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...
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...