Making preps to get started, and @raustin since I have mirrored my indoor grow system to be pretty much like yours, I’ll hope for your input if you have time.
My growers light is 7 -10 days out based on an email I got this weekend. I have WW Fem seeds on order from ILGM which will probably arrive about the same time.
But I plan to pop a seed of unknown strain and unknown sex just to try out the process…we discussed this “trial run” last week.
I got the Rapid Rooter cups you suggested: Should I soak the seeds for 24 - 48 hours watching for a tail? Just hoping for a brief overview of the best way to get the seeds started and planted in the grow tent since we have the same gear to work with. I wont let the “trial” seedling go to maturity as not to waste resources on an unknown. This is just a test run to see if I can get the seedling going or if I see issues before I pop the real deal.
THANKS!!!
EDIT: Let me add I have watched videos and read tons on this process, but then again, everyone may have a unique way of doing this. But since we have the same system (while most others don’t), I figure YOUR way will work with the tent and light we both operate. (Sorry to be clingy)
Lol, you’re not being clingy, it’s perfectly fine. So, first soak the seed in a glass of water with a few drops of hydrogen peroxide for 24 hours. Put the glass someplace warm like atop a cable box or refrigerator.
After the soak the seed should sink to the bottom of the glass and you should be able to see a crack in the seed shell with a white taproot showing. If not, don’t worry about it. Take the seed and put it in a wet Rapid Rooter, not soaking wet, just wet, and pinch off a little piece of the corner to cover the hole so the seed doesn’t dry out and stays in the dark.
Put the Rapid Rooter in a warm place, like back on the cable box for a day. Then put it under your light for 24 hour lighting. This is so when she pops her head out she has light right away to start the growing process. Keep the light at 24/0 for the first week, then go to 18/6 after that.
That’s it! It sounds more complicated than it is, but I’m sure you’ll be able to do it. BTW, if you happen to have a heat mat you can use that, but it must be controlled to 77°F, otherwise you can fry your seed.
Great info! I feel needing my hand held is child-like, but you make me feel comfortable and confident!
I saw the hydrogen peroxide tip on a video and wanted to ask you about that…glad you said to do this.
I have a temperature controlled ferm-wrap mat that wraps around a beer fermenter, but it can lay flat (like Mylar film) on the floor of my grow tent. I can set 77F, and when the seed pops her head, should I turn off the heat mat and go light only?
Light: Will I need to have my light adjusted to 50% wattage output (24" from top of plant) first week? What method do you use for your light’s output the first few week’s of growth?
Ventilation: Will the seedlings be susceptible to wind movement when they are tiny? When and how do we control ventilation…especially at first? I’m going to use a clip-on fan in addition to the intake and outtake fans, but I am not sure when they fans are employed?
Do you use any sort of cup or something to set the rooter cup into for stability? How long before the cup needs to be added into another cup of soil? I suppose the roots will show outside the rooter cup?
Your ferm-wrap mat sounds perfect, so use that and as long as it’s temperature controlled just leave it on for the first two weeks.
Yes, adjust the light to 50% and put it around 24" from typ of plant, that should be perfect. It whol stay this way for the first two weeks.
Ventilation is not an issue at this point because the seedlings will be under a dome for humidity. Did I forget to mention this? Hmm. Well, you just cut off the top of a 2 liter bottle and put it over the seedling. Voila, a dome. You’ll set the fans up when the seedlings are in their vegetation stage, that’s when they’ll need ventilation.
You can just use a saucer, or plate to keep the rooter on. I use those six pack things that go into a flat, but anything will do. I like to put my rooters into soil as soon as I see roots so usually by one week you’ll be planting them.
I’m a sponge absorbing it ALL! The casual observer would have no clue the attention to details necessary to do an indoor grow the right way. I can easily see that a haphazard approach will lead to certain failure. And thanks to you @raustin, I’ll be very prepared. Not to say that I’m immune to failure, but I’ll be able to give it my best shot for success.
I know this sounds like I should know this…but I assume I’ll leave off the soda bottle cap so there can be some breathability in the dome? Or…lid on??
You know, there are lots of details to cover and I have lots of good notes from our exchanges. My friend (who does outdoor grows) and I were talking and all of this info just went right over his head. I told him about feminized seeds and he told me I was crazy. I mentioned we should monitor our ph and nutrients, and he just brushed me right off. I think outdoor grows you may can get away with a few casual approaches, but indoor growing seems a bit more precise.
Yes, outdoor growing is a whole different animal! You leave everything up to nature, she takes care of the plants, but can also kill them with bugs and mold. Indoor growing is very precise because we’re forcing a living thing to grow under very unusual and unnatural circumstances, so the environment must be perfect. They don’t worry about such things as Ph outdoors because they’re already growing in perfect conditions for plants.
I like to use the bottom of the bottle instead of the top and poke some holes in it for air. The bottom is usually wider so the leaves can spread out without touching the sides.