Winter Seasonal Growing

[RobbieGanjaSeed]

I was a little suprised to see a few people this year ask if it's possible to grow throughout winter. Maybe they were really new to growing? Maybe they just hadn't ever considered it. It's no different to using a flowering cupboard though,it's just the whole country is the flowering cupbaord at that time of year. You still need a veg area to do it but of course.

 

Anyway, thought I'd post a pic periodically of what to expect of planting outside through winter.

 

I've just got myself a little greenhouse, and barring any problems with neighbors or what not, it should be alright in the backyard.

 

The plant is a clone of redman x Mullum Madness I was handed by a freind, it's only 150mm tall or so, and I planted it out last Tuesday.

 

In the past I would use mother plants to take clones through winter when I lived on a cattle property . Makes as many clones as I would like, raise them under fluoros until they were around 300mm tall and then set out in pots or into the ground. Pots are great 'cause the ground heat can be captured in black pots. If you live in a frosty area like I did, the ground gets real cold through winter. None the less, they always did well, in full sunlight, and I expect this one will give me something at least. Being only 150mm tall when it's set out is going to reduce it dramatically. It's just for an experiment / example though.

 

If I don'thave any troubles with neighbors, I might veg a couple out to a 300mm and set them out too.

 

cheers

rob

[Medusa]

Looking forward to this chapter as I to have a little green house, that is never used.

Glad to see Australia Post is useful for something.

Cheers

Wog

[everest]

oooohh very nice rob , this will be a great learn for me , take advantage of our great climate ... the redman liked the pk at wk 5 mate , she packs it on then , probs have to stake her or tie her up when she buds , she has a tendancy to topple ... smoke is stronger than the celtic stone - now it's cured , so there is that to look forward to .

 

ev

[WantDaChronic]

cant wait to see your outdoor garden in full swing

[67Special]

Hey Rob

You'd already inspired me to grow outside this winter, so it'll be good to see your efforts 1st hand.

I think mine were about 300 high when I put em out and the bigger ones are about 500 now that they've finished stretching.

 

Thanks for the inspiration mate

[Reverend]

Excellent Rob.

 

What potting medium are you using and what nutes will you be feeding?

 

Looks like you have started a trend here.

[RobbieGanjaSeed]

The potting gear is just "garden soil" from the landscapers. I bought a trailer load to grow some tomatoes and lettuce etc in. Just mixed some Perlite in for drainage, some worm castings, and I think it comes with chookie poo in it already. it's pretty rich, so I'll just watch it's growth, lay the PK13/14 on when it's due and leave it at that. If I get organised I was thinking of setting up a large ol flood and drain table I have out there. or just use perlite in pots with a run to watse gravity feed system. That'd be nice and quiet.

 

Just depends how nervy I get. I'd hate to blow the indoor set up for a litle experiment, growing outside in the suburbs takes some steady nerves hey; this is the first time I've done it since I was a kid. One little bugger like this is no probs, just wondering how big to go with Mr. Binoculars next door. I miss the bush.

 

cheers

rob

 

PS. best of luck 67special.

[melindaskrapz]

will outdoor in sydney be o.k? isn't it too cold. please explain;must they be covered ? please let me know very kean!!!!

[RobbieGanjaSeed]

I imagine Sydney would be alright. i haven't lived in Sydney before, but I've lived in Mebourne and Tasie and I'd try it in both those places.

of course the further south you go, the colder it gets, and frost will hurt young plants, peristent frost might kill mature plants too I suppose. grass is fairly supple all the way through. But light intensity will reduce crop outcomes the further south you go too.

 

But I don't think Sydney is so far south it'd be worth worrying too much about reduced light intensity/crops.

 

You don't need to "cover" the plants at all, unless you mean to hide from the neghbors. in that case, they need all the cover you can give them. but covering plants to make them flower is only to force them into flower out of season (from October there-abouts through to Febuary they would need to be covered to make flower) after all, this is the natural heading cycle/season of marijauana. Well any time on from easter onwards kind thing, depending where u live. the plants need to have no more than 12 hours of daylight per day for flowering to begin, and so as winter progresses, you get 12/12 light/night, which is when outdoor plants start to flower, then as time goes by, you'll have 11 hours daylight, 13 hours night,. 10 hours daylight, 14 hours night...probably wouldn't get much darker than that off the top of my head, but if you're fanatical about it, you can get the sun set, sun rise times for your latitude off the internet. In the olden days I used to have to phone the weather beurau .

 

But all that means is the natural time for dope to flower is from eater onwards. QAs winter progresses, they get less light each day than you'd give them in an indoor set up, so they will harvest lower crops, but they will continue to flower just the same..

If you can raise your clones to a decent size inside under fluoros, then put them outside any time between eatser time (approx) and say 6 weeks before october (they tend to continue flowering after 12 hour days have resumed for a few weeks) then you dont have to cover them...because as noted, this is their natural flower time. In fact I've had plants that have long flowering periods continue to flower into early december. plants that had already begun flowering late in winter I mean of course.

 

It's the cheapest way to grow pot if you cant afford or have space for a full blown indoor arrnagement, and summer time is over. In fact you can only get one harvest using nature all year. This way u get as many harvests all winter as you please. harvest a crop every fortnight once they get going..

So set up few fluoros, take as many cutting from ya mother as you dare, raise them until they are about 6-12 inches tall (every inch you let them grow beofre flwoering makes serious, dramatic increase in weight at the end. If you can wait until your plants are 300mmm high, I think that's ideal for this method. Because using fluoros , well anything over 12 inches is becoming a push for the lights if for no toher reason. From memory ( Ihavent done this for years), they get around waiste to chest high from 12 inch sets, depndiong wildly of course on the variety.

 

You can chrun out plants all winter this way. Either slip one new cutting out every fortnight all season to keep yourslef in a good supply of grass all winter, or go hard and save it up to se u through summer.

 

On the subject of cold, you could buy a cheap greenhouse. I got mine for 760 bux and would make a world of diffeernce in sydney. But without it you'll do fine too I'd say. But if u get the greenhouse, make suire you grow tomatoes and so forth in it too, take the neighbors attention away from a crop of dope under their noses kinda thing.

depends on what kind of backyard u have I suppose, how game you are etc..

 

good luck mate,. it's easy peasy.

 

rob

[everest]

hey they are puckering up already rob.. fan bloody tastic . keep the pics coming mate

 

ev