First Timer, seeing if I'm on the path to good greens

Hi, doesnt sound too bad dude..Maybe try to get the lights a lil closer..
I use the ferts when the two round leaves dropped off, seems a lot of people do this too, or when you have the 5th/6th set of proper leaves.. use a diluted fert to start with and work up to a dose youre happy with.. not too much tho... you might wanna try to find a seperate source of nitrogen, i recently got some sulphate of ammonia, nitrogen food that is aimed at cabbages and brassicas.. the plants have perked up real nice...I am using 1/10th of the suggested dosage..will prolly only take it upto approx 1/5th.
but i'd see how youre babies grow on their own in the soil first.. wait n see if the plants tell you theyre short on nutes, or ya might get burn..

jus my .2

good luck

^ Like he said, I didn't use nutes until my plants showed signs of a defiecency, usually its just nitrogen(at least in my case). And if you are using those cool white shop light flourescents, put them only maybe an inch away from the plants. With mine they put out virtually no heat, so just put your hand under and if its not burning, you should be fine. Oh and, atleast on mine, the bulbs have the wattage printed on 'em. They are probably 40watts a piece.

Thanls guys, sounds good I'll try and get the lights lowered a little. I'm going to run out to the store and get some papers, then I'll try and get some pictures up.

My bulbs are 25 watts, should I be changing these to a higher wattage later?

Well shit.. I got my pictures taken and I can not find my USB cord for the life of me to transfer them to the PC. This sucks I was really wanting to have a visual diagnosis.

I have a quick question. What would be the best time to transplant (should I transplant or 3 or 5 gallon pots?) and should I use anything to help them from the shock?

All depends on how the plants are growing.. mine needed replanting after 15 days, i thought i was gonna have a weedy lil root sys, and infact it had virtually filled the bottom of its 1st first pot...As for stress, Get some SuperThrive, that helps alot.

more importantly try to let your plant become moderately established a lil before you disturb it, stress to early on in its life can be a disaster.. i try to transplant once only..

Thanks for the help. When can I expect to see it really grow? LOL so anxious (I know it takes time) it's maybe a little over 2 inches which I think is good for now. I planted the seed with about a 1.5" root and it has been sprouted out of the ground for 7 1/2 days now. Temp right now is 76*F

Also remember I have my plants each in 8.5 oz. insulated foam cups. Is this sufficient growing room for 15 days? What's an idea height and # of leaves sets for 15 days sprouted? Will I notice the roots starting to fill the cup?(I also poked small drain holes in the bottoms of the cups) I haven't watered them in a few days the soil still appears moist.

The Super Thrive, do you just follow the directions with it? Do you put it on before or after transplanting and is there a chance it could harm my babies?

Well my plants are about 3.5"'s tall now and the 2 leaves ( of 4) on each are starting to develop, I introduced some really weak nutes (30-10-10 mix w/ secondary plant nutes 1/4 tea spoon to about 2.1 qts. H2O I did this a few hours ago and watered them with it very lightly)Little less than half what Miracle grow recommends.

Now for the question.
My stem is purple from the soil up to the leaves on both of my plants? What does this mean? Is this normal? good? bad? possibly it's trying to tell me something? PLEASE if any could help me with info or tell me what to do exactly it would be greatly appreciated.(the stems have been this way for 3-4 days)


Other question my plants are still in the 8.5 oz. foam cups I have pots ready for transplant just not sure exavtly when and how frequently should I be watering them in the 8.5 oz. cups?

Ok, so far as i know, purple stems are fine at the beginning stages.. mine were purple and the new batch of LR#2's i'm doin are too... it usually goes after a few days, i think the last lot of mine were green at the 9/10 days..It depends on the strain etc..

Have a read thru the FAQ and the Newbie section, there's a bunch of threads about purple stems, and purple branches etc in later growth. It'll give you a better indication of what to expect and how to remedy it if it happens later on in your grow.

As for watering them, that again all depends on their enviroment... for example, mine are indoors in a spare room that is centrally heated by the rest of the house, they dry out pretty quick and need a decent watering every 3 days.. i always let the soil dry out a lil, as this lets the roots get oxygen, and apparently helps promote better/more root growth, and the better its rooted the better your potential yield could be.

Did you heft the pots to get a comparison on their weight dry and wet??
My 0.2 would be to say let them dry out a lil, put your finger an inch into the soil, and see if its damp..if its reasonably damp/moist, leave them until the next day, if its dry, water them..

Personally i always under water, as its easier to remedy any problems..You'll also lessen the chances of root rot and mold etc.
The plants will generally look dehydrated when they REALLY need water..and dont be worried if the leaves droop a tad after you water.

Note :- the most common mistakes by new growers are to over do everything, in a vain attempt to do the best for your babies..