ok i know there's tons of guides on these forums and stuff, and i read a few peoples journals and a few grow magazines from high times....but it seems like everyone has their own methods of doing things...and all offer different advice. as a total noob at growing..this can be pretty confusing so i just have a few basic questions. 1) so i planted my seeds last night, before/after i planted them, i sprayed the soil with some water. i checked on everything this morning, and the dirt was extremely dry. i know some guides i read said don't water the soil until a week after you plant...some say water every other day, some say every 3 days, etc. what would you guys suggest? 2) how long until i start changing the light cycle? right now since i just planted them i know i should keep it on 24/24...but for how long...and then what would i change it to? 3) how long until something sprouts? 4) i have some water soluble all purpose plant food made by miracle grow. i know most people said don't use as much as the package recommends cuz it will burn your plant...use 1/4 mix...but my question is how long until i start giving it nutes? again some people/guides say 2 weeks some say 3...some say 4...what have you guys had the best results with? also this is a picture of my set up...
1) Get your soil damp, not soaked, and let it dry out before watering again. WATER NOW. 2) Wait until you have 3 nodes, then switch your lights to 18/6 (plants like to sleep just like you do), then when your plants are about 8 inches tall switch your lights to 12/12. 3) If you already germinated and it had a white root coming out, any day now. If you didn't germinate yet then you will want to soak your soil (pay no attention to number 1 up there) and it will take about a week before anything pokes out of that soil. 4) Wait until you switch your lights to 18/6. That's a pretty safe bet that your plants will be ready for some nutrients. Set up looks good.
turn off the lights until they sprout. start ferts @ 1/8 strength @ wk 3, & 1/4 @ wk 4. i say 24/0 lighting until u want to flower, & mj plants dont need a dark period. One way in which plants are categorized is by the way they gather and handle carbon dioxide. Cannabis is a C3 plant. It uses the CO2 it gathers during the light period, when it is photosynthesizing. Plants designated C4 also gather CO2 during the dark period for use during the light period. Many C3 plants, including cannabis, do not need a rest period. They continue to photosynthesize as long as they are receiving light. The plant's photosynthetic rate determines its growth rate because the sugars are used by the plant to build tissue and for energy. Cannabis under continuous light will grow 33% faster than the same plants on an 18-6 light regime, the only up side to giveing your plants a dark period is root growth, during the dark, Respiration ( this is when the marijuana plants are making energy from sugar and oxygen) continues in the dark period but at a much slower rate, almost independent of available oxygen because the leaves of the weed are not making oxygen in the dark. In the dark, there is a shift from leaf production to root production as the leaves transfer excess stored energy down to the branches and to the roots. Therefore, some dark time allows for better root structures..
see...this is exactly what i'm talking about...lol someone says keep the lights on...another says keep them off...AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! and no i didn't germinate..just dropped the seeds into the soil!
plants use light, dirt doesnt, just common sence. some ppl will leave lights on if the temps are to cold.