First CFL Grow 2 plants HELP!!!

jmo0909

Well-Known Member
Ok these are my two plants they are a week old and they have 4 CFL 2700K bulbs above them. two of them are 100W equ. and two of them are 75W equ. and i have a fan blowing in the closet. I am using miracle grow organic potting soil and shultz fert. what should the temp be in the closet im thinking like 75-80 degrees F. Please i need help i think they should be bigger they are about maybe 1 to 1.5 inches tall maybe 2 inches and the one that is a little larger has a little bit of brown on the leaves. HELP
 

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lowhz

Active Member
ok lets see.. the bulbs you are using are the incorrect color temp for vegatative growth. get bulbs with a color temp of 4100K-6500K.
Next is the soil, miracle grow is not ideal to use as it causes nute burn. if you have to use it flush with water until runs clear. also it looked like you were using alum foil.. that can cause heat spots. use either flat white paint or mylar. Also stop using plant food. they won't need it for a long time. hope this helps
 

jmo0909

Well-Known Member
sorry let me correct myself i am using 6500K sorry and i have only applied fert once and i have mylar coming in the mail.
 

1337d3m0nx

Active Member
I've had this same problem. Just water once more if needed and don't water for 3-4 days at a time... It is the soil. MG has a tendency to nute burn seedlings.
 

bxke1414

Well-Known Member
You DO NOT need to fertilize until the seedlings are at least 2 to 3 weeks old, and then it is just a small ratio to start with. You probably nute burned your seedlings.
 

RedeemerZX

Active Member
You've got way too much light on them.

I can't tell some details from your post or pictures, but I'll assume:
- your 100 watt equivalent bulbs each produce 1700 lumen
- your 75 watt equivalent bulbs each produce 1100 lumen
- your seedlings are 6" from each bulb

If that is the case then you are giving you seedlings 241,000 lux. If you've got them four inches away from your seedlings you are giving them 542,000 lux.

This is WAY too much.

Cut your lighting back to 1 of your 75 Watt equivalent lights four to five inches directly over each seedling. This will provide between 100,000 and 150,000 lux, depending on the exact distances to both lights.

You really only want to provide between 100,000 and 120,000 lux (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daylight). The plants can handle a bit above this (up to 150,000 I would say) without getting light toxicity, and will do fine a bit below (down to 75,000, I would say) without stretching.

Here's the signs that I've seen before of over-lighting:
- Leaves twist and curl or point. Top leaves, especially new growth will often point up. Bottom leaves will often try to point down. The leaves are attempting to get out of the light the best they can.
- Slow or no growth. To use the well known saying: it's like drinking from a firehose. Too much light prevents the plant from properly absorbing the light. There's some research out there on plants in general about "excess excitation" causing "light toxicity".
- Leaf color turns light green, especially in new growth. Also may be bleached white or if heat damage occurs, brown. The change from dark to light green is a result in decreased chlorophyll production as a response to excess light.

The lighting is your current problem. But also do as suggested and hold off on fertilizing for a little while. I start fertilizing at 1/4 strength on week 2, and move up to 1/2 strength for a few weeks. Others wait even longer.

Make sure you are watering right, at that stage in that size pot, I usually water once every five days, but don't rely on that schedule for your own plants.
 

jmo0909

Well-Known Member
Ok the plant in the black pot is 2 weeks exactly today and the other one is 4 days younger. Each of the lights above these plants 26W 6500K 100W equ. let me know if i can add more lights yet or what any advice will help thanks
 

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