# Question on Photoperiod before putting seedlings outside **URL:** \ **Category:** Indoor Growing\ **Created:** [March 17, 2017, 4:52pm UTC](https://ilgmforum.com/t/question-on-photoperiod-before-putting-seedlings-outside/9809 "2017-03-17T16:52:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![KannabisKurt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bb73d2/32.png) [@KannabisKurt](https://ilgmforum.com/u/KannabisKurt)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2017, 4:52pm UTC](https://ilgmforum.com/t/question-on-photoperiod-before-putting-seedlings-outside/9809/1 "2017-03-17T16:52:12Z")
Hello, I am a newbie Northern Oregon outdoor grower. I have some seedlings (not clones) that are a month old and getting 18/6 lighting. I just realised (DUH) that when I do put them into the outdoor garden in early May that they will be getting about 14.5 hours of light…will this screw me up? Should i slowly cut my 18/6 cycle back to 14.5 over the next 5 weeks or? I am scared I will hurt these beauties…any advice would be greatly appreciated ---
**Author:** ![Willd](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/growingmarijuana/user_avatar/ilgmforum.com/willd/32/34456_2.png) [@Willd](https://ilgmforum.com/u/Willd)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2017, 6:22pm UTC](https://ilgmforum.com/t/question-on-photoperiod-before-putting-seedlings-outside/9809/2 "2017-03-17T18:22:59Z")
hey buddy, First let me say Welcome to the forum! You will find a lot of useful info here for new growers and old sages alike. Not a worry. I do a similar thing and once they’ve got decent roots and few sets of leaves I set the timer from 24/0 to 18/6 then a couple of weeks later I go to 15/9 which is where they are now. they don’t seem to growing that much slower. The most important thing is hardening them off before exposing them to the harsh reality of full sun, wind and everything else out in the big bad world. Even if you leave them in pots outdoors you need to harden them off. > [@Willd](#): > > Last but not least is about something called “hardening off”. This is the gradual exposure of your seedlings to the HARSH reality of outdoors and full sun. I tend to stretch it out over 14-21 days but 7-14 is usually sufficient. > > HARDENING OFF IS NECESSARY. Your plants will die if you do not harden them off before your transplant into the earth. ---
**Author:** ![Willd](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/growingmarijuana/user_avatar/ilgmforum.com/willd/32/34456_2.png) [@Willd](https://ilgmforum.com/u/Willd)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2017, 6:26pm UTC](https://ilgmforum.com/t/question-on-photoperiod-before-putting-seedlings-outside/9809/3 "2017-03-17T18:26:35Z")
This is a good basic how to. > **[How to Harden Off Seedlings: 9 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow Life](https://www.wikihow.life/Harden-Off-Seedlings)** > > Whether you start plants from seeds or purchase transplants from a garden center, you need to harden off seedlings to get them used to outdoor conditions. When you harden off seedlings, you usually accustom the plants to sunlight and to... ---
**Author:** ![KannabisKurt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bb73d2/32.png) [@KannabisKurt](https://ilgmforum.com/u/KannabisKurt)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2017, 8:41pm UTC](https://ilgmforum.com/t/question-on-photoperiod-before-putting-seedlings-outside/9809/4 "2017-03-17T20:41:44Z")
Hey Willd, Thanks VERY much for the advice. I really appreciate it…I’m probably being too anal on this but I want to do this right. I sprouted under 24/0 and a week later went to 18/6. They have been at 18/6 for 3 weeks. I have 5-6 weeks to go before I put outside to harden off gradually in the 15/9 natural light. My question now is should I immediately cut my indoor light from 18/6 to 15/9 or will that mess em up? or is gradually cutting light back to 15/9 over the next 5 weeks better? Thanks much ---
**Author:** ![Willd](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/growingmarijuana/user_avatar/ilgmforum.com/willd/32/34456_2.png) [@Willd](https://ilgmforum.com/u/Willd)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2017, 9:05pm UTC](https://ilgmforum.com/t/question-on-photoperiod-before-putting-seedlings-outside/9809/5 "2017-03-17T21:05:30Z")
Hey Kurt, I don’t really know for sure but in most cases I find it better to err on the side of caution than to toss it to the wind. Mine didn’t seem to have any issues when I just decreased the light to 15 from 18 that was on the 12th of this month. They aren’t showing any signs of flowering or anything. They don’t care 1 bit, but what they do want is for it warm up so they can be outside in the fresh air and real sunlight like me! ---
**Author:** ![Ragnar](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/growingmarijuana/user_avatar/ilgmforum.com/ragnar/32/34352_2.png) [@Ragnar](https://ilgmforum.com/u/Ragnar)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2017, 12:29am UTC](https://ilgmforum.com/t/question-on-photoperiod-before-putting-seedlings-outside/9809/6 "2017-03-18T00:29:02Z")
Exactly my thoughts , I am taking them every day weather permits out of my greenhouse to get few hours of sun… It makes hell of a difference, they LOVE it !!! ---
**Author:** ![KannabisKurt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bb73d2/32.png) [@KannabisKurt](https://ilgmforum.com/u/KannabisKurt)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2017, 9:24pm UTC](https://ilgmforum.com/t/question-on-photoperiod-before-putting-seedlings-outside/9809/7 "2017-03-17T21:24:29Z")
Hi Willd, Thanks man! Good input…what state are you in? ---
**Author:** ![Willd](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/growingmarijuana/user_avatar/ilgmforum.com/willd/32/34456_2.png) [@Willd](https://ilgmforum.com/u/Willd)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2017, 10:30am UTC](https://ilgmforum.com/t/question-on-photoperiod-before-putting-seedlings-outside/9809/8 "2017-03-19T10:30:31Z")
I’m downeast in Maine. ---
**Author:** ![KannabisKurt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bb73d2/32.png) [@KannabisKurt](https://ilgmforum.com/u/KannabisKurt)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2017, 7:58pm UTC](https://ilgmforum.com/t/question-on-photoperiod-before-putting-seedlings-outside/9809/9 "2017-03-19T19:58:10Z")
Hi Willd, I was curious to get your input on any outdoor strains you have success with in your neck of the woods… I’m at about 45 degrees latitude and it looks like 45 slices right through the center of Maine too. Do you have any fav outdoor strains that tend to finish a little earlier or any that you just love in general? Thanks mucho ---
**Author:** ![Willd](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/growingmarijuana/user_avatar/ilgmforum.com/willd/32/34456_2.png) [@Willd](https://ilgmforum.com/u/Willd)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2017, 8:53pm UTC](https://ilgmforum.com/t/question-on-photoperiod-before-putting-seedlings-outside/9809/10 "2017-03-19T20:53:09Z")
Well all research would indicate that indicas are best for that latitude, but Ive had great success with Sour Diesel which is almost a pure sativa. I think it’s one of the shortest flowering of all the sativas. I’ve really only grown from the bag seed we called Silver Bullet or SourD and Bubba Kush. A couple of outdoor growers I know locally grow Sour D and Blueberry. Any blue or purple strain will really give a good pigment display when the cooler temps arrive. I’m experimenting with 12 different strains this season so I guess Sept-Oct will be the real test. But you pretty much can’t go wrong with Sour diesel and any of the Kush varieties as long as you can get them to flower 8-12 weeks prior to first HARD frost. A few exposures to light frost is good for them. makes them really push the resin production and turn color. ---
**Author:** ![Willd](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/growingmarijuana/user_avatar/ilgmforum.com/willd/32/34456_2.png) [@Willd](https://ilgmforum.com/u/Willd)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2017, 9:00pm UTC](https://ilgmforum.com/t/question-on-photoperiod-before-putting-seedlings-outside/9809/11 "2017-03-19T21:00:24Z")
In other words, EVERY strain IS an outdoor strain. No need to place such limitations on your grow like that! It’s pretty much a weed. As long as you aren’t neglectful or overly protective of any strain they’re going to do great. You have a wealth of experienced grower here to guide the way too so anything you can pick up from us guys is helpful. I can hardly wait to see how much better this year’s crop is going to be than my last in 2015 being able to implement all the tips and tricks I’ve picked up since then. It’s a never ending cycle of improvement. Whatever you do, don’t bother with any Autoflower strains. They’re never going to get big enough before they start flowering for the yields I need to achieve within a 128 day outdoor season. I like to get high and chill. I never met a strain I don’t like! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![KannabisKurt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bb73d2/32.png) [@KannabisKurt](https://ilgmforum.com/u/KannabisKurt)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 1:28am UTC](https://ilgmforum.com/t/question-on-photoperiod-before-putting-seedlings-outside/9809/12 "2017-03-20T01:28:10Z")
Good stuff there Willd…Thank you for the thorough input. I’ve got a Blue Dream that I’m excited about and it is mostly sativa too. The other 3 are indica dominant so we will see what happens. I just finished a little fenced 10 x 15 garden and I’m stoked to have a MJ garden in my backyard to care for this season. Thanks again for sharing your experience