Hello, this is my first posting to AFN. What a truly wonderful web site. I live in Las Vegas and have been successfully growing AF for several years now, both indoors and outdoors. I have successfully grown Afghan, Nebula, Black Widow and Blue Cheese. All seeds came from MJ Seeds Canada. The Afghan (12 plants) was grown outdoors in temperatures reaching as high as 112 degrees F. (Las Vegas is in a desert). I only mention this to indicate how rugged some strains of cannabis are.
My topic for discussion is the "transplanting" of autoflower. I have read on the internet and on AFN that AF "cannot" be transplanted. I'm not at all clear why these statements have been made, but respectfully, this has not been my experience. Every seedling that I have ever transplanted over the years has thrived. I believe the reason they thrive is that are not subjected to shock. This is the method I use and perhaps it can be of some benefit to others:
1. I germinate the seeds in a wetted folded paper towel , inserted in a plastic baggie and placed on a electric seedling mat (in darkness)
2. The germinated seeds are carefully placed in a "very" light soil (I use 2/3 Fox Farms Seedling Starter and 1/3 Fox Farms Ocean Forest mixed) in a 16 oz Solo Cup. The Solo Cup has at least 5 holes in the bottom for drainage.
3. Assuming the geminated seeds sprout, I usually wait until the seedlings are about 2 weeks or so old before starting the transplant procedure.
4. I use two gallon planters (I do believe 3 gallon would be optimal). I fill each planter with 2/3 Fox Farms Ocean Forest and 1/3 Fox Farms Seedling Starter mixed. I take another 16 oz. Solo Cup and drill at least 5 holes in the bottom. I fill the planters just enough so that when the Solo Cup is placed in it the "rim" of the Solo Cup matches the rim of the planter. I then fill in around the sides with the Solo Cup still in place. Now the setup "mirrors" what the seedling Solo Cup looks like. It kind of looks like a donut. I flood the planter with PH water (6.5 or so) and let it sit for a day or so. The water I flood the planters with also has a few drops of Superthrive mixed in. (I'm not making any claims for Superthrive, but it works for me). The next day I'm ready for the actual transplant. The Solo Cup with the seedling has been watered a day or so before.....just so that the soil is not too dry...and not too moist. I remove the Solo Cup from the planter and then insert the seedling Solo Cup in it's place....to see that the soil level of the seedling matches the soil level of the planter. If not, add or subtract soil from the planter hole. I then "spray" PH water mixed with a few drops of Superthrive around and inside of the hole. Then, turn the seedling Solo Cup upside down making a V with your fingers to hold the plant in place, squeeze the sides a bit....the plant should slide out. Then ....into the hole. It should be a "perfect" fit. Add a "little" water around the plant (the planter should already be plenty moist from the day before). The process is now complete and the plant (s) can now be placed back under the lights. Maybe a light misting helps.
This process works well for me because the plant does not really know that it has moved from a small room to a ...hotel suite. The trick is never, ever letting the plant get root bound. Move the seedlings out of the Solo Cup before the roots get too crowded. I never handle the plant roots and I don't let them get exposed to light for more then a fraction of a second. I usually notice rapid plant growth within 24 hours.
I can't be sure but I believe that transplant failures generally stem from a few negative issues:
1. Using too small a seedling cup. If the cup is too small the plant will become root bound before you know it. At least for the strains I'm familiar with, anything more then two weeks before transplanting is asking for trouble.
2. Handling the root ball. Handling the root ball (exposed roots) and or exposing it to light is, again, asking for trouble. Having a pre designated hole ready for the seedling removes the need to pile up soil around the seedling exposing it to unnecessary stress.
The question comes up, of course, about why not just transfer the geminated seed directly into the final planter? All things being equal, I would say that is possibly the best course of action. I don't do it for one very important reason. Water. A 16 oz. Solo Cup allows me to monitor the amount of water I'm adding and the amount of moisture in the soil. I feel that I have somewhat better "sprouting" and "seedling" results.
My topic for discussion is the "transplanting" of autoflower. I have read on the internet and on AFN that AF "cannot" be transplanted. I'm not at all clear why these statements have been made, but respectfully, this has not been my experience. Every seedling that I have ever transplanted over the years has thrived. I believe the reason they thrive is that are not subjected to shock. This is the method I use and perhaps it can be of some benefit to others:
1. I germinate the seeds in a wetted folded paper towel , inserted in a plastic baggie and placed on a electric seedling mat (in darkness)
2. The germinated seeds are carefully placed in a "very" light soil (I use 2/3 Fox Farms Seedling Starter and 1/3 Fox Farms Ocean Forest mixed) in a 16 oz Solo Cup. The Solo Cup has at least 5 holes in the bottom for drainage.
3. Assuming the geminated seeds sprout, I usually wait until the seedlings are about 2 weeks or so old before starting the transplant procedure.
4. I use two gallon planters (I do believe 3 gallon would be optimal). I fill each planter with 2/3 Fox Farms Ocean Forest and 1/3 Fox Farms Seedling Starter mixed. I take another 16 oz. Solo Cup and drill at least 5 holes in the bottom. I fill the planters just enough so that when the Solo Cup is placed in it the "rim" of the Solo Cup matches the rim of the planter. I then fill in around the sides with the Solo Cup still in place. Now the setup "mirrors" what the seedling Solo Cup looks like. It kind of looks like a donut. I flood the planter with PH water (6.5 or so) and let it sit for a day or so. The water I flood the planters with also has a few drops of Superthrive mixed in. (I'm not making any claims for Superthrive, but it works for me). The next day I'm ready for the actual transplant. The Solo Cup with the seedling has been watered a day or so before.....just so that the soil is not too dry...and not too moist. I remove the Solo Cup from the planter and then insert the seedling Solo Cup in it's place....to see that the soil level of the seedling matches the soil level of the planter. If not, add or subtract soil from the planter hole. I then "spray" PH water mixed with a few drops of Superthrive around and inside of the hole. Then, turn the seedling Solo Cup upside down making a V with your fingers to hold the plant in place, squeeze the sides a bit....the plant should slide out. Then ....into the hole. It should be a "perfect" fit. Add a "little" water around the plant (the planter should already be plenty moist from the day before). The process is now complete and the plant (s) can now be placed back under the lights. Maybe a light misting helps.
This process works well for me because the plant does not really know that it has moved from a small room to a ...hotel suite. The trick is never, ever letting the plant get root bound. Move the seedlings out of the Solo Cup before the roots get too crowded. I never handle the plant roots and I don't let them get exposed to light for more then a fraction of a second. I usually notice rapid plant growth within 24 hours.
I can't be sure but I believe that transplant failures generally stem from a few negative issues:
1. Using too small a seedling cup. If the cup is too small the plant will become root bound before you know it. At least for the strains I'm familiar with, anything more then two weeks before transplanting is asking for trouble.
2. Handling the root ball. Handling the root ball (exposed roots) and or exposing it to light is, again, asking for trouble. Having a pre designated hole ready for the seedling removes the need to pile up soil around the seedling exposing it to unnecessary stress.
The question comes up, of course, about why not just transfer the geminated seed directly into the final planter? All things being equal, I would say that is possibly the best course of action. I don't do it for one very important reason. Water. A 16 oz. Solo Cup allows me to monitor the amount of water I'm adding and the amount of moisture in the soil. I feel that I have somewhat better "sprouting" and "seedling" results.
