Hi - new to the forum, have two problems, any help would be fantastic!!

GrowGain

Active Member
Hi everybody - I'm a first-time grower living out west. I've researched the heck out of this entire thing to the best of my ability when I first got the itch to grow, and I think I've learned everything I possibly could without actually doing it. So... I've got one problem I'm hoping you all could address, and if you have any suggestions on my setup, feel free to fire away! I could use all the input I could get...


Here's the rundown on my setup...

STRAINS: 4 Joey Weed Blue Widow and 4 Dutch Passions Skunk #1. 100% germ rate on both of them.

ELAPSED TIME: 1 week from planting germinated seeds.

LIGHT: 250 W Hydrofarm Sunburst Metal Halide on 18/6 timer schedule.

AIR: Box fan blowing gently on sprouts to strengthen stems and pull fresh air in.Daytime heat gets to around 86 F, and falls to around 73 F at night.

SOIL: Half of them are using Miracle Gro Moisture Control, and the other four are in Perfect Mix. For whatever it's worth, the ones in PM are all growing faster and healthier than the MG.

CONTAINERS: I wasn't quite sure when to transplant, so I took one of the hardier sprouts and transfered it to a 5 gallon bucket of Miracle Gro with good drainage yesterday. Seems to be fine, no shock - just growing a bit slower. The problem child is in it's own 2 gallon bucket full of Perfect Mix. It seemed like it was dying, so the best I could think of was to at least try to revive it with fresh PM soil (it was in MG before) and a larger enviornment. It has a choice spot under the lights. The rest are still in disposable cups, and are looking like they're ready to move on to bigger pots. I'm just waiting on the second node to appear (I remember reading that was the best time.

PROBLEMS

#1: I've got one sprout that seems to be completely stunted and dying. (#2 in the photos - sorry about the quality.) Nothing happened to it, other than the seed husk got stuck on it for the first few days until I helped it off. (gently, with a sterile needle) It was poking well above ground but the cotyledons were trapped in the membrane. Anyway, it grew a tiny bit more, but seems to be stuck now for the past few days. It's a much darker green than the other sprouts, has a darkish line on the stem instead of the whitish on the others, and has the beginnings of two tiny little leaves that are beginning to turn yellow and curl up at the ends. I couldn't think of anything off the top of my head other than maybe a root problem, so I transplanted it today to a roomy pot and moved it away from the light a bit. (It was up with the others about 14 inches away from the light at first, until I started reading temperatures of 92+, and moved them down again.

#2: I can't seem to find a sweet spot for the light distance. When they're up close, the temps are too hight, and down below, I'm worried that they're stretching too much. They seem awfully tall with smaller leaves, as compared to some shots I've seen on the internet. They grow faster closer to the light, but I'm worried about the temp. They seem to have a very mild yellow cast to them up close to the light.

Below is a general pic of "the family" and the setup. More to come! Thanks in advance for the help...

 

cheetah2007

Well-Known Member
the lights are wayyyyyy to far from the tops man.use the good rule of thumb:put your hand under the light and if it isn't get burned so your plants will not be burned too.try with 12-13" and get it closer if u can.you will need a fan blowing on the plants and between the light and the plants too. peace!!! Cheetah
 

canna_420

Well-Known Member
Dude

Try a cpl of low wattage CFL as close as poss for a cpl of days "Untill big enough for MH"

Like them 20-100w strip light's I have a bundle of them for seed/clone "as well as 2x125 blue enviro for mums" I alow clones to root or seeds I alow good roots to form before hitting them with HID. usually up to 10 days (best be safe then sorry)

CFL lighting of 20w gives power of 100w equivalent to incandescent light but as great spectrum for growing with. Warm white - Cool white - Blue I use in combi.
In fact Ive use 1 x 20w to root cuts in past effectively
 

simple grower

Well-Known Member
you will need a fan blowing on the plants and between the light and the plants too. peace!!! Cheetah[/quote]

i agree with cheetah there man try hangin a computer fan off ya shade,blow that hot air to the side then ya should be able to get a fair bit closer,dont be afraid of ya first set of round leaves yellowing thats normal,gl man keep us posted ay:mrgreen:
 

GrowGain

Active Member
Thanks for the info guys, that light thing was kinda stupid of me. It's moot now because all 8 of the crops got flushed the other night. (Long story, but my a-hole brother got cops brought to the house. Not knowing why they were there at 11:30 at night, and having just been awakened from a Nyquil coma, I freaked. Turned out ok, but now I'm starting all over again from scratch germing some more seeds. It's been a really crappy week...)

This time I'll move them closer to the light and get a fan in closer to keep the temps cool. Thanks for the help everybody!
 

simple grower

Well-Known Member
aww man thats bad luck ay,the coma thing was pretty funny,dont ya hate them deep sleeps hahha,keep us posted on ya new grow dude
 
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