Need Info on Growing Seedlings

[gootobe]

Hey everyone, I'm new here and also new to growing. I'm going to try it for the first time this year. I will be growing outdoors. This site among others has given me enough information to not have to post a question, until now. I can't seem to find much info on growing from the point of a recently germinated seed to a seedling ready to be planted outdoors. My specific questions include:

Do I need to buy any lighting equipment? (Keep in mind I'd much rather not buy lighting equipment. I'm willing to spend money on seeds, soil and fertilizer)
How long do I grow the seedling until I transplant it?
How large should it be before transplanting.

Also, a bit off topic, but is planting outdoors immediately after germination an effective growing method/any more effective than guerilla gowing?

Thanks.

 

[Kindbud]

Alright dude im kinda new at this too but I can help you as little this
is my second season growing outside never did indoors. Alright their many
different times that you can transplant your seed/seedling to it outside home.
Its better to do it as soon as possable so that it wont have any transplant shock and it will get used to its home and adapt faster then if you wait a
month to put it outside so I would say a 2-3 days after it sprouts move it to its new home. Thats what I do atleast in the note of soil it all depeneds if you need soil if the soil that you are planting in is alright then you wont have to buy soil But if you need to or want to use peat moss its the best I think and ferts and nutes I really dont deal with you really dont need to ether it can grow on its own!!! It is a plant and hasbeen around along time but if you want to use ferts and nutes its fine i dose help growth but not that much ask Hick he knows every thing about growing outside and mutt dose to. Hope this helped you

 

[Mutt]

Great answers KB. We will need some more information though. We need to know wich region your growing in. not city or town but state will help. You may also need to acclimate them to the outside first as not to create a temperature shock. This is done by putting them outside during the day and back in at night. I do a few hours the first day and increase the time until they are comfy. If you got a greenhouse even better. You can take your soil sample to the local nursery and have them check it for you. just say your growin tomatos. Tomato plant is very close in the same requirements. That will let you know if you need to ammend your soil.

But I'll let Hick and GanjaGuru take over from here. as I am indoor now and probably never go OD again. . Love Mother Natures yeild, but not luggin water and harvest. Too stressful for me anymore.

 

[Hick]

For years, I germinated right in the ground at the site. BUT germination and survival were dismal. Seedlings are prone to many pitfalls the first few weeks of life outdoors. I'd plant maybe 100 seeds and felt lucky to harvest 15 mediocre plants.
"I" prefer to have plants(preferrably sexed clones) at 'least' 8" tall, better yet a foot tall to place out. You can get them up vegetateing well under a simple flourescents setup, CF's or regular tubes. They do require some "hardening off" from the flo's before you put them out, but your survival/success rate should.
Even if your ground/dirt is good, a 50/50 mix of a good quality organic soil product will improve it and enhance plants performance.

Also, a bit off topic, but is planting outdoors immediately after germination an effective growing method/any more effective than guerilla gowing?

IMHO...his could prove diasteroous. Though you may have provided the seed with the proper environment to germinate in your paper towels(or whatever method), the conditions outdoors may not be suitable for it. A few degrees difference in soil temp, for instance could kill it in its embryotic stage.

 

[BkPhate]

Just a quick quesiton to add, what if you germ'd em and put them in organic soil pellets THEN planted them outside?

 

[Skribb]

hey my seedling speouted 2 days ago & 1 side is like a brownish red & the other side is yellow dose this mean it is diyng?

 

[Hick]

"IMHO" ..it is best to have at least a couple of weeks growth indoors before subjecting them to the harsher OD environment.(I prefer plants around 1 foot tall) You'll have a greater survival rate. "Hardening" them off by gradually increaseing the length of direct sunlight they recieve daily, will help too. Takeing them from ID and planting them directly into soil OD, in direct sunlight, wind, elements, will stubt them. Possibly only a few days, possibly a month or more. Depends on the conditions and the hardiness of the strain.

 

[GanjaGuru]

While waiting raising the plants indoors and then hardening them off before planting outside at 1' tall is ideal, it's not always feasible.

In that case I'd recommend starting them outside in peat pucks or peat pots, but close by your house so you can take good care of them for the first several weeks. After the seeds sprout you will want to put the peat/pot in a larger (ex. 6" planter) with potting soil.
You can use a homemade mini-greenhouse as weather conditions (cold at night, rain) dictate.
Then you can plant them more remotely, in prepared holes.