How well you take care of your cannais plants throughout their life is key to keeping them happy and healthy. How much light should seedlings receive are important considerations, especially in the early stages of your plants’ lives when they are most vulnerable.
A cannabis plant that germinates will split at the seam connecting the husk halves. The tail, driven by gravity, grows rapidly and sinks into the soil until it can provide enough leverage to lift the husk with the two halves of the seed up.
The two halves can be folded out from this position to serve as biological solar panels. They gather energy and start a cannabis plant’s initial chlorophyll production.
This article will discuss how to protect your seedlings during their most vulnerable stage.
What Cannabis Seedlings are
During this stage, the key is to be attentive and monitor every change or development in your cannabis seeds. Within a few hours after they sprout, the seams of the seeds will split allowing a white tendril or spore to emerge. The tendril will quickly grow and move downwards until it is deep enough to support the rest of your plant (the stalk and the seed shell).
Now the husk is split in two and emerges from ground. It functions as a kind of makeshift leaf, absorbing energy that can be used within the plant to produce chlorophyll. The stalk is growing upwards but you can also see that other roots are growing down.
The seed split’s middle will reveal the first two leaves. These are unique and completely different from all future leaves. These are known as sucker leaves, and they signal the start of more leaf growth.
From the middle of the suckers leaves, two-lobed leaves will grow. Because they have three lobes, these two-lobed leaves often resemble chicken feet. The three-lobed leaves are followed by two leaves with five and two with seven lobes. The seven-lobed leaves are what everyone recognizes as cannabis leaves.
You can keep your cannabis plants healthy through the entire growing process. They will most likely reach the vegetative stage. It’s more than about survival. It’s about investing in your future harvest. For more information on germinating cannabis seeds , please refer to the article How do we germinate .
This article will cover the elements that you need to be vigilant about in order to ensure the health and well-being of your seedlings. These elements include protection, water and nutrients as well as heat and sunlight.
How to protect your Cannabis-Seedlings
You have many things to worry about when it comes to protecting your seedlings (more than just from the authorities), even if you live in an area where cannabis cultivation is legal.
Your plants should be kept in a protected place, such as a roof, and protected with a transparent or plastic bubble. These domes are inexpensive and can protect your seedlings from being eaten by rodents and other pests .
You can simply cut a clear plastic container in half. Then, recycle the top and keep the bottom. To allow airflow to your young plant, you should make small cuts around the edges. The dome should be placed over the plant. The dome will also protect your plant from unexpected frosts.
Moisture and sunlight
Your seedlings need water and sunlight, in addition to protection and insulation. It is important to keep the soil and seedlings moist at all times. You also need to ensure they get plenty of sunlight.
You might have more problems if you live further north as your spring days are shorter than those who live farther south. Outdoor growers can run into problems with their seedlings not getting enough sunshine. This causes the plant to grow taller to get more sunlight. It then becomes too tall to support itself.
If you have the space and resources to do so, you could try growing your cannabis seed in a closet. The right equipment can provide enough sunlight to your young plants, giving them the energy they need to grow large, healthy leaves from the start.
This method of growing will ensure that the stems don’t grow too long or weak. Instead, they will become strong and short. This will save you the trouble of trying to stabilize weak, tall stems with sticks. They should not do this when the plant is leaned against the ground. It could lead to rot.
However, if you begin to grow your seedlings indoors later, it will be necessary to transplant them. This presents its own problems and safety concerns for your young plants. It all depends on what option you prefer.
How much water are seedlings supposed to need?
Too much water is a common problem when caring for seedlings. This is not as serious as too much water. It’s more about too little oxygen reaching the roots of your plant. This is most common with seedlings grown in containers, as water can only travel so far.
Overwatering your plants can cause drooping of the leaves. You can avoid this by following the instructions. When it comes to how your plants have been overwatered, the most important thing is how you can correct the situation.
Don’t overwater your plants
Too large a pot for the cannabis seedling
Young plants’ tiny roots are less able to absorb water than those of their older counterparts. These tender roots won’t be able to take in as much water as the container can carry. This is sometimes called “overpotting” and can lead to overwatering. How can you avoid this?
It is best to start your seedlings’ life in a smaller container. After they have grown enough, you can transfer them to a larger container. If you are unable to solve the problem and it is too late, your watering will be directed to a particular area. This should be a circle around your plant. You can water again once the soil has dried to its highest point. Normal watering is the only way to begin.
You can make sure you have separate containers for each stage of your cannabis plant’s life if you plan ahead. You will need to plan ahead if your plants will live in the same container for the entire growing season.
Also, it is important to know how big you want your plants to grow. Roots grow faster when they are kept in one container for long periods of time. Therefore, you will need to have fewer transplants. This is something to consider when planning the size of your container.
Too small a pot for the cannabis seedling
Seedlings can be planted in small containers such as a single cup. They won’t grow out of the tiny space, so don’t leave them in a single cup. Your plants will quickly become root bound if they are kept in a small container too long. This is when the roots wrap themselves around the cup to keep water from escaping.
Is root bound a bad thing? This can cause a lot of problems such as overwatering, nutritional deficiencies and wilting. This problem can be avoided by simply changing the size of the containers as often as needed. Use these container
Bad drainage (drainage capacity of the growth medium)
Your plants will not thrive if they have a poor drainage system. You should make sure that the container has drainage holes in it.
This can be prevented by planting your plants in soil that drains well right from the beginning. Clay-based soils, for example, retain water, and should therefore be avoided.
A smaller container can be used to start, which will help you avoid the above mentioned problem. You should make sure that your container has plenty of drainage holes.
Perlite can be added to soil to improve the oxygen content. You can either stop watering your plants as often as you like until they start to drink more or use a Smart Pot.
These tips will help you avoid overwatering your plants if you follow them.
Too little water for the seedlings
You may have been overwatering your plants, or they are not thriving. If the problem isn’t obvious, it could be due to a lack of water. People who are aware of the problem of overwatering seedlings often overcompensate and water their plants less frequently than they should.
Your roots plants must always be able access water. In a process known as transpiration, plants lose water that they have absorbed through the leaves. This is done by sucking the water from roots like a straw. If the process continues and the roots below do not receive enough water, then the plant may have serious problems.
If your soil is separating from its container, it could be an indication that you have an underwatering problem.
The effects of nutrient-rich soil can make your plants more susceptible to disease. The plants will develop dark green leaves and new, strange-colored growths. The only thing you can do in this situation is to give your plants more water so that they can re-establish roots and grow again. They will likely be able to overcome this condition if they have enough water.
What type of nutrients for your Seedlings?
Feeding your plants nutrients can have its problems. You can cause nutrient poisoning by giving your plants too much nutrients. The leaves of your plant will turn darker and have tipburn.
Toxicity
Use of “hot” soil, or soil that has a lot nutrients can cause nutrient poisoning. You can ensure that your seedlings are not affected by nutrient poisoning from hot soil as long as they get enough water.
Some soils, such as Miracle-Gro, are slow-release. These soils should be avoided at all cost. They will not make your plant healthier, and can actually make them more vulnerable to nutrient poisoning.
You can cause your seedlings to become irritated if you give them nutrients too early. But don’t worry about adding more nutrients until your seedlings are at least a few weeks old, as long as the initial potting mixture is of high quality.
The plants could get nutrient poisoning if you give your plants too many nutrients at once. Use a nutrient program that comes with store-bought nutrients. Reduce the amount you use and wait to see how your plants respond before adding more.
Deficiency
Your plants may get sick if you don’t use the right nutrients or if your potting mix isn’t suitable for cannabis seedlings. Nutrient deficiency. This problem can be identified by yellowing or folding leaves that appear on your plant. They will eventually turn brown and fall off.
These leaves are usually located at the bottom of the plant. However, if they are only found at the top of the plant then it is likely that nutrient deficiency is not a problem. Your older leaves are most affected by nutrient deficiencies.
Avoiding these problems is possible by making sure your plants receive the correct nutrients. Also, make sure to give more nutrients as the plants use up their soil. You don’t have to give nutrients if your plants are grown without soil.
If the soil pH is not maintained at a healthy level, problems could also occur. Your plant may experience nutrient deficiencies even if all the nutrients are there. You could also be causing a nutrient-related problem by watering your plants in a poor way.
A container that is too small will result in nutrient deficiencies. This will prevent your roots from functioning properly and cause root boundness.
The perfect temperature
The temperature should not exceed 73 degrees and not less than 59 degrees fahrenheit. If it gets too hot, move the lamp farther away from the plant. Your seedlings will curl their leaves if they are exposed to too high temperatures.
This problem can be solved by simply lowering the heat. This occurs also when your cannabis plants don’t get enough water.
How much light?
You can germinate your seeds indoors by placing your seedlings in containers with fluorescent light. The lights are not too powerful and emit little heat.
The CFL (compact fluorescent lamp) should be switched on at 18 hour intervals, and off at 6 hours. Use HPS to grow light as close as possible to the seedlings, but not above 77 degrees.
It’s different if you germinate outdoors. When your plants first start to sprout, sunlight is crucial. You don’t have to give them too much sunlight – they will still need it, but you must keep their other needs in mind (i.e. Keeping their soil moist.
You will notice if your plants don’t get enough sunlight. Their stems will appear white-colored and taller than normal. It’s basically your plants’ way to get as much sun as possible.
However, plants have a “light saturation point,” which is the limit at which they can use all of the sunlight available to them. Your plants won’t reach their light saturation point if you keep the lighting at a manageable level.
If they do, it becomes a waste light, electricity and time. Plants that receive too much sunlight will not grow as fast because it isn’t worth it growing bigger to get more sun.
You can reduce the amount of light that your plants receive by simply moving your lamps higher and putting them farther away. You can move your lamps closer if they require more light. It’s that simple!
People often believe that autoflowering plants do not need light to grow. This is incorrect. Autoflowers require light to grow and develop. They don’t need a lack of light to flower.
Do not let the seedling stretch
Cannabis plants that have been stretched tends to look that way due to certain environmental factors. Sturdy stems will not support multiple branches, buds, or leaves if they are stretched out. It is important that cannabis plants don’t stretch too thin.
This problem can be solved by simply bending the stem backwards and forwards. Although it may seem like this puts a lot stress on your plant, the stem actually has to break down and rebuild in the space. As a result, the stems are stronger.
You can also use more blue light to solve this problem, maintain temperatures around 80*F and make sure plants get all the light they require. The plants will begin to grow longer if there is not enough light.
