Caring For Auto Seedlings...

[whitnasty1]

What's going on everyone...
Getting the final things ready for my upcoming auto grow, Sensi NL & Sensi Skunk #1, am planning on starting to germ this coming Wednesday night Thursday morning and putting them in the soil late Friday or early Saturday...
I have a few quick questions about handling my seedlings once I have placed them into the soil... This is my first auto grow, and my first indoor grow, have always been a green house grower, so after I germinate, I just put my seeds in my propagation tray until they form their first or second set of leaves and then transplant... However with my autos, I plan on planting them straight into my 5 gallon pots.

What is the best way to get them through these first crucial days? Just put them in the soil and keep it moist? Should I put my 600w MH on them right when I put them in the soil or what? I am not going to put the MH very close at first so I do not fry the babies, but I am just wondering what you guys do that has the highest success rate for the first week or so after germination?

This is pretty much the only part that is worrying me because it is going to be different than what I normally do. I am not growing at my home, so I can not be there every single second, I will make it down bare minimum once a day and stay for a few hours, but I am not going to be able to be there 24/7. I do have an inexperienced care taker, but I would rather get them through this first little stage. If you guys could point me in the right direction, I would greatly appreciate it.

Also, I have had great luck with using SuperThrive once or twice during Veg on my last few grows, what are you guys thoughts on using a small amount on autos at some point in their life cycle? Third week maybe? Thanks again for taking the time to read this, all help is greatly appreciated!

 

[tekdc911]

never used the superthrive
i do use b1 thrive alive red but just a few drops a gallon in the waterings
no idea if theyre related but kinda sound the same

 

[whitnasty1]

Any advice on how I should go about caring for them the first week? You seem to be an auto master, really hoping these things don't turn out to be some crap bud, ive been reading threads of people hating on how weak autos are today, lol.

 

[tekdc911]

put a good handful of seed starter in the spot youre going to start the seed
then when you water dont drench the whole pot just do a shallow water to just get the top wet
they like to be a little dryer than photo's just from my experience
i usually give something to get the soil going like root 66 just about 1/4 str dose after the seedling has gain some strength around a week i guess, veg nutes 1/4 at preflower/ 3-5 nodes whichever comes first, flower nutes 1/4 at obvious flower growth not just a few stacked preflowers
just kinda what i go by
your system might be totally different and work for you

 

[doniboy]

Don't worry because it's simple. No need to do a whole lot.

1. I just make sure my soil is lightly dampened (not drenched) with plan PH'd water before I plant my seeds.
2. I Plant them like one knuckle deep, cover them lightly with soil, and then I use a cheap $1 plastic spray bottle to spritz the top of the soil with.
3. I spritz the top of the ever so often just to keep the soil moist.
4. I use a T5, but since you're using a MH, I would keep the pots 4-5 feet or so from the lights until the leaves show. Then I would gradually give the plant more light throughout the course of a few days.

Sounds like a lot, but as long as you keep the soil moist until it's leaves show, keep the lights close enough so that the plant doesn't stretch at first and then doesn't burn later on, then they should be fine.. No need for nutes for like the first 2 weeks (there will already be nutes in the initial soil) and when you do start to feed, give 1/4 of the recommended dose and work your way up.

 

[whitnasty1]

Thanks for the tips guys, I greatly appreciate all of the help! Whenever I am checking the pH once I start the nutes, should I be taking my pH reading once all of my nutes are mixed up and then apply pH up/ pH down as needed?

I am going to be getting the Fox Farm trio along with Beastie Bloom, Cha ching, and open seasame...
I am also debating on picking up Advanced Nutrients' Big Bud and Bud Candy? What are your thoughts on these two products? Can I use them along with my fox farm nutes or should I just pick one and stick with it?

 

[whitnasty1]

So if you guys think I should use something other than the Fox Farm products, such as AN, please let me know the specific kinds I will need, I have just had great results in the past using Fox Farm. I have never heard anything bad about AN, but the price is high, and if I can use FF and supplement with a few really good AN products, I would love to know what they are. Also, help with the pH question as well, mix all of my nutes up and then take a pH reading and then adjust accordingly? Thanks again guys, you guys are the best!

 

[tekdc911]

AN is actually some good stuff from the reviews
ph perfect 3 part would be a good start
if you were to want to start on AN products
i am going to switch when i use up what i have
im using techna flora and i like the fact its like 7 parts


but the perfect ph and faster intake of nutes and a less chance to overfeed " what the claims report"
what grower wouldnt be tempted to switch
im going to get the grow/micro/bloom ph perfect base nutes and give it a go planning on building a new room and use nft

 

[doniboy]

Thanks for the tips guys, I greatly appreciate all of the help! Whenever I am checking the pH once I start the nutes, should I be taking my pH reading once all of my nutes are mixed up and then apply pH up/ pH down as needed?

I am going to be getting the Fox Farm trio along with Beastie Bloom, Cha ching, and open seasame...
I am also debating on picking up Advanced Nutrients' Big Bud and Bud Candy? What are your thoughts on these two products? Can I use them along with my fox farm nutes or should I just pick one and stick with it?

Yes, you always want to PH the finished product/solution/nute/water that's being added to your soil. For example, if the ph of your water is 8, you adjust it to 6.5, and the nutes bring the PH to 4, then your plants aren't going to be able to use most of the nutes that would be advalible at a PH or 6.5 and might over dose on an over abundance of nutes that wouldn't have been as available at 6.5, but are available in large quantities at a PH of 4.

Like in this PH availability chart, at a PH of 4, your plant might have a potassium, nitrates, sulfer, etc. deficiency while burning (aka over dosing) on iron, manganese, aluminum, and/or zinc... Always PH what's actually going to be added to your soil after everything has been mixed in.

So if you guys think I should use something other than the Fox Farm products, such as AN, please let me know the specific kinds I will need, I have just had great results in the past using Fox Farm. I have never heard anything bad about AN, but the price is high, and if I can use FF and supplement with a few really good AN products, I would love to know what they are. Also, help with the pH question as well, mix all of my nutes up and then take a pH reading and then adjust accordingly? Thanks again guys, you guys are the best!

FoxFarm as a pretty good line of products now. I would suggest that you stick with them. I say this because you are new to this and don't really know what you're doing, so pick one product line, and stick with it. Most company's offer product lines that are meant, formulated, and created to be used in tandem with one another without causing problems. Also, being that you're new, if you use the same products from one company, you can take advantage and use their Feeding Schedule (FoxFarm - Advance Nutes) to get the best results while you're still figuring out all of the little details. A company's feeding schedule will basically tell you how much of each product that they offer to use, and when to or not to use them. Then once you start to master growing, then you can experiment with going the extra mile.

To me, adding the most powerful lights that you can afford, keeping the room at a certain temp, and adding other equipment is the easy part. The nutes, PH, watering, ect. is the hardest part to master, so I would keep it simple for now.

3-4 months ago I didn't know shit about growing anything or what a T5 was and I never heard of a ballast, MH, HPS, PH, ect, but I have a obsessive personality when I find something that interest me. I basically read and search the web learning in all of my spare time. I'm growing 20 plants now, and I'm just letting you know, as kind of a beginner like you, what's working for me.

 

[whitnasty1]

Thanks very much guys! I really appreciate all the help, you sound a lot like me DB. I used to be a greenhouse grower and had to stop for a few years, i remember when I was growing in the greenhouse and Lowryder #1 had just came out, amazing to see how far autos have come nonetheless. So I am having to re learn most everything I knew, and this will be my first time growing inside so it is some uncharted territory.

 

[thebiglebongski]

I am using 600 watt MH for my Buddha assorted autos, Initially I kept the ballast on 100% and only 14 inches from the glass....of course they were baked. posted a few threads and found that you should keep the light 2 to 3 feet from the top of the sprout and keep the ballast lower (50%-75%). height and the power of the ballast depend on the strain also. sooooo results may vary. good luck!