Growing cannabis might seem fun and interesting. But not every grower experiences a smooth ride. Immediately after germination, the roots sprout, and the seedlings appear within a few days. The seedling phase is critical and needs utmost care if you want your plants to grow to the next level. Maintaining ideal growing conditions determines whether your seedlings will grow into strong, healthy plants.
Understanding how to nurture your seedlings is imperative because this initial phase is delicate. If you properly care for your cannabis plants, you can be sure of harvesting impressive yields.
This article helps get valuable insights on how to care for your cannabis plants in the early stages.
Growing Stages: What Happens?
Before we proceed into the nurturing process, it is imperative to understand what happens during the growing stages of a cannabis plant.
There are four main phases in the growing process of cannabis. These phases include germination, seedling, vegetative, and flowering.
After planting your marijuana seeds for beginners, the germination process begins. The roots start to grow inside the soil as the stem sprouts upwards to grow the leaves helping the plant absorb light for growth. As the cannabis plant grows, more leaves and ridged edges will appear.
Thus, the seedling stage is the period from germination to the phase where the plant attains top ridged edges per leaf, approximately 5 to 10 ridges.
As mentioned above, the seedling stage is an important phase in growth since the plant is fragile and young. Thus, proper care is vital for growers who want to establish a healthy plant foundation.
But what aspects should you consider when caring for your cannabis seedlings? Here are ways you can adopt to nurture your young plants:
Select a Suitable Container
Choosing the best cannabis seeds for beginners is not enough. Your marijuana seedlings require adequate space to thrive. The trick lies in maintaining a balance since insufficient space or too much space will interfere with growth.
Thus, ensure you select a suitable container to grow your cannabis seedling. Large containers will prevent the roots from absorbing enough water in the soil. Conversely, small containers will hinder the roots’ growth and affect their absorption ability. So, check out a list of the best pot seeds for beginners at reputable vendors to purchase an ideal container.
The container size is vital during planting since it will influence how you care for the seedlings. Moreover, you should ensure the container has holes to drain excess water that might overpower the cannabis plant.
Avoid Overwatering Your Seedlings
Cannabis seedlings need enough water to grow. But how much is enough? It is imperative to water your plant regularly but don’t oversaturate the soil. Make sure it is moist or damp enough to support the seedlings. Overwatering you’re your plants might be overwhelming and result in fungi and stem discoloration.
Consider the container size and the soil composition to determine how much water you will use. Even though there is no standard amount of water that you should use, ensure the soil is well-hydrated. So, be keen, and don’t let the soil dry up before your next watering.
Understand Indicators of Nutrient Deficiency
Growing cannabis plants need adequate nutrients for proper development. When caring for your seedlings, it is imperative to understand the indicators of nutrient deficiency. These deficiencies often occur due to reusing potting soils or adding excess fertilizer to soils, causing toxicity. Conversely, inadequate water might result in a lack of essential nutrients needed for growth.
So, how do you spot the signs? Here are aspects you need to look out for:
- Dark plant color
- Burned leaves at the tip
- Curled leaves
- Yellow leaves
If your plant shows these signs, it could indicate a nutrient deficiency or toxicity. Thus, you must alter your planting approach to ensure successful growth.
Right Lighting for Seedlings
Another effective way to nurture your weed seedlings is by exposing the plants to the right light. Remember that cannabis seedlings are like other plants that require light to thrive.
Outdoor planting means your seedling will be exposed to natural sunlight. Keeping the plants in the sun for long hours is great. But what happens during cloudy or rainy days? You don’t have much control over the sunlight and will not know if your seedlings are getting adequate light to grow successfully.
Fortunately, you can grow your seedlings in a greenhouse or indoors under artificial LED lighting. Such a setup offers you more control and guarantees your seedlings enough light. Thus, an indoor setup’s recommended amount of light is 18 hours and 6 hours of darkness for optimal growth.
Maintain Ideal Temperature and Humidity
Nurturing your seedlings means maintaining ideal environmental conditions. Temperature and humidity are essential factors you must control to ensure proper growth.
The recommended temperature for cannabis seedlings should be around 80 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and 70 degrees at night.
On the other hand, the humidity levels should be around 70% to enable efficient moisture absorption from the environment. As a result, the roots will become stronger and support the plant from the effects of over-watering.
Conclusion
Caring for your cannabis seedlings will guarantee a successful growth process. Ensure you maintain the ideal conditions for your young plant to thrive after planting the best marijuana seeds for beginners. Besides, picking the right container and hydrating your plants will guarantee strong, healthy plants.
This article is a creation of Lana Braslavska, a professional cannabis expert with an unmatched interest in cannabis growing. Lana is an ardent writer specializing in informative pieces related to marijuana plants. She creates awareness about how to plant and nurture seedlings into mature, healthy plants.