I have a question about fungus gnats. I germed a seed 3 weeks ago and planted it and things went fine…until I saw a teeny tiny fly on top of the soil. I had the pot at first out in my den but moved it into a closet. To try to keep some humidity going I hung some wet towels in there and cracked the window open for fresh air and cracked the door open some, watered the plant well (or so I thought). A few days later I saw more of them hovering above the plant. They weren’t a mob of them but there were like 5-6. I used hydrogen peroxide +water mixture and I think the little root was just done. What is the best way of learning how to water the taproot once it germs?
I had to start all over again but with this new seed, after I germed it the root was nice and long and at the top of it already I see where it’s trying to split into two little stems. I really don’t want to screw this up so could I get a little guidance as to how often to water? I have a 10 inch pot and have the pot mostly filled at the top with soil, about 3/4 of the way.
Fungus gnats is often one of the signs of over watering. And you certainly drowned your plant the first time The soil needs to be moist, not saturated. It needs the little air pockets to get oxygen to the roots. You might want to add some coarse perlite to your soil mixture to help get oxygen to the roots. You should get used to the feel of the container when it is almost totally dry to compare to when it has just been watered to have a better idea of when to water. Allowing the soil to really get kinda dry is good for healthy root development, with a seed you want to be sure it is not drying out but if the plant has leaves doing well above ground, the plant will tell you when it is getting too dry and will start to droop slightly, a little drooping won’t hurt and before you know it, you’ll be able to read when the plant needs water well before anyone else notices any drooping in the plant.
Codex, huh? Will do. I didn’t realize how easy it is to over water a plant. I honestly thought that I wasn’t giving it too much water but now I know. My baby is coming along nicely so far. The two serrated leaves are seen along with the round leaves so it’s good to know I’m doing something right this time. All of that happened yesterday which is amazing to me because I put it in the soil…yesterday. I want her to keep on growing for me but for that to happen I need to continue doing this right.
Another thing I’d like to know is when it’s harvest time (I know that that won’t be for a few weeks but I’m asking this anyway), aside from hanging the colas in the closet or using glass jars, is using a plastic container okay or is that going to cause mold to grow?
Most people will harvest when the trichomes are all milky/cloudy with maybe some of them turning amber. At this time, anywhere from 0%-100% of the pistils/hairs may be kinda orange/red/brownish, depending on the strain and various other factors, as we discussed in this thread recently:
As to drying and curing, you can use plastic containers. Some people say curing in plastic containers gives the bud a weird flavor. Some people use gallon size freezer bags, it doesn’t really matter, it is all about slowing the drying process while not allowing too much moisture to build up and cause mold, so periodically airing out the container (a.k.a. “burping”) and keeping the curing bud out of the light.
TAD; You crack me up; True!