Planting my seeds. Help please.

HIGHsenberg420

HIGHsenberg420

Member
Hey all, getting ready to plant my 3 seeds I got today. All 3 are autos. I will not be germinating them before I put them in the soil. I got some good soil from a local grow shop, I have 2 #3 pots and a few 7L pots.

My questions are firstly, since they are Autos I will not be transplanting them. Should I use 7L or #3 which I think for obvious reasons is 3 gallon, next i'm curious if I should mix some Azos or bat guano with water and dampen the soil prior to dropping the seed?

I'm just gonna fill my pots, pack it down a bit, place the seed and throw a little more soil over it. I've got my veg room ready and humidity is high. I have grown tons of shit seeds by just throwing them in the back yard, so i know no matter what they will grow. Just curious how everyone does it.

when do i start putting light on the sprouts? T8 4x4 to start and then ill also turn on the 1000w MH

thanks in advance, Here are a couple pics that might help :peace:
 

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Adjorr

Adjorr

Well-Known Member
3 gallon pots are normal for autos, its good your starting them in there final pots as they do not like being transplanted. They will need light as soon as they sprout, not much at first but it has to be there or they will stretch. Soil amendments like guano can take a few weeks to break down in soil, so it should be fine to add them now, just not directly where the seedling will be. Starting seeds directly in soil is fine to do, and is my preferred method of germination.
 
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Smokenpassout

Well-Known Member
I have learned a few things in planting my favorite blueberry autos. First I use 5 not 3 gallon pots. I find this to be the perfect size for the root system and get healthier yields. I use a 5 gallon soil filled pot from Walmart with the chamber in the bottom that catches all the runoff water. I water well and drain off the excess water so it doesn't get sucked back up later. I also transplant autos as frequently as regular photoperiod. As long as you do it gently and quickly, I don't see plants slowing from stress. I start in smaller pots and work my way up to the final 5 gallon. Hope this helps.
 
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Smokenpassout

Well-Known Member
Yea I just use a pencil to put a 1" to 2" hole and drop the seed in. Then I fill hole with soil, pat lightly, and water in lightly. As soon as I see that green sprout, I stick a 23 watt 5000k CFL about an inch away. I keep it close for a week. Then add another bulb the second week, and so on.....increasing light as plant grows. Also...I'd stay away from the Azos, bat guano, or other additives for a good while until the plant grows a bit. I know how we can sometimes be eager to give things a boost. Now I don't add anything for 30 days. Good soil shouldn't require anything. After 30 days of plain water and plenty light....I start adding 1/4 nutes in my water and working my way up.
 
bullwinkle60

bullwinkle60

Well-Known Member
I plant my seeds in the wet soil and turn on my 400 watt MH and let nature take it's course. I use Fox Farms Ocean Forest Soil so I don/t use any nutes for 3 weeks then I use veg nutes until they start flowering usually around week 4. Lights on 24/7.
 
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Smokenpassout

Well-Known Member
Watering tip less is more. Overwatering will slow things down or poison a plant quick. MJ likes a nice watering followed by a dry period to use it all up! I like to water and wait at least 2-3 solid days for things to dry back up. Pick up your container to check its weight after you water, then don't water again until its feather light. Remember when your sprout is small it only needs a little water around it (u don't need to saturate the whole container). Gradually add more water around the plant as the plant grows and root system develops. I can't stress enough how people overwater. Remember it's a weed it likes the dry period as much as the watering. Also the plant will wilt and look kinda sad if your dry period is too long. For instance I had to leave town for 4 days, so I timed things so it got good a saturation the day I left. When I returned on Day 4 everything was still green and healthy, but the plant looked like a weeping willow. As soon as I watered it was perky again!
 
Twizzlor

Twizzlor

Active Member
I have sprouted a few plants and i have to say i would germinate them in some solo cups or something sorta the same. Popping beans right into the soil makes it a little more difficult and you can over water very easy like that. Been there done that. 3g pots for the autos at the least be careful on watering. If this is your first grow i would not recommend transplanting any autos. Once you transplant a few photos you will understand how it can effect your plants. Be careful on what you listen to sometimes the advice you get is meant for people who have a few grows under there belt. Dont screw yourself over by doing something your not sure about.
 
Twizzlor

Twizzlor

Active Member
HIGHsenberg420 said:
Should i turn my t8 lights on now, or wait until the sprout pops out and start my cycle then?
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Turn your lights on since you never know when they are going to pop through. Also a big tip, once planted give them time and dont mess around in the soil to try and see if your seeds have germed. Some seeds can germ in 24 hours and others may take a few days.
 
BigEasy1

BigEasy1

Well-Known Member
I stick my seeds in a rockwool cube that I previously soaked for a few hours in my tap water which happens to be PH'd about right. I then stick that rockwool cube in one of those small throw away style black plastic containers and slightly cover the top of the rockwool cube with Plagron Grow. After that I add a little tap water then stick it in either my south facing window seal or set it in my grow cabinet with my other more mature auto's under full light. I have a 100% germination rate using this technique. I also end up transplanting each plant normally twice. From the starter plastic thing to a 2 gallon smart pot then to a 5 gallon smart pot. I'm a personal stash only guy and using these techniques, I have awesome grass coming out of my ass. Oh, I plant a new one roughly every four weeks and have a total of three staggered going at any given time under one LED. That's my technique and I'm sticking to it.
 
Twizzlor

Twizzlor

Active Member
I have no access to clones in my area so anything to do with clones im gonna have to do myself with a bunch of research :)
 
HIGHsenberg420

HIGHsenberg420

Member
So when it is time for a watering , would you say around a cup of water is good for a seedling? Yeah im excited to try and clone some of my regular plants(clones im picking up) when they are mature enough.
 
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Smokenpassout

Well-Known Member
I agree with Twizzlor. Some things like transplanting, you get better at over time. I start everything in 16 oz. solo cups. And probably transplant 5 to 6 Times in graduating size pots until I reach my final 5 gallons pots. I find the trick is that the root system is always a little more advanced than you may think. When a plant looks like it may spend a little more time in a pot, it is usually ready to move to the next pot size up. I think transplanting before it needs the next size pot is key. What may look like a fair size plant on top
of the soil....is already filling the bottom of the pot! I think the key to transplanting is developing a gentle technique. I like to transplant before the soil get too dry, but not right after watering. This way the soil stays together. I place the main stem between my ring and middle finger and flip the entire pot over. If you've gently squeezed the pots sides around it first, then it should all slide out. Next to that, I have my bigger pot maybe 1/4 full of soil to bring the plant up to the pots surface more. I gently turn my transplant right side up and place it on top of the soil in the center of the new pot. Then gently fill in the sides with more soil.
 
Twizzlor

Twizzlor

Active Member
Smokenpassout said:
I agree with Twizzlor. Some things like transplanting, you get better at over time. I start everything in 16 oz. solo cups. And probably transplant 5 to 6 Times in graduating size pots until I reach my final 5 gallons pots. I find the trick is that the root system is always a little more advanced than you may think. When a plant looks like it may spend a little more time in a pot, it is usually ready to move to the next pot size up. I think transplanting before it needs the next size pot is key. What may look like a fair size plant on top
of the soil....is already filling the bottom of the pot! I think the key to transplanting is developing a gentle technique. I like to transplant before the soil get too dry, but not right after watering. This way the soil stays together. I place the main stem between my ring and middle finger and flip the entire pot over. If you've gently squeezed the pots sides around it first, then it should all slide out. Next to that, I have my bigger pot maybe 1/4 full of soil to bring the plant up to the pots surface more. I gently turn my transplant right side up and place it on top of the soil in the center of the new pot. Then gently fill in the sides with more soil.
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The first time i ever transplanted the roots where stuck to the sides of a clay pot, ill never let it get bigger in one of them again lol. Thats how i transplant smoke :) the first time you do you will realize that you dont need to over think it just do it, not because you want to because you wont and your scared to screw up, but you have to. As far as watering keep the soil moist until your seed pops out then water until you see a tiny bit of run off, water slow or else you are gonna flood it which is not good and will stunt your plant. Wait a few days and check the first inch of the soil with your finger if it feels dry water again the same way you did before rinse and repeat, this is an on going process that by the time you are in flowering you will just know when to water :). Also dont skimp on your soil because most likely your plant will suffer in it but transplanting is a pain in the ass with cheapo soil it likes to break apart.
 
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Smokenpassout

Well-Known Member
Yes don't skimp on soil. I use a mix of 70 percent fox farm ocean forest to 30 percent Walmart perlite. Some may argue that is expensive but I have a nice yield/success rate with this soil mix, and I don't like mixing 8 things to get a soil recipie! This keeps it simple. I also make sure to keep the exact same mix of ffof and perlite from the starting small pots on up to the larger 5 gallon. Changing soil or using cheaper fill in soil can shock your girl and slow things down.
 
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