People ask me all the time, when is the best time to plant clones outdoor in California? The answer to this question is not as clear as one might think. In fact, there are several times during the year when a outdoor gardener can achieve a successful harvest using clones or seeds. I will break the following paragraphs into a month by month summary.

Ultimately, your start date will vary depending on where you live. Many reputable northern California cannabis farms plant clones as early as May 15th and harvest between September and October, harnessing only sunlight. Southern parts like San Diego should start a few weeks later; though the exact start date will vary depending on the type of strain. Most importantly, try and purchase clones that are acclimated to your local environment. Outdoor growers should avoid clones from indoor mother plants because of the time needed to harden off. To hardened plants off, leave plants in the shade and move into full sun gradually. 

Monthly Breakdown for best time to plant clones outdoor in California

January (San Diego Daylight Hours)

Total Daylight hours: January 1st – 10 hr 2 min / January 31st – 10 hr 36 min

Clones

Option 1: Flower Immediately. Placing clones outdoors during the month of January will result in an immediate flower. Since the total daylight for January in Southern California doesn’t exceed 10 hours 30 minutes, placing a well rooted clone in a sunny location can yield a 1 to 3 foot plant at harvest depending on the strain and growing conditions. Since the flower stage is initiated as soon as you plant, you can expect to harvest 60 to 70 days after you begin. January definitely is not the best time to plant clones outdoor in California. With so few hours, you should expect a small harvest. Make sure to plant in a sunny location (hopefully sun up to sun down). A 5 gallon pot will suffice. Fill your pot with any high quality soil like Fox Farm Ocean Forest. I’ve found that this combo gives me the best chance for a bountiful harvest.

Option 2: Grow Big! Want to grow really big plants, like 6 to 10 feet big? Employ the gas lantern routine to keep your clone in the vegetative state. This will enable you to harness the available sun light and supplement extra light at night to prevent it from flowering. To learn how to incorporate the Gas Lantern Routine, click here.  Stop using the gas lantern routine two weeks before summer solstice or whenever you want to flower. If you want to grow 10 foot monsters, plants should be placed on the gas lantern routine from January through June. Remove light and harvest in September or October.

Seeds

Option 1: If you want to grow big plants, January is a great time to start your summer seed grow. Start seeds indoors and move outdoors once they have sprouted. Need help with germinating seeds? Learn how here. Seedlings take approximately 2 months to mature and need at least 16 hours of light for strong vegetative growth. Since there is not enough sun light to maintain vegetative growth, you’ll need a light to insure your plant stays in the vegetative state. Add more hours of light at night or employ the gas lantern routine until late May or June for a monster September or October harvest.

Option 2: Flower your seeds immediately! Starting a seed crop in January is possible, but is no easy feat. Starting natural seeds in January with no additional lighting will more than likely result in a April harvest. Plant growth is usually very slow because of low temperatures and little sun light. Choosing the right growing area is crucial for a solid harvest and you don’t need anything bigger than a 5 gallon pot. Avoid growing in shady areas, as I have found that it is not worth it at this time of the year.

February

Total Daylight hours: February 1st – 10 hr 38 min / February 28th – 11 hr 27 min

Clones

Option 1: Flower Immediately. On February 1st, Southern California receives only 10 hours and 38 minutes of sun light. Just like January, you can expect your clone to begin to flower within a week of planting. Since the flower stage is initiated as soon as you plant, you can expect to harvest 60 to 70 days after you begin. February definitely is not the best time to plant clones outdoor in California. Since we usually get a lot of rain in February, it is important to plant in a sunny location. If you experience any powdery mildew, apply Neem Oil. Neem Oil actually kills powdery mildew!

Option 2: Grow Big! Want to grow really big plants, like 6 to 10 feet big? Employ the gas lantern routine to keep your clone in the vegetative state. This will enable you to harness the available sun light and supplement extra light at night to prevent it from flowering. To learn how to incorporate the Gas Lantern Routine, click here.  Stop using the gas lantern routine two weeks before summer solstice so that plants can flower naturally. Plants should be placed on the gas lantern routine from February through June. Remove light and harvest in September or October.

Seeds

Option 1: If you want to grow big plants, February is a great time to start your summer grow. Start seeds indoors and move outdoors once they have sprouted. Need help with germinating seeds? Learn how here. In my opinion, starting natural seeds in February means you need to be thinking long term; so plan on harvesting between September and October. Natural seedlings take approximately 2 months to mature and need at least 16 hours of light for strong vegetative growth. Since there is not enough sun light to maintain vegetative growth, you’ll need a light to insure your plant stays in the vegetative state. Add more hours of light at night or employ the gas lantern routine until late May or June.

Option 2: Flower your seeds immediately! Starting Natural seeds in February with no additional lighting will more than likely result in a May harvest. Plant growth is usually very slow at first but improves over time. Avoid growing in shady areas, as I have found that it is not worth it at this time of the year. A 5 gallon pot will suffice. Fill your pot with any high quality soil like Fox Farm Ocean Forest. I’ve found that this combo gives me the best chance for a bountiful harvest.

March

Total Daylight hours: March 1st – 11 hr 29 min / March 31st – 12 hr 30 min

Clones

On Match 17th, San Diego receives exactly 12 hours of darkness and 12 hours of daylight. If you plant your clone outside, it will flower immediately. In my opinion, March is the latest you can plant a clone and flower if you are trying to get a quick harvest before you start your summer grow. Placing a well rooted clone in a sunny location can yield a 1 to 3 foot plant at harvest depending on the strain and growing conditions. Since the flower stage is initiated as soon as you plant, you can expect to harvest 60 to 70 days after you begin. Expect a small harvest.

Option 2: Grow Big! Want to grow really big plants, like 6 to 10 feet big? Employ the gas lantern routine to keep your clone in the vegetative state. This will enable you to harness the available sun light and supplement extra light at night to prevent it from flowering. To learn how to incorporate the Gas Lantern Routine, click here.  Stop using the gas lantern routine two weeks before summer solstice so that plants can flower naturally. If you want to play it safe, plants should be placed on the gas lantern routine from March through June. Remove light and harvest in September or October.

Seeds

If you want to grow big plants, March is a great time to start your summer seed grow. Start seeds indoors and move outdoors once they have sprouted. Need help with germinating seeds? Learn how here. Seedlings take approximately 2 months to mature and need at least 16 hours of light for strong vegetative growth. Since there is not enough sun light to maintain vegetative growth, you’ll need a light to insure your plant stays in the vegetative state. Add more hours of light at night or employ the gas lantern routine until June. Plan on harvesting 6 to 10 foot trees in September.

Option 2: Flower your seeds immediately! Starting Natural seeds in March with no additional lighting will more than likely result in a June harvest. Plant growth is usually very slow at first but improves over time because of the extra daylight. Pot size should range between 5 and 10 gallon.

April

Total Daylight hours: April 1st – 12 hr 32 min / April 30th – 13 hr 27 min

Clones

On April 16th, San Diego receives exactly 12 hours of darkness and 12 hours of daylight. If you plant your clone outside, it will flower immediately. In my opinion, March is the latest you can plant a clone and flower if you are trying to get a quick harvest before you start your summer grow. Placing a well rooted clone in a sunny location can yield a 2 to 3 foot plant at harvest depending on the strain and growing conditions. Since the flower stage is initiated as soon as you plant, you can expect to harvest 60 to 70 days after you begin. Expect a small harvest.

Option 2: Grow Big! Want to grow really big plants, like 6 to 10 feet big? Employ the gas lantern routine to keep your clone in the vegetative state. This will enable you to harness the available sun light and supplement extra light at night to prevent it from flowering. To learn how to incorporate the Gas Lantern Routine, click here.  Stop using the gas lantern routine two weeks before summer solstice so that plants can flower naturally. Plants should be placed on the gas lantern routine from April through June. Remove light in June and harvest in September or October.

Seeds

Start seeds indoors and move outdoors once they have sprouted. Need help with germinating seeds? Learn how here. Starting seeds in April means you need to be thinking long term; so plan on harvesting between September and October. Seedlings take approximately 2 months to mature and need at least 16 hours of light for strong vegetative growth. I advise that you add more hours of light at night or employ the gas lantern routine until June. I would also like to point out that some growers do not add any light when starting natural seeds in April. When seeds finally mature (usually 2 months later), there is already enough daylight hours to continue vegetative growth for a fall harvest. This however is risky business so I would strongly recommend that you add a light to that your plants don’t flower early.

May

Total Daylight hours: May 1st – 13 hr 28 min / May 31st – 14 hr 09 min

Clones

A lot of growers have told me that they start their clones in May and add zero extra light at night. I would agree that this might work for some strains, but for others it will not. The reason you can not place clones outdoors without any supplement lighting is because they could start to flower prematurely. This would create an awkward scenario where your plant might begin flowering, reveg, and then resume flowering. This undesirable situation can be avoided by planting at the end of May when there is over 14 hours of daylight or by adding supplemental lighting until then. Regardless, May still is one of the best time to plant clones outdoor in California.

Seeds

I always prefer starting my seeds indoors and bringing them out as soon as they pop. I just have a higher success rate. If you need help with germinating seeds, learn how here. Starting seeds in May means you will harvest between September and October. Starting natural seeds May is ideal for maximizing your harvest. When grown in an excellent outdoor environment and provided with the right amount of nutrients and water, seeds can turn into very large plants.

June

Total Daylight hours: June 1st – 14 hr 10 min / June 30th – 14 hr 16 min

Clones

June is the best time to plant clones outdoor in California because of long daylight hours. Starting clones in June requires no additional lighting. Clones should be planted in ground or in 30 to 65 gallon pots. For a simple set up, I suggest at least 30 gallon pots and fill them with Fox Farm Ocean Forest soil. If you are trying to maximize your harvest, then you should go with 65 gallon pots. In my opinion, bigger pots usually yield more and are easier to grow in. A 65 gallon pot can yield between 2 and 4 pounds, whereas a 30 gallon pot will yield between 1/4 pound and 1.5 pounds for a June to October 1st harvest.

Seeds

June is also one of the best times to plant seeds outdoors in California. Start seeds indoors and move outdoors once they have sprouted. I prefer using the paper towel method because I have the highest success rate. If you need help with germinating seeds, learn how here. Plan on harvesting between September and October.

July

Total Daylight hours: July 1st – 14 hr 16 min / July 31st – 13 hr 45 min

Clones

In my opinion, July is the second best time to plant clones outdoor in California. Starting clones in July requires no additional lighting. Clones should be planted in ground or in 20 to 30 gallon pots. For a simple set up, I always use 30 gallon pots and fill them with Fox Farm Ocean Forest soil. I’ve found that this combo gives me the best chance for a bountiful harvest. A July crop won’t be as profound as June, but still a great time to start your outdoor grow!

Seeds

June is also one of the best times to plant seeds outdoors in California. Start seeds indoors and move outdoors once they have sprouted. I prefer using the paper towel method because I have the highest success rate. If you need help with germinating seeds, learn how here. Plan on harvesting between October and November.

August

Total Daylight hours: August 1st – 13 hr 44 min / August 31st – 12 hr 51 min

Clones

We lose almost a full hour of sunlight in August. This means that you have little time to waste if you want to maximize your harvest potential. For August, early August is the best time to plant clones outdoor in California. The earlier you plant, the better. If you plant on August 1st when there is almost 14 hours sunlight, you capitalize on some of the best sunlight of the season. Clones should be planted in 10 to 20 gallon pots. Make sure to fill your pot with a nutrient rich organic soil like Fox Farm Ocean Forest.

Seeds

Early August is a good time to plant seeds outdoors in California. Start seeds indoors and move outdoors once they have sprouted. I prefer using the paper towel method because I have the highest success rate. As soon a plants mature, they will begin to flower. Plan on harvesting between November and December.

September

Total Daylight hours: September 1st – 12 hr 49 min / September 30th – 11 hr 52 min

Clones

Daylight disappears quickly in September. We lose almost a full hour of sunlight in September. This means that you have little time to waste if you want to maximize your harvest potential. Early September is the best time to plant clones outdoor in California. The earlier you plant, the better. If you plant on September 1st when there is almost 13 hours sunlight, you take advantage of the remaining summer light. Clones should be planted in 5 to 10 gallon pots. Make sure to fill your pot with a nutrient rich organic soil like Fox Farm Ocean Forest. Its totally worth the extra $10 bucks. Besides, cheap soil almost always results in a weak harvest.

Seeds

Early September is a good time to plant seeds outdoors in California. Start seeds indoors and move outdoors once they have sprouted. I prefer using the paper towel method because I have the highest success rate. As soon a plants mature, they will begin to flower. Plan on harvesting in December or January.

October

Total Daylight hours: October 1st – 11 hr 50 min / October 31st – 10 hr 52 min

Clones

October makes 3 months in a row where we lose almost a full hour of sunlight. Clones will begin to flower as soon as they are planted. When starting an outdoor clone crop in October, early October is the best time to plant clones outdoor in California because you capture more daylight. Use a 5 gallon pot and fill with a nutrient rich organic soil like Fox Farm Ocean Forest and give plants full sun.

Seeds

October is a tough time to start a seed crop. Growth is usually slow. Start seeds indoors and move outdoors once they have sprouted. I prefer using the paper towel method because it is easy and because I have the highest success rate. As soon a plants mature, they will begin to flower. Plan on harvesting in January or February.

November

Total Daylight hours: November 1st – 10 hr 51 min / November 30th – 10 hr 10 min

Clones

Placing clones outdoors during the month of November will result in an immediate flower. Since the flower stage is initiated as soon as you plant, you can expect to harvest 60 to 70 days after you begin. With so few hours, you should expect a small harvest. November definitely is not the best time to plant clones outdoor in California. Growing in November is challenging because of tough winter weather and few daylight hours. If you do decided to grow in November, make sure to plant in a sunny location (hopefully sun up to sun down) for best results.

Seeds

Starting a outdoor seed crop in November is possible, but is no easy feat. Starting natural seeds in December with no additional lighting will more than likely result in a February harvest. Plant growth is usually very slow because of low temperatures and little sunlight. Choosing the right growing area is crucial for having a solid harvest. Avoid growing in shady areas, as I have found that it is not worth it at this time of the year.

December

Total Daylight hours: December 1st – 10 hr 09 min / December 31st – 10 hr 02 min

Clones

Placing clones outdoors during the month of December will result in an immediate flower. Since the total daylight for December in So Cal doesn’t exceed 10 hours 09 minutes, placing a well rooted clone in a sunny location can yield a 1 to 3 foot plant at harvest depending on the strain and growing conditions. Since the flower stage is initiated as soon as you plant, you can expect to harvest 60 to 70 days after you begin. With so few hours, you should expect a small harvest. December definitely is not the best time to plant clones outdoor in California. Growing in December is challenging because of tough winter weather and few daylight hours. If you do decided to grow in December, make sure to plant in a sunny location (hopefully sun up to sun down) for best results.

Seeds

Option 1: If you want to grow big plants, December is best time to plant seeds outdoor in California. Start seeds indoors and move outdoors once they have sprouted. Need help with germinating seeds? Learn how here. Seedlings take approximately 2 months to mature and need at least 16 hours of light for strong vegetative growth. Since there is not enough sun light to maintain vegetative growth, you’ll need a light to insure your plant stays in the vegetative state. Add more hours of light at night or employ the gas lantern routine until late May or June. By September, hopefully you are harvesting huge tree’s!

Flower your seeds immediately! Starting a outdoor seed crop in December is possible, but is no easy feat. Starting Natural seeds in December with no additional lighting will more than likely result in a March harvest. Plant growth is usually very slow because of low temperatures and little sun light. Choosing the right growing area is crucial for having a solid harvest. Avoid growing in shady areas, as I have found that it is not worth it at this time of the year.

Best time to plant clones outdoor in California