Question about indoor/outdoor transition

Sorry if this has been discussed.
I’d like to get my plants started inside, and then transition them outside when it warms up.

  1. When should I germinate them? 8 to 12 seedlings in Northern Illinois.
  2. Our weather is very unpredictable, and we don’t have many nights in 50’s or 60’s until June. How big do they need to be before they can go outside?
  3. What type/size light will work for this type grow?

Any other feedback on this subject would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers!

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Welcome,

  1. I would germinate them around May 1, that way you get some time to grow them up a bit before moving outside.
  2. Plan on planting them outside when nights are warmer than 58F, around or after June 1st. I like them to be well past the sprout stage and in strong veg growth when putting outside, 30 days is usually fine and I’d have about a 12" or bigger plant at that point.
  3. Kinda depends on what kind of growing space you will use for this, is it a square shape or rectangular, how many square feet? Don’t need much light to only grow them 30 days. Maybe a LED like this would work for you:

https://www.amazon.com/Horticulture-Lighting-Group-USA-Quantum/dp/B07C57J7XX/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?crid=43MX4RYAXTUD&dchild=1&keywords=hlg+quantum+board&qid=1584323680&s=lawn-garden&sprefix=hlg%2Clawngarden%2C191&sr=1-2-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExRVJISjk5RDZXRjMmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA4NTg1NjMyOU1ORlNYNVlNSlVNJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA2MDIyMzExSDY0M09NNlNPR1c0JndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

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Welcome aboard, over the years I have watched the local farmers. When they plant there early big crops Tomato’s tobacco , Peppers. I know it’s time for me to do my business outside. They are usually between the same two-week window every year. Good luck with your outdoor. Grow.

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Great stuff! Not much backer’ in Northern Illinois, but maters are early June, so that makes sense. I’m from the worlds largest dark fired ( smokeless and some wrapper) tobacco market in Robertson County, Tennessee.

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Sorry I wasn’t very clear. I’m just
STARTING indoors, and then when they get big enough to handle it, they’re going outside.

Thanks!

Tobacco Crop almost don’t exist now. I would be one state to the east WNC our outside Target usually mid may. Bottom line, if the ground is Not warm. It’s just going to sit there.

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Just wanted to Welcome you to ILGM forum good luck and happy growing. :slightly_smiling_face:

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You could start them now and have time to take clones. Using an 18/6 light schedule you could then place outside after Summer Solstice. Plants will start to flower once placed outside.

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Need to match the daylight hours to what your lights are running inside or when you move they will start to flower at the wrong time and just be a foxtailed mess. Seen it from people that should know better.

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This is a little long but informative if anyone is inclined to give a hit about a little regional agriculture trivia.

Robertson County Tennessee has been and still is the worlds largest Dark Fired tobacco market.
It’s on the TN/Ky state line due north of Nashville. Dark fired tobacco is used for smokeless, and cheaper wrapper leaf. US Tobacco has a plant in Nashville that produces Skoal and Copenhagen and a few other cancer causing goodies. The reason it’s exclusive to the region is because the curing is done in a barn that typically sits in a hollow. Smolder fires are built on the floor of the barn using on Beechwood slabs and sawdust to “fire” the tobacco. It’s gummy as shit, and it’s hung on tiers so the smoke can rise through the crop and cure it. The reason the barns are in hollars’ is because it gets really foggy and humid in the late fall, and it allows the plant to
“Fall” or wilt. This way the plant can be taken down out of the barn and stripped from the stalk without crumbling. It’s a high $$$ business that been the backbone of the economy for 250+ years, while causing untold number of people to suffer horribly and the treatment is so painful that you only imagine.

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Thank you sir,

Interesting I was not aware Of the drying and curing process of tobacco. When I was a kid, they was lots of tobacco fields. It’s been a long time since I seen a tobacco field.

I bought that light. It was pretty shocking how much light that small unit produces. I wonder how many plants one could grow under it? Thanks for the suggestion.

I’m sure there is a discussion on this, but something I didn’t think about was I may not be able to get any soil by May 1st, is there anywhere to order it online and what would you recommend? I’m starting them in the little cubes, how long before they need to be transplanted into a larger container?

Thanks again sir!

Yeah HLG makes some great lights, not so much about number of plants but rather the space that it can sufficiently light. That light can do decent veg for an area about 3x3 feet (being a little generous), that could be 9 little plants or 1 large plant. If you were taking the plants all the way through harvest, I’d want 2 or maybe even 3 of those lights to flower a 3x3 area.

I order soil from Amazon. I’d go with Fox Farms Happy Frog or Ocean Forest. Ocean Forest is full of nutes and makes veg time pretty easy as you only need to water and not worry about ferts for 4-6 weeks. Happy Frog has less nutes and will require adding some much sooner. Using little starter squares, I’d plan on transplanting after 2 weeks, takes about 4-5 days for seed to sprout then a little over a week of growth should be transplant ready. Good luck and happy growing!

That makes sense, until you’ve got some experience that’s a difficult concept to wrap your brain around. Our state allows medical patients 5 plants, so unless you’ve grown that’s the only frame of reference you have. To the novice 5 plants doesn’t sound like much, but an experienced grower could train 5 plants into monsters with the proper lighting and practices.

Thanks for your time, I’ll keep you posted!

Hey man, I really appreciate your council, and I purchased the QB that you recommend, but I’m not having any luck with my seedlings. I tried germinating in a paper towel and in soil, and both methods worked easily, but as soon as the light hits them they turn purple and die.

I’ve tried keeping them back from the light and progressively move them closer. I’ve got air circulating, my humidity is fine, and my soil ph is below 7.0

This is my soil. It’s 5-1-1 ish

I thought may too much water, but not with this soil. I could soak it all day everyday and it drains bone dry by the next am.

I don’t know what to do, I’m at a loss on multiple levels. I’ve killed about $100 worth of seeds to this point.

Thanks in advance for any feedback you might have.

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Not familiar with that soil, may be a little hot (too much nutes) for seedlings. I’d try to find a small bag of Happy Frog, Light Warrior, Ocean Forest, or Promix to start the seeds in to rule out that unknown. I’d also try keeping the light way up, like 3 or 4 feet or so until the sprouts come up and start growing, then lower to about 2 feet, and also keep the air movement down/off so it doesn’t dry out the soil or sprout too quickly. Hope you have better luck.

I thought that too HR. It’s impossible to get the Ocean Forest or any of those others right now.
The nute specs are right on and I tested the pH. The seeds are local indoor too. White 99.
I purchased some Gorillia Glue from Robert, but I’m afraid to kill them.

I’ve tried everything.

https://www.mother-earthproducts.com/product/groundswell-performance-soil/

Yeah I’d practice with some cheap or free bag seed til you are successful with the process. Give us your process, dome and misting? spraying every day? water once and leave it? tell us what you are doing and maybe we can offer other suggestions.

I hadn’t heard of doming until I read about it here, but I have had anything to dome!

I just mist lightly twice daily. The paper towel method is working, it’s just wet. I transplant into the soil. Hopefully you can see the profile

What’s your take on root growth stimulater like
Wildroot?

Thanks!