Winging It In Winter By The Window: Soil Auto Grow

[Carmen Ray]

I actually put mine straight in dirt. I bought seeds from 420 sponsors called Herbies Seeds. I’ve had 5 from 5 strike.

I know that there are excellent banks available. Unfortunately I am paying in Rands and so I buy from a local supplier who buys in bulk and then splits packs up. I like to see what's going on with the roots asap, hence my preference for the paper towel method with which I have so far had 100 % success. This is my first non-sprout. I have the two in water now, trying that method. If nothing happens I will put them in potting soil outside and leave them alone. I will sprout something else instead. Then they will still have a chance of coming up. Idk my irritation is that I have to wait it out. I don't have space for more plants if they all sprout.

 

[Skottelgoed Spons]

Thank you for checking, Carcass.

Thanks Skottelgoed that Caramel King is from B&B. The seeds that I couldn't sprout are not from the same source. They were from a friend and they are probably quite old. I'm trying a second one and if that works it may have to go in a pot outside because I am busy trying to sprout an NBA Diesel now as a replacement. If that doesn't work I'll definitely speak to B&B who I bought them from.
I still don't have wifi... day 4 of Frogfoot down, so using Telkom data still.

Thank you Jon. I have moved the plant closer into the 400 ppdf range and will check often to see if there is any stress. She is standing on her own again and her leaves are growing.

Lol Telkom is a different ball game hey! Why is frogfoot taking so long with your network? You should dig deeper about all these fibre isp's most is connected to guavament... Lol anyhoo. Makes sense now on the seeds but yet again I have cheese seeds that has been laying by me for 5 years and I haven't had any issues with them sprouting. One is being grown in my new journal as we speak and it is growing faster than the 2 autos I got in there. But ya age do play a roll in seeds. Lucky for b&b on those. Hopefully the other b&b seeds do sprout. Keep us updated on the nba diesel. Hopefully you have better luck with your nba than I had.

 

[Azimuth]

I don't like to leave the seeds in the glass of water more than a couple of days. Usually they sprout in that time in which case they get planted. The ones that don't come out and I lay them on top of a wet paper towel and slide that into a plastic baggie.

The whole point of the swim in the water glass is to allow them to absorb the moisture they need to switch on, and two days is more than enough time for that. Longer than that and you risk drowning, and then rotting, them. Also, it is not true that only the viable ones will sink. That's an 'old wives tale'. Many growers try to push the seeds underwater thinking that will help tell whether ot not they'll sprout, and then throw out the floaters.

I don't ever do that, and in fact I prefer that mine don't sink. If they do I'll dump out some of the water so the seeds can be closer to air. Seeds need both moisture and oxygen to sprout, and, in nature, seeds don't usually sprout at the bottom of a deep puddle, but rather in moist (not soaking wet) soil where they have access to both.

Then I lay the bag seeds down in a warm, dark place until they show some tail. Most people slide them between two layers of paper towel but then you have to take the whole thing out of the plastic bag and unfold the the thing to check on them. The way I do it I just have to flip the bag over to look at them which is far easier.

 

[Carmen Ray]

lip the bag over to look at them

Thank you Azi. I have taken the seeds out of the glasses and put them on paper towel but in plastic containers. How long would you give them to sprout before tossing them and starting new seeds?

 

[Azimuth]

Keep them warmish (but not hot) and in a dark place like a cabinet. They should pop in less than a week if they're going to be viable. I’ve heard them take longer so I'd still keep them around after a week just to see, but by then I'd have tried again with fresh seeds.

And, while we're talking about seeds, how you store the ones you are keeping for later is very important: Seed Storage

 

[Carmen Ray]

how you store the ones you are keeping for later is very important:

Thank you Azi. Mine are stored in containers kept in a tin in the freezing compartment of the fridge. I think I have the start of a tail on one of the seeds. I did the stupid thing of forgetting which seeds had gone into which tupperware before I got to make lables, so it will be a mystery plant. I'm really annoyed with myself. It will either be NBA Diesel or it will be West Coast OG.

I'd still keep them around after a week just to see

I'll do that.

 

[Carmen Ray]

Saturday 7th May: Day 5 for CK (Carmel King)
CK is no longer using the support I put in place, and is jiggling away happily in the sun and led combined. She is putting on some growth which is encouraging. She is now three inches tall.

I might have a second seed cracking.... mystery as to what it will become due to aforementioned dumbass error, forgetting to label immediately.

 

[BubbaKush909]

Morning Carmen! Just dropped by to say hi and wish you luck. Hope the seed makes it!

 

[Carmen Ray]

Morning Carmen! Just dropped by to say hi and wish you luck. Hope the seed makes it!

Thank you for stopping by and for the encouragement BK

 

[InTheShed]

A seed with a tail and a sprout standing on its own? Sounds like a good day to me!

 

[yogi gardener]

And the wave is caught, up and running Carmen. Nice job!

 

[Carmen Ray]

A seed with a tail and a sprout standing on its own? Sounds like a good day to me!

And now roots! I see multiple roots making their way down the inner sides of the solo cup. I'm not sure if the water level is sufficient. I gave it a few more drops of water yesterday, down the sides and then a drop down near the stem. I sometimes see folks refer to the "prayer angle", and I wondered if my prayer angle was not possibly a bit droopy, and the leaves somewhat discolored? Have I over-watered perhaps, or is she on track?

And the wave is caught, up and running Carmen. Nice job!

Thank you Yoges. Now let's hope I don't drown them!

CK Day 7 above ground - Observations
1) pale green leaves that look nothing like Trala's green and I don't think that it has a lot to do with my grow light lol
2) slight discoloration of the leaves
3) prayer angle iffy
4) roots are visibly making their way around the soil in the solo cup.

Please folks, let me know what you think. The soil is moist but not wet. Maybe the discoloration is because she was in a peat puck before the roots started reaching into the nutritious LOS? or, maybe I just over-watered the medium?

 

[BubbaKush909]

Morning Carmen! Hard to tell from the pics but the stem looks fine and it's normal for seedling leaves to droop like that. She's building up the strength to hold them up. Don't overwater and let her develop, it takes some time. Good luck!

 

[Azimuth]

That one looks hungry to me. What are you feeding them?

 

[Carmen Ray]

That one looks hungry to me. What are you feeding them?

Thank you Bubbakush and Azi. I think so too. This seedling is in the living organic soil that I referenced early in my journal. I don't know if there is enough moisture or too much in that solo cup. I asked the soil crafter if it needed any additional amendments. He recommended mycorrhizae powder mixed into the water once a week. He said otherwise I shouldn't need anything until bloom. I have two products I was considering using in veg. They are both South African. The one is liquid kelp which is labeled a biostimulant. The other is also labeled a biostimulant and is a powdered kelp, humic and fulvic acids. I was considering watering in some of the liquid kelp but if it is already too moist in there, then I'd be risking drowning my lil plant. Here's a pic of the soil. If you zoom in you can see the moisture. I just don't have the experience to be confident in my judgement.

 

[Azimuth]

Yeah, still too wet to send more water that way. You could try foliar feeding the kelp. Or topdressing some worm castings would be good, too.

And, do you have drainange holes in that cup? Even if you do, adding a few down low on the sides will help.

 

[Carmen Ray]

do you have drainange holes in that cup?

I do, the drainage is at the bottom. I'm afraid I will traumatize the plant if I start poking holes in the sides. I wonder what I could use to do it. It probably needs a hot nail or something Do you think that's why she looks hungry, because she is in too much moisture? I did a foliar feed of the kelp solution. 0.5ml to 1.5L water. I painted it on first with a brush and then by pinky finger. I hope she gets the nutrition she needs.

 

[BubbaKush909]

Looks pretty stretchy to me Carmen if it were mine I'd lower the light a bit.

 

[Azimuth]

You can use a pair of scissors to cut thin strips along the bottom edges. I personally use a hot soldering iron which works great. If the bottom of that cup sits flush against whatever you have it in/on then the drain holes lose their effectiveness. And, too wet can lead to nutrient issues.

But I wouldn't be too concerned about hurting a few small roots by putting more holes down there. Plenty of growers slice up their roots when transplanting and all it does is encourage the roots to branch out. Just try to be mindful when you do it as yours is a pretty young plant.

And foliar is a pretty quick response delivery method so shouldn't be too long before you see some improvement.

 

[InTheShed]

If your barely-four-leafed plant is hungry then your soil will never work without bottled nutes. I'm in an inert medium and I don't start feeding until the second set of true leave is completely in. I'd say that coloring is either a mutation or the pH of the soil is way off.

Can we get a shot from above?