36 W CFL?
#1 Where would one find one of those?
#2 Are they suggesting CFL because they put off less heat? They do suggest putting it 2 inches away from the seedlings.
#3 I have many led lights with low wattage. Would they do as well?
What is your main light? Soil, hyrdo, etc.? Are you doing this because you failed previously…if so, what did you do before?
First of all thanks for the response. My main lights are AC infinity. One is 400W and I have 4 100W. I also have 40W and twenty six Watt LED’s. I am growing in soil. The last grow was Big Bud and several didn’t come up and three of them were very slow in the growth department. I had planed this time to go by the ILGM book. They are after all their seeds and I am sure they have tried many different ways to germinate and this was the simplest and most successful.
They will. There is nothing unique about CFLs that makes them more desirable. It’s just that they are inexpensive and okay for seedlings. You’ll want better lighting after the 1st week.
You can use your regular LEDs if you wish, but be sure that the intensity (or light distance) is such that it isn’t too hot.
The recommended PPFD for seedlings is ~300.
Overwatering is the most common cause of stunting. Seedlings only need a few ml of water per day.
Thanks, Helpful information and I will PPFD of ~300 in mind.
Thank you again.
I typically just mist my seedlings until they get their 2nd set of mature leaves. From that point I only water about 4 to 5 oz twice a week. Although, I’m using pro mix on my current run and I seem to have to water a bit more.
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Agree 100% on over watering. Another common cause of slow growth is low temperatures. I have had my best results when the ambient temperature for seedlings is about 80F. At 70 to 75, growth has been sluggish and also tends to not dry the soil out fast enough.
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Thank you very much for being specific. What kind of soil would you suggest for starting the seeds. I have been looking at seed starting soils but there are a lot of them. When the plants are ready they are going into Roots Organic Original.
Thank you merlin. 80 degrees for the seedlings and lite on the water.
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My last run I used roots organic. Typically what I do since I grow strictly autos and I start them in their forever pot. I make a hole in the center of the soil and fill that with Happy Frog since it so mild and won’t burn the seedling.
How big of a hole? A couple of fingers? Do you then but a hole in the Happy Frog about the size of the seed and a half inch deep?
Haven’t used Roots Organic Original, but I’ve been successfully growing in Roots Organics Lush from seed indoors…seed in a shot glass/cup with water, in the dark/covered somewhere 70-80 F (like on top of a receiver, cable box, etc.), and have a tail in ~24 hrs…plant that a half an inch down in the final bucket of soil and cover with a misted humidity dome (like a plastic container) until it has the first set of true leaves and they get off to a good start.
Thank you Mozzy. Once again very specific.
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So is that oxygen or CO2 you are pumping to them? I’m glad they don’t have an anus or I would need to buy a thermometer.
I use a red cup. Push it about 1/4 of the cup down. Fill that with happy frog. Take a seed that I’ve soak approx 18 hrs, drop it 1/4 inch in the soil. Mist the area and put a dome over it. For the dome, I just cut the bottom of a water bottle off. Mist it once daily until she pops
Actually neither; it is just an aerator pump since I grow in organic soil with just water using GrowBuckets, which create a water reservoir space at the bottom…aerator just oxygenates the water through air-stones (like a fish tank bubbler) so it doesn’t stagnate.
The roots seem to love it too; I am having space issues with just three of those four left in the tent, and I supercropped the middle one when it when it was 53 Days old and 40” from the soil for space issues :
That’s funny…I do think people buy way more than they need, to successfully grow for personal use because we just don’t know any better when we start and there are too many variables, and people trying to sell things.
You guys are very helpful and I appreciate the input. I said when I started this adventure that the learning curve look steep. Even at that I had no idea.