Starting OUTDOOR plant inside or outside?

If you are going to grow an autoflower plant outdoors do you want to start the plant by seed outside with natural light? Or will it be a problem if you start the plant inside with artificial light and move it outside when the temperature allows?

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Many growers start their plants well ahead of the time they go outside to get a jump on the summer.

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Won’t hurt and is a good idea as long as you have a decent light source.

I always start my outdoor autos indoors (also my photos too). If it’s early season i dont want to start them any more than 2 weeks before they can go live outside. If it’s summer I just wait til they have one set of true leaves and then out they go.

It’s unseasonably warm and I have a cold frame at my disposal - I’m probably gonna pop a few autos this weekend. Normally I’d wait til May.

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I start my autos inside and transfer/transplant them into fab pots when weather permits @ least by May 1st were I live…I may try next batch germinating outdoors cause it will be hot and sunny? Ive read that sometimes the plants like it better then inside/outside,but Ive also read that you risk (depending on were you live) damage to young seedlings from insects,birds etc…Its good to experiment,If you can I guess.

@AL_GREEN
“Rollin down the street looking way clean,banging that real sht Playa, like AL Green…*” Snoop
Great Avatar.
I agree with your process around May 1st.
I also germinate outdoors. I usually soak until I see a tap root,then delicately place in the soil/pot which is its final resting place.
(I used to start with an agrosun 150w indoors)
Yes,you do have to worry about critters and birds. Recently, I had a poor seedling have the top eaten off. Criminal.
I am still looking for that bird… :smiling_imp:
I agree wholeheartedly-experimentation is good! :+1:

SL out.

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@Slug_Life Thanks man…yeah I like Al Green music so I thought it would be apropos to use it as an Avatar and Handle for this site,I had other names but this one wasn’t taken!
Yeah I may try outdoor in a few months see how it goes…
P.S. I wonder if the bird got high?? J.K.

I am south of San Francisco. I must confess,I did a crazy experiment and threw some (5,five)homemade, pollen-chuckin’ seeds outside(a cross of Jillybean and DJ short FLO). (Approx February 17)
They are looking well,if I may say so. I was curious about them going into re-veg,but they are moving along fine.

I have big ol crows here. They are like the D-bo of birds. When they gone, I be talking…when they come.back-I’ll shut up…
If you get your hands on some bagseed- throw it outside and see what happens,right?
Happy growing!


SL out.

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update I’m such a stoner I forgot what thread I needed to return to… :roll_eyes:
I have something for the critters and birds,so far it has worked…
-Thai good curry containers with heated screwdriver made holes for ventilation.
Then buried under mulch in container. Be very careful removing the plastic dome


SL out.

So are those covers plastic cups?

@cjsvirginia No, slightly bigger and more durable than cups. I reused Thai food /curry take-out containers.
I have heard others use two liter soda containers sawed off so that the cap is above ground. I think this plastic is a little bit thinner/less thick. Whatever floats your boat-sail it :+1:

SL out.

Looks like you eat about as much takeout curry as I do lol!

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I always start my outdoor girls around March… then outside at the end of May…

Easier to control environment and avoid predators during early stages.

These are about 12 weeks old and getting big…

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They’re some beauties! Great job :clap:

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Looking very nice!

I soil germinate outdoors. Let the plant start out in the environment it will live. That way you have no worries of having to harden off, its ready to go…

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Direct soil (Roots Organic 707) scarify method: I was coached when I started growing to scarify the seeds, either in a small sandpaper cylinder (turn your sandpaper inside-out, cap ends, shake) or I use a seed container and add a pinch of sandy-soil (socal) and shake it around while I enjoy a bowl…anyway, this seems to break that waxy coating down and with-in a couple of days the plant is off to the races.
I don’t paper towel my autos seeds because they started growing into the towel…very aggressive genetics…final product in the pic is a Hindu Kush.
Some don’t like this as I will assume most gardeners have the same fear, “what is going on down there?” and you can’t see anything…but, gardening = patience




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I start my plants indoors by water germ,then solo and or peat pellets then a few weeks and put them into fabric pots in FF soil Outdoors. I haven’t had any problems yet… I am going to try an experiment this 2nd crop with direct to soil planting just to see the difference or if there is any?

@Mr.Spicoli
“add a pinch of sandy-soil (socal)” Does that method also work with NorCal sandy soil? :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes: P.S. just kiddin…I do like your methods and will give them a try!!
Thanks.

I went directly into soil with this new run of autos I’m doing and they just sprouted today. It only took three days to come up out of the soil as well. Just an FYI from my experience today. Happy growing buddy

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@Deez @Slug_Life …You guys are making me hungry!!LOL :open_mouth: