# Flowering help please



## Gadhooka (Sep 5, 2007)

I actually just joined hoping I can get some answers to a theory of mine.

I have an outdoor plant that is probably of the Sativa variety. We are 50 days away from the first frost and I can't tell whether it's started flowering or not. I decided to buy a heavy canvas tarp and cover it before I go to bed and uncover it after a couple of hours of light have passed in the morning to try and artificially induce faster flowering. I propped some rods on four sides of it so that the plant won't be crushed all night by the tarp. This would essentially give the plant 12 1/2 hrs or more of dark period. I plan to follow the proposed routine for two or three weeks and remove the tarp a couple of minutes earlier each day. My questions are as follows: 

1. Is this dangerous to the health of the plant as far as suffocating it or anything else?

2. Will it get too warm under the tarp for the plant (8-10 hours each night)?

3. If I don't use the tarp to induce flowering, will I end up with skimpy buds at harvest?

4. Am I just being impatient or is this idea good?

I want to harvest as much as I can and the plant is very healthy as I write this. I absolutely don't want to kill my plant with a tarp I paid 50 bucks for, that would ****! Of course, next time I will certainly use an Indica variety so that it flowers earlier.

I know this is an oddball question, but this is the sort off thing I imagine some people in northern climates might encounter when they start with the wrong type of seed. I would appreciate any help all of the more experienced growers can offer me.:banana:


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## Gadhooka (Sep 5, 2007)

I reposted this here because I think it's more appropriate in the  Growing Marijuana Outdoors forum.


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## jash (Sep 5, 2007)

how old and tall is your plant?did she started preflowering?you should post some pics


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## Hick (Sep 5, 2007)

hmmmmmm..It isn't being "inhibited" by ambint light?? from a street light, porch light, ect??
  "IF" shes a sativa, you're looking at possibly up to 90 days of flowering.  


> from potbelly..
> You could easily build a frame out of some PVC pipe or wood and cover it with plastic to shelter your plant from the cold so she can finish off...... You could even leave the top open for full sun during the day, and cover the opening at night with a blanket.


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## jnastyblunts (Sep 5, 2007)

What week of flowering do the flowers start to look like buds.  Im on my second week and it just is a bunch of clusters of white hairs.


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## Hick (Sep 5, 2007)

..Might look through some grow journals, check time lines there..


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## Gadhooka (Sep 5, 2007)

jash said:
			
		

> how old and tall is your plant?did she started preflowering?you should post some pics


 
If she weren't tied down she'd be about 6 1/2 feet tall.  I think it started preflowering but I'm an ameteur so I'll post some pics later today or tomorrow.

The thing I hate the most is having to make the trip to the plant in the daylight to remove the tarp.  The paranoia of someone watching me is not cool!  I don't want to make these extra trips if I don't have to.:cry:


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## jash (Sep 5, 2007)

as hick said its a long way with a sativa,if your lucky to have a quick bloomer then you may harvest some good bud in 50 days.check your daylight/nighttimeanddate.com


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## Nico (Sep 5, 2007)

Cover them to keep the light out and force a 12/12 light cycle. If they are not showing signs of any hairs at the nodes then as Hick says can take upto 90 days to harvest time induced to flower or not. Look very closely they may be starting already as the days are getting shorter. 

My Out door Grow. FYI. 
http://www.marijuanapassion.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14543

Nico


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## Gadhooka (Sep 6, 2007)

:bongin: As promised, here are the pics of her! So now can all you gurus tell me how the outcome looks? Is this preflowering? how long til harvest assuming good growing conditions?

Should the tarp idea continue?

Thanks in advance!:lama:


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## jash (Sep 6, 2007)

i see pistils so ye shes preflowering,i took some pics (not very good cause of sun)from my outdoor sativa so you see -she started preflowering exactly a month ago but as the sun is at 13/11 now here buds will start fatten in 2-3 weeks.think that yours is close from bud starting


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## Gadhooka (Sep 6, 2007)

I don't know if the tarp idea is so good. This morning a plane was flying low and circling just as I removed the tarp from the plant. Scary stuff! I don't think I was seen but still, to close for comfort.:holysheep: 

Anyway, it's way to many extra trips (everynight and every morning). The morning trip being the most dangerous in the light.

It was probably preflowering at least a couple weeks ago. That's when the pistils started.

What do you think, should I keep on with the tarp or just leave it and see what happens?


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## jash (Sep 6, 2007)

if you feel thats too dangerous then may remove it and wait,besides its only one plant and shes probably preflowering from more than 2weeks you see mine  its a month and seems the same,hopefully you get some bud in 50 days. good luck and post some pics after a couple of weeks


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## reefer (Sep 7, 2007)

I think you are being a little anxious. you can get a lot of growth in 50 days. 
check out Jash's link for sunrise and sunset times. Use those to calcualte when 12/12 is. If there is still a couple weeks left before the frost then you can stop worrying. If your frost is during or really close to your equinox, then you can panic.
From your pics, it looks like you have about 2 weeks or so before they start full bud. Flowering kinda stalls right when the first pistils are growing. But after then, they really take off quickly


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## Gadhooka (Sep 11, 2007)

OK so I went out and sure enough, those pistil heads are starting to thicken up! 

Does the 90 days that it takes a Sativa to flower include the pre-flowering stage?

Is 18-24-16 Miracle Gro Good enough? (1 gallon per week)

Things might be fine if there's a late frost this year!

This pic is from a few days ago. Since then she's broken free of her stakes and is growing into a big strong girl! I'd bet 7 1/2 ft if she stood straight up.:farm: 

Thanks


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## longtimegrower (Sep 12, 2007)

I would stop covering your plant, from the way she is stressing you will end up with a hamorfidite if your not carefull.


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