When do you turn on your lights?

This is my first 'indoor' grow and I was wanting to know that when the germinated seeds are ready to be moved to the soil when do you turn on your lights? Do you just plant them and leave the lights on until they break the soil or can you wait until they break the soil? Keep in mind it's dark in my grow room right now. Any information would be appreciated, thank you.
Adam

Ape86 said:

This is my first 'indoor' grow and I was wanting to know that when the germinated seeds are ready to be moved to the soil when do you turn on your lights? Do you just plant them and leave the lights on until they break the soil or can you wait until they break the soil? Keep in mind it's dark in my grow room right now. Any information would be appreciated, thank you.
Adam

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Probably wouldn't hurt to put a cfl over them now. Although I don't think they need light to break the surface, it would help keep them warm and any little light that filters down through the dirt will help speed up the process.

It really won't hurt either way, the seeds can sprout without any light exposure. Light basically helps by giving your seedlings something to grow towards.

Personally I transplant into soil and let them sit for 24-48 hours before light exposure, by that time more than a few will start poking up.

Okay thanks. Good advice

seeds need warmth and thats what the light is for at this stage.

i germ wit lights on and wen they sprout the lights stay on jus at a nice distance

I tend to leave them in darkness until they're poking above the soil. I put them about 1.5inches below the surface and this seems to ensure a sturdy base for my fan, then I gradually increase the amount of light by shading and reflecting light.

Ijust started a new batch. I soaked for 12 hr. then planted in seedling soil. water til soil is very moist not wet. I use a spray bottle to water. had 1 100w cfl 14" over the cups."for heat" sprouts broke ground at 3 days and at 5 days everything that was going to sprout was done. seeds can take more then a week to pop. at a week I move the light down to about 8" at 2 weeks I replant and they go under the mh.

So then at this stage, if all seeds need are heat, then I should be fine with a MH from start or should I get a 100w cfl for some reason? In other words, the MH will provide my heat and light from sprout to end of veg. My light is 600w and I have it 2 feet away with an open closet with blanket and small fan.

And also I'm a little confused about the amount of water. In the germ stage it seems like they like heat and moist/pretty much wet conditions. From that I figured they would like an equally watered soil. What I've done is used plastic cups, poked 1/2in to 1in slits with a knife around the bottoms and watered till it just started to drain at the bottom. I'll just leave the MH on and that should dry some of the moisture in soil out with around an 80 degree temp, and then water maybe with a sprayer when I water them again as I evaluate the soil. Is my logic right?

I use the cfl just for heat. I used a 4' tube at one time. I don't use lights for the first week in summer.

Okay I've changed my soil out. I can see how it was really muddy and compact. So I'll just water it with a sprayer like said before. Should I water it before or after I plant them or does it matter?

Oh man, I'm an idiot. Okay it's been awhile but I just realized that I was using 10-10-10 fertilizer as my only medium. No soil! The guy at the nursery was an idiot too, I was trying to explain to him I needed a 3 nute soil, 30-15-15 and all they had was 10-10-10 and he gave me fertilizer only and i just now read the back, because I was like this shit doesn't look right. This is going to be a long rode... luckily I posted in the newbie forum.
Well, so I went outside and got some fairly good soil, it's brown, dark brown. I know black soil is better but this i all I have for now and i'll see how it works. I've already started germinating yesterday soo..
But I mixed the 10-10-10 fertilizer and vermiculite mix about 1/3, with the brown soil (dirt basically)!!
It actually looks like a soil medium and smells earthy now, not like ammonia like earlier with the fertilizer.
Oh jeez, if these things don't die it'll be a miracle.