Oldfellainspain 2024 Grow Log.

[oldfellainspain]

This will be my second attempt to grow Burley and Virginia. The first time was with seeds just marked Burley and Virginia bought online. The Virginia went well, the Burley was a disaster. For this attempt I have bought KY17 and Spectrum from NWS.
I want to try and get in two grows of 16 plants each in 2024 so I'm starting early. Space is limited so I'm going to try Knuckleheads kiddie pool method. It will also allow me to move the plants into sunlight areas as the sun moves across my roof terrace.
I have eight, 3" square pots for Burley and eight for Virginia, prepared and seeded last night. I have also built a surround from cardboard and lined it with aluminium paper, also a LED light canopy. The enclosure is as much for temperature as it is for light. Although the LEDs give off minimal heat its just enough to keep the enclosure at a good temperature (about 26º-27ºC). There are two vents that can be opened and closed if need be. When I turn the lights off, a covering of towels will hopefully keep the temperature from dropping too much overnight.
I've used the same brand of seedling mix as the last grow as it worked fine. I will be reading a lot and asking advice when it comes transplanting outside.

 

[oldfellainspain]

Less than 5 days since seeding and I have germinated little seedlings this morning, and not just one or two. Thankyou NWS.
Cling film has been removed and with the lights 2.5 inches above the seedlings I'm reading 26ºC and RH 76%. I've not grown under lights before, so any advice would be helpful. I've read that lights could be closer to the plants, but I'm concerned about "cooking" them.

 

[deluxestogie]

Are these labeled?

Bob

 

[oldfellainspain]

Are these labeled?

Bob

They weren't. I've just labelled them after seeing your post. They'll fall off within a couple of days so I'll get some proper ones tomorrow.

 

[Old Gasman]

Less than 5 days since seeding and I have germinated little seedlings this morning, and not just one or two. Thankyou NWS.
Cling film has been removed and with the lights 2.5 inches above the seedlings I'm reading 26ºC and RH 76%. I've not grown under lights before, so any advice would be helpful. I've read that lights could be closer to the plants, but I'm concerned about "cooking" them.

They look fine to me. I've never used lights on mine, if I can grow mine in March in cold and wet Norfolk I'm sure you could grow yours in sunny Spain without the extra faff of lights.

 

[oldfellainspain]

They look fine to me. I've never used lights on mine, if I can grow mine in March in cold and wet Norfolk I'm sure you could grow yours in sunny Spain without the extra faff of lights.

I started the seeds for my first grow without lights, and I had no problems, but it was late spring and temperatures were a lot warmer than now.
I live in an old town where building heights are restricted. Before those restrictions were brought in, a six story block of apartments was built backing on to my house. This was well before I bought it, but I have no problem with it. We've all got to have somewhere to live. In the summer months the sun is high enough in the sky to be above the block of apartments, but in the winter months it goes behind it before midday. People think that Spain is a warm country, but any Spaniard will tell you that it's a cold country with a hot sun. Big difference. Don't get me wrong, life here in general is warm and pleasant, but I think a bit too shaded and cold in winter, on my roof terrace for my seedlings. If I had to lay out a lot of money to set up the lights I might not have done it, but I had everything at hand.
You're probably laughing your head off at my supposed weather problems here in Spain. I've been away from England for too long to remember clearly how cold and wet it can be.
1st photo is facing southeast, beautiful morning sunshine. 2nd photo is facing southwest, sun disappears behind this before midday.

 

[Old Gasman]

Sun shine. . . . What is that?

 

[oldfellainspain]

As I intend to follow Knuckleheads kiddie pool grow log, I'm trying to do a week by week comparison to my grow.
First thing I noticed: Knuckleheads plants went from germination, to 1 per cell, with 2-4 real leaves of a good size in eleven days.
Mine only show the beginnings of the first set of true leaves (photo). after 9 days from germination. It really is a big difference.
My thoughts on this are..... 1. Soil temperature, as I don't have any heat pads..... 2. I don't think my seedling mix has any fertilizer. Would a liquid fertilizer be necessary at this point. I have one with a NPK 7+5+6. and could dilute it down to say quarter strength. Any thoughts welcome.

 

[deluxestogie]

Fertilizer in the starting mix does not impact germination time. That is more likely, as you suggested, related to soil temperature. Your planned fertilizer dose may improve growth, and shouldn't hurt anything.

Bob

 

[oldfellainspain]

I have found what I hope is a good spot for my seedlings. I get 3 hours sunshine directly onto a white tarpaulin in the mornings. The seedlings are on the other side getting warmth and filtered sun. When the sun disappears at about 1pm I can put them back under artificial light. Is this a good option?
I'm hoping I'll get a warmer soil temperature as well as better light.

 

[johnny108]

I would keep them under natural light till it almost sets, then go for artificial lighting to extend the daylight hours.

 

[oldfellainspain]

I thinned out the seedlings yesterday. I'll wait to see how they progress from here, and then thin them down to one seedling per pot.
I decided to give them a bit of direct sunlight this morning as the sun is low on the horizon at this time of day. Good light, but not much heat.
I've given the seedlings a weak dose of liquid fertilizer to help them along, but I think it's soil temperature that is slowing growth.

 

[oldfellainspain]

This morning I thinned out the seedlings to one per pot. I had a small amount of seedling mix left, so I mixed it with washed river sand about 50% -50% and transplanted some of the thinned out seedlings. I've now got 33 seedlings on the go. Hopefully by mid March I'll be able to find sixteen good strong plants ready for a scaled down version of Knucklehead's Kiddie Pool Grow.

 

[oldfellainspain]

Five weeks now from germination. Yesterday I trimmed a few leaves that were shading others. My main objective is to follow Knuckleheads Kiddie Pool Grow as closely as possible. I like the idea that this may trick the plants into thickening the stalks. I also put them outside as often as possible when there is weak sun and a light breeze for the same reason. I'm hoping I'll have plants ready to replant in 3 gallon grow bags by the end of February, but I may be a little over optimistic with that date.

 

[oldfellainspain]

A second haircut this morning, and now out in the sunshine. Beautiful weather here at the moment, so the plants go outside every day.
Pretty easy to spot which plants have been under LED lights and which plants have not.

 

[Knucklehead]

A second haircut this morning, and now out in the sunshine. Beautiful weather here at the moment, so the plants go outside every day.
Pretty easy to spot which plants have been under LED lights and which plants have not.

The seedlings are looking great.

 

[oldfellainspain]

The seedlings are looking great.

Thanks. I'm pleased with how this years grow has started.

 

[oldfellainspain]

It's getting a bit crowded under the lights now. I'll have to decide..... higher the lights or transplant?
A question here for Knucklehead... I can't tell from the photo in your 2023 grow log. Do you use a soil less potting mix or potting soil? Miracle Gro is not available here so I'm searching for an alternative.
Last week I ordered 18 x 3 gallon, non-woven grow bags from China. I then panicked when I saw the delivery time of six weeks. For some unknown reason, they arrived in eight days so panic over.

 

[Knucklehead]

It's getting a bit crowded under the lights now. I'll have to decide..... higher the lights or transplant?
A question here for Knucklehead... I can't tell from the photo in your 2023 grow log. Do you use a soil less potting mix or potting soil? Miracle Gro is not available here so I'm searching for an alternative.
Last week I ordered 18 x 3 gallon, non-woven grow bags from China. I then panicked when I saw the delivery time of six weeks. For some unknown reason, they arrived in eight days so panic over.

I use the seed starting mix. It looks like mostly peat moss with some pearlite and vermiculite. It appears to be basically potting soil with the sticks and chunks screened out.

 

[oldfellainspain]

I use the seed starting mix. It looks like mostly peat moss with some pearlite and vermiculite. It appears to be basically potting soil with the sticks and chunks screened out.

Sorry Knucklehead, I wasn't very clear in my last post. I would like to know if you used a soil less mix in your 3 gallon grow bags. I assume you didn't use a seed starting mix?