First Time Growing

Hi, this is my first time growing and my plant is about a month old. It is pretty green and looks healthy except for the leaves are somewhat droopy and there tips of the leaves are turning brown. Is it over watering or do I have the plants too close to my light source? Help would be appreciated. I am growing my plants in basic potting soil using sun during the day and lights during the night. Pictures are attached. Thanks.

Also I am wondering why the nodes only have 3 leaves...will it eventually grow nodes with more leaves?

Looks like overwatering to me. Check this link and go down to overwatering: http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=11688

Thanks a ton, I think I have been over watering and I also think my plants were too close to my lights and were getting heat burn. I also don't have a fan on my plant, should I look into getting one for ventilation?

Yes, you need to change the air in the room often, the plant will use up co2 and give off oxygen. You need to replace the co2 with new air which is approx 300ppm co2.

Okay thanks I'll get on that.

MattyB957 said:

Hi, this is my first time growing and my plant is about a month old. It is pretty green and looks healthy except for the leaves are somewhat droopy and there tips of the leaves are turning brown. Is it over watering or do I have the plants too close to my light source?

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Healthy looking but droopy usually says over watering, that is as long as your soil is not really dry and they are drooping from lack of water.

The browning tips could be from that too and it could be nute burn. Have you been feeding them and if so what are you feeding them and in what solution/mixture and how often? It could also he the lights are to low or that the lights are at the proper height but you lack enough ventilation so you have to much heat buildup around the tops of your plants.

Help would be appreciated. I am growing my plants in basic potting soil using sun during the day and lights during the night. Pictures are attached. Thanks.

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Does that mean you are using a 24/0 light cycle? If so you would be better with an 18/6 light cycle. While under the sun/lights a plant basically multitasks and some of its taken in energy goes to foliage growth and some goes to root growth and some goes to draw moisture and nutes from the soil and some goes to energy storage for nighttime growth. So what that means is only a percentage of the overall energy taken in from the sun/light goes to growth. When in darkness plants operate off their stored energy, like batteries, and all the energy goes towards growth so you get more efficient usage of the energy and that equates to more and better growth than always being under the sun or lights 24 hours per day.

Also if you are using the sun for part of your daily light is it as in placing the plant by a window or are you in an area where the climate allows you to take the plant outside? If it is a window and it is winter conditions you may really be robbing your plant of light that it would otherwise get more of from a grow light. In winter conditions the suns rays are angled more and they hit less direct on your plants leaves and the leaves are like solar collectors and if they cannot take in the rays, or as many rays due to the angle they are in low light conditions no matter how bright it may seem to your eye. Plus unless you shit the plant(s) from a window that faces the morning sun to another window that faces the afternoon sun you are only getting direct or semi-direct light rays part of the day plus if it a window source of light that cuts out all the rays of sun from their highest most direct most powerful hours due to the sun being over your home more than to the sides of it and you won’t take in much light through your roof.

So where does the daylight part of your sun come from?

Also what lighting are you using as in what type and what wattage?

Also I am wondering why the nodes only have 3 leaves...will it eventually grow nodes with more leaves?

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Unless you have some retarded genetics you will see more leaves as the plant matures. They start with fewer fingers and add more as they get older.

The lighting cycle I'm using is definitely closer to 18/6, I make sure it's in the dark for about 6 hours when I'm sleeping at night. When I go to school I have the plant near a window that gets a very good amount of morning sun, probably up until around 12:30 in the afternoon. It is winter, so I don't have the luxury of taking the plant outside at all. When I get home I put it under a basic 75 watt lightbulb, but I think I had the light too close to my plant before. I haven't used any type of fertilizer's, just soil and water. I had my light only a few inches away from the plant, so I'm assuming it was getting much too hot. I also didn't have a fan on my plant before, but I just recently put an oscillating one near it.

how much light are you using. if your just using the one bulb youll need to increase the amount of light it gets. try getting some CFLs or a couple flouro tubes. your plant looks very healthy only issue is its a little stretched. i would put a fan on it to build strength in the stem and also it will reduce stretching.

I actually have a florescent bulb, except it is only 26 watts...would that do the trick?

no, you need 100 W per plant at least..... It is fine for now, but I would add a new light as per the growth of the plant.... 4-5 26 W would be fine for one plant...

Okay I'll have to purchase a higher wattage bulb...it's in my closet so I don't have a ton of room.

many smaller CFL's are better than one big one..... get some y connecters and dangle them lights around your plant...

this is what i have going. if your just trying to do a few plants. for now i have 6 26 w cfls. one is positioned right over each plant. i plant on getting some y splitters sometime here soon when they get a little taller but for now this is working.