Are my seedlings ready to go outside?

[Taliesin]

These guys are about four weeks out of the ground, and seem to be growing well (all are between 2 and 3.5 inches tall and are on their 6th node). I have two concerns:

1) The first set of serrated leaves on each plant have turned to various shades of yellow.

2) The very tips of some of the leaves are dark brown. It only seems to be the point at the end of the leaf though.

I've tried to show these things in these pics:

No nutrients have been applied, and I have been irrigating with collected rainwater. The seedlings have been under small fluorescent bulbs since they sprouted.

I'd like to move the plants outside to a prepared bed and have been gradually acclimating them to the elements the past two days, but I don't want to drop them in the soil if they might be in a vulnerable condition. Anyone who has any thoughts can chime in.

 

[Malcolm]

These guys are about four weeks out of the ground, and seem to be growing well (all are between 2 and 3.5 inches tall and are on their 6th node). I have two concerns:

1) The first set of serrated leaves on each plant have turned to various shades of yellow.

2) The very tips of some of the leaves are dark brown. It only seems to be the point at the end of the leaf though.

I've tried to show these things in these pics:

No nutrients have been applied, and I have been irrigating with collected rainwater. The seedlings have been under small fluorescent bulbs since they sprouted.

I'd like to move the plants outside to a prepared bed and have been gradually acclimating them to the elements the past two days, but I don't want to drop them in the soil if they might be in a vulnerable condition. Anyone who has any thoughts can chime in.

The yellowing of the lower foliage is due to the transferring of stored food within the plant to the upper foliage for growth and development and is normal. You mentioned that no nutes are being applied at this time but did not mention what type of medium is being used, are there nutes in it? Also, your rain water depending on your geographical location, may be a bit acidic from particles it has absorbed from the atmosphere as it fell. The brown leaf tips look like a nute or PH problem so check your PH level also, it should be about 6.5-7.0 for soil or soiless mixes. Overall though, they look good. As long as you have been acclimating them to the elements they should be ok going into the great outdoors. Just be cool when you transplant them, do not expose the roots and make it quick. A late frost may be your only problem unless you reside in a warm climate and lucky you if you do!, lol...

 

[Taliesin]

Unfortunately I do not know the exact composition of the soil due to the fact that the pot was given to me with the seeds already planted. The soil looks very nice though, it is very light and airy and has perlite and visible organic material.

The rainwater is actually at a pH of about 6.5 so that's why I figured it would make a good irrigation source. This is the only water that the plants have been given, and the yellowing/brown tips did not develop until about a week ago (when they were three weeks old). I was thinking that both of these symptoms could be due to a N deficiency if the soil nutrients are beginning to be depleted. The prepared planting bed has a lot of native sand, a good amount of bagged garden soil, some compost, and a small amount of fresh green waste. Maybe if I transplant this new soil will overcome the possible nutrient deficiency?

(daily highs and lows here are currently 70's and 40-50's, respectively, and will only get warmer)

 

[Malcolm]

Unfortunately I do not know the exact composition of the soil due to the fact that the pot was given to me with the seeds already planted. The soil looks very nice though, it is very light and airy and has perlite and visible organic material.

The rainwater is actually at a pH of about 6.5 so that's why I figured it would make a good irrigation source. This is the only water that the plants have been given, and the yellowing/brown tips did not develop until about a week ago (when they were three weeks old). I was thinking that both of these symptoms could be due to a N deficiency if the soil nutrients are beginning to be depleted. The prepared planting bed has a lot of native sand, a good amount of bagged garden soil, some compost, and a small amount of fresh green waste. Maybe if I transplant this new soil will overcome the possible nutrient deficiency?

(daily highs and lows here are currently 70's and 40-50's, respectively, and will only get warmer)

Rainwater is very good for plants as it contains certain chemical compounds that are beneficial to the plant, I use it all the time for my own ladies. Get yourself some worm castings and some bat guanos for both vegetative and flowering cycles. Make a nice tea by soaking the castings and guano in warm water overnight and giving it to the plants the next day. You will be amazed by the results. I also like to put a layer of castings in my containers when transplanting my babies, it works wonders. Bats eat different items for dinner and thus create different types and constitutions of guano. Those that eat insects, Mexican bats, have a guano high in nitrogen. Those that feast upon fruit, Jamaican bats, produce a guano high in Phosphorus. Worm castings are the remains of what worms eat,digest and then expel as they do the wonderful thing they do within the soil. It will never burn your plants no matter how much you give them. You could actually set plants and grow them right in castings, it is only the price of the castings themselves that makes this approach not practical. Even though your outdoor temps may be okay for outdoor planting, the daylight hours may still be within the range of hours that will trigger flowering in your plants, just a thought...

 

[herbose]

Rainwater is very good for plants as it contains certain chemical compounds that are beneficial to the plant, I use it all the time for my own ladies. Get yourself some worm castings and some bat guanos for both vegetative and flowering cycles. Make a nice tea by soaking the castings and guano in warm water overnight and giving it to the plants the next day. You will be amazed by the results. I also like to put a layer of castings in my containers when transplanting my babies, it works wonders. Bats eat different items for dinner and thus create different types and constitutions of guano. Those that eat insects, Mexican bats, have a guano high in nitrogen. Those that feast upon fruit, Jamaican bats, produce a guano high in Phosphorus. Worm castings are the remains of what worms eat,digest and then expel as they do the wonderful thing they do within the soil. It will never burn your plants no matter how much you give them. You could actually set plants and grow them right in castings, it is only the price of the castings themselves that makes this approach not practical. Even though your outdoor temps may be okay for outdoor planting, the daylight hours may still be within the range of hours that will trigger flowering in your plants, just a thought...:ganjamon:

I would also be worried about the length of the dark period. Better to wait another month or even more.

 

[Taliesin]

Well, about a month ago I found a pot plant growing wild in my backyard. It continued to grow taller, but when I dug it up and moved it to a location with more direct sunlight, it began to flower!

I looked at some references and in my location dawn is currently at 6:30AM and dusk is at 7:30PM. If I wait another month, those times will be 6AM and 8PM (1 hour more light) will make a difference? And how could this other wild plant have grown to over two feet in height, and then start flowering when exposed to more light?

 

[ledtester]

Well, about a month ago I found a pot plant growing wild in my backyard. It continued to grow taller, but when I dug it up and moved it to a location with more direct sunlight, it began to flower!

I looked at some references and in my location dawn is currently at 6:30AM and dusk is at 7:30PM. If I wait another month, those times will be 6AM and 8PM (1 hour more light) will make a difference? And how could this other wild plant have grown to over two feet in height, and then start flowering when exposed to more light?

Your biggest concern I would think is seperating your plants cause soon the roots are going to be so mangle you'll have to tear everything apart. I would be putting them in small pots before that happens. And dont be fooled by the El Ninho weather.

 

[ledtester]

Well, about a month ago I found a pot plant growing wild in my backyard. It continued to grow taller, but when I dug it up and moved it to a location with more direct sunlight, it began to flower!

I looked at some references and in my location dawn is currently at 6:30AM and dusk is at 7:30PM. If I wait another month, those times will be 6AM and 8PM (1 hour more light) will make a difference? And how could this other wild plant have grown to over two feet in height, and then start flowering when exposed to more light?

Ok that sounds ok but |I would be pulling them puppies apart real quick.

 

[ledtester]

Well, about a month ago I found a pot plant growing wild in my backyard. It continued to grow taller, but when I dug it up and moved it to a location with more direct sunlight, it began to flower!

I looked at some references and in my location dawn is currently at 6:30AM and dusk is at 7:30PM. If I wait another month, those times will be 6AM and 8PM (1 hour more light) will make a difference? And how could this other wild plant have grown to over two feet in height, and then start flowering when exposed to more light?

where you located brother?

 

[Taliesin]

...And dont be fooled by the El Ninho weather.

Do you mean El Niño? I live in central CA, so our winter here is definitely over. Will probably only get one or two more rainshowers too.

I was wondering about the roots, that's why I'm anxious to just get them in the ground so that way I only have to transplant once. They were outside all day today and I'm gonna leave them outside tonight (forecasted low of 44 degrees F) and see how they look in the morning.

 

[ledtester]

Do you mean El Niño? I live in central CA, so our winter here is definitely over. Will probably only get one or two more rainshowers too.

I was wondering about the roots, that's why I'm anxious to just get them in the ground so that way I only have to transplant once. They were outside all day today and I'm gonna leave them outside tonight (forecasted low of 44 degrees F) and see how they look in the morning.

44 is down theer bud..i would wait to the fifties... your soil sucks anyways so grab a little bit of some good stuff and transplant them into seperate cups brother. better then killing the babys either way, walmart still open there. grab a bag of anything with lots of sphmagmum moss, and perlite. you around bakersfield?