Grow stage

Recognizing the Vegetative Stage & Adjusting Environment – Summary Key Signs: True Leaves: First serrated leaves appear after cotyledons. Growth: Rapid vertical and lateral growth. No Flowers: No pistils or pre-flowers yet. Optimal Conditions: Relative Humidity (RH): 50–70% → Young plants: 65–70% → Older veg plants: 50–60% PPFD (Light Intensity): 300–600 µmol/m²/s → Increase gradually as plants mature. Temperature: 24–28 °C (75–82 °F) during the day

these are somehwat arbitrary things... seedling vs vegetative. Heck, "vegetative growth" (stem elongation and leaf development) continues into flower phase, lol. These terms are not to be overly concerned about. the plant tells you what you need to know. use bottom-up reasoning not top-down. Internode development is your guide. too tight and it needs less. too lanky and it needs more. Cause to an effect... adjust to get the effect you want. DLI is what matters. PPFD without hours of operation is only half the story. Once the plant display good growth and proper node spacing, take notof power and hanging distance... Same with the amping up of the light early on... it's like riding a bike. you'll learn abasic process to amp up the light power as a seedling demands it, but you must always approach each plant as if it might be different. there will be variation. Local environment will make what you need in your garden potentially different than any other garden. temp, rh and ambient co2 all impact how much light a plant can handle per day and that is on top of any potential genetic differences.

You’ll know your plant's in veg when it grows fast and puts out those big fan leaves with 5+ fingers. The stem gets thicker, branches start forming at the nodes, and there’s no sign of flowers yet. That’s when you wanna begin to adjust your environment. For RH, aim for around 65–70% early in veg, then drop it down to about 50–60% as it gets older. And for PPFD, you’re looking at 300–600 µmol/m²/s—closer to 300 early on, then ramp up to 500–600 as the plant gets bigger. Make sure your light schedule is still 18/6 to keep it in veg.

Once she has 4 or 5 internodes its solid I dictator she is good to go. Seedlings are at a very early stage of growth and don't have the developed stem and root systems that mature plants have for storing nutrients. This means they rely more heavily on their initial seed reserves and the immediate environment for nutrients. Stems and big fan leaves act as nutrient depositories. Sorta like a mini warehouse. She looks healthy and growing well, but id give her a little more time to get some meat on those potatoes. Good luck with the lady.

When your plant is ready for full veg you’ll notice it growing true fan leaves instead of the tiny seedling leaves, and you’ll see three or more pairs of those big leaves (we call those nodes) stacked up the stem. The spaces between those nodes start to stretch out, too, so you’ll see the plant shooting up in height rather than just making new little leaves at the cotyledon stage. At this point you want to dial your humidity down from the 75 percent you ran in the seedling phase. In early veg I aim for around 65–70 percent RH, and by mid to late veg I’m sitting closer to 50–60 percent. That helps the plant develop stronger cell walls and avoid mold. Light intensity follows a similar ramp-up. While your seedlings did fine at about 100–200 µmol/m²/s, in early veg bump it up to around 300–400 µmol, then in mid-veg push toward 400–600 µmol. If leaves start bleaching or curling down, raise the light a bit or back off intensity. If they go too dry or crispy, your humidity is too low, if they feel wet or show beads of moisture, you’re too high. Once you see that steady stretch, solid fan leaves with 5–7 leaflets, and 4 or more nodes, switch over to those veg settings: humidity in the 50–60 percent range and light around 350–450 µmol.

The vegetative phase starts once the seedlings are stable and root development is well underway—typically after the seedling stage, when the plant has developed at least 3–4 sets of true leaves. From this point on, the plant’s nutrient and light demands increase as it focuses on growing leaves and branches. Typical signs of the vegetative phase: Rapid vertical and horizontal growth Development of multiple new leaf sets Strong green coloration of leaves Thicker stems and more branching Adjusting RH and PPFD: Relative Humidity (RH): Aim for 55–70%. Younger vegging plants prefer higher humidity (up to 70%), while more mature ones thrive around 50–60% to reduce the risk of mold. PPFD (Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density): Target range is around 300–600 µmol/m²/s. As the plant progresses through veg, it can handle and benefit from more light, so increase intensity gradually. Make sure to adjust both RH and PPFD step by step to avoid stressing the plants. Hope I could help!

When your Nort-light plant is ready for full veg you’ll notice it growing true fan leaves instead of the tiny seedling leaves, and you’ll see three or more pairs of those big leaves (we call those nodes) stacked up the stem. The spaces between those nodes start to stretch out, too, so you’ll see the plant shooting up in height rather than just making new little leaves at the cotyledon stage. At this point you want to dial your humidity down from the 75 percent you ran in the seedling phase. In early veg I aim for around 65–70 percent RH, and by mid to late veg I’m sitting closer to 50–60 percent. That helps the plant develop stronger cell walls and avoid mold. Light intensity follows a similar ramp-up. While your seedlings did fine at about 100–200 µmol/m²/s, in early veg bump it up to around 300–400 µmol, then in mid-veg push toward 400–600 µmol. If leaves start bleaching or curling down, raise the light a bit or back off intensity. If they go too dry or crispy, your humidity is too low, if they feel wet or show beads of moisture, you’re too high. Once you see that steady stretch, solid fan leaves with 5–7 leaflets, and 4 or more nodes, switch over to those veg settings: humidity in the 50–60 percent range and light around 350–450 µmol.