Soil:
If I am doing clones (99.9% of the time) I use RapidRooters or rockwool...
I then plant those into a mixture of 60% Foxfarm Ocean Forest and 40% perlite in the largest styrofoam cups i can find with a good drainage hole in the bottom.
under the t-5s they go for 24/0 fun. Wham Bam Thank you Ma'am with LOTS of light is the key. When the roots start to wrap in the styro cup.....I up pot into a 1 gallon and finish the veg to my desired height. A week before flower I transplant to a 2-3 gallon and then flip em to 12/12.
Hydro: Clones in rapids or rockwool...or aero if you have a bubbler or bucket...when you have ample roots coming out of the cube...into hydroton...run 24/0 lights and drip...backing the drip off to 15 minutes per hour after 1 day/the hydroton is all wet.
General guidelines:
Proper lighting is very important in VEG. Low light will cause spindly/tall plants that are hesitant to branch out. This is often amplified if you are growing sativas/sat hybrids.
Ample lighting AND ventilation will result in bushy/branching plants with healthy root systems. t-5 or Halide @ 25 watts per sq ft or higher is optimal/the best bet for bushy growth in veg. CFL is also favorable for smaller numbers of plants or for side lighting. Side lighting will increase the chance the plant will fill/bush out sufficiently to take cuts or offer multiple bud sites. Temps in veg should never exceed 85F. 65-75 is optimal. IMO.
Always monitor NITROGEN levels in veg. The higher the temp of the room the LOWER the N should be in the mix. High temps/high N will also cause spindly/tall plants with lengthy internodal spacing. If temps are cool in the room and light levels are high the plant will take in more nitrogen and use it for dense/bushy growth.
Beneficial microbes and mycorrihzae innoculants are also very important in early veg. These products can be apllied early on in the veg cycle in an attempt to boost ROOT MASS. The larger the root mass the healthier/larger/more productive the plant will be. |