Need a straight answer on nutes and watering please!

Hey all, my babies sprung up from the dirt about 5 days ago and the soil is drying up very quickly.

I'm worried about overwatering and people have told me to hold back on it, but I don't want them to shrivel up on me. If the soil on top is completely dry and not much different an inch or two down, is this a good time to water?

Also, I've got a fish emulsion fert (5-1-1) for the veg cycle and I want to know when a good time to start using it would be. Currently growing in EarthGro potting soil, which contains no prepackaged nutrients, just compost, sand, perlite and possibly peat moss.

Any answers would be greatly appreciated!

Yes, finger check the soil a few inches down. If dry, time to water.

water when the soil is dry or it hasnt rained in awhile..... if you can 2 times a week when it doesnt rain....and let them sit for 4 days or so if it was a good rain. you could even get away with 1 time a week. i would use ferts till they are at least 2-3 weeks old.. and start small like half strength. also toss that fish emulsion in the trash and get a good fert with a 30-10-10 or 20-20-20 fox farms grow big,jacks classic,even miricle grow orchid food will do. good luck

I used the weight method. If you can pick up the containers, wait until they "feel" light. Its better to wait a tad long than overwater. The plants will show you when they are thirsty, long before you really harm them. If i watered beforre the soil got completely dry, i noticed fungal gnat issues. When i had a soil mix similar to yours in 3gallon pots, i could saturte the soil and then wait about 5-7 days before rewater. again it all depended on the weight. Best of luck to you.