Planning for next year's outdoor crop

I'd like to optimize my 2016 outdoor grow.
I can legally grow three flowering plants and I'd like to get them to yield as much as possible.
I'm not planning to grow the highest-yielding strains, though, but rather to grow long-flowering, large plants, so that I can take advantage of the outdoor growing conditions.

My plan is to grow Jack Herrer, LSD, and Burmese Skunk (the latter was a freebie - anyone have specs on it?).
I intend to sprout them around February, grow them in my indoor grow tent for about 10 weeks, transplant them into 15 gallon smart pots, and then move them up to my roof deck in late April after a few days transitioning (I have a glass-enclosed roof entrance that I will put them in first so that they can adjust to the outdoor conditions.

Has anybody out there done something similar, i.e. starting them indoors to maximize size?
Has anybody out there done this with any of the aforementioned strains?
Is this all overkill? I.e., will this actually result in bigger/higher yielding plants?

Thanks in advance!

you should do some reading before you fuck this all up. a 15 gallon pot won't get you the yield I think you think you can get. go sticking anything out in April coming off of indoor lighting with out supplemental light and you will have early flowering re vegg plants.
I can tell you didn't read nothing, just became a member and want someone to do your footwork for you.

you can put plants out in june that will fill a 15 gallon pot.

are you planning on a light dep for them?

1.

TWS said:

you should do some reading before you fuck this all up. a 15 gallon pot won't get you the yield I think you think you can get. go sticking anything out in April coming off of indoor lighting with out supplemental light and you will have early flowering re vegg plants.
I can tell you didn't read nothing, just became a member and want someone to do your footwork for you.

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The glass enclosed roof entrance has lighting which I will use as supplemental lighting until early June. That is what I did with my crop this past year.

2. Why the hostility and accusations? Nobody made you respond to my posting, and if you can't interact in a civil way you should just stay away.

3. @Lara vanhousen , what do you mean by 'a light dep' ?

4. That 'The Flower' video is very cool.

Basically because of your statement " has any body done this before " was really lame and jump starting in Feberuary for a 15 gallon pot is super lame. Call it what you will.


" 2. Why the hostility and accusations? Nobody made you respond to my posting, and if you can't interact in a civil way you should just stay away"

Your not my mum. Sorry if I hurt your feelings.

TWS said:

Basically because of your statement " has any body done this before " was really lame and jump starting in Feberuary for a 15 gallon pot is super lame. Call it what you will.


" 2. Why the hostility and accusations? Nobody made you respond to my posting, and if you can't interact in a civil way you should just stay away"

Your not my mum. Sorry if I hurt your feelings.

Click to expand...

No feelings hurt, but instead of throwing up more insults how about a constructive post instead? If you feel a February jump start is 'super lame' for 15 gallons, in your opinion

(a) what size container would best match up to that starting time (39 N, eastern US)?
(b) what starting time would best match up to a 15 gallon pot?

Thanks in advance.

They weren't insults. clearly stating the facts and that you came in here with out doing any home work or reading and flat out basically embarrassed yourself.

How tall is that roof in the breakfast room ? and cough up your state.
You said optimize your grow yet you have a ceiling limit and are starting in February with Sativa leaning strains that will just hit the lid starting that early. That's what I mean about homework.
Set all the other factors aside and if you didn't have a ceiling height. Most folks who start that early plant in 100 gallon plus.
Sounds like for what your trying to do though 30 is bear minimum . I would start at 50 and go as big as I could afford in a eastern state if I wasn't growing in my parents breakfast room.

Sorry I missed your Question B . How much sun does your room get ? Probably June for a 15 gallon .Germ seeds in solo cups 2 weeks before. You will still probably out grow those pots if everything goes well. Are you using Feminized seed ?

Well I have to carry the plants up to the roof deck so I'm somewhat limited and my knee injuries don't help either. I may have some help moving them up there but I do need to occasionally move them around (high wind warnings, e.g.) by myself. I think that 15 gallon pots is as big as I can go.

Based on what my harvest from this past year led me to think plants here are capable of, I am targeting a yield of 3 pounds per plant, but if I'm off even by a lot, it's not a big deal. It's about developing a craft for me - I use very little and give away what I don't use to friends and family. In addition to developing a craft, I like the opportunity to try new strains as well as to have confidence in the quality of the herb (there are no recreational dispensaries here). I really like sativas, so the idea of growing some height-loving sativas outdoors is very appealing - moreover the longer flowering period is irrelevant when there's only one season involved and you're not really paying for lighting.

The enclosure has a floor-to-ceiling glass wall with a southern exposure. There are walls that block early morning and late day direct sun.

I am using feminized seed for the JH, but regular for the LSD and BS.

On the other hand...

I could possibly move them up in 15 gallon containers and if they outgrow them just cut down the sides of the fabric pots and transplant into 30 or 50 gallon pots. If they're really too big for a 15 gallon pot, they can probably deal with high winds themselves!

jeroly said:

I'd like to optimize my 2016 outdoor grow.
I can legally grow three flowering plants and I'd like to get them to yield as much as possible.
I'm not planning to grow the highest-yielding strains, though, but rather to grow long-flowering, large plants, so that I can take advantage of the outdoor growing conditions.

My plan is to grow Jack Herrer, LSD, and Burmese Skunk (the latter was a freebie - anyone have specs on it?).
I intend to sprout them around February, grow them in my indoor grow tent for about 10 weeks, transplant them into 15 gallon smart pots, and then move them up to my roof deck in late April after a few days transitioning (I have a glass-enclosed roof entrance that I will put them in first so that they can adjust to the outdoor conditions.

Has anybody out there done something similar, i.e. starting them indoors to maximize size?
Has anybody out there done this with any of the aforementioned strains?
Is this all overkill? I.e., will this actually result in bigger/higher yielding plants?

Thanks in advance!

Click to expand...

I think the smart pots are a great product for the right application. However If I were you I would grow with a firm plastic or rubber pot. Fabric bags become unwieldy if they have to be moved. As the other poster stated, if you put them out too early you will probably hurt the plant. I'm obviously from the Pacific Northwest, and my rule of thumb is put them out around Cinco- De-mayo. However, I put my plants out in a green house with emergency supplemental lighting/ heating. Now if you are bound and determined to use a fabric pot and won't have to move them, I would suggest because of the expense, making a pot. You should use heavy gauge landscape fabric (i use the cheap stuff because I'm cheap) some chicken wire, and plastic zip ties. I have grown a lot of plants outdoors in pots. I would suggest a 30/ 50 gallon minimum but if you make them small don't put your plants out until later.. The last pick shows the same strain of plant with two different sizes of bag. The smaller one was not placed outdoors until August. I hope this gives you some idea of what your getting into.

Thanks for your observations. I really appreciate the input.

Those look like 200 gallon 'pots' - am I right?

Your conditions seem much different than what I experienced last year - all my plants (from an apparently sativa-dominant bagseed hybrid) flowered in mid August. Perhaps the difference was due to the strain rather than the lattitude? I would've thought that OR plants would be flowering even earlier than mine.

I am somewhat space constrained. I have a roof deck, and while it is large, I probably need my trees/bushes to stay under six-seven feet tall. After dealing with space issues in my grow tent it is funny to think about being constrained within the relatively huge space of my deck! However we're dealing with plants on a different scale here.

Thanks as well for sharing the pics!

3 P's a plant? And you were planning on doing that in a 15 gallon pot? Im all for questions but seems like you didnt even try to read up... How bigs your deck? And based on your last harvest? What did you pull last time if you have goals like this?

and you mentioned a knee injury? Are you going to run a hose and filter up to the deck? carrying water for 3, 3# plants would be a fair amount of work....

The mother plant that I put out in a 5 gallon smart pot last year in early May this year yielded 14 oz. The two clones yielded far less as they started much later - one yielded six ounces and the other 3/4 of an ounce. I was figuring 1 lb. per 5 gallons was a reasonable goal, but perhaps the relationship isn't linear in the 5-15 gallon range.

It would be a point of pride to get a larger harvest, but it doesn't really matter - I don't consume 2oz/year and I still have more than that left from last summer's crop. If I got two ounces of good product per plant (one to enjoy over time, the other to give away) I'd be very satisfied.

I carry the water, which is a pain in the ass I know.
I'm hopeful that by the time I need to lug up large quantities my knee will be better.
I run and I'm recovering from an overuse injury.

Yea i dont know sounds like your doing fine...... I wouldnt really expect much from a 5 gallon.... soil or soiless? Seems like your pretty lucky you were able to pull that...... You should really look into trying to figure out a watering system If your triyng to pull nine p's carrying water around a backyards hard enough.... up a flight of stairs would be a bitch.... and are you using nutes? Youd neeed a place for a resivor on the deck or the room adjacent unless you plan on mixing and carrying it up each bucket....

I use soil. I plan to use nutes during flowering; balanced for the first two weeks during the stretch, and then predominantly PK (with less N) afterwards.

The mother was in veg from April until August.

I have two of this watering system:

http://www.amazon.com/Claber-8053-4-Programs-Automatic-Watering/dp/B000U5YFR4/ref=sr_1_17?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1451429753&sr=1-17&keywords=6.6+gallon+reservoir

I use it if I know that I will be away for more than a day.

Yea i dont know 9 ps needs a good amount of water.... anyways might as well try and see what happeneds..... good luck

Yeah, I know... late in the cycle, each of the larger plants were wanting close to a gallon a day, and those were the 5 gallon pots.

3 P's a 15 gallon pot probably wont happen . The plants Nor Cal showed you are probably about that. will those fit in your room ?
I think you don't need to optimize. lol.
You could start your seeds in the finish pot on 4/20 all ready on the roof and still probably over grow your room but I guarantee you, you won't come on short on room for sure.