First time New England grow, need some soil help

I'm growing outdoors for the first time this year and was hoping to ask a few question. While I have done a ton of research, something are still unclear.

I plan on using a jiffy tray to germinate the seeds, and then transferring them to solo cups and growing them inside for a couple weeks.

1) What type of soil should I use in the cups? I assume the plainer the better
2) How long would you recommend keeping them inside for? I was planning on started them in early April and moving them in the first week or so of May.

After that I planned to move them outside, placing them in holes filled with Kellogs Patio Plus.

3) Should I, can I mix this with anything? I was planning on adding a little compost and perlite, but was concerned about burning the plants.
4) If I were to add anything to is, what should it be and at what ratio?

Also, if anyone could redirect me to links about knowing when to furt/nute...

Thanks guys

I'm starting a grow in New England too, RI to be exact. I'm going to be doing basically the same thing as you so hopefully we can bounce experience back and forth.

1. I think that plain potting soil would be fine, maybe with a small amount of nitrogen rich nutes but nothing too serious.
2. I think if you keep them inside for a month they may be pretty large, a foot or more depending on your available space. They'd certainly be strong enough to transplant after a month but it all relies on your space indoors.
3. Compost and perlite would be fine. Perlite has no nutritional value it just holds and releases water and aerates soil for drainage. Sounds like a highly organic set up. I wouldn't worrt about burning them.
4. I'm starting off with some dried blood and various veg mixes of peat moss and guano and other nitrogen rich things. I hear lime is a good pH booster, but I'm yet to pick some up. 10-3-4 seems to be okay for veg. And of course into flowering boost up the Phosphorus and Potassium.

And I think watering frequently and adding your nutes every few days should be good. I'm no expert but I don't see a plant being all TOO touchy, just don't put drastic amounts of things into your plants. I mean, it is a natural plant, not some crazy temperamental time bomb.

Happy Growing and best of luck!! BP

April 15 is a good day (the earliest) to start seeds for NE. In 2 weeks they should be a couple inches tall and if you can hold them under lights indoors until their in 1/2 gallon pots (about 4 weeks) they should be good to move outside by May 15. Just watch the 10-day forecast so there are no freezing nights.

There is no need to use any fertilizer until they get a foot tall or more. Even then go easy.

I started some last year June 1 (from seed) and they grew into TREES.

Like BlackPeter said, Perlite won't burn them, but too enriched soil can definitely hurt them. I've learned the less you mess with them the better.

Last year was my first growing outdoors and by mid July they were 12FEET high. My worry was keeping them trimmed! Just plant them like you would tomatoes and they'll thrive.

Another lesson I learned is that the later you start them (if you wait until June) the less sun you want them to get in the beginning.

Just put your seedling into a cup of the patio plus my friend you will be fine. Now if you want to go the extra mile read my thread it will tell you what I mix with patio plus once I go in the ground. good luck dirrtyd

I will tell you that I had great luck (ugh) with Miracle grow. I figured I just had to bring some water on my "hike" and
if anyone popped in on me all I was carrying was water and "stumbled" onto the grow. Of course when it's buddin'
time you gotta have bloom nutes in there. I pulled over 1/2 lb from a couple of plant's last year. We had a great grow
season as far as sun goes up here last year! I am sooo pumped I have some fellow growers in MA.!!!!!

rfmshamrock said:

April 15 is a good day (the earliest) to start seeds for NE. In 2 weeks they should be a couple inches tall and if you can hold them under lights indoors until their in 1/2 gallon pots (about 4 weeks) they should be good to move outside by May 15. Just watch the 10-day forecast so there are no freezing nights.

There is no need to use any fertilizer until they get a foot tall or more. Even then go easy.

I started some last year June 1 (from seed) and they grew into TREES.

Like BlackPeter said, Perlite won't burn them, but too enriched soil can definitely hurt them. I've learned the less you mess with them the better.

Last year was my first growing outdoors and by mid July they were 12FEET high. My worry was keeping them trimmed! Just plant them like you would tomatoes and they'll thrive.

Another lesson I learned is that the later you start them (if you wait until June) the less sun you want them to get in the beginning.

Click to expand...

Yes, as far as the sun. I usually put them out on very cloudy day.

what type of jiffy are you using? i have pellets that expand to be about 3 inches- when i transplant it has to be bigger than a solo cup. If they are more than a couple of inches tall i' d use good dirt not just plain. If i plant in regular soil i use montys carbon liquid first-helps a lot, other than that i buy miracle grow organic.
I would introduce them to sun on all of the good days.
With ferts i do High P in the beginning (up til bout 1.5-2 feet) then some High N fert until near Flowering.... then i fert with micro nutes. and flush before i transplant them for flowering. when in flowering stage Go back to High P nute value. I won't have to fert for awhile (my grow season) so im a lil foggy on how i use the K nute but if you want to know i can look over my notes from yrs b4 if i can find them. Good luck

Hey guy,
Sorry it too me so long to get back to this, but thanks for all the help. I think I have it pretty down at this point, now its just up to experience...

growUS: I looked at the Jiffy tray, I dont think they should get that large by the looks of it, thanks for the warning though.

Im struggling to find any Kellogs in the area, but have found some local stuff that looks pretty good and is entirely organic.

Do you guys have any advice on hardening? Is there much more too it than putting them outside, in the shade for a couple of hours, 3-4 days before you plant them? When you do plant them, what size holes do you recommend? I realize bigger is probably better, but soil does cost money. The grow is a guerrilla grow, so it will only be one plant per hole.

Also, what do you guys normally use to transport water? A friend and I have discussed what the best way to do this would be, but are struggling to come up with some non-awkward ways to do it. Figure some of you have had to do it before and may have come up with some nice tricks.

Becareful when you move outside last avg.frost date around here(I'm
in Mass) is something like may 20-25, general guidline for planting is Memorial day.If you have a plant that was vegged indoors and hardened off early it MIGHT withstand an earlier planting, also watch the 10 day forcast,last yr I planted the week before Memorial day due to good weather.How many plants you doing? For about under $100 you can get a 3cu ft bale of Promix and some amendments which when mixed with native soil would do a good size plot.

Bigdoggdave said:

Hey guy,
Sorry it too me so long to get back to this, but thanks for all the help. I think I have it pretty down at this point, now its just up to experience...

growUS: I looked at the Jiffy tray, I dont think they should get that large by the looks of it, thanks for the warning though.

Im struggling to find any Kellogs in the area, but have found some local stuff that looks pretty good and is entirely organic.

Do you guys have any advice on hardening? Is there much more too it than putting them outside, in the shade for a couple of hours, 3-4 days before you plant them? When you do plant them, what size holes do you recommend? I realize bigger is probably better, but soil does cost money. The grow is a guerrilla grow, so it will only be one plant per hole.

Also, what do you guys normally use to transport water? A friend and I have discussed what the best way to do this would be, but are struggling to come up with some non-awkward ways to do it. Figure some of you have had to do it before and may have come up with some nice tricks.

Click to expand...

Im in New England as well and movin outdoors for my first time this summer as well, def interested to see peoples opinions on getting water to the grow....
I have a 90acre plot with the stream running through it, I'm thinkin either remote res with a hose at the bottom I can just drag out to the diffferent spots and water, or even just to get the grow off run a hose going up from the river and just hose 'em down, its clean VT mountain runoff...

IDK..Might come down to just strapping fat water containers to the 4 wheeler or the truck and hike it in from a certain point (as not to leave quad tracks leading driectly to my grow)

Def wanna hear some other setups though...

How does everyone go about transplanting their actual sproutlings from indoor setup to outdoor? As in without being shady about it....lolz

i water with camel packs i believe (like a water backpack/bladder for hikers, ect.)- its easy to explain yourself if you get caught.
as far as a hole goes, i like 4ft deep and 3 ft wide but bigger is better (just make sure the soil is loose, so you wont get root bound)
if you don't want to buy tons of soil, that carbon liquid i mentioned above is a soil conditioner- its cheap for a small bottle and you can still use ferts but probably won't have to until flowering.

i transplant to my final lot when my plants are around 3ft tall, i don't think there is an unshady way to do it lol... i go at night or very carefully in the day not hiding anything.