First Time Ever Growing Help: I need your help to make it a success.

Hey guys, first time growing ever!! I need your help to make it a success. The first thing that needs to be said is that I live in the desert. Today it is going to be 110 degrees. Hot and Dry!

So this is what I got going on:

I am growing in a Vivosun 4x4 tent – indoor

1200W Full Sepectrum LED light – veg and bloom switch’s – I’m doing veg switch 18/6 – on at 6pm – 12:00pm. I am aware of the debate of the 18/6 vs 20/4 and 24, I decided to go with the least amount to offset the heat. But I have learned that the light doesn’t really put out that much heat.

AC Infinity Cloudline Series Inline fan w/Controller. I can set it to come on and off at preferred temps and carbon system. Now it is set to come on at 83 degrees. The temp has maintained been pretty regular 80 – 89

TaoTronics Humidifier with WIFI and phone app. So controlling the humidity has been a biotch! I have resorted additonally to water and wet towel in the tent, that seems to help. The range is 55 – 65 RH in the overall tent. 70-80 RH in the domed area with my seedlings. Additionally, I have placed water in the tent to help bring the humidity up for the seedlings.

I have 4 fans pushing air around and an Exhale CO2 bag

Growing Autoflowers - decided to start out with something easy . . yeah right! 2- LSD (one did not develop a tap root . . bummer, but the seed company is sending me 3 more seeds . Yay!) and 3 Amnesia Haze – Growing in soil – started in Light Warrior. I plan to transplant to 3gal fabric pots using Fox Farms Ocean Forest and Advanced Nutrients when needed. Yes, I now realize that you really should not transplant autos, but I thought it would be easier to get the humidity up in a small contained area compared to the whole tent. And that has turned out to be true. The RH is always 10 degrees higher under the dome.

Which leads me to my Questions:

Given my issues with regulating heat and humidity, I need to know if I should continue to keep my seedlings under the dome or remove the dome now at day 4? I did start venting the dome a bit? It seems they are only used by most people when the seeds first sprout.

Also, is the light low enough? I set it according to the manufacturing specs. They recommend 40-44” above the canopy for seedlings. Seems far, I don’t want them stretching. And it seems like a lot of the pictures and videos I watch, the lights are like right on top of the seedlings, but I know it is all relative to what you are using. One of them looks like it is trying to stretch. But is that because of the dome?


Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks.

Why are You using a dome?

I bet the lights you saw on top of the seedlings were florescence tubes. That led is at the correct distance. Let them get 2 sets of true leaves before you move it closer.

i dont use a dome at all for seedlings, i dont think its necessary. your light is fine where it is until they start to grow leaves. when they do, just lower it bit by bit until you start to see stress from it. 24-30" should be fine. also, you can veg 16 on 8 off if you are trying to cut down on lights-on time

Hydrotech364 said:

Why are You using a dome?

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Because I cant get the humidity up any higher than 70% in the overall tent. I have read that the seedlings like/need 80% RH in order to sprout and take the water in through the leaves until the roots develop.

thenasty1 said:

i dont use a dome at all for seedlings, i dont think its necessary. your light is fine where it is until they start to grow leaves. when they do, just lower it bit by bit until you start to see stress from it. 24-30" should be fine. also, you can veg 16 on 8 off if you are trying to cut down on lights-on time

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Thanks, will do.

Therrion said:

I bet the lights you saw on top of the seedlings were florescence tubes. That led is at the correct distance. Let them get 2 sets of true leaves before you move it closer.

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Thank so much.

More often than not domes create problems, especially for people who are learning.

MsMerryJay said:

Because I cant get the humidity up any higher than 70% in the overall tent. I have read that the seedlings like/need 80% RH in order to sprout and take the water in through the leaves until the roots develop.

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That's clones. Seedlings take in water through the roots.
I've had seeds pop indoors here in winter when the rh rarely gets up to 30%.
Autos don't need much in the way of nutes, and ffof is usually pretty hot. When you get them in their final pots you probably won't need to feed them for 4 to 6 weeks.

I only use a dome for cloning for a week and then I take it off. If they start wilting a little after a few hours , I put it back on and repeat the same process in a few days..

CanadianJim said:

That's clones. Seedlings take in water through the roots.
I've had seeds pop indoors here in winter when the rh rarely gets up to 30%.
Autos don't need much in the way of nutes, and ffof is usually pretty hot. When you get them in their final pots you probably won't need to feed them for 4 to 6 weeks.

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Wow! Good to know. I had heard about the nutes, that's why I went with a soil that was already hot, so I could just focus on ph watering. Trying to keep it simple for my first time. Thanks