The 12 month garden.

[sombro]

I'm thinking of a way to increase productivity in the garden without having any more plants growing at any one time. Fewer plants means fewer problems full stop.

So, as the light cycle will induce flowering twice a year, in autumn and spring it's possible to harvest in april or may, as well as in october.

In order to be ready to flower, the plants will need to have an environment conducive to vegging for a couple of months, I'm alergic to spending money so an indoor cab is out of the question.

In this region we receive about 5 hours of sunshine on average per day during the winter, enough, I reckon, to grow some green. The temperature can and will drop to below freezing.

So I have a greenhouse and can buy a heater to raise the temp if required, the problem is the light. I remember from researching before starting with all this stuff that lights on at night near the plants can prevent the onset of flowering.

If I shine a light on these plants for a few hours when the sun goes down, will it simulate summer light conditions and the plant will be happy to go on vegging until the natural light is right for flowering????

Of course a growlight would be better but a garden lit up like Las Vegas might draw some attention.

what do you think, is it possible?

peace:)

[midwestbluntman]

If I shine a light on these plants for a few hours when the sun goes down, will it simulate summer light conditions and the plant will be happy to go on vegging until the natural light is right for flowering????



yes that would be perfectly acceptable,but not just any old light will do.If your dead set on not buying a "grow light" then floro's would be your best option.The plant need the light spectrum[color],I have seen folks grow with just any old light but there plants suffered badly.They will stretch and just look like shit and prolly not produce near the way they should.atleast with the floro's they are getting a decent spec,and at a resonable price.however,without a cabby or some means to confine the light the greenhouse will still be lit up like a shithouse in the fog.

[sombro]

thanks man,

I was kind of hoping that the sun would do the work of growing the plants and the light would just come on for a couple of hours to stop them from flowering until I was ready.

I can see how a normal light can have a detrimental effect on development though, I've got a plant on the balcony that sits under a security light that's on all night, it's only about 4in high but it's already looking stringy (the plant that is, not the light)

but that is on all night, not just a few hours.

will it really be that bad for them?

[StoninStanley]

i think that if i wanted to do something like that i would leave them outside in daytime and bring them inside at night and put em under shop lights. that way the outside greenhouse isnt glowing and they will get the right spectrum. at last check a four foot shop light from wally world was 8 bucks. 2 bulbs will be about 3 bucks. good luck

[midwestbluntman]

hang the shop light [floro's] about 2 inches above the plants and that will curve alot of the stretch and help keep your nodes tight.I run my veg lights 24/7,i dont cut them any slack until im ready to flower.Does the additional 6 hours over the recommended 18 make a diffrence?if it does,its not a big diffrence,but im to lazy to turn them off every day and to cheap to buy another timer.

[peakguy]

I think you will have problems if you don't keep them at about 75degrees (23C) when the lights are on and at least 65 (18C) when the lights are out. I have had plants finish up when the temps were cold and they just don't produce as much.
I also think that you could have problems if you can't keep them appropriately lit for at least 18 hrs. in veg. The sunlight you get outside in the winter is going to be weak in strength, so you will need a lighting system. Otherwise, you will end up with stringy looking plants. Good luck.

[sombro]

thanks everyone.

it seems apparent that i'm going to have to bring them inside at night, We have a larder that I could rig up the light in.

as for the cold, well that may well be a problem.

I'll just have to give it a go and see how it goes, Some strains can take the cold better than others, some research required.

thanks again.

[Cakes]

i'd definitely try the five hours before i gave up on it.

For a plant to grow, there needs to be an AVERAGE of 50F/10c. It is mainly the temperature of the root ball that matters. Mulching the soil with plastic can do wonders and so can heating pads.

Tenting your fluoros (or any light) can raise the temperatures a lot too.

btw, i keep my wallieworldwonders at 1 inch when i don't want the plants to stretch.

Objects that absorb heat in the day and then radiate it at night can also be beneficial; especially if the area is enclosed. Jugs or kegs of water. or brick walls, etc.

The light that is required to interrupt budding is like the light of two full moons. the budding will be interrupted on any part of the plant that the light touches. It does not require extended exposure; it only takes a flash of light. If it doesn't happen every night, then it might not work.

[sombro]

The thing is, I remember that this last january and february were fantastic with weeks and weeks of cloudless skies. You could feel the heat of the sun.

I've found an old shelving unit that I could strap a light underneith and then adjust the height of the shelves as necessary, could get 6 plants in there. Won't be too hard to lash up a light cover. I'll buy an outdoor strain if I'm feeling flush.

I've got a greenhouse but to keep that warm will cost a stack.

[StoninStanley]

people keep saying put them one or two inches, but it's totally ok if it touches the plant, imho it's better if the shop light is touching the leaves. make sure it touches the top of the leaves, if it touches the bottom of a leaf and is left overnight it makes the leaf funky lookin. since your plants will be bigger, maybe you could put the plants against a wall and lean the shop light against the wall at an angle to reach the plant top to bottom. that's how the plant in my avatar grew...just an idea, hope this helps.