New Grower First time grow started - ignorant question :-)

[Chanvremec]

I have just sprouted my first two seeds - a Barney's Tangelo Rapido and a Flash Diesel Haze. Both are feminized autoflowering strains. Anyway, since I've never done this before I have a newbie question about lighting at this time. I will be putting the sprouted seeds directly into their 3 gallon fabric pots tonight (using Sunshine Mix #4 in the pots). My question is this: should I start my lights as soon as I put them under the soil or should I wait until they peep out? It seems to me that since they are under a half inch of soil they wouldn't get much light, but perhaps they want what they can get and maybe it helps them know where UP is, I don't know. In any case, would it hurt anything to have the lights on or should I leave them off until they poke out? The light is a 2 foot, 8 bulb T5.

Thanks!

 

[White Punk on Dope]

Plants need light to grow. Light'em baby.

 

[yngFETTI]

babies like a warm and sorta damp environment. lamps help generate this. and what White said they need light to grow.

 

[Justinsane]

I have just sprouted my first two seeds - a Barney's Tangelo Rapido and a Flash Diesel Haze. Both are feminized autoflowering strains. Anyway, since I've never done this before I have a newbie question about lighting at this time. I will be putting the sprouted seeds directly into their 3 gallon fabric pots tonight (using Sunshine Mix #4 in the pots). My question is this: should I start my lights as soon as I put them under the soil or should I wait until they peep out? It seems to me that since they are under a half inch of soil they wouldn't get much light, but perhaps they want what they can get and maybe it helps them know where UP is, I don't know. In any case, would it hurt anything to have the lights on or should I leave them off until they poke out? The light is a 2 foot, 8 bulb T5.

Thanks!

You dont need any light until they pop up....save some energy and money and just wait until your girls come up.

J

 

[Chanvremec]

>You dont need any light until they pop up....save some energy and money and just wait until your girls come up.

Got it - that's what I'm thinking, too. Thanks!

 

[DABaracuss]

I would keep my lights on to make sure temps are right and keep soil warm at pot level.Plus test the system.

 

[Chanvremec]

I would keep my lights on to make sure temps are right and keep soil warm at pot level.Plus test the system.

The testing part makes sense. But my T5 array just doesn't put out enough heat to warm much of anything up (I already checked that out when I was making sure it worked) unless it's totally enclosed and this one is not.

 

[Justinsane]

I even put my pots in a dark and cool place until my girls pop up...always have and always will. Around 18-20c, and I have around 98% germ rate so I must do something right...lol

 

[Margahooja]

I have a 2 ft 4 bulb T5. I always plant my seeds in wet soil and put them under the light for a little warmth. Energy waste, maybe, but that's what works for me.

 

[Chanvremec]

I have a 2 ft 4 bulb T5. I always plant my seeds in wet soil and put them under the light for a little warmth. Energy waste, maybe, but that's what works for me.

So you find that you actually get some useful warmth from the T5? How close to you have the tubes to the plants? I had thought I would set it at about 8 inches at first and then lower it as they got used to it but maybe you don't need to do that at all. At this point there's not even any reason to turn on 4 of the bulbs for a tiny plantlet but once the plants spread out then I should be able to use all the bulbs. (Well, assuming that some unpredictable disaster doesn't strike!) Thanks for the feedback; I was hoping to hear from someone who uses T5s.