Good luck on your super-stealth grow! It looks like it's off to a very good start. I am very anxious to hear if you do receive your seeds as I'm looking to get some myself! But first, lots of practice using bag weed seeds. Some people seem to be die-hard for using the paper towel trick. I didn't have good luck with that. Others will tell you to put the seed in the same medium that you'll be using permanently, in your case the ground. I tried that using a coco/perlite medium and didn't have a single seed sprout. I have, however, had excellent success using a small peat pot and some Miracle Grow SEED STARTING soil. Many, many people will scream when they hear about MG - PERIOD. But if you look around, there are numerous experienced folks who will say the SEED STARTING soil is FINE to start off with. Reason being is that there is very little perlite and/or other aeration and draining compounds in the soil - so it stays nice and moist for a lot longer than what most of us use as a permanent medium. MG seed starting soil does, however, have nutes which many say is a no, no until a week or two into the growth of the plant. I agree with them, but I can't argue with the method that has worked Here's how I do it: I can't disagree with how anal people are about being CLEAN! I have probably lost many possible plants because I forget to wash my hands right before handling the seeds...and after I became ridiculously clean, my success rate has went way up! I disinfect a shot glass, fill it up half way with distilled water. I add my seeds to the water. Initially they will float. They say if you come back 24 hours later and the a seed is still floating, that could be a bad sign but to go ahead and give it a chance anyhow. I usually (after washing my hands) poke at the still-floating seed and it usually sinks, too. The seeds need dark, warmth and moisture to begin life. I read in High Times to take and put a cup over the shot glass - anything to get it in the dark. After it's been 24 hours, return to the seeds and take a small peat pot or small pot of anykind, I guess, and fill it with your favorite seed starting soil (I've mentioned what works for me). I take a toothpick and make a very tiny hole in the top of the soil. I then place the seed in the hole, "knot" end DOWN. The seeds are pointed at one end - that end goes UP. Lightly and loosely bring some soil on top of the seed. I then take a spray bottle, also with distilled water, and gently spray the soil until it has enough to seep down a ways. It does take more than you'd think coming out of a spray bottle, for that reason in itself and because the seed starting soil doesn't drain well so it takes being heavy to propogate it's way down. Now I JUST learned a few days ago that at this point, you're going to want to put this newly planned seed on the same time cycle most of us use for vegetative growth (18/6) and you'll want to put the little pot under a humidity dome (I use plastic wrap and poke holes in the top with a toothpick) to keep in the moisture. Not using 400w lights but something to give it the warmth it needs to grow.
You know I was thinking that you could get it started - in your house where you can care for it easier, and then transplant it where you want it....or, you could take a chance and just put the thing in the ground - you've had success so far doing that. I do understand your concern - if you fail at germination, you're back to buying more seeds. Which brings up another very relevant point. Unless your buying femanized seeds from a seed bank, you only have a 50/50 chance of getting a female. For that reason, it was recommended to me to always buy a 10 or 15 pack (which I know we can't afford to do for the "GOOD SEEDS"). But unless they are femanized and you have really good success at germination, it's definitely going to come with a pucker factor until it sprounds and THEN flowers....it's at that point you'll know if all your effort was put towards excellent practice AND some good bud to smoke, or just practice. Neither of which are a bad thing, but I'd prefer to have both.
I haven't done much reading on growing outdoors - but I do remember reading it being recommended to test the soil pH in several different places around where you intend to grow. Since it looks happy and normal, things likely are fine. I believe it's the same as indoor growing in that if the pH becomes too low (acidic) it will cause the plant to not be able to access the nutes available to it. I thought growing indoors was in-depth...but there are a whole bunch more considerations for outdoor growing I've read...pests, thieves, cops, animals and the occassional human pissing nearby.
I am subscribing to this thread and will keep checking back! I feel your passion for this stuff - I can't BELIEVE it's not legal.
You know I was thinking that you could get it started - in your house where you can care for it easier, and then transplant it where you want it....or, you could take a chance and just put the thing in the ground - you've had success so far doing that. I do understand your concern - if you fail at germination, you're back to buying more seeds. Which brings up another very relevant point. Unless your buying femanized seeds from a seed bank, you only have a 50/50 chance of getting a female. For that reason, it was recommended to me to always buy a 10 or 15 pack (which I know we can't afford to do for the "GOOD SEEDS"). But unless they are femanized and you have really good success at germination, it's definitely going to come with a pucker factor until it sprounds and THEN flowers....it's at that point you'll know if all your effort was put towards excellent practice AND some good bud to smoke, or just practice. Neither of which are a bad thing, but I'd prefer to have both.
I haven't done much reading on growing outdoors - but I do remember reading it being recommended to test the soil pH in several different places around where you intend to grow. Since it looks happy and normal, things likely are fine. I believe it's the same as indoor growing in that if the pH becomes too low (acidic) it will cause the plant to not be able to access the nutes available to it. I thought growing indoors was in-depth...but there are a whole bunch more considerations for outdoor growing I've read...pests, thieves, cops, animals and the occassional human pissing nearby.
I am subscribing to this thread and will keep checking back! I feel your passion for this stuff - I can't BELIEVE it's not legal.
