Question re: Flowering Outside and Shade

artemisinked

Active Member
I had to move my 7 plants to a less than optimal location at the beginning of June because it was pretty clear they were going to be detected where they were due to their out of control growth in the full sun. I put them in the back of my lot, surrounded by tress, and they get about 4-5 or so hours of indirect sunlight a day. It's not as bad as I thought- they seem to be doing okay and are still growing (albeit are leggier than they should be with about 2- 2 1/2 inches between the nodes). I know I'll probably have to stake if they flower.

That's my question. I'm treating this as an experiment because i have pretty low expectations- the site's not great. They're not in direct sun (get dappled sun for 5 hours a day)- morning and late afternoon primarily. Will they still flower even in these less than optimal conditions? And if they do, I know yield will be reduced, but about how much can I expect? :?

Thanks
 

Johnnyorganic

Well-Known Member
I had to move my 7 plants to a less than optimal location at the beginning of June because it was pretty clear they were going to be detected where they were due to their out of control growth in the full sun. I put them in the back of my lot, surrounded by tress, and they get about 4-5 or so hours of indirect sunlight a day. It's not as bad as I thought- they seem to be doing okay and are still growing (albeit are leggier than they should be with about 2- 2 1/2 inches between the nodes). I know I'll probably have to stake if they flower.

That's my question. I'm treating this as an experiment because i have pretty low expectations- the site's not great. They're not in direct sun (get dappled sun for 5 hours a day)- morning and late afternoon primarily. Will they still flower even in these less than optimal conditions? And if they do, I know yield will be reduced, but about how much can I expect? :?

Thanks
Cannabis needs at least 6 hours of DIRECT sunlight each day. Dappled shade is acceptable, but you must ensure at least 6 hours of direct sunlight every day. Of course, the more light, the better your yield will be.

Security outdoors is a huge issue. Training the plants downward will reduce their visibility.

Good luck and good growing.
 

artemisinked

Active Member
I know- it truly sucks. There's no concealed area around where I can get them that amount of sun without them being detected, so I'm treating this as an experiment.

With they ever flower with less sun? They're definitely growing where they are and I'm only hoping for enough for personal consumption.
 

Johnnyorganic

Well-Known Member
I know- it truly sucks. There's no concealed area around where I can get them that amount of sun without them being detected, so I'm treating this as an experiment.

With they ever flower with less sun? They're definitely growing where they are and I'm only hoping for enough for personal consumption.
I should rephrase my original statement: Cannabis needs at least 6 hours of DIRECT sunlight each day to flourish.

A harvest is possible, but it will not be as robust.
 

artemisinked

Active Member
That was my thought- I'm an avid gardener but haven't ever tried cannabis before. Most plants (tho not all) can grow in less optimal conditions, I know, and I was actually surprised that these girls hadn't bit the dust where they were. Took a light meter and they're getting more than I thought, but def. not enough for massive growth. Which is fine because I just need for me not my tightass, suburban community.

I appreciate the input- I was kind of getting my hopes up because they are making progress where they are and was wondering if they could possibly make it to harvest even in the sort of crappy place they need to be. Here's hoping I get something.
 

Johnnyorganic

Well-Known Member
That was my thought- I'm an avid gardener but haven't ever tried cannabis before. Most plants (tho not all) can grow in less optimal conditions, I know, and I was actually surprised that these girls hadn't bit the dust where they were. Took a light meter and they're getting more than I thought, but def. not enough for massive growth. Which is fine because I just need for me not my tightass, suburban community.

I appreciate the input- I was kind of getting my hopes up because they are making progress where they are and was wondering if they could possibly make it to harvest even in the sort of crappy place they need to be. Here's hoping I get something.
As a gardener I have another possible solution: the tomato bed. Cannabis can easily be camoflauged in a sea of tomato plants. You can even cage them and hang artificial fruit from the branches.
 

artemisinked

Active Member
Johnny, you're a rockstar! I so appreciate the input, you have no idea. What a FABULOUS thought re: tomatoes! All the more reason to expand the veggie patch. God, I wish I wasn't as much of a pig when it comes to space in the veggie patch and hadn't horribly overplanted it this season.

Here is the main issue: We have service people that come on our property (sounds like it's big, but it's really not so big): arborist for the trees, trugreen for the grass. What's your take on whether those peeps would be able to spot them interplanted between the tomatoes?

My initial plan was to plant behind sunflowers in the cutting garden BUT the sunflowers grow SLOWER than the weed and the cannabis plants were VERY obvious (such that my elderly, square father even spotted them when he came to visit in June). If he can figure it out, then, well... I was pretty confident that they were not as concealed as they needed to be with all of the service people that enter the property. The plants cannot be seen where they are at all right now, so I'm less worried about detection, but I am hoping that all the effort I put in to cultivate them from seed won't be for naught come early October.
 
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