New Grower...some confusion about Stages Of Growth

[Insight]

I started my first grow in coco/perlite of Northern Lights, photoperiod, not auto.

I'm a little confused about when a seedling has entered the Vegetative stage. The tutorials say "When your cannabis plant first starts growing brand new leaves and stems, it marks the beginning of the vegetative stage." It shows a picture below it.

My seedlings are approximately 8 days old, picture included, and is not anywhere as large as the picture showing the vegetative stage. So my question is....am I still in the seedling stage or is this the Vegetative stage?

Thanks

[PuravidaC]

Personally I would say it's still a seedling but not for much longer! Are you asking because you want to start nutrients? Each grower has their preference but I don't start nutrients until week 3 or 4 and even then start with 1/2 recommended doses.

[Beach_Town_Brit]

Hi drbabe, welcome to the forum.
Are you asking in relation to when you should start feeding nutes?

I'd call this a seedling for sure, I tend to think of the early vegetative stage starting after I've topped which I tend to do around 2 weeks from sprouting. This said, I haven't grown NL and this stuff does vary strain to strain.

I would give them at least another 4-5 days before a very light feeding, maybe 1/4 of recommended nute dose for seedlings/early veg. You get to know these plants a bit after a while, develop an intuition of when things start changing up and they're moving into a new stage of life. It's always better to under feed than over feed in my opinion -- easier to fix under feeding and less of an impact on final product.

[9fingerleafs]

That's still a little seedling. Its growing mostly roots right now. You will notice in about a week accelerated growth and the plant is going to use a lot more water. A plant is in vegetative state as soon as leafs recive light. But while they make roots they're called seedlings. In only a few days the amount of light the plant gets (hours) raises the amount of the red phytochrome in the leaves and its until you put gen under 12/12 that phytochrome red converts into phytochrome far red ( both receptors) thus signaling the plant is time to flower.

[Insight]

It is already getting 18/6 hours of light (600 watt MH)...hopefully I didn't screw things up.

[9fingerleafs]

Ohhh I see. That last update said a lot of sun and I thought they where outdoors. Then is all good. Keep that light schedule until the plant is mature enough to reproduce

[Insight]

Thank you all for the responses. Let me give you a little more information.

The seeds germinated in Rapid Rooters and I put the RR in coco/perlite 5 gallon smart pots on February 28. I started 18/6 hours, 600 watt MH. Since then I've watered, minimally because its in a large pot, on Friday March 3 with Seedling Strength nutes per Neubula's PDF growing in coco. I have low RH..around 20%. I just recently put a small humidifier in and now RH is about 30% with lights on. I watered again with Seedling strength nutes last night because the coco was dry...again..only about a cup per plant in a 2" circle.

I'm wondering when it is considered in Vegetative stage so I can increase the nutes per Nebula's schedule.

As an aside...I really appreciate having a forum of such helpful people. I was a bit worried I have a "black thumb" because I never really grew anything in our garden....always left it up to my wife. This website has been extremely helpful

[PuravidaC]

Keep light schedule on 18/6 through vegetation, switch to 12/12 when ready to induce flower. Go easy on nutrients at first. Soil should have enough nutrients to get through week 3 or 4 without additional help. At least that's what I do...

[Insight]

Thanks PuravidaC....I'm growing in coco/perlite....not soil...so I understand I have to add nutes because there is non in the coco...correct?

[9fingerleafs]

Correct. Be sure to add enough calmag.

[Insight]

Thanks again for all the responses...I'll post pictures, and I'm sure, more questions as my girls grow.

[Tika]

Hi! We grow in the same medium! What kind of coco are you using? And..are you able to pH your nutrients? I presume you are using the Flora Trio? ( I did for the last 3 years) the feeding schedule via GWE always worked. I added 2.5 ml of CaliMagic to each gallon of feed each time ( mixing 1 gallon at a time). After which I pH ed to 6.0.
hope to hear from you..enjoy

[Tika]

Great. I personally did not care for the Botanicare pre mix-but may be totally grand for you. If you can get to 6 pH i recommend it. So happy you have joined this forum. there are many masters here. Always good to do your home work and then hammer the forum with questions.
Wish you a great grow!

[Insight]

Just finished reading your LED grow journal. Interesting read, especially the fact it took 2 gallons of feed to get runoff in 5 gallon smart pot. I found the same when I first filled my 5 gal pots and flushed with pH'd H20...took about 2 gallons before I saw any runoff.
Also answered one of my questions...do you remove pots from grow tent to water and trim...guess you do. I don't mind spending time on my "hobbies",especially one that has a "yield" as the final product.
I'll have to read more grow journals here on GWE.

[Tika]

drbabe..I have 2 journals going. One finished the other in progress. I have been told I work too hard but this is how I do it into 4 th year. I am told if I do just one strain for yield I would have more weight. Still seek quality and a clean grow...
I still abide by GWE principles..so that is what I do and thank Nebula & Sirius the moment I wake up!!

[Insight]

Well, I think the girls like me! The above picture was day 7, that is Northern Lights 1, (Laverne), NL 2 is Shirley and my 3rd plant, an unknown strain bonus seed is Lucy. All 3 look exactly the same.
Below is today, day 10 and I could swear this happened in the last 3 hours.

Thanks for all the help with my questions..

[Budlofsky's Dinner]

Lookin good! You're in the right place if you want help, for sure. Good luck with the grow and please share updates!