Seedling stage

[cstonez]

Just bought some Northern Lights autoflower fem seeds that Im gonna be growing in my backyard.

Never grown before and I see all the guides saying to keep the seedlings (after they’ve sprouted) under a grow light or on a sunny windowsill for 3-4 weeks before putting outside.

I dont have any windowsills in my house that get enough sun or have space for plants, and I dont have a grow light - are there any inexpensive grow lights or alternate ways of doing this?

 

[Emilya Green]

There are as many ways to do this as there are growers. I have seen people use the craziest cheap lights and make them work, just dont expect to get the same results as someone who has sunk some money into good lights and other equipment. The problem is that without a good strong source of light, these weeds will stretch on you, looking for that light, and they can easily get out of hand and unwieldy. Get as good of a light as you can afford if you are serious about trying this... you get exactly what you put into this as a result.

 

[cstonez]

There are as many ways to do this as there are growers. I have seen people use the craziest cheap lights and make them work, just dont expect to get the same results as someone who has sunk some money into good lights and other equipment. The problem is that without a good strong source of light, these weeds will stretch on you, looking for that light, and they can easily get out of hand and unwieldy. Get as good of a light as you can afford if you are serious about trying this... you get exactly what you put into this as a result.

Do you have any recommendations, what sort of light am I looking for, and how long should it run for during the seedling stage?

 

[Emilya Green]

Autoflowers are run under various light patterns, but I think that 20/4 and 18/6 are the two most popular, all through the grow. Since of course you are going outside with this plant, that light pattern will change later anyway. I have no idea what to recommend to you for light and have no idea what your budget will allow. My recommendation is to spend most of your available funds on a good light. Many of our LED sponsors have very reasonable beginner lights and I would suggest starting there. I have heard people use lights they find in their local hardware store, and they have made them work too. Many have tried cheap budget lights and many build their own. It really is up to you where you go with this, based on the size of your pocket book and the level of your DIY expertise.