i have my seedlings under a 600w hps light (not too close 4 now) and im using half strength nute solution 4 now... at wot point do i change to full strength....they are now 11 days old and going gr8. also....when i say my plants are 11 days old, this is from when they sprouted....is this the correct way to age them...??or is it from when they get first leaves or what???im confused!
i am no expert by far, but i have always heard/read that you shouldn't fert for the first 25-28 days...be careful not to fry your small plants...
the nutrient solution im using (optimum grow, parts a and b hydroponic solution) states to use at half strength 4 seedlings...then change to full strength hence my question. dont worry ive got the lights 4ft from my plants and the temp is a nice 30c inside.
HIGH All, such as pohsib say's be carefull!!! Your seedling which I consider "still" a seedling shouldn't need nutes untill it's 3rd week. Don't get me wrong some people have and (with no problems) then some give way to much on the seedling's first feeding it kills them. Even putting them in a soilees mix, they should have no problem surviving their first weeks without a feeding.
ok then guys, point taken...should i stop altogether for a week or 2 then dyu think...i use rainwater to mix the nutrients in, any ideas on that??
HIGH All, .if your babies are fine with what your feeding them....just be carefull of overferting. Me I'd wait another week before anymore ferts are added. The rainwater is no doubt better than tap water..Do you know the PH of it?
hmmm..no i dont know the ph of the rainwater....im not in the city so i assumed itd be fine, however ph strips are on my shopping list. i am going to b using bubbler buckets, how much root growth is required first bfore transplanting??
HIGH All, I wait till at least 2 weeks old from seed and then they go into the BB. When first transplanted to the BB I water by hand untill the first root pops out....then it's All up to them from there on. Heres a thread I started that shows how big they are when transplanting. Page 2.
thanx 4 that..mine r just bout ready then! my plants r in perlite 4 now, i had clay pebbles suggested to me 4 bbs, but dont know if i can get them here in my remote little town...any other suggestions...what bout gravel?..or is it too heavy?
u can use gravel. the weight is only a prob if u gotta move ur plant. if u r gonna use it then use the rough stuff not the smooth. a better bet wud b larva rocks. if u cant get anything better then use wot u can. iv seen ppl growin in unsented cat litter / sand / smashed up house bricks and even a rolled up bit of carpet ( i shit thee not) all with good results.
When your seeds leaves fall off and die and you are left with nothing but true leaf sets on opposite nodes is when your palnt is no longer a seedling.
i have a 2.5 foot plant thats about 10days into flowering and still has its little round seed leaves on it. id say it stops being a seedling and becomes a plant in its own right as soon as it has a healthy root system and starts its fast growth. normaly after 2 to 3 weeks.
thanx 4 the advice...i thought i had limited resources, but i guess you make do with what you can hey!! being my first grow im gonna do a bit of experimenting with different ideas on different plants to get my own feel for it, so ill give gravel a go if i cant get anything else and try other stuff too...(i have a broken collarbone at moment so ill pray to god i dont need to pick them up!) cyu