Fertilizing Your Seedlings

ShawnSunshine said:

Coming up on day 11 now since germination and it's time to start thinking about fertilization.

I have some EB Organics sure start
4-6-2 NPK Ratio fertilizer.

It's slow released but I'm thinking that I want to use something else before I start using this.

From what I understand the first time that you fertilize, it should be 1/4 to 1/2 of the recommended dosage that's on the package.

I'm wondering if I can add some of this fertilizer on the outside barriers away from the plant just so that I can get some beneficial microbes going in the soil because it also has those in there.

But I'm wondering also if it's better to start them on something like a 111 or perhaps a 511 liquid fertilizer.

Especially For the first Time fertilizing.

I don't know if it's a difference between liquid and dry fertilizing for a baby seedling at this stage but I would also like your thoughts about that.

One of my plans is far behind the other two girls and definitely not ready to be fertilized but I think the other two are approaching that point where they could use a little bit of fertilizer.

I did a soil test and I have a pretty decent amount of phosphorus and plenty of potassium and so what I'm missing is nitrogen right now.

Trying to keep organic/natural growe here, so looking for some good advice.

Thanks.

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MICHI-CAN said:

In what soil? And not a starter?
Don't fertilize. Plant is still on seed energy for a few days. Easy on the water beyond a misting bottle. And use tap water. No distilled BS for soils.

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PJ Diaz said:

They probably don't need anything yet, assuming you are growing them in a soil rich in amendments.

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MICHI-CAN said:

In what soil? And not a starter?
Don't fertilize. Plant is still on seed energy for a few days. Easy on the water beyond a misting bottle. And use tap water. No distilled BS for soils.

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ShawnSunshine said:

Organic fertilizer and different bags from different companies mostly coconut and peat moss and vermiculite and also perlite as well as earthworm castings and feather and bone meal.

I did a soil test and my potassium levels are excellent and my phosphorus levels are in a good range as well although they probably could use a little bit more phosphorus soon.

It's nitrogen that I'm missing based on my soil test kit.

Actually I have not been watering my ceilings enough because the heater in the fan are drying it out pretty quick especially the first plant.

But I do have an automatic humidifier mister now so that, is totally helping.

I've been using tap water but it is the Brita filtered tap water.

My water only has 60 TDS solids which is a pretty good level for drinking water.

I need to make sure that the Brita was getting out the chlorine and other bad stuff.

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ShawnSunshine said:

This is the current fertilizer that I have it is over a year old so some of the bacteria and fungi have probably died off but the nutrients are still there.

Thankfully my....
existing soil has plenty of a microbes and fungi.

View attachment 5104661View attachment 5104662

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MICHI-CAN said:

Soil is odd to me. Auto mister at 11 days? Filtered tap at 60PPM?
HMMM? I would sit back and let nature teach you. K.I.S.S!

Get ready for damp off or cal/mag def. Straight tap water kills bad things on surface of soil. Helps new plants.

Learn to walk so to speak. Peace.

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MICHI-CAN said:

View attachment 5104663View attachment 5104664

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Roger A. Shrubber said:

the first two leaves that pop on seedlings are called dicot leaves, they're like the yolk of an egg, packed with energy and nutrients for the plant to use to get started, if they're still green and healthy looking, you don't need to fertilize, not until you see them start to fade, then start feeding. the previous info looks good for strength/frequency

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Roger A. Shrubber said:

the first two leaves that pop on seedlings are called dicot leaves, they're like the yolk of an egg, packed with energy and nutrients for the plant to use to get started, if they're still green and healthy looking, you don't need to fertilize, not until you see them start to fade, then start feeding. the previous info looks good for strength/frequency

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ShawnSunshine said:

I will give you the first look at my lovely ladies. View attachment 5104692

That's the baby, she's the gal that's far behind her sisters.

The same age but it's not developing as much. Not yet

I think I had her germinating too hot and I also noticed that she was drying out quicker because she was closer to the heater and the fan and so I had to make a lot of adjustments to get her come to a better spot in the window so that all three of my babies will get about the same level of moisture heat and humidity.

She also wasn't getting enough light.
It turns out that she was probably getting about 80 umols LESS than her sisters
(Now only 25 umols difference after adjustments)
So with a hot germination and less moisture and less light it makes sense that her growth would have been stunted a Little...

View attachment 5104693

Here's the momma in the middle!
She's really strong with nice wings.
Been getting an adequate amount of water humidity heat and light.

The amount of umols that she gets versus the ones on the left on the right, is kind of significant. 305-315 (vs 245-260)

View attachment 5104694
Here's the last gal on the right.



She's doing pretty strong too even though she gets a little bit less light than her sister in the middle.



Please look really nice as far as I'm concerned.





From my understanding this particular strain has slightly yellow leaves anyway, and was going to hope that this is pretty close to a good color although I can maybe possibly tell that there's a nitrogen deficiency here.



I think that's probably my only concern right now is nitrogen?

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twentyeight.threefive said:

Basing how a plant looks with the grow lights on is futile. The grow lights will make the plants look a different color than their true color.

If you want an accurate picture of what the plants true color looks like the turn the grow light off and take a picture with your camera flash on.

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ShawnSunshine said:

I will give you the first look at my lovely ladies. View attachment 5104692

That's the baby, she's the gal that's far behind her sisters.

The same age but it's not developing as much. Not yet

I think I had her germinating too hot and I also noticed that she was drying out quicker because she was closer to the heater and the fan and so I had to make a lot of adjustments to get her come to a better spot in the window so that all three of my babies will get about the same level of moisture heat and humidity.

She also wasn't getting enough light.
It turns out that she was probably getting about 80 umols LESS than her sisters
(Now only 25 umols difference after adjustments)
So with a hot germination and less moisture and less light it makes sense that her growth would have been stunted a Little...

View attachment 5104693

Here's the momma in the middle!
She's really strong with nice wings.
Been getting an adequate amount of water humidity heat and light.

The amount of umols that she gets versus the ones on the left on the right, is kind of significant. 305-315 (vs 245-260)

View attachment 5104694
Here's the last gal on the right.



She's doing pretty strong too even though she gets a little bit less light than her sister in the middle.



Please look really nice as far as I'm concerned.





From my understanding this particular strain has slightly yellow leaves anyway, and was going to hope that this is pretty close to a good color although I can maybe possibly tell that there's a nitrogen deficiency here.



I think that's probably my only concern right now is nitrogen?

Click to expand...