Seedlings Coming Aliong

[OlderStoner]

These are the four White Widow (feminized) seedlings making their way along. The oldest one is about 10 days, the others are only about 24 hours behind. I was lucky with 100% germination from the 7 seeds I received from Hermies. I recommend them for anyone looking for reliable supplier.

My question is about the jiffy cups I've got them in. I was really hoping to let these things get to at least 3-4 weeks in the cups before transplanting them. These jiffy cups really dry out quickly. I've been placing them outside in the natural direct sunlight for several hours each day. I am a big fan of the sun... and you'll notice these are in soil which again I'm a big fan of. I guess mainly it comes from years of moving around and not having to worry about what to do with loads of hydro equipment. As well as if the time comes and the plants have to be flushed...like the time my neighbors got out of hand the police came looking for anyone and everyone that anything to do with them.

So I'm using a 50/50 mix of rain water and tap water to keep these thirsty cups moist. The soil drys out in less than 24 hours even if I soak them fully and whether or not I place them outside. So each night I'm giving them more water. It doesn't appear that the plants are suffering aside from the slight fading in the deep green color which they had as newly germinated seedlings. The small leaves at the bottom are definitely turning less green and I assume will fall off shortly. When they are not outside and about 90% of their time is spent in a closet under 160 watts of fluorescent lighting with a small oscillating fan. I was hoping to give these little ones at least 30 days or so before making the plunge with a 400 watt MH or HPS setup.

Also, I plan to take clones from most of these. Seven seedlings making good progress..but patience is the name of the game.

Ok, so my readings tell me that I should go light on the ferts at this point. With all the water these cups are taking I'm beginning to worry. The plants look healthy but in the past I've seen lockouts, bugs, eggs from bugs...the works. So I've been very skimpy in adding just a 1/4 pinch of epsom salts, and little lemon juice to lower the ph and only the smallest amount of 24-18-6 Miracle Grow mixed in a 20 oz bottle of the water I'm using. And I have only added these about every 3rd or fourth watering. A couple of the bigger ones, the white widow X and a cotton candy are in some 6" plastic pots and the soil there stays moist much longer. All of them seem happy but having gone through small grows in the past, I'm trying to use all the stuff I've learned and good advice from this forum.

Okay, was going to insert a photo of these babies, but apparently I cannot upload any photos or attachments yet.

 

[Buckshot]

It sounds like you are fixing things that don't need fixing (gotta see the pics to know) What soil? The deep green seedlings is a red flag. I would seek other nutrients other than MG. If the plants are drying in 24 hours in or out of the sun that is a lot of work. If you want to keep them small in the cups you might work out a drip system or if your plans are bigger pots I would do it now as it will allow better growth and make less work watering.

 

[OlderStoner]

The soil I got was an organic potting soil from one of the local big box home centers. My concerns are that the plants are starting to show signs of yellow in the first big leaves. The little leaves which first came out of the seeds are yellowing and getting ready to fall off. But the next set of leaves up are starting to fade to yellow, which I surmise is a nitrogen shortage. In the past I've had trouble with ferts...usually too much. So I'm going very sparingly and trying to use organics as much as I can. I sprinkle a little blood meal on the soil now and then before watering and besides a little epsom salts...and I mean little, the only other thing I've done is to add about 1/8 teaspoon of that MG 24-16-8 to the water now and then. They look fine this morning after I placed a little more of the MG in their water last night. But it does look like these small pots are taking so much water that the nutes are not just being used up, their being flushed out. I will transplant all of the ones in the jiffy pots tomorrow into bigger containers. And I'm going to need more space and very soon, more lights. I love to grow outside but last year's single plant I grew mostly outdoors had eggs of some kind all over it. And there is a park right next to my house where the local teenagers gather to smoke, of all things, weed. I overheard them one day talking about "the plant" on the other side of the fence, and I'm sure they meant the one in my backyard. With everything else in a grow, I have to worry about theft or unwanted discovery by nosy neighbors.

 

[Richard Richardson]

Hi Olderstoner,

here is the guide to uploading photos: Photo Gallery Guide - How to Resize, Upload & Post Photos

You might be better off taking them indoors, If the kids are aware that you grow,

but bigger pots would be kinder on your seedlings in any case

These are the four White Widow (feminized) seedlings making their way along.

The oldest one is about 10 days, the others are only about 24 hours behind.

I was lucky with 100% germination from the 7 seeds I received from Hermies.

I recommend them for anyone looking for reliable supplier.

Please tell me there is no seedbank called "Hermies"

That would be the worst seedbank ever

 

[Buckshot]

The soil I got was an organic potting soil from one of the local big box home centers. My concerns are that the plants are starting to show signs of yellow in the first big leaves.

The deep green seedlings was a clue there was too much nitrogen, if you also had the leaf tips droop, I am sure of it. You were correct with the Epsom salt... but a little might not do it, a good flush and folier feed will turn that ship around. The problems you are seeing are most likely nutrient deficiencies caused from too much nitrogen locking them out. After the flush return to sparse feeding at first till you see how they are doing

Good Luck!

 

[OlderStoner]

Ooops. My bad. That was Herbies Headshop. Must have been a Freudian slip of the tongue there.

I watered them again this morning and mixed about 1/8 tspn of MG 24-16-8 with 20 oz of water. The water had only the slightest blue hue to it. In the past I've ended up using too much ferts so I'm starting out very slowly with these. I will transplant the Jiffy Cup plants tomorrow to bigger pots. They are back out in the sunshine today but this is the last time I will do that. You're 100% correct about these teenagers and as they seem to pick Saturday morning to do their park smoke sessions, I'll get them out of sight this afternoon.