Today is day 10 of growing my cannabis plant, which is still in the “jiffy pellet” that came with the kit. It’s almost time to transfer the seedling to the big pot. However, nothing is crisp and clear in the world of gardening … probably another reason I avoided it for so long.
I tend to be literal. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I learned Humpty Dumpty was an egg. Everyone laughs, but they never said he was an egg. OK? I used to be that way about cooking, too. If the recipe said 450 degrees for 20 minutes, it was 450 degrees for 20 minutes, and it didn’t matter if there were flames shooting out of the oven. Just following the recipe.
With practice and skill, I lightened up and became more creative and flexible in the kitchen. I’m hoping some of that will rub off on my gardening activities. I mean, this is my first attempt to grow anything other than a yeast infection. Learning as I go. And that’s the issue. Other than what the instructions tell me, I don’t know what to expect.
Here’s what I know so far. The smooth more rounded leaves at the bottom are called cotyledons. I think they eventually fall off. The second set of leaves are the big ones, and the third set of leaves are the smaller ones in the middle. While they look healthy to my untrained eye, the instructions say to transplant after about 10 days, or when the third set of leaves are the same length as the second set.
So, there’s my dilemma. The leaves are nowhere close in size. Just to make it more complicated, the instructions say it’s better to transplant sooner rather than later. I suppose I will have to use my judgment, which is always suspect.
The type of cannabis I’m growing is called Ruderalis. It’s an auto-flowering strain that is said to be ideal for growing at home or indoors. It does not need 12-hour cycles of light and dark, as Indica and Sativa require. The plant needs about four hours of sunlight a day.
My seedling is perched by a south-facing window, and although I think it’s getting plenty of light, I’m not really sure. If in doubt, the guidelines suggest supplemental LED lighting. I’m kind of holding out on that front, as the room truly is flooded with warm sunlight most of the day.
I’m wondering if my plant is a little slow to grow because we keep our house rather cool … although the instructions say it should grow fine with a temperature between 69 and 80 degrees. We’re probably at the bottom end of that.
I have to make a decision, and I’ve pretty much decided I’m not waiting too long for the second set of leaves to catch up to the third. I’ll probably give it two more days and then do the transplant. I have this feeling it will work, but it’s going to take a little longer than normal because of the air temperature. Just a WAG on my part.
If the plant fails, I have more seeds and can try again. If needed, I will probably spring for the supplemental LED light. Or maybe it’s just something I can only grow in the warmer months. We’ll see!