Since we are already in Day9(start Feb 19 @ 3pm) of this grow, I'll sum it up real quick to catch up.
Ended up sorting through a bunch of seeds using the 'dimple method' to guesstimate female seeds, cant wait to see how that works out.. A local and fellow traveler suggested I try it. Anyways.
Dropped the chosen 19 seeds in a well water filled cup, pH7ish and 223ppm, and placed it on a triple stack of larger propagator bottom pans that sit on top of a seedling heater mat. Ooh, this is going to raise questions. I can sense it!
The first two seeds popped within the first 24hrs, got planted in a small 3x4 slot propagator filled with seedling soil, and were tagged green to represent the first 24hrs.
The next ten were tagged yellow, representing the second 24hr period, and they filled up the small propagator. As if it were planned.
At the end if the third period, four more made it. These would have been tagged red but instead got put under the windowsill as a control group to see the efficiency of the setup I am running. Afterall, I am only after 6 plants. And preferably the female sort.
The rest of the seeds were unopened and got tossed, they didnt fit my 36 hour germination bracket for regular seeds. Got to have standards!
Overall 16 out of 19 bagseeds germinated within 36hrs, not bad considering!
Now we know who popped when and in which order they broke through. Soon we will find out what kind of vigor each one has. Even before any of them is a "plant".. Very important!
Cotyledons are not leaf, "a plant is roots stem and leaf", but I am no way shape or form anyone who you should take legal advice from.
To get all this to work I insulated the mat from the hard surface below with 3 pot holders. Put the larger dome over the small propagator and enclosed the setup in a passively vented 1/2in foam and masking tape box under the stove vent hood of my bunkhouse camper. Might as well get some use of that space, it's just been sitting there since all this covid madness started anyways..
The seedling mat is still on 24hrs a day, it rarely gets above 50 during the day out here right now. Gotta do whatcha gotta do, good thing I can plug this sucker into an outlet. Offgrid youd need a solar setup of sorts to handle this, but it's really not that many Ah.
Timing the daylight hours, I have a timer setup to control the 13.5w/1200 5000k "Full Spectrum" cheapo led growlight from a home improvement store chain. Found it in the impulse buy aisle!
Fast forward: I have ten left, 2 didnt like getting uncovered for an hour on Day8. They preferred a more humid environment, cant use that, so good riddance! There is also no control group, they've been tossed. But I did find out I was about 7 days ahead of the control group on Day8.
The last ten are now holding steady at between 1.5 and 2 inches. Have not watered or fed them since planting them.
The cotys show minor signs of depletion(good thing) and true leaf growth has been symmetrical. Genetic traits visible, groupings tall and small. Both have an even canopy in their own respects.
I've attached some pictures to portrait the 1st 9 days. Saw right before lights out earlier that the first true leaf are coming in. I'll take a picture tomorrow and post it.
