My Crazy Plan

Hey everyone,

I've been reading the site for a week, and it's been really helpful. I've already made a couple of changes to my plan, adjusting it as best I can to what I seem to understand as ideal growing conditions. I have been practicing with tomatoes, but now that I have my Cali pot smoking license, I'm ready to rock and roll. It was a bit of a last minute idea, and I'm working with what I've got (and it's the winter!) so please keep all that in mind as I explain my plan.

My landlord has been encouraging me to grow since I moved in, and I'm sure that the roof of the house is the best place. When my plants are mature enough (I've started them indoors) I plan to move them outside. Perhaps you can suggest the right time.

I've planted 11 Deadhead OG (reg) seeds from Cali Connection in a higher end organic soil I purchased at Orchard Supply Hardware. I got excited and didn't germinate them in water first, which I regret. So far, I have 7 healthy looking seedlings, and no sign from the other 4. I'll attach a picture.



I'm not sure if the other are going to sprout because the first 7 all did so in rapid fire. They were planted on Sunday afternoon, and I stupidly let them spend the night outside, but then I read that a little cold before germination is actually a good thing.

The first one to sprout, Sugar Meg (they're all named after ladies of Grateful Dead, and as Deadhead OG are being played it every day without fail) sprouted on Wednesday night. She's about 3 inches tall now (Friday).

They were under a ridiculous GE Plant bulb that some jackass sold me, but I'm returning that bulb and have already replaced it with a Daylight (7200K - I work in film and was taught that is daylight... should I be using 6000?) CFL and seem to be very happy.

So my plan is to keep them indoors for a few weeks and stimulate growth as much as I can contain them in my room, then move them outside. I was planning to put as much light as necessary on them with a christmas light timer to come on at dusk and supplement the daylight until I get to 18/6, then pull the plug and let them learn to love the Cali winter light cycle. Will this work? What can I do to maximize my yield and potency, knowing that I only have the roof to work with and a natural 1130/1230 cycle right now. I have power up there and can hit them with light to keep them lit through the early evening every day.

Aside from taking a friends plant and controling it's light cycle through flowering, I'm a complete noob. But I'm been doing my research.

you want 6500k for veg, i dont know much about growing seasons in cali, so i cant help you there sorry.

I just double checked with the manufacturers site, and despite the display my bulb is 6500. The light here will be under 12/12 until March 15. I have the zenith chart too, so I'm confident that I"ll be getting a lot of direct sunlight by flowering time.

At 12/12 ypour plants will go into flower as soon as they are put outside. The only things I am dubious about is the landlord wanting you to grow, I hope he is trustworthy as far as taking your plants. Also, not living in Cali or a legal state for that matter, I don't know how many you are allowed to grow. And with them on the roof, you are inviting helicopters to view your grow. It is my understanding that the personal grower is not really messed with, but why wave it under their nose? Just my .02. Good luck and +rep for taking the leap into farming.

to be honest I think you have two problems. 1) mold. Kush outside flowering in winter....prolly get moldy, im not sure where your at around here, but my guess is mold and powder mildew will become an issue.

2) winter solstice is coming up soon, after that the days will be getting progressively longer, this could fuck with their heads a bit and incRease hermy chance.

My advice: keep em indoor.

My plan is to rig lights up on the roof. There's a semi filled ivy canopy that's been trained on the roof that protects them from view and doesn't effect the sun because the top of the hill is on the same side of the house. I was planning to place a couple of lights up there on a timer to go on at dusk and stay on for a few hours. Keeping them indoor is impossible under the circumstances. There isn't enough room. My landlord is encouraging me because he smokes with me. He's a 50 year old vietnamese painter and he's not going to steal my plants!

KingleyPappageorgio said:

My plan is to rig lights up on the roof. There's a semi filled ivy canopy that's been trained on the roof that protects them from view and doesn't effect the sun because the top of the hill is on the same side of the house. I was planning to place a couple of lights up there on a timer to go on at dusk and stay on for a few hours. Keeping them indoor is impossible under the circumstances. There isn't enough room. My landlord is encouraging me because he smokes with me. He's a 50 year old vietnamese painter and he's not going to steal my plants!

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I would say flowering them outside at this point might actually be the impossibility...could totally be wrong though. It sounds like you got it all figured out though, good luck.

Has anyone had any experience by manipulating outdoor conditions (ie light, light and light) to be able to successfully grow in the winter? I live in LA, so I'm not so worried about climate. Where I'm looking for advice is in using a combination of mirrors and lamps to get more direct sunlight and a longer day.

They say mirrors eat light so rely on lights.

KingleyPappageorgio said:

Has anyone had any experience by manipulating outdoor conditions (ie light, light and light) to be able to successfully grow in the winter? I live in LA, so I'm not so worried about climate. Where I'm looking for advice is in using a combination of mirrors and lamps to get more direct sunlight and a longer day.

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Give Harrp a call.. or txt china, they love messing manipulating outdoor conditions.

you will be unable to grow a plant outdoors if you have any hopes for it being decent in this weather. Indoors until the cold is gone. Even then, outdoors is finnicky if you do not know what you're dealing with.

Okay, so based on what your telling me, and the restrictions I have on being able to grow indoors, I've added a small makeshift greenhouse to the plan, about 5 feet cubed with lights on a timer to extend the day to 18 hours. Does this change your skepticism?

idc how covered u r on ur roof grow out doors all u like but its the worng time of yr period..........idk if n e one has asked u this but whut is the reason u cant grow in doors....... oh yeah exneh the mirrors not good verry bad.......... they do infact eat light and lumens............. ihave reciently returned from la and yeah it may be nice compaired to ny this time of year but someone here said previously that the light cycle will encourage herm when warmer times arrive i concur and i concur said hermage due to the lught cycle........ bad idea buddy............ i feel timing is everything........ i know veg can be as short as 28 day but...but being i live in ny i start germ on march 25 and i veg 90 in doors for max size then out door for the duration end of may earlir june and i always match my light cycle with the sun........... it seems very improbable but n e thing can happen the green house isnt a bad idea but again y not grow in doors..... whut r u gonna use for nutes....... whut kinda light/s do u plan to hang???????? or have u hung ide like to know how this works out for u.... u have a great strain growin for ya now....... do ur research see whut u can do to make it work i wanna see myself...... i plan to move out to L.A. with in the next 5 yrs if we r still here and able........... do u have n e pix of whut u have gotten done thus far..... get at me
u have a journal i can sub too???? subed here to see if u answer
peace