First Time Grow - Blue Streak (MDanzig)

Here are the details on my setup:

-400W HPS Sun System 2 (with AC fitting and glass)
http://www.sunlightsupply.com/hort/products.aspx?request=SUN-SYSTEM-2-ENCLOSED-BALLAST&title=Complete Systems&type=product

-Ecoplus 4" Blower - 180cfm
http://www.horticulturesource.com/ecoplus-ecoplus-blower-180-cfm-p1656/

-Roots Organics Potting Soil
http://www.aurorainnovations.org/soil.html

-Ten 2 gallon grow bags

-MDanzig's Blue Ryder (AKA Streak) ordered from the Attitude
http://www.cannabis-seeds-bank.co.uk/lowryder-seeds/lowryder-/-mdanzig-blue-ryder/prod_699.html

Originally, I was going to grow in a 48"x48"x66" grow tent but my blower wasn't strong enough and the temps got too high on test runs. So now I am growing in my closet.

I have the blower in the attic and it is attached to the light via an 8' dryer vent duct. The light is suspended using 2 tie-downs, rated at 400lbs., purchased at Home Depot for approximately $20 USD. There is one oscillating fan in the room that is on 24/7.

My light and blower are on a timer set to 20/4.

That should do it for the setup description.

Pics are to come but I have to go buy a USB cable so I can upload them. Stay tuned.

So I forgot to mention what bulb I am using. It is a 400W Philips HPS-Retro White ED18 which is a full spectrum bulb.

I am on Day 9 right now. An update is to come with pics but here is a rundown of what you've missed in 9 days.

I used the paper towel method for germination and within 43 hours 5 seeds had cracked and been planted. 9 hours later the other 5 had cracked and were planted.

WOOHOO 10/10 germination rate!

Attached I have numbered the plants in the pick and this is what I will be referring to them as from here on out.

Soon after planting I noticed it was taking some plants a while to break the surface. Most of this was just first-time nerves but when I starting checking I discovered that #3 was growing upside down under the surface. Seems some perlite was lodged right on top of it and it couldn't grow up. Fixed the problem and now it is my best plant.

By Day 4, all of the seeds had reached the surface but #1 & #10 could not shed their seeds and casing on their own. I had to take tweezers and delicate fingertips to help free them. I was convinced I had lost #1 at this point but was going to give it a try to grow.

#5 had significant yellowing on one cotyledon. It slowly corrected itself but I still have no idea what caused it.

On Day 6 I discovered that #1 had re-rooted itself and was back with the living.

Everything has gone according to plan since then. Yay.

Now complete with pics!

Most of the little buggers are growing out their 2nd set of leaves and the 2nd set of blades on the lower leaves.

Here is the plant-by-plant update with pertinent information. Height is measured from the soil surface to the top of the growth tip.

#1 - Approximately .5" tall.
It is far behind the others but it is alive which is better than dead. It just started to sprout the tips of it's second set of leaves

#2 - 1.75" tall.
2nd set of leaves still in very early development.

#3 - 2.0" tall.
This is my overall healthiest and most vigorous plant so far. 2nd set of leaves more developed than the other plants'.

#4 - 2.25" tall.
Chugging along very nicely. One leaf much more developed on the 2nd set than the other. Normal or not? I don't know but if you do please let me know.

#5 - 1.5" tall
This plant hasn't seemed to be set back too much from the yellow cotyledon.

#6 - 1.25" tall
Leaves are smaller than the other plants but appears to be doing fine otherwise.

#7 - 1.625" tall
A potential breeder. This one is another one of my best plants so far.

#8 - 2.5" tall
While this is the tallest plant I have it also has an extremely weak stem. Last time I watered the plant completely fell over. I have 2 toothpicks supporting it right now until it strengthens up. Otherwise this is a perfectly healthy plant.

#9 - 1.75" tall
Nothing out of the ordinary here. Just doing very well.

#10 - 2.0" tall
This little one seems to have caught up with the rest after I had to manually take the seed and inner casing off it. The leaves are noticeably smaller than the other plants which could be a phenotype thing but right now I would attribute it to the rough start it had.

Every plant was watered with about .25 gallons of water about a day and a half ago. It's pH was 6.4 and mixed with blackstrap molasses at the rate of 1/3 tbsp/gal. Surface still very moist so I don't anticipate needing to water for another day or two at the least.

Pics are titled with the plant number.
Final pic is temperature and humidity. The bottom temperature is the remote sensor which I have placed right in the middle at "canopy" level.

Any input is is welcomed.

Things are going pretty well with this grow. Only a couple problems that I have encountered:

1) On a few of the plants' bottom leaves they are curling up only at the edge closest to the stalk. ( See pic #5 for the worst one, left leaf)

Does anybody know what this is/could be?

2) Some of them have weak stems and fall over whenever I water them. I've had a circulating fan on them since I planted them and it has strengthened some but apparently not others. I've been able to prop them up by packing some dirt around the stems. This has unfortunately resulted in some crooked growth unfortunately as sometimes they have been tipped over for a while.

What could this be indicative of or be caused by?

OK here are the height updates. Growth in the last 4 days is in parenthesis:

#1 - .75" (.25")
#2 - 2.25" (.5")
#3 - 2.75" (.5")
#4 - 2.75" (.5")
#5 - 1.75" (.25")
#6 - 2" (.75")
#7 - 2.25" (.625")
#8 - 3" (.5")
#9 - 2.5" (.75")
#10 - 2.25" (.25")

I watered last night (5 days since previous watering). Each plant got between 1/3 and 1/2 of gallon of water. The pH was 6.8.

I used molasses again at the rate of 1 tbsp/gal (up from 1/3 tbsp/gal).

While I haven't seen an explosion in height over the past 4 days I have seen a bunch of leaf growth which is obvious when you compare this set of pics with the previous.

Temperature has stayed within 78-80F. Humidity has been between 50-65%.

I would love to hear from you guys if you think all of this seems like it is going fairly normally or not.

Thanks for checking out my journal.

I just saw that I forgot to post pics yesterday so here they are.

Btw, the leaf curling has been getting progressively worse since yesterday. My temperature is 76F and humidity is 66% and my light is 2 feet from the canopy (I have glass on it too). I do not know what is wrong. Please help!

Quick update if anyone is following this...

Plants started showing a few days ago and I culled 3 males out just now and left the strongest one to live. I call him The Highlander now. I have 4 definite females, one has not started flowering yet, and the other I can't quite tell yet. Hit them with bloom nutes at 1/4 strength. A more proper update will follow tomorrow complete with pictures.