First grow. Am I making mistakes or just being far too worrisome.

[ghostlytrees]

Growing Info for what its worth:

• 100% Coco Coir, General Hydroponics brand.
  
  
• Roughly 640 Watts of COB LED, DIY. 8 Vero 29 SE Type D, 2100 ma
  
  
• 2 Gallon Smart Pots
  
  
• Germinated in 48 hours in rapid rooters under a hood and heat mat. Rapid rooters transplanted into Coco immediately after germination.
  

Feeding:

• Nutrients: GH Trio
  
  
• Tap Water Starting PH: ~7.5
  
  
• Tap Water Starting PPM: ~120
  

So I originally started out on first day by feeding a gallon of nutrient water withj 1/4 strength nutes (per directions on the bottle) and emptying the entire gallon per pot, per plant. Because I was under impression is damn near impossible to over water coco, even 100% coco, I went with it. After that first day, I switched to 1/2 gallon of 1/4 strength nute water for each plant, twice a day. Thats what I have been doing for last two days up until now.

TO BE CLEAR, THIS IS THE FIRST DAY OF THE SEEDLING SURFACING. Yesterday evening there was only taproot under the surface. This morning there was this guy.

Questions:

Am I overwatering (based on pure quantity of water, 1/2 gallon, gallon, etc).

Should I be using nutes like I am when they are still seedlings? Being that Coco is inert, I thought I should but perhaps too much?

My light distance. Currently, I have it about as high as it would go, roughly ~50 inches from the top of the smart pots. I planned on having to move it close in accordance with how big the plants grow, but how close should I get for an LED?

Thank you all so much for any help.

 

[deePTokEn]

hmm from my experince buddy I wouldn't be giving any nutes yet.. I have seedlings that are about 10-14 days old now that are doing fine and they are doing just well off of phd rain water.
Here they are here they are AFghan Skunk which I got from aittude last year
I have them under some 8 cfls 23 watt 6400k and they are litterally right under the plant inch away with no burns or worries.

I dont know that much but I know enough to grow me a few pounds everyyear outdoor but yeah hold off on the nutes man untill atleast 3-4 inches tall and they have a few real leafs. and another tip too for Seedlings just keep it moist ! not too wet or muddy but moist and humid .

good luck bro.

 

[deePTokEn]

here are a few more pics of my seedlings that just broke ground today too as well



my whole set up for now its cheap but it works for me.


I have 2 afghan skunks that are fem seeds for sure, and I had a bunch of good looking bag seeds that I picked out the best 14 thoes are the ones on the right on a heating pad and humid dome.

Cheers

 

[Weed-noob]

Is that a 3 gallon fabric pot for a seedling?

 

[ghostlytrees]

Is that a 3 gallon fabric pot for a seedling?

No, its a 2 Gallon per the post I made, in bulleted text right in the beginning.

 

[Kassiopeija]

Sometimes Coco comes slightly pre-fertilized. You can only be sure if you test that out with an EC meter, the brand I use shows 0.3 EC which is still much better for seedlings/clones than the +4.0 of prefertilized standard soil.

 

[*BUDS]

Start feeding them about the 2nd/ 3rd watering, 100% coir has no nutes so they will be hungry. Also start them in smaller pots next time, plants like the coco to dry every 3/4 days then water/feed, they dont like sitting in the same wet giant pot that never seems to dry. Small seedlings can only drink so much.

 

[Ohitsme]

Doesn't matter if the coco is inert. (I'm growing in coco currently.) a plant that small has all the nutrients it needs. When the cotyledons turn brown and look like they are dead is when I started my first dose of nutes.

 

[DudebeDoobie]

What he said

 

[sparkygeek]

I probably give my seedlings a teaspoon of plain water per day when they are that small. Bottom line the seedlings don't need significant nutrients and the roots are very susceptible to burn when they are that small. (Why take the chance?) Seedlings do quite well with water for 1-2 weeks... Best of luck!

 

[valjack]

Since this thread is kinda new I would like to ask a question. I have germinated seeds in Fox Farm seedling starter soil in little black 2' X 2' plastic square cups and then placed in a humidity tray with heating pad on low and a dome with vents open. I just read tons on this and it seems I do not need the heating mat or dome. Three out of 10 have popped up .
Question is: These will be going into my greenhouse outside as soon as they are a little bigger. In the meantime it is absolutely necessary to place a light over the little seedlings right now? Or can I leave them in the dark. Thanks.
I used humidity dome last year and all my seedlings turned into monster plants but they sure stretched way too much reaching for the light. This is why I ask.

 

[Yzfirecat]

Since this thread is kinda new I would like to ask a question. I have germinated seeds in Fox Farm seedling starter soil in little black 2' X 2' plastic square cups and then placed in a humidity tray with heating pad on low and a dome with vents open. I just read tons on this and it seems I do not need the heating mat or dome. Three out of 10 have popped up .
Question is: These will be going into my greenhouse outside as soon as they are a little bigger. In the meantime it is absolutely necessary to place a light over the little seedlings right now? Or can I leave them in the dark. Thanks.
I used humidity dome last year and all my seedlings turned into monster plants but they sure stretched way too much reaching for the light. This is why I ask.

If you have popped seedlings out of your growing medium they definitely need light. Use a cfl to keep them happy till you move them outside.

 

[valjack]

Thank you very much for taking tje time to reply! Much appreciated.

 

[Yzfirecat]

Thank you very much for taking tje time to reply! Much appreciated.

No problem. Get them lady's some good old 18-6

 

[Bowser4:20]

Ive always gone smaller with the pot size and built up to bigger. Ive thought about doing it so keep us up dated with how it goes goes straight from a 2 gallon pot please if you dont mind.

Oh and from where your at now. I knkw some have said no nutrients but i use a very weak dutch pro about 1 ml per litre, works for me and i have a tested this because i did 2 with nutrieuts and 2 without from seeds and the 2 with look better now.

Best of luck.

 

[valjack]

If you have popped seedlings out of your growing medium they definitely need light. Use a cfl to keep them happy till you move them outside.

Would like your opinion. I have put the 1/2 inch seedlings under 2 CFL's on a 18/6 as you suggested. What I would really like to do is just bring these little babies into my greenhouse and let nature do its thing. I only grow in greenhouse or outdoors using sunlight. Do you think it will be ok? Maybe I should take only a few to see how they react? Thanks in advance.
Oh...very important...I bought 9 clones beginning of April and placed in greenhouse not even thinking it was too early but yep...to early...started to flower. I bought a full strength nitrogen solution from grow store and have put lights on in greenhouse all night for past 2 weeks leaving lights on in greenhouse all night. Just now, past few days, am starting to cut back on the lights a few hours, trimming down light time. Looks to me like they may be going to re-veg.
So...if I bring the 1/2 inch seedlings into greenhouse AND leave lights on say for 18/6 for now ...what do you think?
Opinion appreciated. This is only my third grow. Plus I am spraying underleaves with Peruvian Gold HEAD START.

 

[Yzfirecat]

Would like your opinion. I have put the 1/2 inch seedlings under 2 CFL's on a 18/6 as you suggested. What I would really like to do is just bring these little babies into my greenhouse and let nature do its thing. I only grow in greenhouse or outdoors using sunlight. Do you think it will be ok? Maybe I should take only a few to see how they react? Thanks in advance.
Oh...very important...I bought 9 clones beginning of April and placed in greenhouse not even thinking it was too early but yep...to early...started to flower. I bought a full strength nitrogen solution from grow store and have put lights on in greenhouse all night for past 2 weeks leaving lights on in greenhouse all night. Just now, past few days, am starting to cut back on the lights a few hours, trimming down light time. Looks to me like they may be going to re-veg.
So...if I bring the 1/2 inch seedlings into greenhouse AND leave lights on say for 18/6 for now ...what do you think?
Opinion appreciated. This is only my third grow. Plus I am spraying underleaves with Peruvian Gold HEAD START.

If your getting more than 13+ of daylight then yea put them in the greenhouse. What kind of lights are u leaving on in the greenhouse. How close? I'd worry about your seedlings stretching a lot if the lights up high. Cfl spirals need to be around 6in away or they will really stretch. Clones not so much. I got 2 clones from a flowering plant. 2 weeks under 18-6 and they came back. Its was a slow process. Mine is doing great this is one I'm current training.

 

[valjack]

If your getting more than 13+ of daylight then yea put them in the greenhouse. What kind of lights are u leaving on in the greenhouse. How close? I'd worry about your seedlings stretching a lot if the lights up high. Cfl spirals need to be around 6in away or they will really stretch. Clones not so much. I got 2 clones from a flowering plant. 2 weeks under 18-6 and they came back. Its was a slow process. Mine is doing great this is one I'm current training.

 

[Yzfirecat]

Even if u get them all in the greenhouse and just supplement the extra hours of light with CFL's as long as there close to ur seedings that will be perfect. Just keep everybody on the same schedule. Clones can just sit tight till they re veg they don't need direct light.

 

[valjack]

Ok. I understand about the seedlings stretching if light far away. That happened to me last year. I compensated by planting deeper into the soil when transplanting into next size up and they seemed to end up fine. Actually, after transplanting from 5 gallon buckets to 20 gallon smartpots they were pretty big in end....maybe 10 ft tall so the stretching in beginning had no long term damage.
I got antsy and took half of the seedlings and put directly into greenhouse sort of experiment. The lights in greenhouse are a chandelier type way up in top ceiling but i added 2 table top lights without shades and draped over the beam so have 2 lights closer. I will keep checking on them. Thank you for ypur response.