Artificially inducing flowering in outdoor plants can increase yields and improve the quality of the buds. In some regions, outdoor cultivation can be problematic if bad weather sets in too early in the fall, too much rain falls or the sunshine hours are too few. The cannabis plants in this case do not have good conditions and too little time to completely finish the flowering phase and produce really thick buds. The result is meager harvests or even complete failures.
But there are some ways how to get good harvests even in climatically not so preferred regions:
What is the advantage of early initiation of flowering for outdoor plants?
If flowering is initiated early enough in outdoor plants, the conditions are created for cannabis plants to completely finish their life cycle even in cooler regions, receive full sunlight during the peak flowering phase, and reward the grower with abundant harvests.
Especially in the cool climates of the Northern Hemisphere, there is not enough time for flowering to be completed. Some varieties start flowering late in the fall, then when the weather is already getting worse. Especially the popular sativas and hazes typically show their flowering later and often do not finish.
If you artificially shorten the days by limiting the hours of sunlight, this problem can be avoided. In addition, the long wait for harvest can be shortened and the grower can enjoy the yields earlier. An advantage not to be sneezed at.
By artificially initiating the flowering of outdoor plants, even 2-3 harvests can be achieved in climatically warmer regions. The total yield over the year is then higher than waiting for only one harvest. In addition, the aroma and potency of the buds really explode, because the cannabis plants get this way the best light of the whole year: sun-ripened with the highest terpene production.
If the cultivation of plants is started indoors already in February and March, harvests outdoor with the help of artificial initiation can often be achieved in June. Accordingly, if the flowering phase is forced every 2 weeks for some plants, harvesting can be continuous.
In cool regions, sometimes the cannabis gardener needs to intervene to ensure that flowering can be completed. Outdoor plants that are artificially sent into flowering remain smaller and can be harvested earlier. Smaller outdoor plants often show a higher quality crop than huge plants. In turn, smaller plants are less susceptible to root rot and botritys. Large plants are difficult to maintain and manage. A regular standard crop will produce higher yields, but the overall yield may actually be greater over the year with technology.
From the point of view of the process, then it may look like this: While one part of the plants enjoys the sunlight and matures, a second part of plants is prepared indoors. If the timing is right and is precisely matched to your region, the experienced grower can even succeed in harvesting buds throughout the summer, and not just in late summer and fall.
When should I initiate flowering on my outdoor plants?
The best time depends on your exact location. In warm regions, it is often only a short time when growing outside is not possible. In cool climates, it is usually too cold and wet in the fall to produce a highly potent and productive crop. In cooler regions, mid-June to mid-July is a good time to artificially induce flowering in outdoor plants. The cannabis plants will then still have plenty of time to claw their way to the best sunshine hours of the year and produce the best buds.
In cool climates, the vegetative phase should always be started indoors so that strong, healthy plants can be placed outside immediately when temperatures permit. Spring is often still too cold in these regions to put the plants out early.
How should I initiate flowering on my outdoor plants?
There are several ways to initiate flowering in outdoor plants. The choice of method depends on the height and number of plants. Also, whether it is grown in a greenhouse or outdoors. The principle is to darken the plants and deprive them of sunlight, so that they have the impression it will be autumn. This works best with an opaque fabric. But at the same time and absolutely necessary not to forget about good ventilation, otherwise mold and other fungus can quickly develop.
Of course, with greenhouse plants darkening is easier to realize. You get a large black opaque fabric and pull it over the greenhouse. The additional use of fans for better ventilation is advisable. In large greenhouses, darkening is done automatically with a special system. The hobby grower in most cases, but does not have such a highly professional and huge greenhouse and therefore has to make do with their own resources.
For the manageable grow in the garden or on the balcony is recommended to build a wooden frame around the plants, which is provided with additional darkening fabric. This darkening fabric (black foil, heavy lightproof cloth, etc.) can then be pulled closed during the night time, so that the plants are in darkness for 12 hours.
If the cannabis plants are in pots, they can also be placed in a well-ventilated and dark barn, garage or similar after 12 hours of light. I consider this method the simpler and also more inconspicuous.
What do I have to consider?
- As soon as, the days become shorter by nature (at least 12 night hours per day), you can save the darkening and the effort with it. From now on, nature will take over.
- If the flowering of outdoor plants is artificially initiated, it is essential to take care with the night time, that is, to start darkening always and every day at the same time. One must also not skip a day
- The plants should be darkened every single day after 12 hours of sunlight. If this is ignored, the plants may fall back into the growth phase and the flowers will not develop optimally.
- The plants should really get 12 hours of absolute uninterrupted darkness. This is easier to achieve with smaller plants. It has proven useful to bring the plants into the dark when you come home from work and to cover them again before you go to sleep. This way you get into a good rhythm together with the plants.
- Always darken 12 hours after sunrise.
- Shorten the period of covering or sheltering to as short a time as possible. If you take the cannabis plants out of their "darkroom" before going to bed, they can get a good and normal ventilation outside all night.
- The more you automate this method and the whole care of the plants, the better it goes and the easier it is for you.
- Avoid any form of light during the dark phase, including streetlights and flashlights. Only a little light on some leaves can be enough to keep a plant in the growing phase.
If everything is implemented correctly, growers can enjoy not only an earlier harvest, but also more aromatic and potent buds.
Alternatives to darken the plants
Darkening the plants every day can be exhausting and laborious. An alternative is to simply grow XXL autos that start flowering on their own and automatically, rather than waiting until fall. They also grow relatively large, give good yields and make things easier in many ways.
Haze XXL from Dinafem is a good example of a large and high yielding automatic variety