New grower, question about switching lights

[Rick Stonetree]

Hey everybody, this is my first time posting(and growing) and I have a couple questions regarding transplanting my seedlings and switching lights. I'm only working with two plants right now, both bubblegummer, and they're only about 3-4 inches tall right now( the broke soil about a week ago).

Right now I have them under a 24w T5 light that I've been adjusting daily to hang 2-4 inches above the tops. I should mention I'm doing this in a closet about 2 feet by 4 feet. I water them about every 24 to 28 hours, when ever the rockwool looks a little dry. I also have a 250W HPS light for when I need a better light. My main question is, when is it appropriate to switch to the 250W? I don't want the change to shock the seedlings, but I also don't want to wait too long and have the plants to not grow to their potential.

Another question is, when should I start giving the plants nutrients along with the water, and what nutrients to you guys recommend for this stage?

 

[hoss12781]

wait a week for hps. You can add beneficial microbes whenever (and you should), hard nutes wait until its a little older 3 wks or so. Other may have differing opinions.

 

[mrmadcow]

I would wait at least another week b4 switching but you can keep the floro going till the plant is 8-10 inches tall. you dont need 2 b 2-4 inchs away w/ floros,less is better.let it all but touch the plants.
can you handle the heat from the HPS? do you have good venting? when you start the HPS, mount it 2 feet above the plants and lower it every day. hold your hand at the top of the plants for a minute, if light is uncomfortable,its too close.
as for nutes, they will want something high in nitrogen. wait another weekor 2,then start at 1/4 strengh & slowly work up.

 

[gobskiii]

plants dont really need a whole lot of light to veg...if they look fine now, then i wouldnt worry about switching untill you are ready to flower them...thats when you want more light, but it is not necessary. i grow 12/12 from seed under a 400w hps the whole way through...with nice results.

 

[Rick Stonetree]

Thanks for the (quick!) replies everyone. Hoss, is there any microbes you'd recommend to use? As for can I handle the HPS, I plan on setting it very high close to the ceiling so I don't burn the plants. I haven't done much for ventilation yet, but I have about a 6-inch diameter hole in the door for fresh air and will be putting in a couple fans (one on the floor, one about 6 feet up on a shelf) when i switch to the HPS, would that be good enough. Also, when I switch to the HPS(in about a week as hoss and madcow recommend), should I be putting the seedlings into pots?

 

[weednublet]

I wouldn't move em to bigger pots until I had a few sets of leaves, like this


That's just my thought on the matter though, some might tell you wait longer. Whenever your roots are strong, go for it. I'm new too, so if anyone contradicts this, go with what they say.

 

[frmrboi]

. My main question is, when is it appropriate to switch to the 250W? I don't want the change to shock the seedlings,Another question is, when should I start giving the plants nutrients along with the water, and what nutrients to you guys recommend for this stage?

I'd switch now a single tube is almost useless, and wait another week to feed anything, I use Wal Martbrand 20-20-20 at 1/4 strength.

 

[weednublet]

It's generally assumed you should use really light neuts until it's time to veg. Frmboi is right, use something like that at a 1/4 strength. As to lights, do it now. They love that shit. It wont hurt em a bit, if it's a floro, keep it damn near touching the leaves.

 

[dannyboy602]

I wouldn't move em to bigger pots until I had a few sets of leaves, like this
View attachment 1735956

That's just my thought on the matter though, some might tell you wait longer. Whenever your roots are strong, go for it. I'm new too, so if anyone contradicts this, go with what they say.

That's too little to transplant.

 

[weednublet]

That's too little to transplant.

Most likely right. Just kinda use your judgement about the strength of your little guys. My seedling cups are really small XD

 

[hoss12781]

Bush Dr.'s Microbebrew is good stuff, has a two year shelf life and contains the right balance of microbes to keep the soil viable and the roots uptaking the nutes. This, of course is just my opinion from using them.

 

[Rick Stonetree]

Bush Dr.'s Microbebrew is good stuff, has a two year shelf life and contains the right balance of microbes to keep the soil viable and the roots uptaking the nutes. This, of course is just my opinion from using them.

Cool, you definitely have more experience than me so I'll take your word for it. Should I be using this until I transplant, or when should I switch this and to what nutrients?

 

[The*Mad*Hatter]

i use the jiffy cups you can plant str8 into the soil when ready, cant go wrong

 

[hoss12781]

i use the jiffy cups you can plant str8 into the soil when ready, cant go wrong

what he said. I wait until they are stable enough to transfer then put them in 3 gallon pots where they will stay until harvest. I add Bush Dr. Mircrobrew shortly thereafter. It doesn't contain a bunch of nutriets it is essential microbes that aid root development and allow nutrients already present and those added later in the cycle to be readily abosorbed. The nutes I use pictured above. The little bottle is Gravity flower hardener from Humbolt nutes. I'm friends with dude at the local hydro shop. I asked about Gravity and he said here ya go try it and let me know what you think. It will be used on the current grow I have going but not until its in full flower mode.

 

[Rick Stonetree]

Cool, I'll wait about a week or so to transfer them, and start adding nutrients a week after that? Should I switch the light the same time I transfer or do it sooner?

 

[DaGaBuds]

I just transplanted a whole bunch of two week old plants that size..some a little bigger and some a little smaller, and ALL of them had filled a 9oz cup with roots. It is ready to transplant when it fills its container with roots. At the same time, I moved from fluorescent lighting to 600w MH... eighteen inches away. All plants are thriving.

 

[hoss12781]

you can put a 250 on two to three week old plants and it will be fine. Use your hand as a judgement call. If the heat produced by the lamp is too much for your hand to hold for a minute it is way too hot for your plants.

 

[Rick Stonetree]

Awesome, thanks guys. Hoss, what kinda nutrients schedule do you use with the nutrients in your picture? Or should I go with a different one like the Foxfarm nutrient schedule?