First Time Growing

[Mistarooni]

I started this in introduce yourself, I'm continuing it here. I'm growing some seeds I got last year from a friend and now I got some seedlings I know nothing about, I'm using (I think) a 30W grow light, a humidifier, and I'm keeping the temperature warm but i don't have a thermometer so I'm going of of how it feels- I usually update every 5-10 hours depending on the day, and I'm open to suggestions as I know i need as much help as I can get. thank you guys so much and I'll include photos soon

edit: here you go

 

[Phytoplankton]

Welcome to @420! The 30 watt will probably work for the seedlings, but after that you’re gonna need better (stronger) lighting. If using LED’s you want to shoot for around 35 watts per square ft minimum. Tell us what your grow media is, container type/size and where are you growing in (tent, cupboard closet, etc.). Have you picked a fertilizer?

 

[Mistarooni]

Welcome to @420! The 30 watt will probably work for the seedlings, but after that you’re gonna need better (stronger) lighting. If using LED’s you want to shoot for around 35 watts per square ft minimum. Tell us what your grow media is, container type/size and where are you growing in (tent, cupboard closet, etc.). Have you picked a fertilizer?

I have a planned 50 watt light for when they get bigger in a few weeks but I just started in regular grow containers you'd usually find in the gardening aisle, and I'm just growing on my back porch in a shelf with average potting soil-

 

[Phytoplankton]

I have a planned 50 watt light for when they get bigger in a few weeks but I just started in regular grow containers you'd usually find in the gardening aisle, and I'm just growing on my back porch in a shelf with average potting soil-

OK, an outdoor grow, where are you located, northern or southern hemisphere? If you north, they’re gonna go into flower pretty soon outdoors!

 

[Mistarooni]

I'm starting outdoors and moving indoors, I'm in western NY rn so it's starting to get cooler as winter approaches

 

[Phytoplankton]

I'm starting outdoors and moving indoors, I'm in western NY rn so it's starting to get cooler as winter approaches

Then you’re gonna need stronger light for indoors. Be careful they don’t go into flower ( if photos) when the light outdoors drops below about 13 hours.

 

[Mistarooni]

Then you’re gonna need stronger light for indoors. Be careful they don’t go into flower ( if photos) when the light outdoors drops below about 13 hours.

i got a 50 watt light planned for indoors when October comes around a long with hopefully a better placement

 

[Fenderbender]

Okay suggestions.
Find out something about the Seeds from your friend.. are they regular or feminised? will you need to sex these or all they all female.
Or are they autoflowers.

Vegging outside now in NY will pull them straight into flower.
And a 50watt light is not going to cover 9 plants.
Unless you do a stealthy small S.O.G setup (sea of green)
You gonna want a very even canopy which you can park the light right above if you're going to use little wattage.
But honestly if you can miss a hundred bucks get a light. The Vipar XS1500pro is 109$ which is crazy.. then at least you have 2x2ft of serious flower potential. Or Mars TS-600 can be had for 69$ at the moment.

What are you expecting from this grow or what do you want from it? as depending on how much space & light you give a plant size and yield will vary a lot, and at the moment I can only imagine it to be like a small SOG setup. as you're pulling them straight into flower outside and a 50w light so 9 little pots close together all growing like a 10gr bud could be done. Yeah a shelf grow

 

[SmokingWings]

I have been following your threads on your new gardening project.

You are off to a good start and are getting some great pointers on what is happening and will happen soon. I will try to cover a few things that the others have not hit on yet to help you get prepared for the next stage of the plants growth.

I'm keeping the temperature warm but i don't have a thermometer so I'm going of of how it feels-

Get a thermometer ASAP, if not soon. Right now it is a guessing game as to whether your back room or the indoor room you are planning on is actually warm or cool enough for the best plant growth. An area might feel close to perfect for us but if it is too cool the plants will still look great but they slow down and grow so slowly. Same with being too warm and they look good but again they grow slow. This will avoid the question like "My plants are 6 weeks old and have not grown even an inch in the last 5 weeks. Why?"

No need to buy the digital thermometer yet, but get something. Go to a tropical fish store , find the thermometer section and look at the really inexpensive glass tube ones. There will be several that are all within a degree or two of each other so pick one from there. Cost should be $2 to $3 including any taxes. Once at home figure out a way to keep in the same area as your plants, maybe even in an empty plastic soup bowl. Start tracking how cool or warm the area actually is.

...I'm using (I think) a 30W grow light,...

The wattage of the light should be shown somewhere, probably on the back or bottom of the light. There is a very good chance that the 30 W grow light is putting out only about 10 to 15 watts worth of light. The manufacturer lists 30 because that is what that light would do if it was powered to its full potential. But, if it pushed out its maximum potential it probably would not last long and no one would be happy if they burn out a light every month or two.

Many growers will mention that the best way to think about the wattage of the light that the fixture is actually producing is measuring the watts that is being 'pulled' at the wall outlet.

Plan ahead, way ahead, when it comes to the lights. Either get a full size light for the grow space or a small one now and a second and a third one as soon as possible. Always keep the 35 watts minimum (draw at the wall) per square foot in mind.

Right now your 30W light is enough to take care of the seedlings as shown in the photo. But when they get bigger they will need more than the 50W fixture you are thinking of.

It might seem like a lot to think about just to grow 'a weed' but most of us have already been through the same sort of thing, and thinking, when we started off. I am pretty sure most of us can relate to what you are going through and thinking right now.

 

[Mistarooni]

hey, thank you for all the help and I wish I would've read this sooner- I'll go pick up a thermometer tomorrow and as for the light I'll look for one that'll work long term and I'll make sure to post about everything that i do as soon as i do it, and I know there are a lot of people that have been in my position which makes me wonder

1. should I do strictly inside growing or outside growing?

2. would it harm my plants to move them inside or outside depending on the weather?

3. (sounds strange) would talking to my plants do anything, as in 30 minutes to an hour?

4. should I use Luke warm or cool water to water my plants?

5. is there a specific schedule I should have my plants on for lighting? (16/8 I think?)

6. how often should I water my plants?

7. when should I transplant my plants into bigger containers?

edit: also I added a towel under my plants, I don't know if it's a good or a bad idea, please let me know asap-

 

[Mistarooni]

Okay suggestions.
Find out something about the Seeds from your friend.. are they regular or feminised? will you need to sex these or all they all female.
Or are they autoflowers.

Vegging outside now in NY will pull them straight into flower.
And a 50watt light is not going to cover 9 plants.
Unless you do a stealthy small S.O.G setup (sea of green)
You gonna want a very even canopy which you can park the light right above if you're going to use little wattage.
But honestly if you can miss a hundred bucks get a light. The Vipar XS1500pro is 109$ which is crazy.. then at least you have 2x2ft of serious flower potential. Or Mars TS-600 can be had for 69$ at the moment.

What are you expecting from this grow or what do you want from it? as depending on how much space & light you give a plant size and yield will vary a lot, and at the moment I can only imagine it to be like a small SOG setup. as you're pulling them straight into flower outside and a 50w light so 9 little pots close together all growing like a 10gr bud could be done. Yeah a shelf grow

right now they're on a shelf just to get past the seedling phase, once they get big enough to transplant I have an entire room open to growing, thank you so so so much for the light recommendation, I'm putting the light as my top priority (hopefully able to happen soon)

this may sound like an obvious question but what's the SOG setup, I'm guessing it's all the plants close together and the light closer/same distance?

also from previous comments and the little knowledge I have about weed I'm going to be able to tell male from female (eventually-) but said friend has no clue which seeds are which as the seeds were from "a cluster fuck of plants"

 

[Chasev89]

hey, thank you for all the help and I wish I would've read this sooner- I'll go pick up a thermometer tomorrow and as for the light I'll look for one that'll work long term and I'll make sure to post about everything that i do as soon as i do it, and I know there are a lot of people that have been in my position which makes me wonder

1. should I do strictly inside growing or outside growing?

2. would it harm my plants to move them inside or outside depending on the weather?

3. (sounds strange) would talking to my plants do anything, as in 30 minutes to an hour?

4. should I use Luke warm or cool water to water my plants?

5. is there a specific schedule I should have my plants on for lighting? (16/8 I think?)

6. how often should I water my plants?

7. when should I transplant my plants into bigger containers?

edit: also I added a towel under my plants, I don't know if it's a good or a bad idea, please let me know asap-

Hello!
1. For me I would pick one or the other. Also reading from the start you will absolutely need a better light if want anything fun to happen…
2. Again… one or the other personally… you want to minimize stress… but I guess for what you are doing it’s keeping them safe..
3. I think it’s been scientifically proven to help plants.. not %100
4.cool water… think like the rain…
5.16/8 veg 12/12 or 11/13 for flower
6. You want to keep the soil moist. The top one inch of soil should be somewhat dry I believe. Don’t want root rot from overwatering. I know @Bill284 would know for sure.
7. Also a @Bill284 question. I believe after the second or third node has formed…
Can’t wait to see what happens here! I’ll be following!

 

[Phytoplankton]

For the best watering regime read “The proper way to water a potted plant” by @EmilyGreen.

 

[Bill284]

Hello!
1. For me I would pick one or the other. Also reading from the start you will absolutely need a better light if want anything fun to happen…
2. Again… one or the other personally… you want to minimize stress… but I guess for what you are doing it’s keeping them safe..
3. I think it’s been scientifically proven to help plants.. not %100
4.cool water… think like the rain…
5.16/8 veg 12/12 or 11/13 for flower
6. You want to keep the soil moist. The top one inch of soil should be somewhat dry I believe. Don’t want root rot from overwatering. I know @Bill284 would know for sure.
7. Also a @Bill284 question. I believe after the second or third node has formed…
Can’t wait to see what happens here! I’ll be following!

Are they in egg cups still?
Next time start in solos with a clear liner.
Makes everything visible and easy to work with.




#VIVOSUN #Love What You Grow
Bill284

 

[Fenderbender]

right now they're on a shelf just to get past the seedling phase, once they get big enough to transplant I have an entire room open to growing, thank you so so so much for the light recommendation, I'm putting the light as my top priority (hopefully able to happen soon)

this may sound like an obvious question but what's the SOG setup, I'm guessing it's all the plants close together and the light closer/same distance?

also from previous comments and the little knowledge I have about weed I'm going to be able to tell male from female (eventually-) but said friend has no clue which seeds are which as the seeds were from "a cluster fuck of plants"

Hmm, so it's from plants he grew and pollinated? then you'll probably gonna have to sex them.. and well that also changes the amount of plants you'll end up flowering as that probably won't be 9

Yeah SOG is many plants together all growing a bud, they get a very short veg period so they stay small.
If you search the Sea of green or screen of green SOG en SCROG (a variation with lesser plants and longer veg times) here you'll find many examples.
It's a good way to make most use of the flowering coverage and surface area you have to the distance of the light.

The lights I suggested where to at least make you think of getting something that gives you a bit of power over the 50w you mention without breaking the bank and then you'll have a zone about 2x2ft in which the plants can produce nice full buds.
Preferably go for the 150w you can dim it down for seedling and vegging period and you'll have some power to flower.
As the whole thing is physics, the amount of energy you put into a crop is a deciding factor in what you can get out of it.

 

[SmokingWings]

3. (sounds strange) would talking to my plants do anything, as in 30 minutes to an hour?

Oh, one of my favorites. There have been actual studies done on this. Think of how much time and money was spent watching, taking notes and talking to hundreds, if not thousands, of gardeners and also looking at all the plants these people were growing. The first conclusion was that yes, those who talked to their plants did have more successful gardens.

The real answer that they came up with was that people that talked to plants were actually paying more attention to the plant and how it was growing. It was not what the person said nor that the person was exhaling carbon dioxide on the plant. It was that the grower would notice the little things that were happening. Was an insect eating the plant, did the plant look dry, were leaves turning yellow, were the plants smaller than usual....things like that.

My wife would say that I talked to all the plants and I would say that I do not bother to talk to them since they will not listen or answer back. I then would say that I do listen to them because they always have something they are trying to say.

1. should I do strictly inside growing or outside growing?

Up to you based on the circumstances where you are living. Outside means being limited to one grow season per year. Outside means free lighting and no more worrying about how much a light costs or how many watts. Good and bad points to each but without being there to see what you have available it is hard to make recommendations.

2. would it harm my plants to move them inside or outside depending on the weather?

Moving them outside and then back inside can become boring and a real chore if it has to be done frequently. Then there is the chance of dropping one of them.

4. should I use Luke warm or cool water to water my plants?
6. how often should I water my plants?

Room temperature pretty much takes care of indoor plantings and often good enough for outdoor plants.

Someone mentioned the very popular thread on watering a potted plant. Once we find the link someone will post it. It is a long thread so be ready. It is worth reading from start to the end even if it takes a several hours.

5. is there a specific schedule I should have my plants on for lighting? (16/8 I think?)

Probably start with 14 to 15 hours or or longer to keep on while the plant is growing. Then when you think it is ready for flowering change it so the lights are off for at least 12 hours. Buy one or more timers for the lights. It is not worth the aggravation to have to go and turn them on and off a couple times a day, every day. Let basic technology do that chore for you. Local hardware stores or big box home improvement stores will have the inexpensive analog and the more expensive digital timers. Difference in price is about $1 so up to you how much time and money you want to spend driving to save that $1 so probably buy from the closest place.

@bluter might remember and have the link to a very recent thread where the differences between the two types of timers was discussed.

Ah, stumbled on it so click on the link in the next line:
https://www.420magazine.com/community/threads/changing-dark-time.534906/

7. when should I transplant my plants into bigger containers?

When they are ready. The thing about this question is that it becomes instinctive. We can control how fast and how large each plant will get by working with how often we transplant.

edit: also I added a towel under my plants, I don't know if it's a good or a bad idea, please let me know asap-

It is bad. Most likely you did that so the towel will absorb the water that runs through the little cups. Before long the towel will start to smell so it will have to be washed. No matter how often you wash it one day you will realize it just is not becoming clean anymore.

In the long run it might be better to buy inexpensive plastic pots that are the same size and saucers that match. Transplant and let them grow. Then when time for the next transplanting buy a new set of pots and saucers. Wash, dry and put away the first set so they are ready for the next time. Some growers will only need a set of small seedling pots, a set for vegetating or growing, and a final set for the flowering. Then there are those of us who feel compelled to have several sets to cover just about any situation.

 

[bluter]

as far a timers i would stick to the cheap digital ones found at every big box store. they are the ones grow shops sell for twice as much. make sure you get three prong timers.

 

[Mistarooni]

Oh, one of my favorites. There have been actual studies done on this. Think of how much time and money was spent watching, taking notes and talking to hundreds, if not thousands, of gardeners and also looking at all the plants these people were growing. The first conclusion was that yes, those who talked to their plants did have more successful gardens.

The real answer that they came up with was that people that talked to plants were actually paying more attention to the plant and how it was growing. It was not what the person said nor that the person was exhaling carbon dioxide on the plant. It was that the grower would notice the little things that were happening. Was an insect eating the plant, did the plant look dry, were leaves turning yellow, were the plants smaller than usual....things like that.

My wife would say that I talked to all the plants and I would say that I do not bother to talk to them since they will not listen or answer back. I then would say that I do listen to them because they always have something they are trying to say.


Up to you based on the circumstances where you are living. Outside means being limited to one grow season per year. Outside means free lighting and no more worrying about how much a light costs or how many watts. Good and bad points to each but without being there to see what you have available it is hard to make recommendations.


Moving them outside and then back inside can become boring and a real chore if it has to be done frequently. Then there is the chance of dropping one of them.


Room temperature pretty much takes care of indoor plantings and often good enough for outdoor plants.

Someone mentioned the very popular thread on watering a potted plant. Once we find the link someone will post it. It is a long thread so be ready. It is worth reading from start to the end even if it takes a several hours.


Probably start with 14 to 15 hours or or longer to keep on while the plant is growing. Then when you think it is ready for flowering change it so the lights are off for at least 12 hours. Buy one or more timers for the lights. It is not worth the aggravation to have to go and turn them on and off a couple times a day, every day. Let basic technology do that chore for you. Local hardware stores or big box home improvement stores will have the inexpensive analog and the more expensive digital timers. Difference in price is about $1 so up to you how much time and money you want to spend driving to save that $1 so probably buy from the closest place.

@bluter might remember and have the link to a very recent thread where the differences between the two types of timers was discussed.

Ah, stumbled on it so click on the link in the next line:
https://www.420magazine.com/community/threads/changing-dark-time.534906/


When they are ready. The thing about this question is that it becomes instinctive. We can control how fast and how large each plant will get by working with how often we transplant.


It is bad. Most likely you did that so the towel will absorb the water that runs through the little cups. Before long the towel will start to smell so it will have to be washed. No matter how often you wash it one day you will realize it just is not becoming clean anymore.

In the long run it might be better to buy inexpensive plastic pots that are the same size and saucers that match. Transplant and let them grow. Then when time for the next transplanting buy a new set of pots and saucers. Wash, dry and put away the first set so they are ready for the next time. Some growers will only need a set of small seedling pots, a set for vegetating or growing, and a final set for the flowering. Then there are those of us who feel compelled to have several sets to cover just about any situation.

you are a godsend, thank you so much, I'm about to read the link right now but i just got rid of the towel and moved them outside while its warm and very sunny, I don't mind having to move them. I actually kinda prefer it because then I can set each plant in the sun for the day and for the extra hours I missed of the sun I can move them inside. also I've been "talking" to my plants, more less I've been watching my plants sometimes for hours at times looking over as much as I can keeping away insects, and If any of the leaves look in danger or concerning than i can post it here immediately. I'll make a new reply once I'm done reading the link, again thank you so much, and I'll be back

 

[Krissi Carbone]

Hey Mista!

You have been given some crucial information for your new grow! Advice given to you is spot on just heed it and we can find you a great light at a very manageable price. Sponsors have discounts all the time, just go to the sponsor page and browse. @Mars Hydro has some nice cheap lights as well that really pack a punch. When I first started growing, it was under 6-60W bulbs with 4 plants. Believe us when we say that 50W just won't be enough but it's so great that you are asking all the right questions and getting the best responses!

I'm in NJ so we have similar weather, I'm an indoor soil grower although I have a quasi indoor outdoor plant right now but she is an autoflower so light schedules don't matter for her. I schlep her inside whenever it rains to prevent mold and mildew. The others are in a 4x4 tent. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to reach out.

Please consider starting a journal, the established members here are always great on checking in on new growers and love to help along the way in the grow process and it gives all the new growers some relatable content!

We love seeing things grow as much as I'm sure you will. It's really easy for us to see what's going on with you and that can help you be more proactive in case something looks weird or what have you.

Happy to have you on board here!

 

[Mistarooni]

the link was very helpful but I'm still a little confused on what's the best hours for having my plants grow- sould I try 18 light 6 dark or should I do something more balanced? would keeping my plants humid be more important than keeping them by a window? as for right now my plants are outside and all have there "stations" to stay humid, the station consists of nothing more than a table, the sun, and clear plastic cups with a couple holed on top to keep it humid-