Hey guys this is my first year growing and I have a question regarding watering. I have some germinated seeds that I've placed in solo cups with high quality soil. I gave them a few squirts of a spray bottle and within a day or 2 I had roots coming upwards from the seed, some of them right out of the dirt. I assume that I didn't soak the soil enough and only the top layer had sufficient water. So this morning I added about 100ml to each cup in an attempt to saturate the soil a bit deeper. And by this evening I've already gotten a few sprouts!! However I've been researching and a lot of people seem to water their seeds very little and warn against over watering so now I'm wondering if I've over done it and what exactly should I do going forward. I know it depends on temp and humidity and what not but just a basic guideline on how much water is safe would really help me out a lot, a lot of these seeds are high quality and not easily replaced. Thanks.
I would think your tap root didn't go straight down when planted. ive had this happen when ive dropped it by accident in the hole instead of placing it tap root down. I also read a article that suggested placing tap root up I don't do that anymore just for educational purposes but that also caused it to grow up and out of the soil. just let it dry before giving it anymore water I usually mist it 2 or 3 times a day leaving a sandwich bag over the solo up to increase humidity until the cotyledons open up then ill remove the sandwich bag. around 3 or 4 squirts from a spray bottle. if I have a sandwich bag on I will also mist inside that when I mist the plant. I continue to mist like that until the true leaves come out then I will water slowly letting the soil soak up the water before I pour anymore in as you don't want to over fill your pot and allow the seeding to float. I will slowly water until run off. lift your pot before and after your first real watering to get a sense of weight, as you will always want your cup to be dry before watering again. a pic would be helpful, when mine did that I believe I threw dirt on top of it or gently with gloves removed it and replanted it tap root down hard for me to remember tho.
Don't worry, you have not done any damage by watering thoroughly once. Wait a couple of days, and then continue watering, but not right next to the stem. Roots coming up is a bit weird, but you are probably right about the reason, there was no water to reach to. Add some soil, if possible. Plants have their natural ways of knowing what is up and what is down, it will correct itself when the conditions are ok.
The biggest key to not over watering is the amount of time in between. You can water as much as you want at one sitting just have to wait till it drys out to do it again.
The article was correct mate. If you put the seed pointy side up so the root comes out the top. Then the root will have to turn and grow down. That results in what will be the top of the plant being pulled out the hole as apposed to pushed. This why people come out with the shell stuck on all the time. Seeds the wrong way round.
Yeah dude, works great Don’t have to worry about over watering a tiny sprout and you can literally keep up with feeding measurements from the start. Sure fire way to make sure you don’t over water and makes it easier to get them on a specific watering schedule
Hi, Attaching a picture would have helped in detecting what's the issue. Well it's okay to over water when your seedlings are in a big container. Since you've used solo cups so it might be overwatering. And solo cups are perfect as they have faster growth rates. But if the seedling isn't transferred to a bigger container in time, it can cause symptoms of overwatering, nutrient deficiencies, wilting, etc. Roots aren't happy with overwatering, the plant isn't able to uptake nutrients properly and cannabis seedlings can show a wide variety of strange problems. Cannabis roots need oxygen to thrive, and therefore they will have trouble if the roots are “drowned.” If water cannot run out the bottom of the container, it will pool at the roots, which causes overwatered plants. In order to avoid overwatering: 1- Always choose a small container to start your growth. 2-Make sure there are plenty of drainage holes to let water out the bottom of the container 3-Water less often and less at a time until the plant is drinking more 4-Never use soil that looks like it contains clay. 5-Don't allow plants to sit in a tray that has been collecting runoff water.