First 3 Weeks

[Anybudworks]

Someone from this site said the first 3 weeks are the most important weeks. And, I agree in that if they don't grow, there's nothing to harvest. Seems like young plants are more likely to die versus older, more established plants.

What are your tips and tricks to successfully get through the first 3 weeks? I'm referring to everything involved from the very start; even whether or not to use gloves when handling your seeds.

Us newbies need some veteran help! If there's information you can provide or even small tips and tricks, please share them.

I'll share my thoughts and ideas as well. I've learned a lot already and plan on doing things a lot differently my second time around for the first 3 weeks.

 

[Anybudworks]

This is what I've come up with so far. Completely different from my first run. LOL

Mix 1 ML H202 to 16 ML RO water. Drop in seed and put in a warm dark place. After 24 hours, using gloves, rinse it in RO water and place in pot 3mm deep.

While waiting for seed in water mixture, mix up soil (going to use coco loco since I have some leftover). Use Calmag 5 ML per gallon RO water, and Rhizotonic 0.5 oz per gallon, and ph to 6.0 to 6.2. Mix up in soil until a muddy
consistency and place in pots.

Place pots in tent using 6500K cob lamp at 30 inches (depends on temps) and get the tent heated up to 78 to 82 degrees.

Place pots on top of heating pad and insert temperature probe. Set to 75 degrees (it will turn on and off to maintain 75 degrees).

After 24 hours of seed soaking in RO water and H202 solution, put seeds into pots 3mm deep pointy side down. Have humidifier going and keep humidity at recommended VDP rates.

Once sprouted, water 4 inch diameter as needed using PH 6.2 with calmag or rhizotonic or both (still not sure about this).

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

IMPO every day from seed to harvest is important. I suppose it is possible to transmit pathogens from your hands to the seeds but not likely. Wash hands before handling your seeds or plants. I cannot write a book here for you and there are so many ways to do things almost as many as we have members many of which may take issue of how I do things but here is a 30k fly over of what I think is important:

Get the best tools you can afford to suit your style of grow and take care of them; a PH meter, EC meter. temperature and humidity meters.
Proper environment = 68°F night 78°F day, >40% RH <60% RH. 32 to 50 Day Light Integrals 18/6 for autos 18/6 veg 12/12 for photoperiod Mild but constant air movement, fresh air.
Directly plant seeds in the medium for soil/coco or starter cubes for hydro (no soaking unless seeds 5 or more years old, no paper towels).
Choose a good cannabis nutrient vendor and use their entire line only on their schedule. There are a couple of good additives Mammoth P, Mykos and Botinicare HydroGuard that can be used in most grows.
Some nutrient lines are too strong for autos so do some research on the vendor you go with.
Learn about the specifics of the type of grow Soil, coco, DWC etc.
Do not visit your indoor garden after being in the outside garden or after visiting your local grow shop without showering and changing clothes.
Know what is in your water and make adjustments as needed. PH for the style of grow before fertigating.
Watch your plants closely every day in white light and listen to what they are telling you.

 

[Arthur]

Soak seed overnight and then straight to the final pot.
First couple weeks I keep temps and rH on point, feeds low and leave them alone. Hardest thing for an excited new grower to do, leave them alone.

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

This is what I've come up with so far. Completely different from my first run. LOL

Mix 1 ML H202 to 16 ML RO water. Drop in seed and put in a warm dark place. After 24 hours, using gloves, rinse it in RO water and place in pot 3mm deep.

While waiting for seed in water mixture, mix up soil (going to use coco loco since I have some leftover). Use Calmag 5 ML per gallon RO water, and Rhizotonic 0.5 oz per gallon, and ph to 6.0 to 6.2. Mix up in soil until a muddy
consistency and place in pots.

Place pots in tent using 6500K cob lamp at 30 inches (depends on temps) and get the tent heated up to 78 to 82 degrees.

Place pots on top of heating pad and insert temperature probe. Set to 75 degrees (it will turn on and off to maintain 75 degrees).

After 24 hours of seed soaking in RO water and H202 solution, put seeds into pots 3mm deep pointy side down. Have humidifier going and keep humidity at recommended VDP rates.

Once sprouted, water 4 inch diameter as needed using PH 6.2 with calmag or rhizotonic or both (still not sure about this).

I am pretty opinionated and others swear by it but soaking fresh seed is not needed. Muddy consistency is too wet and can cause damping off.

I have seen nothing but trouble with Coco loco used by others on AFN. The problem with it is inconsistent nutrient levels to start. When you do not know what is in it how do you know what to add to it? Then you don't know when the pre-charge is gone until plants show deficiencies.

 

[LaoWhoo]

We're halfway into our 3d week, 1st time (DWC), and next grow I'll:
* use the Ronin germination method (cuz I like Rapid Rooters)
* use cal-mag immediately cuz our tap water is a measly 60 PPM and have read that tap should be as high as 150 PPM Cal and Mag
* provide more light early (24" vs 30")
* provide more food early (at least 200 PPM vs 100 PPM when she breaks ground)
* put more Hydroton down cuz the girls are growin in a hole
* read and listen more (specially to the plants) and worry less
* increase my understanding of the chemistry of plant growth
* develop methods for nutes/conditions in a way that provides controls to know what does what
* grow the same strains (don't mix) until I know what I'm doing

 

[LaoWhoo]

Soak seed overnight and then straight to the final pot.
First couple weeks I keep temps and rH on point, feeds low and leave them alone. Hardest thing for an excited new grower to do, leave them alone.

* and this

 

[Anybudworks]

It's all very personal how we grow our plants, isn't it? Is for me for some reason. They're like our children being raised and growing and developing.

I bought 2 huge bags of coco loco along with all 13 nutrients from and it's getting me by on my first grow. So, that's why I'm going to use it for my second grow as well. When I run out of soil and nutrients (depending on whether I completely fair or succeed) then I'll decide whether or not I stay with this line. So far, so good though.

I've read that just 1 day soaking in water and h202 will soften the outer shell and that's why I'm going to do it. 1 to 16 mix. I soaked in just plain spring water for 3 days before moving to paper towel my first time and still got 4/4 tails. So, i'm not going to use a paper towel this next time, but think I'll just soak for 1 day and move right their final pots.

Thanks for the replies and advise so far. This is very educational for me.

 

[LaoWhoo]

The Ronin germination (think they're from here?) includes pre-soak. I didn't and wish I had. One of the tails I thought was a stem cuz it pushed itself outa the plug hole. Those first 3 days were hell. And at 5 days when they stood up I was totally lost, like a newborn I guess. Next time it'll all be in the home it has.

 

[AutoWonders]

I have seen nothing but trouble with Coco loco used by others on AFN.

I don't feel that way about Coco Loco. I've been using it successfully for several years. It contains some additives, but I still super charge my pots with a little Rhiz and calmag. Coco Loco should be treated more like soil. Let it dry before watering again and ph at 6.3-6.8. That info was from a Fox Farms email to a grower. I was running much lower ph, but not anymore.