Hi everyone. I am currently in my second year of growing and although I did learn quite a bit on my first year there is still so many questions. I live in the deep south and the summer has been brutal. Typically the temps are in the low to mid 90s but we just had 3 consecutive days of 100 degrees with high humidity and no relief in sight, and I am growing outdoors. I have 3 plants from seeds given to me which I planted the beginning of May. I was told the name was Solomon Cookies. I am growing in Fox Farm soil and using the trio. I also add SLF 100 to the water and add Cal/Mag a couple times a week, add Recharge once a week. One of the plants are in a 5 gallon cloth pot and the other 2 are in 3 gallon pots. It is so hot here that my leaves are getting scorched in the sun. I have them in the sun and at times I put them under an umbrella to get some relief from the scorching sun. The 3 gallon pots have to be watered every day and I possibly could water twice a day. They are definetely in flower, my guess is about 3 weeks but I don’t have enough experience to know for sure. I am feeding twice a week and like I said watering every day. At night I take them inside a shed where I have an air conditioner running to cool them off and also give them drier air (dealt with bud rot last year because of rain and humidity). I am wondering if I should try and repot the 3 gallon pots into 5 gallon pots, but since I am in flower I am not sure if this is a good idea. The vertical growing has slowed down quite a bit and the plants are getting bushier. My ph runs from 6.3 to 6.6, when I give just water my runoff is around 550 and when I fertilize it is around 1000. I fertilize twice a week and flushed a couple days ago with plain ph’d water. Below are a few of my questions. I am desperate for guidance here so please anyone with experience I would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks in advance.
Should I repot into larger pots even though I am in flower?
Will moving them into shade during the day affect the flowering stage?
When I fertilize I try and get a PPM reading around 1000. Is this sufficeint in flower?
Here are pics of the 2 girls in 3 gallon fabric pots:
I’ll try to answer some of your questions, but some is my opinion. I would not repot at this point. I’m in Missouri and it’s been brutal hot here too. I move mine to shade wheat hits around mid 90’s. It won’t hurt flowering. I grow organic, but I believe 1000 plant is about right. I think you’re doing everything right. I too move mine into the garage at night to help with mold and rot. I might also add this is my first attempt at an outdoor grow. My suggestion would be to use bigger pots next time. I used a 10 gal. rain science pot, and I wish I would have went bigger. Mine has been flowering for 26 days today. Here’s a pic. Godfather OG.
Thanks for the tag but im still a total noob for bud grow these others you have tagged will deff take care of ya
My outside girl has absolutely loved the temps which have been low 2 mid 90s last few weeks now with 1 or 2 days reaching 97. But that probably varries from strains. Personally i dont think giving her some shade would hurt but thats just my opinion.
Others might have a different opinion as well but id let them ride how they are in the 3gallon since they are flowering
Happy growin
Thank you @Dexterado for your reply and input. I keep going back and forth with repotting and I wanted to get others opinions. You are definetely correct in that I should have gone with a bigger pot. Last summer I grew in a 10 gallon pot and she turned out pretty big. I am in a state where it is still not legal so I am trying to not be so obvious and bringing her in and out every day sometimes can be a chore. My husband does it for me when I am out of town but he complained about the size last year. I think 5 gallon pot may be my best bet…
Your girl is absolutely beautiful! You should be very proud of her. You stated she has been flowering for 26 days. Since we grow outdoors there is no date where the switch is flipped. When do you start counting for flower? First site of pistols? I say mine is about 3 weeks only because I saw pictures of plants similar to mine that stated 3 weeks but I think there is a more definitive way to tell. Interested to know what your method is. Thanks again for the reply, I really do appreciate you taking the time to reply and share your knowledge. Happy growing!
Thank you so much for replying. I feel like I should not repot since she is in this delicate stage of flowering but wanted to seek other opinions. I have learned to go with at least a 5 gallon pot for summer outdoor grows.
Your girls look great. Thanks for sharing.
I start counting when I have actual “budlets”. I consider when I first start seeing pistils that it’s pre flowering. My observation indoors is a strain they say takes 8 weeks actually takes 10 because the first two weeks are pre flowers. That’s how I count them. Here is what my plant looked like when I started counting flowering days. This pic is July 13.
So you first saw pistols 2 weeks prior to July 13? You were in pre flower until July 13th? Now you have been in flower for 26 days, which does not count pre-flower? Is that correct? Sorry so many questions, Just trying to understand. This is a great explanation but want to make sure I understand correctly.
Correct, I started seeing pistils several days before July 13. I just started counting on July 13 because that’s when I could see actual little budlet clusters.
Get a larger pot, fill halfway, set the smaller pot inside the larger, and top off the edges. The roots will grow out of the fabric of the smaller pot without causing any transplant shock. Zero risk, possible reward. However, that’s going to make her heavier, thus harder to move.
It will keep them in flower, not the other way around. Less light may mean smaller buds, but with extreme heat and high humidity, buds that aren’t the size of baseball bats may actually be helpful (less risk of rot).
900-1200 in my water is my target for flowering.
I really appreciate the tag, sorry for the delayed reply.
Good morning. Maybe I can help alittle bit. I also grow outside. Full sun with 100% organic living soil. 100 gallon low profile fabric pots.
First off your plants looks great. Nice and healthier. For outdoor j feel the pot size is alittle small if you are shooting for monster plants. But, since you are bringing them in every night you have to be able to move them. With this aspect it’s all up to you and of your can move them around.
I definitely would not transplant them again at this stage.
If the plants aren’t showing any heat stress from the high temps I wouldn’t move them under the shade. You won’t those little solar panels (leafs) of the plants to suck up and absorb as much sunlight as possible. This is what will give you this nice big dense flowers.
In my experience when growing organically outdoors in beautiful Mother Nature one truly doesn’t need to worry about ppm or anything like that. The soil will naturally adjust the ph to what is needed.
We all grow differently and get different results. We just need to find the correct avenue that works for us and our current climate.
Absolutely correct @PurpNGold74 , no more 3 gallon pots for an outdoor summer grow. Last year was my first grow and I did 5 gallon and 10 gallon. My 10 gallon was HUGE! Thanks for the feedback, I really appreciate it.
HippieRunner1 you have just changed my perspective on pot sizes. I’m upset this season I’m stuck using a 6 gallon bag and told myself I would use 15’s next season. Then you roll in with the 100 gallon low profile tan fabric pots and shatter my vision, in a good way. Thanks, for pushing me forward!
@Graysin thats an awesome idea, to plant in another pot, that way the roots will not get disturbed and the roots will not dry out as quickly.
I am concerned about the girls not getting enough direct sunlight but getting scorched leaves is worse. I also have dealt with bud rot which is one of the reasons I move them inside into cooler drier conditions at night. I’ve also had problems with spider mites so smaller less dense buds will also help with spotting those little devils.
I do have a question about the ppm reading. Like I mentioned I try to get the reading around 1000 when I feed. Does the reading matter when I water only. I have 3 plants going right now. Today when I watered I got a ppm of 400 on one of them (let’s call her “Miss B”. ) She’s probably the weakest out of the bunch. In the morning when I take them out, one of them (in a 5 gallon pot) “A” always looks perky with the leaves sticking straight out. The other two are in 3 gallon pots. Miss B always has droopy leaves, for about a month now. I have been getting her reading around 1000 when I fertilize but still she never looks perky. I’m trying to read the plants to know what and when they need but I don’t know what else to do for her. Is 400 ppm to low for just water? PPM going in is about 15. I am watering every day and tried twice a day because they dry out so quickly in the 3 gallon pots., but it doesn’t seem to make a differnce with her. I’m careful about overwatering and I really don’t think that is the issue because they dry out so quickly in this heat. Do you think I should try and give her more than 1000. I’m a lil hesitant because on my first grow I experienced Nutrient burn.
Pictures from this morning below. 3 plants, First 2 are Miss A (doing great in 5 gallon pot, Next 2 Miss B in 3 gallon pot and last 2 - Miss C in 3 gallon pot. Notice the droopy leaves. Miss A & B were topped and Miss C was FIMd (well I tried to FIM) not sure I got it right. Also just want to mention that the 2 in black fabric pots - put them in larger white pots during the day so the sun is not baking the black pots.
Sorry this is so long but I wanted to give as much info. Thanks so much for taking the time to respond, this means so much to me and my girls.
these others you have tagged will deff take care of ya 
