Thank you Mazar i Shariff, that was alot of help to me i do have a few more questions before i get this under way. Ive been trying to read up on these things before i ask questions but theres so many places to look with so little time. I have most of the basics down just need the little facts. When should i use my nutes or do i mix the nutes with the water when i water them daily? Also can i use water out of my tap to water them or do they not like it im only useing bag seed i didnt go out and buy any crazy seeds or anything
When to use/mix nutes:
- You want to have your plants in a good, fertile soil to start. Some prefer Happy Frog or FoxFarm premixed. This stuff is great, as it already is fertile, has peat, humic acid, beneficial bacteria, ... but it's about $15 a bag. If you use this, it's very controlled, and you WILL NOT have to feed any seedlings for the first 2-4 weeks. I actually start feeding them by creating very light FOLIAR SPRAYS (you can research how to mix those properly), and spraying them down once a day, or every other day. This spray will also help keep your soil moist, but not drench it the way pouring water on the top soil will. Mixing your own soil, as I typically do, is the same deal. You just want to make sure it's properly fertilized prior to planting so that you can follow the same no feed for 2-4 weeks rule. Even if you don't add fertilizer, most sprouts will still be fine without. For each 5 gallon bucket, 2 parts earthworm castings, 2 parts blood meal, 1 part bone meal, 1 part garden lime would be a great example of a ratio you could use if you fertilize your own mix. AFTER, the 2-4 weeks of no feeding (except water/foliar), you can start by feeding your girls your veg nutrients @ 1/4 strength of what is recommended. If the powder is fine & water soluable, you want to mix it directly into the water. Very few powder mixes are supposed to be prepped like this, as they are usually larger grains & pellets so that it can slow release. If this is the case, mix it into the top 3 inch layer of your soil and it will release with every watering. Some need to be replaced weekly, some bi-weekly, some feeds last up to 2 months. Read about the slow release in the product and find out what to expect.
Tap Water:
-If you have quality tap water, by all means use it. Just know, there are lots of addatives that should be filtered out prior to using it. Two main ones, being chlorine & flouride. There's also hard minerals & salts in non-filtered water that can become a problem if used frequently over time. For this, I would recommend using a Brita or PUR water filter or faucet adapter. I bought one the other day @ home depot for $24, it came with a new & improved filter to get you started that will last a good while. This is worth every penny, and is the bare minimum that you should do for your plants as far as water filtration. Because I do larger amounts of water frequently for my 7 footers, I use a Heavy Duty GE Household water filter w/ an upgraded carbon filter. Cost around $65. I'm actually looking to upgrade again to the GE Reverse Osmosis systems, as that is the absolute best system you can run your water thru prior to feeding. It will have basically nothing in it, and is actually noticably tastier if you have a glass for yourself and see the difference between that & tap. A more advanced system like that runs you $175-200. Regardless, all these things can be used not only for your plants health, but YOURS as well. Whether it's drinking a glass of water, boiling pasta in chlorinated water vs filtered, or smoking bud that's fed by tap vs smoking filtered, water quality is EXTREMELY important and you WILL notice a difference!
Also, spend the $100 on eBay for a PPM/PH/EC unit if you do not already have one. It will allow you to test your tap water, filtered water, nutrient solutions, and runoff water coming from the bottom of your pots after you feed/flush that will tell you a lot of information that those without are simply left guessing!
Day 2 One of my babys has sprouted
Day 4 of my babys. Think i should add more soil or are they fine?