When to water seedlings

[INeverInhaled]

Ive got them in Dixie cups right now for space convenience, and ive got my entire seed stock riding on this. so i really dont want to over water them. Ive got some with the 2 bigger green leaves and the 2 smaller jagged leaves, but most are just popping out of the soil with the seed splitting, and leaves about to expand. i moistened the soil w room temp water before i placed the germinated seeds in the soil. the cups are small, dixie cups. im not familiar with the root system and how far down they travel over the seedling stage, so i dont know how much water to give them. i usually drop 3-6 drops of water on them when i turn the lights on in the morning just to get them through until i get home from work so that i can check on them. im planning on moving each them from the dixie cup into a larger 6 inch pot once they are too big for cups theyre in. my guess is about a week till i repot them. i just need to get through this first week. please help

 

[BWC BayArea]

They sound like they've only been in soil a few days. I assume u watered them pretty well when u first transplanted them. For the first week you can spray the top soil with PHed water PH 6.3-6.8 depending upon how this strain responds to certain levels in the media you have them planted in. What type of soil are you using? Do you have drainage holes in the bottom of the cups? If not use an paper clip or ink to poke holes for drainage in the bottom so you're not promoting an environment conducive to root rot. Hope this helps some. What size Dixie cups? I wouldn't leave them in the small paper cups more than 10 days. They're easy to transplant from because u can tear the cup. Hope this helps some,

 

[INeverInhaled]

Yes only a few days, have had 3, 60w full spectrum T10's on them for almost 25 hours now. ive got fox farm ocean forrest soil with a perlite/vermiculite mixed in. the dixie cups are small, 2.5 inches tall, inch across the bottom... or so. idk exactly. and i did put drainage holes in the bottom, and did plan on cutting away the paper cups for easy transplant (thinking ahead ) i only put enough water in before i planted the germinated seed to pull the soil away from the edge of the cup. as i was directed to do from an article i read online. ive got fox farm grow big for the veg stage, and tiger bloom for the flower stage. i heard this stuff will work magic if used right. thanks for the input from the bayarea

 

[BWC BayArea]

Ok you still didn't say what strain. But I used this technique and media in conjunction with a couple strains. I went from the Dixie cups to red 16 oz party cups. Then to 1/2 or 1 gal pots. Know that FFOF soil can be a bit much nutrient wise for seedling and young clones. No need to fertilize for until you transplant in 7-10 days. I always pay attention to the drainage holes. When I can see the roots have reached them I usually transplant. Something that may or may not help you. For now just spray the top soil with water (when it looks dry) within the prescribed range. Post some pics now and again in a bout a week if you can. Let us know how it goes.

 

[INeverInhaled]

Ive got a couple different ones going right now. hollands hope, california gold, exodus cheese, and dutch dragon. ive got them going pretty good, and im suprised at the amount they grow per day (being a noob). theyre almost 3 inches now, and theyve been in soil since monday i believe. im sure the roota are to the bottom of the cup, so im gonna transplant them this weekend. the weathers warming up where i am, so its only a couple weeks till theyre goin outdoors. when do you think theyll be suitable to withstand temps of 40 degrees at night? since theyre getting bigger im gonna need another like 4 lights. so electricity is gonna start goin up. when i transplant them this weekend, could i mix up my grow big with the water that i use? or is that still a little early. i didnt take into effect that the soil im using could be a little too nutritious. ive had a couple little germinators die on me:/ could be part of the problem.

 

[BWC BayArea]

Dont rush to transplant. Leth the root system establish itself. I feel its better to transplant late than early.. If u do it too early u may have slow/stunted growth, water logged soil opening the door for root rot or fungus gnats, or dampening off ()not sure bout this one), etc. U do it late only tow things i can think of adverse that can happen either plat becomes rootbound (really dont see this being an issue as anxious as u are to move them along) or the soil dries out fast and plants wilt on ya due to a large root system in a small container. As for moving them out doors? Not sure when's a good idea with the low temps. I do understand that it is wise to "harden" off a plant before transitioning in to outdoors or vice versa. Search the term "harden" or "hardening off" for specifics. Bassically its a gradual acclimation to a new environment and it its a process. I did it once without hardening off the plants. Had some starnge growth like 3 bladed leaves. I didn't have too worry bout temps because warm weather had set in. Ther plants were already stressed indoors and I didnt wanna cull them so I transplanted out doors. Turned out scrawny and I don't know if it was the stress from pests and deficiencies or stress from the rapid transplant w/out hardening 1st or a combo of both. Point is, yield could've most definitely been increased had I followed expert advice. It was an experiment I learned from. Dont be afraid to check the root mass. When the soil's almost dry, u can gently flip the cup upside down with the stem between 2 fingers. Gently tap the bottom of the cup or gently squeeze the bottom edges until the rootball becomes unseated and slides out. Most times u can see the roots grwing down the sides of the rootball, they should be brights white. When you can see that the roots almost reach the bottom of the soil then its ready to transplant. Its long I know, but I'm medicated and could tolerate typing it. Hope it helps some.