i have 5 new AF seedlings destined for an outdoor grow - right now they are 2-4 days after emergence from spoil (germinated in paper towel, after the root was ~1/2 inch put into foxfarm potting soil in 4" pot). i currently have them under a 6500K fluorescent light in a partially climate controlled garage - when it is 95 deg outside it is 84 in the garage and less humid. light cycle is roughly 13/11, mimicking daylight at my latitude. hand watered until they go outside - no automatic irrigation in the garage.
now i have to tend to something unexpected out of town - if i water then thoroughly, how long can they go without attention, and without stress? hoping i can leave Fri morning and be back sun night.
wondering if something like uppotting to 8" would hold moisture longer, temporarily raising the light to 6" or so to reduce heat, etc.
Cover each seedling with a clear dome (a clear Solo cup or a cut pop bottle.) Mist inside the dome and place it over the plant. Give the soil a couple ml of water, place your domes, and they should be fine for 2.5 days.
Seedlings are more tolerant of dry soil than they are wet soil. Don’t overwater.
thanks so much! perfect idea, only wondering if there shouldnt be at least a small hole or two for a modicum pf air circulation? or i guess 2.5 days is short enough?. just worried about mold, i have had it form on potting soil before
No you do not need holes in the dome. This defeats the purpose of having a dome in it as the water will go bye bye in one day. Evaporation. Think of a Green House. If they had holes, it would not be a pretty sight. The purpose is to boost the RH% as the plants are getting water through the leaves. Once roots establish, then water comes through the roots and no longer from the leaves.
I have no holes in mine. I only have to spray twice a day and it’s not much. Once the dome is back on, I spray the soil at the base of the dome. All this does is help. It has worked perfectly for me. Key word…me.
As you may not have the same success as I do. As we all have different environments to deal with.
If they are only a few days old, you don’t need to water them anyway. I don’t water seeds or clones for the first 2 weeks but I do keep them in a dome the whole time. I do not start watering until they come out of the dome and go into the tent. (Or outside)
