I dont get num.3 What if I put seeds-seedlings outside in the ground.......Like nature.Thats as natual enviroment as it gets.
Beech
Many of the reasons are obvious and im sure you know why I dont put them outside.
These reasons include exposure to the elements, bugs, animals, and humans. Also to control fertilization.
To control this exposure I cultivate indoors. My goal is bring the best of what COULD be produced in nature, inside.
A 5 gallon bucket worth of dirt would evaporate much more quickly then the same bucket indoors.(Im sure your like duh...)
Let me try to paint my logic here for a second..
Imagine a perfect spring season.
In my eyes, I see a beautiful green landscape at the basin of a hill/mountain with flowers, trees, and bushes.(plants of all size).
Its the middle of spring, summer is around the corner, sunny, temperatures at a steady 75-80F during the day and 60-70F at night. Humidity levels are around 65-70% with intermittent cloud clover.
Light showers occur 1-2 times a day.
Light showers have been occuring and because of this the MJ seeds that have survived the winter have received water and sprouted.(Simulated by my paper towel germ).
Remember thats the whole job of the actual smokeable marijuana. To protect the seeds so the species can live on.
Due to the light showers nutrients at the very top of the soil are being washed deeper in the ground.
Leaving the top soil with not as much food. This is good because MJ plants dont need nutrients for the first two weeks.(simulated by using rockwool and plain RO water)
Light showers are still occuring and water evaporates fairly quickly. This is because the clouds disappear and the sun goes to work causing transpiration and the plants wick that shit up. This happening once maybe twice a day!
Im trying to achieve this without the sun and only fluorescent lights. So I have to improvise.
Under an HPS is a different story because they are stronger and produce more heat.
If I were to transplant a seedling in rockwool directly in a moist 5 gallon pot worth of dirt, it would cause stress on the plant because its going into hyperdrive for an extended period of time trying to wick that water out of the soil on its own.
To not cause this shock I put them in red dixie cups even after I put them in rockwool.
Rockwool to simulate that 1-3 inches of nutrient-less top soil and cups to help with the wicking process.
Yesterday 4/20 they were completely dry and needing a water. Four and a half days is a much shorter wicking time in my experience then putting them in five gallon pots.
Usually 5 gallon pots will need a water 1-2 weeks after, and usually only the middle portion of the pot.
I hope that helps explain my point of view a little bit.
Im pretty scatter brained so if i missed something or if something doesn't make sense bring it to my attention.
I'll be posting an update in a bit. Plants have grown a bit and im transferring all seedlings that were in the rockwool into cups except 1.
Hope everyone had a good 4/20!