Just think about plants in the wild.. They dont get 'special treatment' (low light) when they first pop out of the ground. I have studied a lot of wild ruderalis and the plants that thrive the most get full sunlight penetration from day one of the seed cracking. In my experience, hardening off is always a shock. All you can do is minimize it. The best way is to not shock your plants at all from seedling. so give em all the light you want. Temperature on the other hand is very important so having the heat of the light as far away as possible will keep your plants from burning as o2hustla said. good luck

Does anyone know if you put the plant under 12-12 even if you are growing outside and during what stage do you do this.

I think the best way to go (depending on how many plants you have/ available square footage in your grow area ) is to use an HPS Son Agro for all stages of growth. Ideally, I think you need upwards or around 3,000 lumens per square ft. to grow successfully. The HPS Son Agro has an increased blue spectrum of 30 %, which should be a help in vegetative growth, and as for flowering...it's an HPS with all the red/orange spectrum needed and it's 5% brighter than a regular HPS. A 430 HPS Son Agro has an output of around 53,000 lumens.. enough to cover 17 square feet. (an area 3 ft x almost 6 ft). I would like some feedback to know if this is correct.

right after they sprout put in soil depending on what kind of light ur using slowly bring the light down like if you had a 1000 mh on top or hps put the light at least 3 feet up intil 6 inches tall and if you have a cfls can b 6 inches from them and if you got a 400 about a 16 inches and so on

If you just plant them in the soil to begin with, then dome the top or cover the cup with a baggie and put them in your lighted grow chamber you won't need to worry about this. Take off the baggie once they pop out of the soil.

I try to refer back to this simple thought. If it were in its natural habitat what would be happening? The soil would be getting direct sunlight before the seed ever sprouted and once sprouted the seedling would be getting direct sunlight from the second it broke ground. I put two seeds into a cup of water overnight. One seed went directly into vermiculite with root stimulators and I used the paper towel method for others for a day or so. Some sprouted a tap root some didn't. I put them all into soil and within two days all had broken ground regardless of the method and as soon as they did I put them under lights. Only the one planted directly into the vermiculite didn't survive. My seedlings all appeared either on the sixth or seventh of this month. All seem to be happy and doing their thing. Sometimes I think we tend to over baby our weed.

Sunlight is different to cfls and HIDs because it has a 100% penetration, but the further away you put an artifial light the weaker the light is. Also in nature the seedlings start growing in spring when light levels are quite weak, as the plant grows the days get longer and the sun gets more powerful. A plant that germinated outdoors in full summer sun might burn up and die, thats like putting it under a 1000w HPS but obviously how far away the HPS is matters.

can someone help me please ,
the only light source i have is a 400watt HPS my seeds just popped , my question is how far do i have the light from the new born plants at the moment " with out a clue " i have it sitting 20" away from the leaves do i need to adjust or ?
thanks in regards , tumeke

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hey just wondering ive had my plants under a cheap dollars store flouresant light for about a week today and i only have two baby leaves on the plants one plant is about 3 inches tall because i was havinga lighting problem where the plant stretched out to that length and the other one is about an incha and a half tall with two baby leaves as well my one tall one sits under the light for 12/12 and same with the other one should i still be doing the 24 cycle or is 12/12 ok i need some suggestions im a begginer and i have picture posted on my page if you want to look i just want to grow the plant for the sake of the looks of it i love smoking dope been doing it for 8 years now since grade 7 lol and now im taking an interest in growing seriously till the end of the season when i can harvest and smoke again so anyone with advice please contact me thanks
"J"

hey just wondering ive had my plants under a cheap dollars store flouresant light for about a week today and i only have two baby leaves on the plants one plant is about 3 inches tall because i was havinga lighting problem where the plant stretched out to that length and the other one is about an incha and a half tall with two baby leaves as well my one tall one sits under the light for 12/12 and same with the other one should i still be doing the 24 cycle or is 12/12 ok i need some suggestions im a begginer and i have picture posted on my page if you want to look i just want to grow the plant for the sake of the looks of it i love smoking dope been doing it for 8 years now since grade 7 lol and now im taking an interest in growing seriously till the end of the season when i can harvest and smoke again so anyone with advice please contact me thanks
"J"