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Hey guys im super new here. I can start off by saying i started off germinating the seeds from my bag in paper towels then planted after roots showed. All the plants showing are ten ish days old. How do they look. First set of leaves that pop out look small? I know i should use better lighting but im using six 30w cfl's both ends of the spectrum any advice because i feel like the plants are small.
Welcome, technician. Looks like you have a good start going.
For your lights - you don't need to cover full spectrum while they're just starting out. You should focus on the 5500-6500K range for this beginning growth stage.
Also, in one of your pictures, it looks like almost an inch of water sitting on top of your Solo cup. Did you just pour that, and so it wasn't drained yet? I haven't started seeds in a cup like that before, but I see plenty of people that do. You may want to poke/drill a couple holes in the bottoms or on the sides near the bottoms of those cups for drainage.
yeah i just pored wasnt drained yet. And ok ill do away with the extra lights. Also git more bag seeds have any waynyou can tell to help me start them out. As you can see im on a shoestring budget i understand quality may not be great but id like to get some experience.
Well, you have seeds, light, and water. You have put them together in the correct combo so far, and they have already started out. You will want to get used to watering them right now so you know how much water they will need day to day. While they are still seedlings, you should be reading everything you can find about everything they are going to need. If you are on a budget, you may not want to purchase any nutrients and just try to do a natural grow. If you can afford some nutrients, I would try to find something that is for plant health, not specific for veg or flower stages. Something like Thrive Alive, Superthrive, Mycorrhizae products, or root-growth products like Root Excelurator (expensive but effective) may work best for you. Read ALL about it!
I am on my first grow currently. I tried to learn as much as I could before starting but there are new things every single day that worry or excite me and it's a great feeling. If you want your girls to do well, learn as much as you possibly can before they start growing fast.
Thanks for the help. Always good to do some research. Ill keep things updated
Doog is right, you don't need a lot of light, check out my seeds in my thread (winter 2013/2014 Garden). Im using 2 T5's 2000 lumen each 6500k spectrum
yours look fine, this stuff takes time, don't expect it to happen so fast, also the strain has a lot to do with it also
a little humidity dome will help regulate the temperature, one main key to starting seeds it to keep a constant environment.
since your using solo cups. find a clear solo cup Ive seen them around stores. take one and mount it upside down on top of the ones you have, walla you have a cheap Moisture Dome.
Welcome technician. I want to reiterate d00g's warning about drainage. Standing water is bad bad bad. Promotes disease and suffocates the roots. Make sure your cups have holes in the bottom and use a good medium that drains well. It's worth the hassle for certain.
Thanks for all the help guys. I do have holes in my cuo. Moisture dome sounds like a good idea. Ill post more pics with updates as i go