waynebebay
Well-Known Member
I'm sure you guys probably get a fair share of newbies traipsing about in need of assistance and, fortunately, you get to have another one of those!
Nice to find a forum specifically dedicated to this topic as I am a RI state cardholder myself and became interested in growing as a result. Today, I had listened to a bunch of ways to grow and, actually, around ... 4 or 5 hours ago, I decided I thought I could do this and take on just like one plant to see if I could do it. So here I am. I am also on a budget and wouldn't like to have to pay for some crazy shit right now so if I could please get some input on how to properly do this throughout my growth while saving as much money as possible, that would be greatly appreciated!
So, as of now I am germinating a seed in damp paper towels. I have them in a bowl just chillin in the kitchen.
I am assuming the average germinating time until implanting into soil is around 3 days so I should assume around Tuesday time period that I should have all the supplies ready? Speaking of supplies... I was told that, specifically to the plant, that SuperSoil works wonders but that I should implant the seedling into a coir disk first for a period of growth then transplant into soil? I was thinking of using my basement as a grow room as well. It seems to be a fitting area for one little plant. I just have no clue what lights or set up I should use. I was told that I could get specific bulbs for a simple desk lamp and to hover it close to the soil while backing it off gradually as it grows.
I know I saw the rules saying that you can't comment in someone's journal unless provided the creator's permission so I will say now that I welcome any and all comments, suggestions, criticism, questions, etc. I am very new to this and I will probably need a few pointers so I will appreciate any attentiveness attracted by my quest for growth.
I will also read up on a few other journals to and take notes, and probably end up answering my own questions, haha.
=== From this point on (below this line) I will be adding tips, tricks, how-to's, and just notes of my endeavor. Weed Log, if you will. ===
Germination
To germinate seeds, it is a considerable and expedient option to dampen a paper towel, fold in in halves or however way you find useful, as long as you can have those seeds sitting pretty in a crease. This seems to be the method that is most popular in germination as it seems to have such a quick reaction this way. Some report sprouting within 24 hours! I like to have them in a crease so they are in the most stable portion of the fold. You then want to take this damp paper towel and place it inside of a Ziploc bag. Does NOT have to be fully open. Can be half closed or can even be completely closed. Not sure if there is a difference but if I find out then I will update my information. Lastly, the entirety of this needs to be placed in a warm and damp location, in my instance I have the Ziploc bag on top of my boiler in the basement. Let's recap:
- Damp Paper Towel
- Seeds in crease
- Paper Towel with seeds in Ziploc Bag
- Everything placed in a warm and damp area
Q. When do I put the seeds in soil?
A. If your seeds have popped...
The moment you notice that your seeds have popped, could be within a 24 hour period or even longer, depending on many different types of factors but most importantly strength, you can throw them into the soil. It seems as though some seeds are raring to go while some other ones take their time. I, personally, hope that the seeds raring to go have no correlation in being a male plant ultimately. Now I had a tough time with finding the right soil at a conventional store or even something as well established as Home Depot and or Lowes. I had so many issues at these stores that I quickly just hopped in the car and went to a grow shop. They were awesome, went over so much information and I ended up going with a soil called Manna Mix. It is a very good mix as it already has a lot of the essential elements that keep the seeds in a state of natural habitat. A lot of people swear by their own mixtures and or other soils. There is a common popular home mixture called the Subcool SuperSoil mix that made an underground debut from High Times. Google Subcool SuperSoil mix and there are many step by step guides to make it.
I, myself, followed this:
- Peat Pots
- Manna Mix
Once the seeds pop they are ready to be planted. You can either choose a medium such as Coir Disks or something similar but I went straight to soil. I filled each peat pot about 85% of the way and pressed down lightly until it felt a bit packed. I then fingered a hole around 1/2" to 3/4" in the middle and planted the seeds, ROOTS FACING DOWN, then eyeballed the amount of water that I spritzed in. It left the soil fluffy but hydrated. I, then, bought a plastic tray and a dome (this is not necessary, apparently a dome and humid station, such as mine, is not necessary and mostly used with clones) and a long CFL with a reflector built in until I get my real set up delivered. Once it was all set up and watered, I placed the peat pots in the tray, then spritzed the inside of the dome for humidity and placed the light on top! Viola! Make sure the peat pots are at least 4 inches away from light and ensure all light is being utilized! This is what reflectors are for and why people keep their crop surrounded by the color white. PROVIDE 18 - 24 hours of light a day during this phase!
Notes: CFLs will not burn through plastic, they don't heat up enough to cause damage but they are the best choice for growing on a budget and for small time growers. If you are a big time grower I would invest in HIDs.
Q. Should I obtain fertilizer for use in these stages?
A. Absolutely not during these beginning stages. The seeds have the nutrients (nutes) needed to start off without any additional nutes. Apparently adding fertilizer to start off can be very damaging to a seed so no. Stick with a good soil in the beginning, adding nutrients comes at a later time.
Nice to find a forum specifically dedicated to this topic as I am a RI state cardholder myself and became interested in growing as a result. Today, I had listened to a bunch of ways to grow and, actually, around ... 4 or 5 hours ago, I decided I thought I could do this and take on just like one plant to see if I could do it. So here I am. I am also on a budget and wouldn't like to have to pay for some crazy shit right now so if I could please get some input on how to properly do this throughout my growth while saving as much money as possible, that would be greatly appreciated!
So, as of now I am germinating a seed in damp paper towels. I have them in a bowl just chillin in the kitchen.
I am assuming the average germinating time until implanting into soil is around 3 days so I should assume around Tuesday time period that I should have all the supplies ready? Speaking of supplies... I was told that, specifically to the plant, that SuperSoil works wonders but that I should implant the seedling into a coir disk first for a period of growth then transplant into soil? I was thinking of using my basement as a grow room as well. It seems to be a fitting area for one little plant. I just have no clue what lights or set up I should use. I was told that I could get specific bulbs for a simple desk lamp and to hover it close to the soil while backing it off gradually as it grows.
I know I saw the rules saying that you can't comment in someone's journal unless provided the creator's permission so I will say now that I welcome any and all comments, suggestions, criticism, questions, etc. I am very new to this and I will probably need a few pointers so I will appreciate any attentiveness attracted by my quest for growth.
I will also read up on a few other journals to and take notes, and probably end up answering my own questions, haha.
=== From this point on (below this line) I will be adding tips, tricks, how-to's, and just notes of my endeavor. Weed Log, if you will. ===
Germination
To germinate seeds, it is a considerable and expedient option to dampen a paper towel, fold in in halves or however way you find useful, as long as you can have those seeds sitting pretty in a crease. This seems to be the method that is most popular in germination as it seems to have such a quick reaction this way. Some report sprouting within 24 hours! I like to have them in a crease so they are in the most stable portion of the fold. You then want to take this damp paper towel and place it inside of a Ziploc bag. Does NOT have to be fully open. Can be half closed or can even be completely closed. Not sure if there is a difference but if I find out then I will update my information. Lastly, the entirety of this needs to be placed in a warm and damp location, in my instance I have the Ziploc bag on top of my boiler in the basement. Let's recap:
- Damp Paper Towel
- Seeds in crease
- Paper Towel with seeds in Ziploc Bag
- Everything placed in a warm and damp area
Q. When do I put the seeds in soil?
A. If your seeds have popped...
The moment you notice that your seeds have popped, could be within a 24 hour period or even longer, depending on many different types of factors but most importantly strength, you can throw them into the soil. It seems as though some seeds are raring to go while some other ones take their time. I, personally, hope that the seeds raring to go have no correlation in being a male plant ultimately. Now I had a tough time with finding the right soil at a conventional store or even something as well established as Home Depot and or Lowes. I had so many issues at these stores that I quickly just hopped in the car and went to a grow shop. They were awesome, went over so much information and I ended up going with a soil called Manna Mix. It is a very good mix as it already has a lot of the essential elements that keep the seeds in a state of natural habitat. A lot of people swear by their own mixtures and or other soils. There is a common popular home mixture called the Subcool SuperSoil mix that made an underground debut from High Times. Google Subcool SuperSoil mix and there are many step by step guides to make it.
I, myself, followed this:
- Peat Pots
- Manna Mix
Once the seeds pop they are ready to be planted. You can either choose a medium such as Coir Disks or something similar but I went straight to soil. I filled each peat pot about 85% of the way and pressed down lightly until it felt a bit packed. I then fingered a hole around 1/2" to 3/4" in the middle and planted the seeds, ROOTS FACING DOWN, then eyeballed the amount of water that I spritzed in. It left the soil fluffy but hydrated. I, then, bought a plastic tray and a dome (this is not necessary, apparently a dome and humid station, such as mine, is not necessary and mostly used with clones) and a long CFL with a reflector built in until I get my real set up delivered. Once it was all set up and watered, I placed the peat pots in the tray, then spritzed the inside of the dome for humidity and placed the light on top! Viola! Make sure the peat pots are at least 4 inches away from light and ensure all light is being utilized! This is what reflectors are for and why people keep their crop surrounded by the color white. PROVIDE 18 - 24 hours of light a day during this phase!
Notes: CFLs will not burn through plastic, they don't heat up enough to cause damage but they are the best choice for growing on a budget and for small time growers. If you are a big time grower I would invest in HIDs.
Q. Should I obtain fertilizer for use in these stages?
A. Absolutely not during these beginning stages. The seeds have the nutrients (nutes) needed to start off without any additional nutes. Apparently adding fertilizer to start off can be very damaging to a seed so no. Stick with a good soil in the beginning, adding nutrients comes at a later time.
