Looking for advices,my first grow ever..this plants are 2 weeks from sprout

Dr Kynes

Well-Known Member
im sayhin i wouldnt try to harden off those tiny sprouts, and i wouldnt even consider leaving them outside in my own garden (even with the chickens locked up) at that stage of growth. a single slightly hungry sparrow could wipe them all out in less than 2 minutes. untill those plants have at least 2-3 sets of full leaves they are too immature for hardening off, toughening up or planting outside. im not baggin on ya, im tellin ya the facts. those little sprouts are salad greens not mature plants. they would need at least 2 weeks of TLC in my sprouting closet before i put them anywhere near the outdoors environment. they really look like they are 2-3 days out of the seed rather than 2 weeks. plants dont mature on a calendar they mature on growth from their conditions. those things are just too small for weather. or birds, or bugs of any kind. my thyme plants dont even go outside that early, and thyme is a tough son of a bitch. give them a few weeks with more and better quality light.

for my garden everything from tomatoes and bell peppers to carrots and herbs gets sprouted from seeds the same way , in paper egg cartons with good soil, under a grand total of 46 watts of CFL in a 20 inch by 20 inch by 12 inch high closet shelf. when they hit 4-6 inches high for herbs and tomatoes they get hardened off by spending a few more hours outside every morning till they are ready for planting. generally i plant my seeds and tend them for 3-4 weeks before they are ready for 2 more weeks of hardening off. thats almost a month an a half before i plant shit outside, and thats in the spring when water and cool temps make plants grow strong for the summer heat. youre rushing those sprouts and they wont survive. i want them to live and you to be successful thats why im tellin ya this. you have plenty of time before the autumnal equinox and flowering begins, give them a few weeks to get stronger and they will make it to bud in october.
 

Dr Kynes

Well-Known Member
Ok,if I were to keep em in for lets say 10 more days
put em in a new box paint inside white,put some vent in it
would two of these neon lamps each 25w suffice?
a little UV helps plants, but the UV light from just one of those things within 2 meters will give those sprouts deadly radiation burns
UV lights do not provide the kind of light that plants need for photosynthesis, they provide light that helps promote strong growth and reduces fungal infestation.
one one or two CFL lamps will do quite well, but those UV lamps will slay them
 
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