Hi guys

Just a quick update, as I said I put the seeds into water on Saturday 3pm, by Monday, one of the seeds popped, the super lemon haze, pic below, the rest had not yet popped.

This evening I decided to give them a quick look, 3 of the 6 had now popped,  2 of the girl scout cookies, (last pics below) and to my surprise the super lemon haze has shed its husked.

I totally freaked out and spoke to @Stinger96 who advised to plant it leaving the leaves above the soil which is what I did. Seems like the super lemon haze is in a hurry, lol!

Do you guys suggest I plant the ones that have popped and leave the rest in the paper towels until they pop? 

I used the paper towel method of germinating...soaked seeds for +/- 24 hours, than placed in a wet paper towel, put in a zip lock bag, placed between a towel and put on my dstv box for heat...

Dear fellow growers

Trust that everone is doing well.

I wanted to say hi to all.I am very new to the scene and will be attempting my very first grow.

I have managed to get freedom farms soil, (the living soil,the one in the green bag, from @Stinger96, what a brilliant guy, he really done me a solid by transporting the soil to me 70kms away at no extra cost).

I also got fabric grow bags from @Stinger96, he has suggested that I use the 30 liter bags, but im still toying around with the idea of 20 liter and maybe even 10 liter bags.

So I will be growing 3 different types of plants, please see below for links: 

https://marijuanasa.co.za/product/girl-scout-cookies-autoflowering/

New Girl Scout Cookies – Indica Dominant:

Breeder: MSA Seeds
Sex: Feminized
Variety: Indica-Dominant
Strain Genetics: Durban Poison X OG Kush
Flowering Type: Autoflower
Flowering Time: 10 Weeks from Sprout
Where to Grow: Indoor, Greenhouse, Outdoor
Medical Conditions: Depression, Fatigue, Stress
Taste / Flavor: Chemical, Diesel, Haze, Lemon
Effect: Active, Cerebral, Creative, Energetic, Euphoric
Plant Height: 75-160cm
CBD Content: <1%
Yield: 400-450g/m²

https://marijuanasa.co.za/product/super-lemon-haze-auto/

Super Lemon Haze Auto Feml

https://marijuanasa.co.za/product/sour-diesel-auto/

Sour Diesel Auto Fem

As you can see I opted for Autoflowers as a first attempt as I dont have the funds to get a tent, light and other accessories that one needs to do a indoor setup, and I thought this maybe a good thing to do for a first time grower, to perhaps get one grow under the belt and build confidence.

I wanted to ask a few questions which may have been asked a million times already, so Im sorry to re ask, and yes the search button on the forum does work, and yes I have used it, lol.

Firstly am I right in saying because I will be using a living soil, I should not use a "chemical" ph up and or down as this will or can kill of the microbes in the soil? so if this is correct how am I meant to water my plants? (My ph is around 8.1-8.3, I dont have a ph pen yet, but a buddy of mines has one and he has phed our water out of the tap).

Secondly Im not sure on what nutes to use, most people swear by bio bizz, and this could be used with living soil without having to ph your water when feeding. any opinions from people who have used or who do use bio bizz vs any other brand.( I have popped the beans using the paper towel method and some have showed tap roots so intend to plant by friday or saturday, I have read that when using FF soil one does not need to feed for 3 to 4 weeks???)

I would like to also ask about grow bag size, Im getting lots of mixed opinions, some people say 10l as your plant wont be growing that long, but then more watering is needed, others say 20l and others have said 30l. (I mean for autos), I forgot to mention that I will be growing on my balcony, I have enough space and there is good sunlight that the balcony receives.

Also is there a need to add any worm teas and how does one introduce microbes into the soil? I watched a pretty cool video to making your own microbes, Will link below, any thoughts will be appreciated.

My real concern is pests, are ther any preventative methods that one can use?

Lastly are there any mentoring programmes that we have locally regarding growing? if not I think some of the more seasoned growers/master growers should actually start a programme, at a cost of course! I would enroll...

I would like to say thanks for having me on the forum, and I would like to say thanks to all the experts that give so freely from their own knowledge and experience, you guys are AWESOME!