Starting and sprouting seeds outdoors.100% outdoor survivial of the fitest

svchop889

Well-Known Member
maybe dig a hole in the ground, so it don't stick up and is notable at distance ..
good idea I could also pack in leaves around the box in the hole to insulate it from ground temps
I didn't even do a grow this last season its saddening and the 2011 season I didn't harvest. I have about 100 gallons of soil mixed and ready Im just waiting for it to stop snowing and warm up so




actually now that i think about it why build a box when i can dig a hole put a 5 gallon bucket in the hole insulated. I could even compost around the outside of the bucket to raise temps if i wanted to start really early. All I would need to do then would be to cover the bucket, come time to plant pull the bucket out take the plants out of the bucket and plant them in the hole fill the bucket with water and im ready to go..

cant wait.
 

MonkeyGrinder

Well-Known Member
They'll probably get hit with a lot less light inside of a bucket. Not sure if that'll be an issue for you or not ???
If you still consider the cold frame idea I would personally pre-drill all the holes for it somewhere secure and then remove the screws. That way you can just hand screw them back into the holes with a driver and it'll be nice and quiet. No need to bang on stuff with a hammer either and make noise to draw attention.
 

markexpress

Active Member
I am in (neighbouring) Ontario, and I can tell you from experience that you do not need lights. You can make it 100% outdoor. Wait until the last week of May / first week of June to begin, however. I used the ziploc/paper towel germination method, then transferred the germinated seedlings into outdoor pots and put them in as much of daylight sun as possible (try not to place them in very direct noon sunlight as the sun is powerful and may burn them). Worked every time for me, eased transplant shock thats for sure!
 

svchop889

Well-Known Member
They'll probably get hit with a lot less light inside of a bucket. Not sure if that'll be an issue for you or not ???
If you still consider the cold frame idea I would personally pre-drill all the holes for it somewhere secure and then remove the screws. That way you can just hand screw them back into the holes with a driver and it'll be nice and quiet. No need to bang on stuff with a hammer either and make noise to draw attention.
i thought that too but i could just fill in the bottom of the bucket with potting mix to bring them closer to the top of the bucket.
 

svchop889

Well-Known Member
I am in (neighbouring) Ontario, and I can tell you from experience that you do not need lights. You can make it 100% outdoor. Wait until the last week of May / first week of June to begin, however. I used the ziploc/paper towel germination method, then transferred the germinated seedlings into outdoor pots and put them in as much of daylight sun as possible (try not to place them in very direct noon sunlight as the sun is powerful and may burn them). Worked every time for me, eased transplant shock thats for sure!
Its a tiny bit warmer here so I'm looking at mid April with a insulated cold frame in ground or buckets the same way. Late may is when I would usually transplant seedlings. ITs good to know it can be done even in a more severe climate though gives me hope for mine.
 

Lookwhatimblazn

Active Member
what im planing on doing this year is germinate inside with the paper towl and plate method and plant them in their holes and make a cage out of some chicken wire so nothing big can get to them and a good thing that worked for me last year with slugs was put pennies around the base of ur plant, works lol...... i am in a warmer area than you but not by to much lol the weather here is crazy most of the time like it could snow at night and get like 2 inches and be 55 degrees the next day..... oh well hahaha deal with what you got is what im learning hehe
 

Mr.Marijuana420

Well-Known Member
ive started seeds outside in solo cups, planted around 25, and the first week after they broke soil, they went through a hell of a rain storm, and i lost pretty much all of them, i think 2 survived. the following week i planted about 20 more, and nearly all of them made it. after two weeks if there alive and well weather shouldnt be a big issue, but animals will. so plan your date to start when your confident theres steady weather ahead, i always check the weather during grow season, it helps out alot
 

svchop889

Well-Known Member
Well some good news for me and some good news for you. I have a closet indoors that i can start in now so that puts me at ease for my season,

Im still planing on doing some from seed to finish all outside though, i still need the experience of doing that.

not sure on the indoor setup yet but I have a couple 4ft fluoros to hang for early seedlings
 

kpmarine

Well-Known Member
Sounds good; by all means, do it for the experience. I just wasn't a fan of staking your entire crop on a more uncontrollable method. May your grow be educational and high-yielding. :D
 

svchop889

Well-Known Member
Sounds good; I just wasn't a fan of staking your entire crop on a more uncontrollable method. :D
Believe me I wasn't a fan of that idea either now that I have some indoor space I can cut clones to determine sex before fall flowering and have the males all out ahead of time. So I think what I will do is get my closet set up and plant some seedlings maybe 20-30 at the beginning of April vegging on 20/4 the first week 18/6 the next three weeks and put it out at the end of the first or second week of may in holes. In mid April I will then plant 6 seeds using 3 different methods of outdoor survival. 2 in 2litre domes, 2 in pop up tents and two in an insulated bucket/ cold frame.
I need to finish 18 plants @4.5g to reach my goal for the year so clones will play a part. Last grow I did, I took clones during early flower vegged them indoors for three weeks and then put them back out to finish and ended up pulling nearly an ounce off the little bush. I think I will try that again.
 

kpmarine

Well-Known Member
Make sure to get them used to the shorter light cycle. I had plants get stunted due to putting them out in late april before I got above a 13/11 light cycle. I can't rule out a huge shortening in light cycle though, so it may be a lack of adjustment.
 

svchop889

Well-Known Member
Make sure to get them used to the shorter light cycle. I had plants get stunted due to putting them out in late april before I got above a 13/11 light cycle. I can't rule out a huge shortening in light cycle though, so it may be a lack of adjustment.
yeah I think if I do two weeks of 16/8 in early may I should be ok going from weak florescent to the sunlight should be a kick in the pants for them to not be stunted.
 

kpmarine

Well-Known Member
yeah I think if I do two weeks of 16/8 in early may I should be ok going from weak florescent to the sunlight should be a kick in the pants for them to not be stunted.
I was growing with HOT5's on a 18/6 with some degree of spectrum selection, so you should be better off than I was. I'd still check out your sunrise/sunset calendar for the area you're in for an idea when it's best to put them out. http://www.sunrisesunset.com/ <---This will give you your estimated sunrise/sunset times for whatever month you choose. I timed it out last year, and it was pretty much spot-on.
 

svchop889

Well-Known Member
I was growing with HOT5's on a 18/6 with some degree of spectrum selection, so you should be better off than I was. I'd still check out your sunrise/sunset calendar for the area you're in for an idea when it's best to put them out. http://www.sunrisesunset.com/ <---This will give you your estimated sunrise/sunset times for whatever month you choose. I timed it out last year, and it was pretty much spot-on.
there is a sunrise/set app available for android phones as well, how long were they in veg for also because if there in early veg and you put them out to short times the wont flower because there not ready to yet and they just adjust to the times outside where as late veg put out they will go to flower and be stunted the whole season I had this happen my first year growing.
 

kpmarine

Well-Known Member
there is a sunrise/set app available for android phones as well, how long were they in veg for also because if there in early veg and you put them out to short times the wont flower because there not ready to yet and they just adjust to the times outside where as late veg put out they will go to flower and be stunted the whole season I had this happen my first year growing.
They were all from clones, which I'm pretty sure I never took into account before either. I read "clone" and sweepingly assumed for the more sensitive. Good point, your seed plants should have more leeway with light cycles
 

svchop889

Well-Known Member
They were all from clones, which I'm pretty sure I never took into account before either. I read "clone" and sweepingly assumed for the more sensitive. Good point, your seed plants should have more leeway with light cycles
Lol yeah a bit more leeway, if I had a perpetual indoor grow id put vegged clones out every spring straight from a 24/0 cycle. I could get a early spring-summer harvest in that way. then maybe plant some autos in the beginning of june harvest them late august I could swim in all the buds produced lol im dreaming though
 

svchop889

Well-Known Member
Closet is cleaned out, light has been hung, table set up, soil is ready, I have cups. Time to pick some seeds out, hang the mylar and wait two weeks for April 1st. :) seems like i had a productive day.

On another note I gutted the garage and cleaned things up a bit. I have a few bikes to work on, starting a business this year... right now I have my own 86 zx600r to finish up I wrecked and had to rebuild. Then I have 2 81 Yamaha 1100xs motors to rebuild one for sale one for a bike I'm rebuilding ground up. lastly I have a 98 Yamaha FZR 600 motor and a chopper frame guess what I'm doing with that lol I'm going to make and sell an abomination a chopped ricer bike. I know its not weed but I'm happy about it and I felt like sharing maybe ill post some pictures of those too.. well eventually
 
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