Advice Please: Getting Nervous
- Thread starter Woodstockfan
- Start date
Dropastone
Well-Known Member
I'm shopping for some lights right now, like what your using for your veg room. So I'm curious to see how this turns out.
Woodstockfan
Active Member
I have tried to incorporate as many of the suggestions given as I could.
Continuing to water every four days; I'm sure that is not overwatering.
I have lowered my lights to within 3 inches. And I went back to 24/0 cycle.
I have put a small ceramic thermostat-controlled heater in my tent to try and maintain at least 78 degrees around the clock. The heater is on the floor and I have the plants up above the heat source about 28 inches. I've got the circulation fan running over the plants as well.
I got new soil as you suggested, but I went with Foxfarm Light Warrior, which is some expensive stuff and supposed to be especially for seedlings. I also picked up some Ocean Forest for later.
All four of my new seeds germinated and I planted them in red cups in the LWarrior on Friday. The are not up yet, but should show themselves soon.
I am going to discontinue the nutes until my 40-day plants are ten inches tall (if that ever happens LOL).
But, I do seem to be seeing improvement; new growth coming out on all six, so maybe I have improved things.
I am working to finish my flower room and get my 600s up. I will then move them in under my MH bulbs for some serious vegging. That should help keep temps up too.
What ya think my friend?
WSF
Woodstockfan
Active Member
At this point I'd say if I had it to do over again, I'd get a 400 watt cool tube and put a MH light in it for vegging. These flourscents have to be so close that it is hard to get your hands into where they are if you want to mess with them.
Good words of wisdom passed on there my friend, and Id say any improvement over what you had after 40 days is better!
Sounds like the issue is fixed though.
Good luck!~
Dropastone
Well-Known Member
Thanks after reading this thread and listening to your advice, I think I will go another direction.
Good to hear Good news.
when I started,I was overwatering a little,like you,I was eyeballing it & had problems. my 2nd grow,I picked up a moisture meter for like $5-7 at lowes & was suprised how much water is in soil that appeared dry.
another control method is to fill another red cup w/ dry soil and use it to compare weights.when you are sure its dry,cover it w/ saran wrap & put it in a corner in your room-any moisture will condence to show you if dry or not & you can compare weight of it to a cup w/ a baby in it.
when I started,I was overwatering a little,like you,I was eyeballing it & had problems. my 2nd grow,I picked up a moisture meter for like $5-7 at lowes & was suprised how much water is in soil that appeared dry.
another control method is to fill another red cup w/ dry soil and use it to compare weights.when you are sure its dry,cover it w/ saran wrap & put it in a corner in your room-any moisture will condence to show you if dry or not & you can compare weight of it to a cup w/ a baby in it.
This is a quick way to tell if you're lights are too far away. I learned this from a first grow I did, and the resulting research I did.
If its only growing straight up and not out, you're not getting enough light. If there's plenty of light for growth it will grow outwards and absorb as much as possible. If not, its going to grow upwards until its close enough to the lights to expand outwards.
If its only growing straight up and not out, you're not getting enough light. If there's plenty of light for growth it will grow outwards and absorb as much as possible. If not, its going to grow upwards until its close enough to the lights to expand outwards.
Woodstockfan
Active Member
I have been continuing with the plan and have not given any nutes, but now I am bothered about the yellowing bottom leaves, which usually indicates nitrogen deficiency.
So, maybe I DO have crappy soil?????
So I spent all morning finishing up my big flowering room and I have my three "big boys" up and operational. I put the Metal Halide bulbs in the fixtures and I am going to push these babies!
I also re-potted all six plants into Ocean Forest. I watered well, but I will not do any nutes. Ocean Forest has a lot of feed in it, so nutes can wait. The roots have grown, but my instincts told me upon inspection of the roots that indeed that potting soil I started with is definitely one problem, maybe the BIG problem.
All four of my new seeds are up and looking superb in the Light Warrior starter mix. They are dark green and so healthy looking. I left them under the floros in the tent with the lights close down.
Check out my pics.
WSF
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Dropastone
Well-Known Member
Yeah that's starting to look real good now. I'll be checking out your progress.
Woodstockfan
Active Member
TRANSPLANT SHOCK???
I've read a lot about transplant shock after moving plants into 3 gal pots, but NOT in my case.
It's incredible how these plants have responded after just 12 hours re-potted into the Ocean Forest and put under the MH lights. The tops are "perky" and reaching upward, and the color of the tops are dark green. They are growing now before my very eyes. Incredible!
I just can't get over the difference! WOW!
I've read a lot about transplant shock after moving plants into 3 gal pots, but NOT in my case.
It's incredible how these plants have responded after just 12 hours re-potted into the Ocean Forest and put under the MH lights. The tops are "perky" and reaching upward, and the color of the tops are dark green. They are growing now before my very eyes. Incredible!
I just can't get over the difference! WOW!
Hey Man,
I think your problem is the soil. Those are totally decent lights at this stage, yea they could be a little closer.. but having them far would just make the plants stretch and have poor internodal spacing.. point is they should be a lot bigger no matter what! I predict that your problem arises from lack of good soil/nutrients. It took me a few months to locate a place around here that sold soil good enough for my grow.. and Lowes was not one of them! There has to be a hydro store within a few hours drive of you.. or a gardening store of some type. You could also take your shitty soil and order a few amendments online that would make it better. Like: Perlite, Coco Coir, Worm Castings, Bat Guano, etc. I really think it is your soil. You could try to start adding low doses of nutrients to supplement the poor soil right now. Go ahead, try it.. give the older ones a 1/2 strength dose of nutes and see what happens. At this point you have nothing to lose as by the time you finish veg/flower it will be 2011 =D
PM me if u have any more questions.. I had a similar problem before I got better soil/started feeding earlier.
I think your problem is the soil. Those are totally decent lights at this stage, yea they could be a little closer.. but having them far would just make the plants stretch and have poor internodal spacing.. point is they should be a lot bigger no matter what! I predict that your problem arises from lack of good soil/nutrients. It took me a few months to locate a place around here that sold soil good enough for my grow.. and Lowes was not one of them! There has to be a hydro store within a few hours drive of you.. or a gardening store of some type. You could also take your shitty soil and order a few amendments online that would make it better. Like: Perlite, Coco Coir, Worm Castings, Bat Guano, etc. I really think it is your soil. You could try to start adding low doses of nutrients to supplement the poor soil right now. Go ahead, try it.. give the older ones a 1/2 strength dose of nutes and see what happens. At this point you have nothing to lose as by the time you finish veg/flower it will be 2011 =D
PM me if u have any more questions.. I had a similar problem before I got better soil/started feeding earlier.
Woodstockfan
Active Member
Plants are coming along. I have continued with no nutes, 1,800 watts of MH, and just vegging.
The Metal Halide seems to make a major difference.
What a learning experience! Guess that's what first grows are for.
WSF
The Metal Halide seems to make a major difference.
What a learning experience! Guess that's what first grows are for.
WSF
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Plants are coming along. I have continued with no nutes, 1,800 watts of MH, and just vegging.
The Metal Halide seems to make a major difference.
What a learning experience! Guess that's what first grows are for.
WSF
Looking a little droopy, does that go away after the lights have been on for a while? I dont really think 1800 Watts of MH is needed on these little ladies either my friend.
1 600 would be plenty at about 18" or so away. No need to get them too close, but only really need 1 light on them at this stage.
Glad to see your shit is turning around, looking forward to reading the rest of your grow man1!!
Sub'd
Woodstockfan
Active Member
Yeah, my four babies have been above ground for about seven days now. I just put them into a 1-gallon pot of Ocean Forest, taking care to leave the original Light Warrior intact so that the roots have to grow thru before encountering the "hotter" mix.
I noticed when I took the babies out of their ten-ounce cups that their roots haven't reach the sides of the cups yet, so I was a little early re-potting.
The Light Warrior mix just seems to dry out so fast, I was having to give the plants water daily and that made me nervous. So I wanted to get some mix that would retain water a little bit so as to not water as much.
Again, the babies are still in the tent under the T-5 floros. I will take pics tonite and post tomorrow. These four I'm very serious about, they're feminized White Rino and Northern Lights; not a trial run!
WSF
Woodstockfan
Active Member
I caused the "droopiness" by getting the lights a little too close some 10 hours before taking those pics. I moved the lights higher and they have recovered. They look really perky today and are putting on new growth still.
Maybe I should cut off one of my MH lights, but now I'm a little paranoid about light after my not-so-great results under the T-5s.
WSF
Woodstockfan
Active Member
The babies are looking good. They are only about a week old.Yeah, my four babies have been above ground for about seven days now. I just put them into a 1-gallon pot of Ocean Forest, taking care to leave the original Light Warrior intact so that the roots have to grow thru before encountering the "hotter" mix.
I noticed when I took the babies out of their ten-ounce cups that their roots haven't reach the sides of the cups yet, so I was a little early re-potting.
The Light Warrior mix just seems to dry out so fast, I was having to give the plants water daily and that made me nervous. So I wanted to get some mix that would retain water a little bit so as to not water as much.
Again, the babies are still in the tent under the T-5 floros. I will take pics tonite and post tomorrow. These four I'm very serious about, they're feminized White Rino and Northern Lights; not a trial run!
WSF
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fatfarmer
Active Member
back in 70's no one was growing indoors like to day. my grow was outside and i would plant fish heads next to plants 
bitchs got BIG!