growing in the shade, BAD or GOOD idea? HELP

NUCKLEDRAGGER · Jun 29, 2010

My partner and i have gotten into a minor disagreement, over which method to start our new seedlings. I was hopeing to get some outside advice so that we can get the most out of our plants as we can on our budget. Just so that you know that we're not complete nubes ill be posting sum pics later to show some of our 5 footers and phat little bushes. The method which id like to use is to germ the seeds, then plant in flats under a dome. Then when sprouts appear and are adequately healthy transplant them to a larger container, place in direct sunlight . My partner's chosen method is to take the healthy sprouts place them in a larger container HALF full with our soil and place in the sun. When the plants begin to grow fill the container in with soil around them. I cant seem to explain that the container casts a shadow on the plant and direct sunlight is key to a happy, healthy,humongus plant and depriving our youngest most delicate babies of the precious sun they so greatly need and desire is just cruel and unusual... Help tell me im wrong for wanting my dope grown in pots full of that expensive ass dirt that we have and i dont want them in the shadow cast by there temporary containers and tell me he's right for wanting to fill in around em and the shadows dont hurt nothing!! ADVICE PLEASE:character0053:

xX Kid Twist Xx · Jul 1, 2010

iot doesn't sound like any damage will be done by either of your methods. if the plant is small i would up pot to smaller containers tho. if not they will stay wet to long as a young seedling will have less roots to soak up that water. so putting in less dirt will help it dry out faster. on the other hand if they are big enough i don't see why you would only fill the container halfway? 1 thing is for sure tho if at the end of the year all your plants are much bigger then his,you will both no for sure what to do next year. good luck and have fun. you guys will have a blast trimming your harvest together smoking the scissor hash.

NUCKLEDRAGGER · Jul 1, 2010

Hell yeah, man i appreciate your input Kid. Hopefully your right about that scissor hash!!

MissV · Jul 5, 2010

When you put them in the larger pots is that their findal transplanting? If so, I guess I could wrap my mind around why your Partner would transplant into less soil. In theory, the roots have time to grow into the bag of half soil. I'd imagine that as the plants get taller he prunes the bottom branches and adds 3 to 4 inches of soil above the root base. Fine.
Personally, I prefer to transplant several times. For example I transplant 3 times for green house round and 4 times for outdoor rounds. but I don't transplant into half bags of soil then add more. But I am able to have many different sizes of bags around.
Okay, the shadowing part probably does not last all day, because of the sun's movement. Some shadowing is no problem at all, in my book; unless, the plant is shadowed for more than a quarter time of your total day light time.
Some strains grow better a little shade grown... : )
And Kid has a good point. Experiment. No worries~

Seamaiden · Jul 5, 2010

NUCKLEDRAGGER said:
My partner and i have gotten into a minor disagreement, over which method to start our new seedlings. I was hopeing to get some outside advice so that we can get the most out of our plants as we can on our budget. Just so that you know that we're not complete nubes ill be posting sum pics later to show some of our 5 footers and phat little bushes. The method which id like to use is to germ the seeds, then plant in flats under a dome. Then when sprouts appear and are adequately healthy transplant them to a larger container, place in direct sunlight . My partner's chosen method is to take the healthy sprouts place them in a larger container HALF full with our soil and place in the sun. When the plants begin to grow fill the container in with soil around them. I cant seem to explain that the container casts a shadow on the plant and direct sunlight is key to a happy, healthy,humongus plant and depriving our youngest most delicate babies of the precious sun they so greatly need and desire is just cruel and unusual... Help tell me im wrong for wanting my dope grown in pots full of that expensive ass dirt that we have and i dont want them in the shadow cast by there temporary containers and tell me he's right for wanting to fill in around em and the shadows dont hurt nothing!! ADVICE PLEASE:character0053:

DO NOT make the mistake of using a half container of soil and thinking the seedlings will get sufficient light. Not to mention, black nursery pot? Again, bad idea unless it's either shielded from the sunlight or buried (shielded from the sunlight). I can almost guarantee you that they will spend their energy reaching for the sun more than anything else.

JUST SAY NO! Or, do half your way and half his way. That'll show him.

I have done this, by the way, and it just doesn't work well at all. You're wasting precious growing time if you do it this way. Seriously. Especially if you're just starting them at the end of June.

Also, don't mess around with the dome for seedlings. Pop 'em using your preferred method, plant 'em, stick 'em outside ASAP (that's immediately in my world, unless it's too cold because growth shuts down in that case). They know what to do.

NUCKLEDRAGGER · Jul 6, 2010

thanks for the input im just hoping for the some healthy plants this season. when we up pot our seedling there not going into there final container we eventally plan on having all are girls in 10 gallon grow bags and a few in 25 gallon pots and with this being said it still boggles my mind why would you skimp in soil in the begining?

Seamaiden · Jul 7, 2010

Exactly. They will grow into it and use it.

farmerjohn · Jul 7, 2010

I started 30 cuttings on 24/7 in April. Due to a shortage of medium, (there's one legitimate reason why you would skimp on soil) the last 8 or so got less soil. About 1/2 full in a gallon & a half container. With overhead light, they got all they needed, so that wasn't the concern. I worried about how to get the pots full, once I had more soil. About a week later, I filled 3 of them, by piling new soil on top of the old. The rest I carefully inverted, unpotted & added soil underneath, then put the plant back into place. The ones I took out had roots throughout the medium. I wish I had marked them & followed their progress to see what, if any difference there might be. All have made it to week 8+ of flowering. I do have a couple plants that have exposed roots. They bent under the weight of growing buds. They might be the ones I added soil on top, but I can't confirm that. They are not significantly smaller or less healthy than the others, just have roots showing around the stem. I put more soil in, but the roots re-expose after watering.

NUCKLEDRAGGER · Jul 7, 2010

very interesting farmerjohn, id never even considered adding the soil to the bottom of the pot. just got back from visiting our sites and am not as pleased as id like to be. we only have ourselves to blame but still have around 25 ladies between 2 and 6 feet with a few that are simply increadible. vines and heavy rain have added to the delima whitch is ahead of us. im gonna borrow my buddies camera with our garden shots and get em posted soon so i can give my ladies some fame before i cut there heads off n' set em on fire!