Quote Originally Posted by profitprophet
Hey there, I hope I can reap a little wisdom from some experienced indoor growers...

I'm growing my first crop in a couple small planters...just a basic schwag, I'm not sure if I'll even separate the genders. Anyway, I just have a couple questions...

1) How long should I expect to wait until I see the first pairs of leaves pop up from the seedlings in the soil?

2) I'm using a couple hot incandescents right now for the vegetative stage...on 24 hours. Is that ok for the first week or so until I get fluorescents?

3) What kind of fluorescent light would you recommend? I hear HPS lights help grow larger buds, but are antithetic to early plant growth. Should I use MH for the vegetative state and then HPS for the flowering stage?

4) Is fertilizer absolutely necessary? I'm using your basic Scotts potting soil...

Thanks in advance and happy toking...
**Seeds (when germinated correctly either in soil or any other medium) can take up to 7 days before they emerge as seedlings (depending on what they are planted in and how deep). Generally they should be 1cm under the soil surface on soil grows.

**Flouros (CFLs) are not the same as HPS or MH. The latter two are HIDs. CFLs have internal ballasts and are far, far cheaper than the latter mentioned. With the others, you will have to buy an external ballast and spend a lot more money. If you are using regular bulbs right now, I would assume you probably can't afford a several hundred dollar investment on externally ballasted lights. If you get CFLs, then get 1-2 per plant with as much light output per bulb as you can find. At that, I would get CFLs are rapidly as possible at the very least (as in within the next 24-48 hours). Incans really SUCK when it comes to growing, put out a TON of heat, and give off almost no light.

**Yes, feeding (nutes / ferts) is absolutely necessary for things to survive - just like people die if they aren't fed. It's not hard to give nutes to your plants, just add them every few waterings depending on stage of growth and how much diluent you use.

Sorry I can't help more but I have to get back to my real job. Good Luck!