I bought some cheap equipment to give growing a try, 2 UV lamps, 36 individual squares on a sheet, pre soil'd, 2 plastic containers for the big plants (1 with holes, the other for excess water drip-off) and soil.

About 5-6 days ago i planted 10 seeds straight into the soil without prep and left the light on 24 hrs/day.

Just this past night, 2 of my plants sprouted, so you can imagine my excitement. I have a very very simple set up, with a water proof base and 2 white boards covered in plastic wrap on each side.

What advice could you guys give me, should i keep the lights on 24 till some others sprout? should i switch to 18/6 decreasing at 1 hour intervals? Do i really need fertilizer and how soon? What is the best method for thin stems, highly potent plants?

Also what are my options for harvesting? I don't think i can have a plant that's more than 2 feet without getting caught, what's the earliest and latest i could/should harvest?

thanks for the help, cheers!
-hairy jay-