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The Beans-to-Greens Grow Guide: Step 3

Step 3 of 6: Maintain the seedlings

The Funky Beans Method

Vibrant green, funky little sprouts that spring from your starter pot; healthy seedlings means you’re on your way to a healthy, mature plant.

By this point in the process, you’ve germinated and planted your seeds (check out Steps 1 and 2, respectively, for details on each of these stages). 1-3 days after planting your seed, you should see a stalk with two small, rounded embryonic leaves called cotyledons. With the appearance of this sprout, you have yourself a seedling.

Now it’s time to dig in and focus on botanical basics: light, water, humidity, and temperature. This step will be all about helping your plant get cozy in its growing environment, while it establishes a robust root zone.

Whether you’re growing autoflower, feminized, or regular plants, your treatment of the seedlings will be about the same across the board. We recommend executing this step inside, or in a greenhouse, even if you are growing outdoor-bound plants. This is so that you can control the plant’s environment during its most vulnerable phase.

Stuff You’ll Need

And, while we are keeping the need for specialized tools to an absolute minimum for the average home-grower, keep an eye out for a couple of pieces of equipment that will really make your life easier in the long-run:

Light
A note on PAR value: Photosynthetic Active Radiation (PAR) measures the range of light in which plants can grow, identified as micromoles of light per square meter per second (umol/s). Essentially, this reading indicates the strength of light your plants are absorbing. We use this PAR meter to measure ours.

Additionally, we recommend using either LED or CFL bulbs for this step. To adjust the light emission, either manually raise or lower the light or use a mechanized controller to reduce the wattage.

  1. LED lights
    For simple, at home growing, LED lights are effective. You will, however, need to keep them 12 to 18 inches away from the plants to avoid overheating or drying them out. So, consider tracking down CFL lights if indoor grow space is a limiting factor for you.
  2. CFL grow lights
    Compact Fluorescent bulbs (CLFs) are easy to find and don’t burn as hot as standard bulbs. You’ll need both soft white and daylight bulbs to fulfill your plant’s full spectrum needs, especially if you’re planning to grow entirely indoors. T5 bulbs, in particular, are known for their weed-vegging capabilities.
  3. Infrared temperature gun
    For monitoring the surface temperature of the leaves, having this value will help you keep track of the Vapor Pressure Deficit (VPD, discussed in detail a little later), as well as ensure that your leaves are not being overexposed to light.
  4. Humidistat & Thermometer
    We recommend acquiring this device, which measures the temperature, relative humidity %, VPD, PAR, Co2, and more.
    For a cheaper way to measure the temperature and relative humidity %, we like this device. It connects to wifi and can be monitored remotely. You’ll just have to do some math (as mentioned below) if you want to calculate the VPD.
  5. Water with supplements
    We widely employ the application of two supplements in a water solution, detailed in Step 2 of this blog series.
  6. Organic Aloe Vera Flakes Check out ours!
  7. Soil-Activating Mycrobes (mykros) Check out ours!

Let’s maintain (not kill) those seedlings 


It’ll be a matter of treating your seedlings like the delicate lil’ babies that they are. Here are some tips to keep them happy:

Lighting

  • Give your plants at least 16 hours of sunlight over 24 hours.
  • Using a PAR light meter, keep the value range between 100 to 199 umol/s for optimal seedling growth.
  • Keep the seedlings from getting burned or overheated by their lights using these methods:  
    1. With your infrared temperature gun, check that the surface temperature of the leaves is in the range of 75-80°F.
    2. If you don’t have a temp gun, hold your hand the same distance from the bulb as your plants would be placed. If it feels hot after about 10 seconds, your light is too close. Repeat this inch by inch, until it feels comfortable.
  • Look for signs of  stretching, which happens when the light source is too far away from the plant and it needs to reach and stretch to get closer. This results in long, weak stems with lower weight-bearing capacity.

 

Vapor Pressure Deficit (VPD)

  • By monitoring the VPD value, you will be able to evaluate and ensure that the conditions are ideal for maximizing the plants’ ability to transpirate and grow. 
  • Transpiration is the process by which plants are able to move moisture through their systems by way of a pressure deficit relative to the pores (stomata) of the leaves. 
  • The VPD is a calculation of the relationship between the Saturated Vapor Pressure (of the plant) and the Vapor Pressure of the air. 
  • If you’re using the VPD valuation system, the ideal VPD value for this stage is 1-1.4. 
  • You’ll be able to achieve this value by maintaining conditions at 82°F,  70%RH, & a PAR light value at 200 umol/s.

 

Water 

  • For a full work-up on diluting the Organic Aloe Vera Flakes and Soil-Activating Mycrobes (mykos) solution, check out Step 2 of 6. But here’s the jist:
    1. Activate mykos at least 30 minutes before application by letting them bloom in water. 
    2. Add the aloe flakes to the same water and mix together to create a solution. 
  • Lightly water your seedlings about every two to three days, or as needed, with this solution. Your goal is to keep the topsoil moist.

Looks like you might be ready for Step 4 of 6

Happy seedlings make happy adult plants. This presents an opportunity to cull your crop, keeping an eye out for any weak players who aren’t showing a real vigor for life. The same is true throughout the rest of the growing phase for your plants.

Those that pass your inspection are on their way to the early vegetative stage (usually one to two weeks from the initial sprout). Branching stems and sprouting leaves that are developing their characteristic serrated fingers means you’re ready for the next blog in this 6-part series, Bulk the veg-gals. 

Like the look of your crop? You can automatically order more of these seeds with our one-click autoship service. Before you “bag your beans,” select Autoship, then choose whether you want to receive them every 1, 3, or 6 months. The best part? You’ll get to buy them at a 20%, 15%, or 10% discount, respectively.

Make sure you’re enrolled in our Funky Beans rewards program , so you can earn CannaCredits with every autoship order. Opting out of autoshipping? You can still earn CannaCredits each time you shop, share content, or even have a birthday. You’ll even get exclusive access to our private Funky Beans Facebook group for some dope community intel. Did we just become best BUDS?

Glossary Terms

CFL lights:

(Compact Fluorescent Light) grow lights are a type of energy-efficient lighting commonly used in indoor cultivation. They emit a broad spectrum, including wavelengths especially suitable for the seedling and vegetative stage as they are not as powerful or energy-efficient as some other types of grow lights.

Cotyledons:

Technically not “true leaves,” they are the first leaves that appear on a plant and sometimes known as “seed leaves,” or “embryonic leaves.” Smooth and rounded, cotyledons serve to supply the plant with stored nutrients until the first true leaves can grow.

PAR:

(Photosynthetically Active Radiation) is a crucial metric in cannabis cultivation, representing the spectrum of light wavelengths that plants use for photosynthesis. PAR light encompasses wavelengths between 400 to 700 nanometers, which are essential for plant growth and flower development. When cultivating cannabis, optimizing PAR light levels ensures efficient photosynthesis, promoting robust vegetative growth and ultimately maximizing the yield and quality of the harvested buds.

Stomata:

Pores on the leaves that open and close. They take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen during photosynthesis while also regulating the loss of water vapor. These pores help plants balance their need for carbon dioxide and water in a sort of natural breathing process.

Stretching:

Noticeable throughout the growth phases, the plant will “stretch” towards the available light. In the seedling stage, this means that the light strength is insufficient and needs to be increased. Since this could result in a weak stem, troubleshoot by moving the light system closer to the plants. In the vegetative and early flowering phase, it is normal for the plants to drastically increase their height, as long as they are braced to assist their load-bearing branches.

Transpiration:

The process by which plants lose water vapor through small pores, known as stomata, primarily located on the leaves. This natural and essential physiological activity is driven by the plant’s need to absorb water and nutrients from the soil, as well as to cool itself and facilitate the upward movement of water through its vascular system. Transpiration plays a vital role in maintaining plant hydration, nutrient transport, and overall growth.

VPD:

A value that is crucial for measuring and understanding a plant’s capacity for transpiration, it is the difference between how much moisture is in the air and how much moisture the air can hold. Keeping the right VPD helps plants breathe and take in nutrients effectively, ensuring they grow healthy and strong.

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