100% (3 of 3) germination, now 2 questions

Northern Lights Autos, these all popped within 24hrs of each other from soil and pH’d water with no added nutes. They are currently under clear plastic cake cover domes and I’ve misted a couple times a day since I’ve seen them. I have two CFL fixtures with six 6500K lights each about 6” above the plants, which are in 5gal smart pots. Should I leave the domes on or let them breathe? The soil is what I would describe as barely damp, and I can’t imagine them going 7-10 days without water even though the pots were watered well before planting. What do you guys think? Domes or not, and if so for how long? I don’t want to over water so is misting adequate? Any other observations welcome also. Thanks.

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Keep misting them with the domes on and only pull domes off for a few min each day… if those are 5 gallon pots you can poor a cup of water around the edge of the pot every 2 or 3 days… you want the plant to look for the water , not sit in it… :wink:
:v: :sunglasses:

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Thanks @peachfuzz. Sounds solid.

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I prefer to only mist my plants when they are that small. There roots have not developed enough to take up water yet and overwatering could cause damping off.
I would suggest to just keep misting and leave the dome on taking it off a few times a day
To exchange the air.
I usually continue misting until they have a couple sets of true leafs

As peach said it’s good to let to roots search out the water, allowing them to search for then water will help establish a stronger root system

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Thanks @Jmesser80

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Anytime :+1: don’t hesitate to ask any questions. The only stupid question is the one that doesn’t get asked.

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I agree with @Jmesser80. I also make an effort to NOT mist the leaves, at the early stages especially, to help prevent burn caused by the lensing effect that water droplets have.

If you want to mist the leaves, do it just before lights out or after lights out. They should be dry before the lights come back on.

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So @merlin44 you mist around the base of the plant only? I was wondering about that. Thanks. I can change the spray nozzle to prevent that or just block the spray with my hand.

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Exactly what I do @Nod.

Check out my first grow attempt: First Grow From Beginning to End

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Correct. That’s what I do is spray around the base of the plant

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If I even use a dome, I won’t set it up to cut off air flow to the plant. I still poke a hole in the top for air to escape and raise it off the ground a little for air to go in…

The purpose of that dome is to raise humidity right? Well 80-85% will be the maximum you ever need, not 100%. On top of that if you don’t create a way for air to continue to move through there then you are cutting off the CO2 supply to the plant which is never good.

If you even have the slightest build up of moisture on the walls of the dome then you have effectively raised humidity to where it needs to be. If the dome walls are completely covered in moisture then humidity levels are too high…

FYI, I successfully grow and hardly ever put a dome one on a plant. I consider them to be more of a specialty item to be used in certain scenarios of low humidity, but don’t take my word for it, experiment some for yourself. For some people, the domes are part of their growing protocol, and they always use them. In the end it will be what fits you. That’s why I say experiment. :v:

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Thanks @TDubWilly. I have been letting them breathe a few times a day but I’m about to try something new. My humidity is low, about 30-40%. I’m circulating outside air with an intake fan and using an exhaust fan of equal cfm. I am using a pedestal fan in the room and a small ceramic heater. I have a humidifier that I may set up tonight and run on a timer to see what happens. My job is experimenting, and I know the value of that method. Thanks for your input.

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