Ideal Environment for Seedlings

[cannabuzz]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]After doing a lot of looking around the internet I have not been able to get an answer for this seedling question. Where should I keep my solo cups after I plant my seeds but before they sprout from the soil?

Can I put them immediately under 18/6 lighting or do I have to wait for their true leaves to show before starting that cycle? Do I keep them in the dark until they sprout? Do they go under 24hr CFL lighting? What is the ideal evironment for seedlings in solo cups before they go into vegging?

Also, How soon do I have to start PH adjusting my water? Does the water that's being used to keep my seedlings moist have to be PH adjusted or does PH adjusting start in vegging?

Any help would be really appreciated, Thanks!
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[Betterhaff]

Light isn’t as important as warmth until they sprout (unless you’re using your lighting for heat). After they sprout you can use fluoros.

 

[justanotherbozo]

After doing a lot of looking around the internet I have not been able to get an answer for this seedling question. [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Where should I keep my solo cups after I plant my seeds but before they sprout from the soil?[/FONT]

yeah, i don't grow in soil i grow in coco but the answer to this question will be dictated by your own particular situation and style of growing, even though i know that sounds like a non-answer.

Can I put them immediately under 18/6 lighting or do I have to wait for their true leaves to show before starting that cycle? Do I keep them in the dark until they sprout? Do they go under 24hr CFL lighting?[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] What is the ideal evironment for seedlings in solo cups before they go into vegging?[/FONT]

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[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]...[/FONT]as Betterhalf said above, warmth is far more important than light, in fact, ZERO light is needed until the seedling emerges from the soil.[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]...[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]here is a picture of a cloning/seedstart cab i built where the rooting cuttings and the new seedstarts sit on a shelf above the PLL lights, this allows me to passively harvest the heat from the bulbs to keep my solo cups warm.[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]

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...[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]note that i tape a translucent cup atop each solo cup as a temporary humidity dome that is removed as soon as the seedling emerges from the media, in my case coco.[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]...[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]here is a shot of the ones already above ground, ...once they emerge the 'dome' is removed and the 'lings are then put UNDER the light rather than OVER the light.[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]

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...[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]note also that i'm using plastic coffee stirrer straws as stakes, in the past i used wooden skewers that became moldy and the mold attacked and killed my fragile seedlings.[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]...[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]here's a shot about a week later.[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]

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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]...[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]and here is a shot from before i built the cab where you can see my cheap assed answer for warming my cloners which are usually to the right on top of a pair of stacked milk crates with a desk lamp holding a 26watt bulb beneath the bin which in this case is holding some newly rooted clones.[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]

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Also,[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] How soon do I have to start PH adjusting my water? [/FONT]Does the water that's being used to keep my seedlings moist have to be PH adjusted or does PH adjusting start in vegging?

Any help would be really appreciated, Thanks![FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]...[/FONT][/FONT]yeah, i'd recommend that you get in the habit of balancing your ph for any liquid you plan on pouring into your rootzone, [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]...[/FONT][/FONT]in soil i think you want to be somewhere between 6.2 and 6.8 if i remember right.[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]...[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]also, if you're gonna be growing in soil i would highly recommend you get yourself a copy of Jeff Lowenfels book[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif], 'Teaming with Microbes', [/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]this will help you to understand more about the web of life that makes organic, soil growing work.[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]

[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]peace, bozo[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
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[darthcultivator]

Light isn’t as important as warmth until they sprout (unless you’re using your lighting for heat). After they sprout you can use fluoros.

+1

 

[cannabuzz]

Got it. The goal is to keep them warm.Thank you guys! @Betterhaff @justanotherbozo

@justanotherbozo Thank you for your setup pics. Gives me an idea on what my setup should be.

 

[SuperSativa]

What Temperature?

What Temperature?

I see mention to keeping them "warm". What temperature range is considered warm (or at least ideal)?

Thanks

 

[justanotherbozo]

I see mention to keeping them "warm". What temperature range is considered warm (or at least ideal)?

Thanks

i root my cuttings using a passive wick style and so i've designed my little cab pictured above to keep the temps of the bins above at near 80 degrees.

my micro cloning factory...PL-L's and Walmart cloners doing the job!

peace, bozo aka SOG

 

[stoned-trout]

keep their feet warm is most important...yeehaw...I use trays and seedling heat mats on temp controller..sterilite trays rule..so many uses...