By Thomas Press
Beginning the grow and starting you seedlings and clones is now the primary concern, and this article will teach you some good ways to help those sprouts along. Are you starting an indoor garden now that the weather has cooled? This is the time of year, and many either move their gardens indoors or start their first indoor garden. These days consumers have a couple of great choices when starting an indoor garden, starting with the difference between Hydroponic and Soil. There are advantages to both types of growing systems, so find a trusted landscape or horticultural professional to help you determine what will work best for your particular needs. Once your general infrastructure, i.e. growing area and corresponding lighting, air flow, watering and feeding systems (if any), is set up, you will then be ready to grow.
When germinating seeds there are some time tested techniques that we will cover. As a general rule, a moist, warm, low light environment will aid in germination. Seeds that are handled may be ‘primed’ for germination by placing them in a container with some dry sand and shaking, gently yet thoroughly. Doing this will microscopically excoriate the seed coat, allowing for easier use of water by the seed. It will prove beneficial to either soak your seeds overnight before planting in medium, or to use the paper towel method; wherein a paper towel is folded two or three times, the seeds folded in the last time and the paper towel moistened. At this point the seed bearing paper towel may be put into a plastic bag to keep the moisture. To remove any question of the quality of water being used for germination, distilled water works perfectly. The plastic bag may then be placed somewhere warm, from 65 to less than 90 Fahrenheit, for the seeds to germinate. Temperatures too warm will ‘bake’ the seeds and be counterproductive. Check your seeds for germination after 24 hours, and for every 24 hours afterwards as some seeds may take up to 2-3 weeks to sprout. When planting, make sure the root, the white matter that appears once the shell cracks open, is down. Plant at a depth of 1/2 to 1 inch in loose soil or starter block and keep moist. When planting the seed in soil, keep the soil moist using a spray bottle with distilled water, or water by the spoonful. It is best to avoid drowning the seedling with flooding quantities of water. In this case less is more, and try not to disrupt the initial rooting of the seed. A great way of providing a seedling with the stability it needs before it is planted in soil is to use ‘starter blocks.’ These can be found in practically any grow supply store, nursery or hardware store and come in a variety materials and shapes from peat to horse manure to rock wool, and others in between. Starter blocks are both easy to use and allow you to start more plants in less space. For Hydroponic systems it is best to avoid starter blocks, or any products, that would introduce decaying organic material to the system, such as rock wool and similar products. Once your seedlings are well rooted they can be planted in their permanent pots or areas. There is a way to grow without seeds, while guaranteeing sex and strain of the plant – that is to use clones. This can be done by visiting your preferred dispensary or cloning your existing plants. Cloning is straightforward and will provide consistency of plant characteristics. As there are varied schools of thought concerning the viability of long term cloned mother plants, one may want to consider using a mother plant only once, containing the desired number of clone-able growing tips, while starting seed stock from which other mothers may be made available. Before cutting a future clone from her mother, make sure to have the materials and tools you will need in place. These are: After making sure that all tools and materials are clean, you are ready take cuttings. Select a branch that has 4-6 nodes and cut the stem downward at a 45 degree angle about 1/4 inch below the bottom • Razor blade • Isopropyl alcohol • Paper towels • Starter blocks • Spray bottle with distilled water • Tray for the starters • Domed cover for the tray • Cloning gel and/or powder node. Then cut the lower leaves off at stem, leaving only the full set of leaves closest to the growing tip. You may then cut the tips of that set of leaves. Without touching any open wounds the cutting now has, dip the trimmed stem in your cloning solution or compound. Then plant the stem into your preferred medium to a depth covering the gel treated portion of stem, 1/2 to 1 inch. Use the spray bottle or spoon to water you starter medium, and then cover with high top or domed lid. If you are using fluorescent or low heat emission lights for your starter clones, you may lower your lights to within 3 to 4 inches from the tops of clones. If you are using HID lighting, you may lower your lights to within 24 inches from the tops of clones. It is best to provide your cuttings about 20 hours of light per day until they are rooted. Clones will have to be tended daily to assure that conditions remain ideal for rooting. After several days, roots will appear and clones will be ready to plant in their final pot or place. Now that your plants are growing, optimal nutrients and nutrient regimen can be employed. At this point you will have many options, as there are thousands of brands of nutrients, fertilizers, and chemicals to choose from, and it can get confusing. Instead of focusing on products, preferring principle and choose only the best, the cleanest, and the purest vegetable matter for consumption. In vegetable gardens, maintaining a nontoxic soil has always been imperative, and to this effect, Kyle Kushman has writings well worth reading concerning Veganics, a school on healthy growing worth knowing and the authoritative source for information on nutrients to help maintain purity in vegetative matter. Indoor gardens can be somewhat vulnerable if ever introduced insects, molds, and undesired fungi from outside. Once introduced, some harmful insects may not be noticeable for several weeks. This can result in a completely destroyed grow. All tools and hands should be cleaned thoroughly before your plants are handled. A change of clothes before entering your grow space, especially after working outside, is a good idea. Remember that any harmful stimuli to your plants will negatively affect your final yield. Maintain a clean growing area, equipment and tools, use established methods and regimen for optimal health, and your grow will be successful.
