Will having 9 day old plants in darkness for 3-4 hours kill them?

So I am moving out of my dorm room in 9 days and am going to be growing out in the country during the summer.

I am hoping it is possible for me to start my seeds now. My only concern is that they will either grow to big to be boxed up, or that doing so will kill them.

I'd be skipping germination, and just simply placing my seeds 1/2 inch or so into soil which has been saturated and let to drain. They would spend this time on my window sill outside facing the Western sky, in circular container that are about 3-4 inches tall and 4-5 inches wide, filled with potting soil used for the flower beds on my college campus. The soil itself is looks like it contains a little perlite, and black, soft, mushy bark/chips, and dirt. So just curious how big these guys would become after 9 days.

Then I would be leaving around 1-2PM. Drive would be about 3-4 hours. Would this period of time spent in a box without light damage or kill my plants?

Just wondering if this would work, I can wait to plant my seeds at home when I come back 9 days from now, it would be nice though to get a head start.

Thanks for any advice

Anyone know at all?

Better to start each individual seed in a seperate container. Use 16 oz beer cups, if you are in college I'm sure they are available. Leave your soil down about an 1-1/2 to 2" below the top of the cup. Put your seed on top of the soil center of the cup. Use your finger and press down into the soil, 1/2" is probably too deep, make it about a quarter. Then rake some soil back over the top. If you can get your hands on a spray bottle mist the dirt real good to get it nice and moist. Get some clear plastic, like celophane or whatever and cover the top of the cup, this will make a greenhouse effect. Put them in your closet or whatever and give them about 30 hours of darkness at first, then put into the window sill.

I did mine just like this, and they broke the soil in 3 days.

In 2 weeks they were about 8" tall.

I think you know that being in the dark 4 hours will not hurt them, how do they manage at night?

after 9 days they will still be pretty small but i dont see y 3-4hrs of dark would do any harm

ya dude my seedlings are on 18/6 so there getting 6 hours of darkness and there doing great so 3-4 hours your sweating over?

I was just wondering because they will have about 5 or so hours of sun, be covered up for almost four, then come out for a few hours of sun and then it's night time. Was worried it disrupt some sort of biological activity due the unnatural change in lighting schedule.

Thanks for the replies guys! Will probably do a grow journal once I have them situated in the forest.

so all together its only getting 8 hours of sun? thats not good! it will want to flower and a seedling cant! it needs at least 16 hours of light some how!

where you starting the seeds like that? they need alot of light....

calismoke28 said:

where you starting the seeds like that? they need alot of light....

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Outside of my window, I am at 45 degrees latitude. I am not sure how long they will have light for exactly, but it will be without light for three to four hours during the middle of the day when I am driving them home, only once. Would that be enough to screw them up?

Conflicting opinions here.

They will be fine.

man your really gonna have to do a lot more research if you wanna grow some bud. after 9 days including germination they will be just sprouted, very small. too small to put outside yet but i guess you could try. if you have enough some might survive. and to answer your question about darkness hurting your plants, dont you think its gonna get dark at night whe your plants are outside?