New Grower Assistance required, first time grower, Spain

[Muffinman2008]

Hello everyone,

I have just ordered 3 auto flowering royal haze seeds online, and i have been researching into growing the strain outdoors, not atm it isnt that cold but it does drop to about 9 degrees at night, i have a covered terrace from wind and it would have access to sunlight all day, and it has been reaching about 19 to 22 degrees atm. What i would like to know if these sound like feasable conditions to grow in or would it be best to wait a month till it heats up.

Also i am reading allot of contradiction online in terms of germinating, some say use a wet tissue others say get a seedling mix and use a seedling tray, the second seems like to better one to go for but sounds a bit riskier, i would really appreciate the help

thanks

 

[yngFETTI]

19-22 degrees F or C???

and for germ I always use a damp paper towel, not SOAKING, just damp. Place the bean in, wrap it up, stick it inside a plastic zip lock and put it in a dark warm place and don't be fidgety. Maybe check every 24 hours or so. This has always worked for me. Some beans take 3 days some take 1.

 

[Alwaysautos]

Hey Muffinman, welcome to AFN!

I might be able to help a bit here as it sounds like my climate is similar to yours (I´m in Spain). My terrace only gets about 6 hours of direct light per day which is not enough to produce a decent yield from an auto, but I have tried a few times just for laughs! I have also tried at this time of year and its just not warm enough, especially at night, so unless you want to move them around chasing the sun and then bringing them in every night you might be better off waiting until it starts to warm up a bit.

Alternatively you could start them under lights indoors and then move them outside when conditions are better.

 

[Eekman]

I think you can make a go of it.

Use Black pots to attract heat to the roots. If you use black Terra Cotta pots, it will retain the warmth of the days heat for a longer period than plastic. You could even paint them black if you can't get them in that color.

You can use heating mats, but it may not be necessary.

Put plastic over them at night for a greenhouse effect, it will keep them warm enough.

Keep an eye on the molds and mildew.

My two

 

[Muffinman2008]

Thanks everyone,

yngFETTI I have done allot of research and I have found some people dont advise the paper towel way as autos dont like to be moved much, once the paper towels have germinated what step do you take, a smaller container then the final big one or just straight to the big container?

Alwaysautos thanks for the help, I live on the coast and get quite allot of wind atm so if i were to wait till the last week in feb do you think that would be a suitable time to start the grow?

Eekman Thanks also I was thinking of terracotta pots before and now you have confirmed my suspicions. if i were to use these in the summer however would that not overheat the plants or dry the roots out quicker?

 

[1guy1plant]

I use muddy's tiered method to germinate autos. I cut the bottom off of a 16oz solo cup. Then dig a hole in my final container and place the solo cup about 3 inches in soil and about 3 inches above soil. Then I fill the cup up with jiffy starter soil and alittle perlite. I plant the seeds about 1/4 inch deep and then mist two or three times a day lightly. I cover the cup with plastic wrap until the seeds pop. I have only germed 6 seeds but I have had 100% success rate. By the time the tap root hits the final soil mix it is old enough and strong enough to take it.

 

[illbethere]

Directly into the final pot is the best way to go transplanting will stunt growth.

 

[Muffinman2008]

so do you then remove the cup once the root has emerged? and do you keep it out of the sun during this process or does it matter? this is the way i would prefur to germinate, easier and less stress to the seedling.

 

[1guy1plant]

I don't remove the cup and I just put them in my grow room in the corner. I grow in 3 gallon pots and they never have to be transplanted. I think that it is dark enough under the soil. You just need to make sure and mist the cup area a few times a day to keep it moist and remove the plastic wrap as soon as they poke through the soil. I usually put 3 or 4 toothpicks around the edge of the cup to make a dome for the plastic wrap. Every seed that I have germinated took about 72 hours to sprout.

 

[epenguin]

Hey Muffinman,

I was gonna chime in but I see you have plenty of advice. Please do an intro and let us know a bit about ya,

cheers, eP.