Choosing Auto Seeds Part 2: The Outdoor Auto Edition
Ahh the great outdoors!! Choosing the right strain for your climate and your personal preference is never an easy task! The options are vast and spread across hundreds of companies, and across hundreds of thousands of strains. What strain is perfect for you? Only your body knows for sure what is ideal! Different terpenes (associated with different smells) contain different types of highs, and also different medical effects are associated with varied terpenes. Once you get to grow out a number of different varieties you will get to know which terpenes fire up your receptors, which will aid you in your strain decision. The more you grow, the more you will get to know what strains you like.
The outdoor gig is a far throw from indoor climate controlled growing though! Outdoor growers are truly at the mercy of their environments, and nearly every outdoor grower knows there are some unique situational challenges to overcome. Cold, heat, high and low humidity, short daylight hours, insects, human intruders, mammals – tons of things can and likely will happen that will determine the success of your grow. Things like insect problems outdoors should be spotted as soon as possible and dealt with in a hasty manner. Your strain selection will be far more limited than those suitable for indoor growing, depending on your conditions. The growers in nearly ideal climates (75-80F / 24-27C and 40-55% relative humidity) will have a far greater strain selection available than those in adverse climates.
High Humidity
Those that deal with super high relative humidity(75%+ RH), will have the most narrow of selections. Mold is THE enemy of outdoor auto growers. Some autos (many cannabis strains in general) do not seem to be very resistant to mold, powdery mildew and leaf septoria, and some are downright poor in resistance when grown in adverse climates. Insect damage, stalk splits and weather damage can also amplify the chances of mold issues. Open wounds can be sealed off using a Sulfur paste made from powdered Sulfur and some water, and applied on the stalk wound. Mold can be reduced greatly by the use of a strong fan blowing across the main colas for those with suitable setups. Those in humid areas that grow in greenhouses would be wise to create lots of circulation to help reduce mold. Growers in humid areas might also find that pots are not drying out quick enough, and air-pots or fabric / mesh smart-pots will certainly help hasten the drying out process. If you are using fabric pots, lift and rotate them every couple of days so roots don’t penetrate the dirt below the pot and make the plant permanently bound to the ground. Rotating pots is a good way to ensure maximum production, as the branches won’t shade themselves out for long, resulting in more exposure to the light, and therefore more production.
Strain selection is key for finding a suitable plant if you deal with frequent heavy rain, or high midsummer relative humidity. Do a lot of research on UK based growing sites if you struggle with heavy humidity. They can be a wealth of information on strains that have proven themselves in the wettest parts of the world. You will find that often many strains come up on favorites lists repeatedly, and this is certainly something to consider when you go to make your selection. Talk with breeders or company reps that interest you and pick their brains after explaining your conditions, and also take into account real life grow journals you find. Most breeders have an intimate knowledge of their strains, and can steer you toward a strain that could work well for you.
Here is an example of what strain research can do. I’ve been hearing for a few years about Dinafem’s Auto White Widow being nearly invincible to mold and wet cool weather, and with so many positive outdoor reports, I figured I would give it a run for sure. I tried a single Dinafem AWW XXL. Our season was just brutal, and many quality strains I have never tried outdoors before didn’t do well against all of the rain and high humidity, and many buds were thrown out due to mold. The cool rainy season was not optimal and most plants didn’t get a ton of bud on them, but there was the Dinafem AWWXXL holding up to its reputation, not only out yielding every other auto grown (a single plant of 7 other strains), but DOUBLING the next best yield. Best of all, mold was minimal, less than a 5% toss.
That’s what intense strain research can do. It gives you a basis to go on, before you even throw a single seed in the ground, and you know your chances of success are higher than average. Learn to trust your research, but also trust your instinct by not hesitating to go out on a limb and try any strain that you “have a good feeling about”. But only try a plant of two of untested varieties in case they fall heavy victims to mold. Remember, if your instinctive strain selection works out great, then next season you can focus more on what strains are working!! Also be mindful of what breeder you are growing or seeking to grow. Often a “White Widow Auto” from one company is not nearly the same plant as another in regards to many traits including size, production, potency, and mold resistance.
While you are on to researching, why not do a climate research of your area!! Details like average rainfall, RH%, temperature, hours of daily sunlight, are all very useful details that will impact your grow, and potentially change the start dates of plants, or the way you should grow through varied seasons.
The growers in 60% average (or less) humidity areas will have an easier time against mold, and selections will open up with the decrease of humidity. Check out some Average Relative Humidity Tables online for your local RH average when you plan to be close to harvest. Relative Humidity is critical during the last 4 weeks of flower, and a slight change of your plan might allow you to avoid high humidity just by using seasonal averages, and planning accordingly. If RH isn’t too out of control, and stable fairly dry weather coincides with the longest day of the season (June 21st in Northern climates), this is even better, for you are able to maximize the longer daylight periods for increased sun exposure, which in turn means increased bud development.
If you are not able to find any outdoor documented grows or reviews on the strains that interest you, then you truly are rolling the dice. I step out of the box, and try new untested strains outdoors every season. Some turn into moldy messes, but then there is some gem that proves itself in rather adverse conditions. If every grower would try a single new strain every season outdoors and write a detailed outdoor review, we would have a crazy good collection of information to cross reference to use. There are a few general rules you could use to help you get less mold and more bud from an auto in a less than ideal outdoor climate.
1 – Generally, Sativa autoflowering plants, and Sativa dominant hybrids are better against high humidity than Indica and Indica dominant plants.
2 - Taller plants are generally better than shorter plants for escaping mold. The further off the ground the buds are, means better circulation from naturally higher winds, and well as a bit more distance from ground evaporation. Spot location is also key, the more circulation from wind, the better chance your plants will have at minimal mold problems.
3 - Research! Piggyback on the success of others, by utilizing the information they have generously supplied. You will likely also find lots of examples of mold ridden plants for strains that are not very mold resistant. Do realize that plant health does indeed have a big impact on mold, as does the climate they are subjected to. If you know local growers, they are a great source for information, and also talk with growers online, especially if they are in a similar or worse climates.
High Heat
Okay so if mold isn’t a problem (you lucky dry weather bugger!!), then you might have some other issues to deal with, and the one issue that immediately comes to mind is excessive heat. Heat isn’t something I deal with in bounds, though I generally do see a few days in a row in every auto’s life cycle I grow that will be over 100F / 38C. Not quite enough to be able to make the calls on which strains will do best in a hot climate. If I did have super-hot, dry humidity conditions, how I grew would be just as important as strain selection I think. I would focus on selecting strains with hot weather conditioning. Dutch Passion Auto Night Queen comes to mind right off the bat. Some extreme heat growers report that Sativa dominant autos do not do as well as Indica dominant plants. I would love a hot sunny dry climate. Plants grown directly in the ground will do very well if tended to properly. Some strains are going to do better in continuous heat than others. One of the biggest things to consider for an outdoor grow in pots, is to make sure you shade that pot! A black pot taking on heavy sun is a recipe for heavy heat stress! For those in really extreme temperatures, shade cloth can certainly help reduce heat stress.
Overheating the root base is really stressful and the plants will really show the stress when it is happening! Its looks identical to under watering, leaves will heavily droop. When it happened to me, I thought the plant needed water as the signs looked identical, until I lifted the pot and realized instantly what the problem was when I felt the weight and noticed how warm the sides of the black pot was. There are a few things you can do to help keep the roots cool. The most preferable is to grow directly in the ground (if soil is suitable in drainage and PH), or alternatively bury the pots in the ground. Cardboard boxes can be used to shade the pots. Take a proper sized box (bottom taped) and cut a slot through one of the sides to the center. Slide the box over the top of the pot (upside down) using the cut slot for the main stalk of the plant to fit into. Tape white paper, mylar or white reflective poly to amplify its reflective effectiveness in reducing the sun absorption. (White reflects more sun than brown, black is the worst.) Another technique to help keep pots cool is to grow in one pot and then put inside a much larger light colored pot. This will retain moisture as well as cool the pot from the intense sun. Alternatively, mulch on top of the soil is also beneficial to help keep moisture in and extreme strong sun out. Straw is a good choice due to its very light color. This is also good to reduce “splash-back” when it rains hard, which gets dirt over your lower buds.
For those in really hot and dry climates, retaining enough moisture might be a problem. White pots are the best choice, and avoid smart, fabric and air-pots, which will likely dry out too quickly. Additions of vermiculite and silica / polymer water retaining crystals will be beneficial to reduce watering needs.
Cold –
The next challenge … brrrrr … it’s a bit chilly, Billy!! The cold here, is something I am very, very familiar with!! Our early mid-June can often be far too cool for perfect growing conditions (41-54F / 5C-12C). If you put out young auto seedlings and they are exposed to temperatures too cold too frequently, I find they suffer quite a bit. Some plants will bow their leaves, even taking a few days after the 4C temps have passed and the weather has warmed, before they are able to perk up and continue to grow. Every day that a 1 month old autoflower plant is slouched over due to cold and is trying to recover, is time and growth lost forever on the unstoppable life cycle of the autoflower, though I am convinced it will slow the overall cycle, if the plant is exposed to too much cool weather (54F / 12C and under), which will result in a longer duration of life to reach full maturity. On young seedlings, the cold weather can mean the difference between a 150 grams and a 20 grams plant. Seriously, cold on young seedlings is severely debilitating, and should be avoided if at all possible.
Some strains seem to be far tougher against the cold than others, but I have found that young auto seedlings (any strain) that get blasted by Jack Frost usually have very limited harvests. If possible, you would be far better off growing an auto 20 even 30 days in a controlled indoor climate. It will make a huge difference. An even better plan, would be to grow for 20-30 days in a controlled climate and on day 10 start to expose it in a limited way to the cold, but also to the sun’s potent rays. A few hours a day in cool conditions under the sun will harden the plant and toughen it up for increased exposure. This is only recommended when you are not growing other plants destined for an indoor cycle. Doing an outdoor to indoor transitions can bring in unwanted insects that can negatively impact an indoor grow space. If your grow space is dedicated for summer plants and then gets turned off during the summer months this is an ideal way to acclimatize the plants. Some extreme Northern growers (65N latitude) find that proper strain selection is absolutely key to a successful harvest in cold climates. Some strains simply tolerate the cold better than others. Experimentation in your own microclimate is key to success.
Short Daylight Hours and Autos –
Growers living close to the equator have another unique challenge, in addition to other challenges like high continuous heat and often high humidity (depending on location). That challenge comes in the form of short daylight hours. There is very little seasonal shift close to the equator year round, so 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness is what is available. The further you move away from the equator, the more of a seasonal shift will occur. We know this is a huge impact for photoperiod strains. (The majority of North American and European commercial strains literally start to flower as soon as they are put outside, or as soon as they are mature enough for young seedlings.) But it also has quite an impact for autoflower growers as well. Tropically bred (generally pure Sativas photoperiod strains) will grow in a vegetative state and have exceptionally long flowering cycles, which will allow them to grow to much larger sizes in short daylight hour periods.
For autos, shorter daylight hours (12-14 daylight hours) means less growth in the seedling and the vegetative phase, as well as less flower production during the budding phase. Buds will be smaller with lower formed density than those that have 14-17 hours of direct sun available. A slight benefit is available for those close to the equator though. With year round growing available because of the warmth, equatorial growers can try to time their grows to miss heavy rain seasons. But of course Mother Nature isn’t always forgiving!!
Long Daylight Hours and Autos –
Now we are talking! Long summer hours are excellent for growing huge autos, especially if the weather is cooperative with temperature and humidity being favorable. One solid strategy to follow when typical weather patterns allow, is to try to time week 3-6 of the flower cycle to the longest available daylight hours. These long daylight hours will fuel major bud growth, and give a nice harvest in return. Sometimes you need to start plants well before the weather is warm enough outdoors (mid-April is still snowy for many northern growers) to time this right. Once you grow strains a few times you will get to know how long they will go, and therefore you will be able to adjust your start times accordingly. In the Northern hemisphere, the longest daylight hours is on June the 21st. Depending on your latitude, the daily daylight hours will vary. The further North you go, the longer the daylight hour will be until the summer solstice occurs (the longest day of the year) on June the 21st, and then daylight hours will decline until you hit the winter solstice (December 21st), and then the cycle repeats. The closer you are to the equator, the less impact and variance of daylight there will be.
What is the ideal Seed to Choose? –
If you are just starting out growing autos outdoors and have no idea what to expect, there is no right answer for this question. If I was in that position, I certainly know I would be trying a few strains to see what does best in my own individual climate, and I would be doing vast research to help me choose a proper strain for my climate. I feel how they are grown is nearly as important as the strains you select, and is especially true for those growing in close to ideal climates. If you have a good spot to grow a bunch of autos, try to locate a seedbank that offers a bunch of auto freebies with a small order. Seedsman and especially The Vault are two of my favorite banks. Grab a feminized 3 pack of a good universal outdoor strain like Dinafem AWW XXL, or Dutch Passion Auto Ultimate (if humidity isn’t too crazy), and get a whack of freebie auto seeds to try for free. You never know, you might be the one to find the next outdoor gem!! Make sure you hit those sales when they come up! Good deals can be had for the observant shopper.
Ahh the great outdoors!! Choosing the right strain for your climate and your personal preference is never an easy task! The options are vast and spread across hundreds of companies, and across hundreds of thousands of strains. What strain is perfect for you? Only your body knows for sure what is ideal! Different terpenes (associated with different smells) contain different types of highs, and also different medical effects are associated with varied terpenes. Once you get to grow out a number of different varieties you will get to know which terpenes fire up your receptors, which will aid you in your strain decision. The more you grow, the more you will get to know what strains you like.
The outdoor gig is a far throw from indoor climate controlled growing though! Outdoor growers are truly at the mercy of their environments, and nearly every outdoor grower knows there are some unique situational challenges to overcome. Cold, heat, high and low humidity, short daylight hours, insects, human intruders, mammals – tons of things can and likely will happen that will determine the success of your grow. Things like insect problems outdoors should be spotted as soon as possible and dealt with in a hasty manner. Your strain selection will be far more limited than those suitable for indoor growing, depending on your conditions. The growers in nearly ideal climates (75-80F / 24-27C and 40-55% relative humidity) will have a far greater strain selection available than those in adverse climates.
High Humidity
Those that deal with super high relative humidity(75%+ RH), will have the most narrow of selections. Mold is THE enemy of outdoor auto growers. Some autos (many cannabis strains in general) do not seem to be very resistant to mold, powdery mildew and leaf septoria, and some are downright poor in resistance when grown in adverse climates. Insect damage, stalk splits and weather damage can also amplify the chances of mold issues. Open wounds can be sealed off using a Sulfur paste made from powdered Sulfur and some water, and applied on the stalk wound. Mold can be reduced greatly by the use of a strong fan blowing across the main colas for those with suitable setups. Those in humid areas that grow in greenhouses would be wise to create lots of circulation to help reduce mold. Growers in humid areas might also find that pots are not drying out quick enough, and air-pots or fabric / mesh smart-pots will certainly help hasten the drying out process. If you are using fabric pots, lift and rotate them every couple of days so roots don’t penetrate the dirt below the pot and make the plant permanently bound to the ground. Rotating pots is a good way to ensure maximum production, as the branches won’t shade themselves out for long, resulting in more exposure to the light, and therefore more production.
Strain selection is key for finding a suitable plant if you deal with frequent heavy rain, or high midsummer relative humidity. Do a lot of research on UK based growing sites if you struggle with heavy humidity. They can be a wealth of information on strains that have proven themselves in the wettest parts of the world. You will find that often many strains come up on favorites lists repeatedly, and this is certainly something to consider when you go to make your selection. Talk with breeders or company reps that interest you and pick their brains after explaining your conditions, and also take into account real life grow journals you find. Most breeders have an intimate knowledge of their strains, and can steer you toward a strain that could work well for you.
Here is an example of what strain research can do. I’ve been hearing for a few years about Dinafem’s Auto White Widow being nearly invincible to mold and wet cool weather, and with so many positive outdoor reports, I figured I would give it a run for sure. I tried a single Dinafem AWW XXL. Our season was just brutal, and many quality strains I have never tried outdoors before didn’t do well against all of the rain and high humidity, and many buds were thrown out due to mold. The cool rainy season was not optimal and most plants didn’t get a ton of bud on them, but there was the Dinafem AWWXXL holding up to its reputation, not only out yielding every other auto grown (a single plant of 7 other strains), but DOUBLING the next best yield. Best of all, mold was minimal, less than a 5% toss.
That’s what intense strain research can do. It gives you a basis to go on, before you even throw a single seed in the ground, and you know your chances of success are higher than average. Learn to trust your research, but also trust your instinct by not hesitating to go out on a limb and try any strain that you “have a good feeling about”. But only try a plant of two of untested varieties in case they fall heavy victims to mold. Remember, if your instinctive strain selection works out great, then next season you can focus more on what strains are working!! Also be mindful of what breeder you are growing or seeking to grow. Often a “White Widow Auto” from one company is not nearly the same plant as another in regards to many traits including size, production, potency, and mold resistance.
While you are on to researching, why not do a climate research of your area!! Details like average rainfall, RH%, temperature, hours of daily sunlight, are all very useful details that will impact your grow, and potentially change the start dates of plants, or the way you should grow through varied seasons.
The growers in 60% average (or less) humidity areas will have an easier time against mold, and selections will open up with the decrease of humidity. Check out some Average Relative Humidity Tables online for your local RH average when you plan to be close to harvest. Relative Humidity is critical during the last 4 weeks of flower, and a slight change of your plan might allow you to avoid high humidity just by using seasonal averages, and planning accordingly. If RH isn’t too out of control, and stable fairly dry weather coincides with the longest day of the season (June 21st in Northern climates), this is even better, for you are able to maximize the longer daylight periods for increased sun exposure, which in turn means increased bud development.
If you are not able to find any outdoor documented grows or reviews on the strains that interest you, then you truly are rolling the dice. I step out of the box, and try new untested strains outdoors every season. Some turn into moldy messes, but then there is some gem that proves itself in rather adverse conditions. If every grower would try a single new strain every season outdoors and write a detailed outdoor review, we would have a crazy good collection of information to cross reference to use. There are a few general rules you could use to help you get less mold and more bud from an auto in a less than ideal outdoor climate.
1 – Generally, Sativa autoflowering plants, and Sativa dominant hybrids are better against high humidity than Indica and Indica dominant plants.
2 - Taller plants are generally better than shorter plants for escaping mold. The further off the ground the buds are, means better circulation from naturally higher winds, and well as a bit more distance from ground evaporation. Spot location is also key, the more circulation from wind, the better chance your plants will have at minimal mold problems.
3 - Research! Piggyback on the success of others, by utilizing the information they have generously supplied. You will likely also find lots of examples of mold ridden plants for strains that are not very mold resistant. Do realize that plant health does indeed have a big impact on mold, as does the climate they are subjected to. If you know local growers, they are a great source for information, and also talk with growers online, especially if they are in a similar or worse climates.
High Heat
Okay so if mold isn’t a problem (you lucky dry weather bugger!!), then you might have some other issues to deal with, and the one issue that immediately comes to mind is excessive heat. Heat isn’t something I deal with in bounds, though I generally do see a few days in a row in every auto’s life cycle I grow that will be over 100F / 38C. Not quite enough to be able to make the calls on which strains will do best in a hot climate. If I did have super-hot, dry humidity conditions, how I grew would be just as important as strain selection I think. I would focus on selecting strains with hot weather conditioning. Dutch Passion Auto Night Queen comes to mind right off the bat. Some extreme heat growers report that Sativa dominant autos do not do as well as Indica dominant plants. I would love a hot sunny dry climate. Plants grown directly in the ground will do very well if tended to properly. Some strains are going to do better in continuous heat than others. One of the biggest things to consider for an outdoor grow in pots, is to make sure you shade that pot! A black pot taking on heavy sun is a recipe for heavy heat stress! For those in really extreme temperatures, shade cloth can certainly help reduce heat stress.
Overheating the root base is really stressful and the plants will really show the stress when it is happening! Its looks identical to under watering, leaves will heavily droop. When it happened to me, I thought the plant needed water as the signs looked identical, until I lifted the pot and realized instantly what the problem was when I felt the weight and noticed how warm the sides of the black pot was. There are a few things you can do to help keep the roots cool. The most preferable is to grow directly in the ground (if soil is suitable in drainage and PH), or alternatively bury the pots in the ground. Cardboard boxes can be used to shade the pots. Take a proper sized box (bottom taped) and cut a slot through one of the sides to the center. Slide the box over the top of the pot (upside down) using the cut slot for the main stalk of the plant to fit into. Tape white paper, mylar or white reflective poly to amplify its reflective effectiveness in reducing the sun absorption. (White reflects more sun than brown, black is the worst.) Another technique to help keep pots cool is to grow in one pot and then put inside a much larger light colored pot. This will retain moisture as well as cool the pot from the intense sun. Alternatively, mulch on top of the soil is also beneficial to help keep moisture in and extreme strong sun out. Straw is a good choice due to its very light color. This is also good to reduce “splash-back” when it rains hard, which gets dirt over your lower buds.
For those in really hot and dry climates, retaining enough moisture might be a problem. White pots are the best choice, and avoid smart, fabric and air-pots, which will likely dry out too quickly. Additions of vermiculite and silica / polymer water retaining crystals will be beneficial to reduce watering needs.
Cold –
The next challenge … brrrrr … it’s a bit chilly, Billy!! The cold here, is something I am very, very familiar with!! Our early mid-June can often be far too cool for perfect growing conditions (41-54F / 5C-12C). If you put out young auto seedlings and they are exposed to temperatures too cold too frequently, I find they suffer quite a bit. Some plants will bow their leaves, even taking a few days after the 4C temps have passed and the weather has warmed, before they are able to perk up and continue to grow. Every day that a 1 month old autoflower plant is slouched over due to cold and is trying to recover, is time and growth lost forever on the unstoppable life cycle of the autoflower, though I am convinced it will slow the overall cycle, if the plant is exposed to too much cool weather (54F / 12C and under), which will result in a longer duration of life to reach full maturity. On young seedlings, the cold weather can mean the difference between a 150 grams and a 20 grams plant. Seriously, cold on young seedlings is severely debilitating, and should be avoided if at all possible.
Some strains seem to be far tougher against the cold than others, but I have found that young auto seedlings (any strain) that get blasted by Jack Frost usually have very limited harvests. If possible, you would be far better off growing an auto 20 even 30 days in a controlled indoor climate. It will make a huge difference. An even better plan, would be to grow for 20-30 days in a controlled climate and on day 10 start to expose it in a limited way to the cold, but also to the sun’s potent rays. A few hours a day in cool conditions under the sun will harden the plant and toughen it up for increased exposure. This is only recommended when you are not growing other plants destined for an indoor cycle. Doing an outdoor to indoor transitions can bring in unwanted insects that can negatively impact an indoor grow space. If your grow space is dedicated for summer plants and then gets turned off during the summer months this is an ideal way to acclimatize the plants. Some extreme Northern growers (65N latitude) find that proper strain selection is absolutely key to a successful harvest in cold climates. Some strains simply tolerate the cold better than others. Experimentation in your own microclimate is key to success.
Short Daylight Hours and Autos –
Growers living close to the equator have another unique challenge, in addition to other challenges like high continuous heat and often high humidity (depending on location). That challenge comes in the form of short daylight hours. There is very little seasonal shift close to the equator year round, so 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness is what is available. The further you move away from the equator, the more of a seasonal shift will occur. We know this is a huge impact for photoperiod strains. (The majority of North American and European commercial strains literally start to flower as soon as they are put outside, or as soon as they are mature enough for young seedlings.) But it also has quite an impact for autoflower growers as well. Tropically bred (generally pure Sativas photoperiod strains) will grow in a vegetative state and have exceptionally long flowering cycles, which will allow them to grow to much larger sizes in short daylight hour periods.
For autos, shorter daylight hours (12-14 daylight hours) means less growth in the seedling and the vegetative phase, as well as less flower production during the budding phase. Buds will be smaller with lower formed density than those that have 14-17 hours of direct sun available. A slight benefit is available for those close to the equator though. With year round growing available because of the warmth, equatorial growers can try to time their grows to miss heavy rain seasons. But of course Mother Nature isn’t always forgiving!!
Long Daylight Hours and Autos –
Now we are talking! Long summer hours are excellent for growing huge autos, especially if the weather is cooperative with temperature and humidity being favorable. One solid strategy to follow when typical weather patterns allow, is to try to time week 3-6 of the flower cycle to the longest available daylight hours. These long daylight hours will fuel major bud growth, and give a nice harvest in return. Sometimes you need to start plants well before the weather is warm enough outdoors (mid-April is still snowy for many northern growers) to time this right. Once you grow strains a few times you will get to know how long they will go, and therefore you will be able to adjust your start times accordingly. In the Northern hemisphere, the longest daylight hours is on June the 21st. Depending on your latitude, the daily daylight hours will vary. The further North you go, the longer the daylight hour will be until the summer solstice occurs (the longest day of the year) on June the 21st, and then daylight hours will decline until you hit the winter solstice (December 21st), and then the cycle repeats. The closer you are to the equator, the less impact and variance of daylight there will be.
What is the ideal Seed to Choose? –
If you are just starting out growing autos outdoors and have no idea what to expect, there is no right answer for this question. If I was in that position, I certainly know I would be trying a few strains to see what does best in my own individual climate, and I would be doing vast research to help me choose a proper strain for my climate. I feel how they are grown is nearly as important as the strains you select, and is especially true for those growing in close to ideal climates. If you have a good spot to grow a bunch of autos, try to locate a seedbank that offers a bunch of auto freebies with a small order. Seedsman and especially The Vault are two of my favorite banks. Grab a feminized 3 pack of a good universal outdoor strain like Dinafem AWW XXL, or Dutch Passion Auto Ultimate (if humidity isn’t too crazy), and get a whack of freebie auto seeds to try for free. You never know, you might be the one to find the next outdoor gem!! Make sure you hit those sales when they come up! Good deals can be had for the observant shopper.
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