp flip phone cam and it doesn't give enough definition to see what I am talking about.

Bacala said:

Flowering is not triggered by lack of direct sunshine, it is triggered by a diminishing period of light. If your plants are indeed flowering, it is not because of the fog. Did you put out clones, or start from seed? I start from seed every year in the same area as early as mid-April and they do just fine. Definitely not flowering or even showing sex at this point.

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I moved mine outside April 1st just matched outdoor light indoor as long as it’s not drastic change shouldn’t flower also only have to have 13 hours of light to stay in veg some strains are more sensitive but I feel like people make this whole process more difficult then it needs to be. I’m in Oregon btw right by Washington border so a bit further north

SageFromZen said:

I've not done anything differently.....

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Where did you get the seeds? Just read a different thread where someone said he was sent autos by mistake. Hope that's not your issue, but it would certainly explain what you are seeing.

Bacala said:

Where did you get the seeds? Just read a different thread where someone said he was sent autos by mistake. Hope that's not your issue, but it would certainly explain what you are seeing.

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Gascanastan~ Swami Seeds. It isn't the seed source. The only thing that I can think of is that if my neighbors back trees are taller now than they were the last few years then my plants are accidentally getting light dep'd. It's the only thing that I can think of.

SchmoeJoe said:

That's backwards. Days are longer, or shorter depending on time of year, the further you get from the equator

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That's exactly why I say growers (here in California because OP is in CA) don't start outdoors until mid May or early June. This is when WE (Californians) start getting 14.5+ hours of light.

SchmoeJoe said:

The big difference is that even with longer days the conditions are still darker and colder because of weather.

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Right.... Depending where you're from. California is known to have much more stable weather and condition almost all year round, compared to almost any other states in the US. We usually don't get sun at 8 AM then rain at 10 AM, like most state s do. The climate here is usually very consistent, that's why many growers consider CA weather and condition IDEAL to grow weed. FYI, we have no problems with cold night here - our long summer nights starts at 9:30 - 10 PM and are stable at 70 - 85 degrees throughout.

All from seed, I need to explain as well that in Los Angeles I could start my seeds at the end of February and put them out the week after March 21st without a hitch. On the central coast I tried it the same way and it didn't work. It confused them. So I started them March 15th and put them out April 1st and that worked for that latitude.

I tried the same formula(like I hadn't learned the first time) and my first bay area season was a flop for having started them too early. I am now learning however by the posts above that I may still be starting them too early. I've been starting them March 21st and putting them out the second week of April and this year was no different.

SageFromZen said:

I start from seed. These were germinated in the paper towels March 21st and were put outside April 10th.

I've been growing since I was sixteen years old. That makes 30 years this year. My Mother's California Supreme Court case was one of the four pivotal cases that helped Valerie Corral and Dennis Peron put Prop 215 on the ballot in 1995 that passed in 1996. I was growing for my cancer ridden Mother when we were raided.

I am a seasoned and skilled heirloom vegetable seed saver, starter, grower. I've just not seen the likes of pistils and a change from veg to flower in the middle of May.

Click to expand...

Well, there's your problem right there. You're barely breaking 13 hours of daylight by April 10. What were your lighting schedule? Your plants will flowers especially fast if you're coming from anything over 15 hours of light. Sounds like you were about a month into flowering. It didn't reveg in mid may because 14+ hours of daylight didn't start until May 15 or so. That long into flowering, it will take 2 - 3 weeks for your plants to revert back. To speed up the revegging process, you can always bring your plants back indoor and put it under 24/0 lighting schedule. Once you start to see new growth (usually within a week) you can incrementally cut light schedule down to 14 or 15 on, then place back outdoor. If you just plan to leave it outside, expect to see new growth by June.

Shades from your neighbor's tall tree is not enough to keep your plants in flowering mode, unless it causes complete darkness that you can't see anything in front of you. You will however get tall stretchy plants and possible airy bud from lack of direct sunlight (if under 8 hours of direct light a day).

SageFromZen said:

All from seed, I need to explain as well that in Los Angeles I could start my seeds at the end of February and put them out the week after March 21st without a hitch. On the central coast I tried it the same way and it didn't work. It confused them. So I started them March 15th and put them out April 1st and that worked for that latitude.

I tried the same formula(like I hadn't learned the first time) and my first bay area season was a flop for having started them too early. I am now learning however by the posts above that I may still be starting them too early. I've been starting them March 21st and putting them out the second week of April and this year was no different.

Click to expand...

Yes, down south (LA, San Diego, Long Beach, etc) their 14+ daylight starts a week or 2 earlier than us up north (Sac, Bay Area, Mendocino, etc). That's why whatever work for you there, didn't work here. If growing from seeds (and if not mature yet), it can take up to a month or so to start flowering. Which was why you were able to get away with starting out door so early. Whereas a clone (which is a lot more sensitive) can be as short a a few days to a week to initiate flowers. All the growers that I know in CA, start their seeds indoor around Jan. It fully mature by March. No way will they get away with putting their plants out that early. But you seem to start yours more towards March.