GrowSwami's First Grow Northern Lights Auto 2016

[GrowSwami]

Thanks everyone for looking. I welcome any help from all of you experienced growers out there. While this is technically my first grow, I currently have a dianafem dynamex sativa that's about 10 days old. I planted two and one has already died on me. Totally my fault in that it fell over after I watered it too hard. I'll take some pictures of the dynamex as I go along this grow journal but I wanted to start fresh with 4 Vision Northern Lights seeds. I germinated them with a paper towel method and all 4 have already cracked.

Here's the run down:
Seeds - Vision Northern Lights Auto (4 seeds)
Soil — Fox Farm Ocean Forest
Nutes — Maxicrop Liquid Seaweed; mykos
Grow Tent — Hydro Planet 3x3x6 placed in my basement
Lighting — 2 Galaxydro 300w LED
Ventilation — 4 inch centrifical fan with carbon filtration and variable controller; 1 clip on fan
Water — RO water, PHd to 6.8
Timer — I use a smart plug that syncs with an app on my phone for a light timer.
Temperature — it's in my basement so the air is naturally cool. Average temperature when my lights are running and my fan is around 81 degrees and nights with lights off is 71 degrees.
Humidity — Hoping to keep the humidity around 60%

Since this is my first grow, my goal is to keep this as simple as possible. I'm not interested in any advanced techniques and to be honest, I'll be happy with whatever the yield turns out to be. I'm really using this as an opportunity to learn.

 

[GrowSwami]

I started with 5 seeds as the package indicates but dropped one of them on the floor...never to be found again. Arghh

 

[GrowSwami]

I germinated my 4 seeds using the paper towel method. I placed the ziploc baggy on a heated seedling mat for warmth and just put a paper plate over it to block the light. In 48 hours, all cracked and had good sized tap roots. I used the fox farm ocean forest soil and put some PH 6.8 RO water to wet the soil. I put 3 seeds tap root down and one tap root up. Why may you ask? Well, I just like to experiment and see what works and what doesn't. I also used Mykos before I put the seeds in. I used some ziploc sandwich baggies to create a temporary humidity dome and placed these in my cabinet. The cabinet has a light that gets really hot below it so it creates a very warm, humid place for the seeds to hang out before they sprout. Fingers crossed!

 

[Stinky Snid]

I started with 5 seeds as the package indicates but dropped one of them on the floor...never to be found again. Arghh

Lol... They literally vanish. You see it bounce once and then it gone. It happened to me not long ago... Anyways good luck with the four you've still got and started.

Welcome to the forums growswami
KiG cheers

 

[GrowSwami]

All 4 seeds sprouted in 24 hours with my baggie covers.

 

[GrowSwami]

As you can see from my tent below, I have my two GalaxyHydro 300 about 20 inches above the plants. On the left, I have some San Marzano tomatoes and red bell pepper I'm growing from seed. I've really been using those plants to practice on my environment controls before I actually put my real seeds in there.

I also have 2CFL lights pointed directed at one of my new NL seedlings. Honestly, I'm doing this just to experiment a little and see how they turn out compared to the other plants.

As mentioned earlier, I am day 8 with the larger plant in the back. It's a Dinafem Dinamex seed. I already had one die on me and this one is also looking small on day 8. After I took this picture, I watered it PHd to 6.8 with seaweed extract.

 

[GrowSwami]

I'm really struggling with low humidity. I was hovering around 25% today and my seedlings don't look great. Two look like they aren't going to make it. I put a humidifier in the tent. Could my exhaust fan be exacerbating the problem by removing humid air?

 

[Stinky Snid]

I'm really struggling with low humidity. I was hovering around 25% today and my seedlings don't look great. Two look like they aren't going to make it. I put a humidifier in the tent. Could my exhaust fan be exacerbating the problem by removing humid air?

You could slow the fan down if it's too strong. Do you have a speed adjuster and /or a thermostat for it. To7 could slow it down or set it to exhaust when temps get too high only. Also Where is your hygrometer located? At canopy level? 25 % is very low... What's your local humidity? Spray the walls of your tent with water. Hope that helps buddy...

KiG cheers

 

[GrowSwami]

My hygrometer is on the tent floor with my plants. Should I put it higher in the tent? I've also turned my exhaust system to really low to see if that helps. I'll update the journal with my findings. Local humidity outside right now is 65% so this is a frustrating problem.

 

[Stinky Snid]

I like to keep mine either on the edge of the pot or suspended at canopy level. Humidity would be higher on the floor, you would think... Right? If you've got another hygrometer to compare readings, it may be off. This has happened to me, lol bought a humidifier thinking I was in the 30%'s but I was actually close to 50%...double check... Hope we can figure this out.

KiG cheers

 

[GrowSwami]

Well, I wish I were here reporting better progress. I had two of my Northern Lights seedlings not make it. They just never opened their initial leaves and withered in the grow tent. If I could have a do-over, I might have kept them out of the tent until their leaves came out so my bad on that. I also had one of my seedlings fall over and did my best to stake her. You'll see that in the photo. Not sure if this one will make it either. So now, I'm down to three plants, 1 dynamex from Dinafem (Day 14) and 2 Northern Lights seedlings (Day 6).

I'm clearly doing something very wrong and want to learn from my mistakes. I watered the plants not even 48 hours ago and the soil was crispy dry this morning. It's like my tent won't keep any humidity at all. Like a desert really. If I compare my plants to others on the forum, they are very stunted in their growth and should be a lot farther along than they are. Any ideas? The only nutes I'm using right now are seaweed extract about once a week during watering.

Day 14 - Dynamex Auto - Very small, stunted plant but otherwise appears healthy

Day 6 - Northern Lights Auto Seeding #1 - Seems pretty healthy but still very small

Day 6 - Northern Lights Auto Seeding #2 - this one fell over and might not make it. Just staked it the best I could

 

[Sejd2131]

You don`t have enough light. These poor things are stretching for light and than dropping dead...Sorry for your loss...

 

[GrowSwami]

I was afraid of that answer. I think the LEDs I bought aren't working as advertised.

 

[Sejd2131]

NL as you`re aware is one of the strongest species out there.. These girls are being STRESSED for no reason,which is why they are not growing and eventually dying on you. At this point stop germinating and wasting your seeds until issue is resolved..

 

[GrowSwami]

I am going to switch out the lighting. I have a 315 LEC light coming. Will update the journal on how the plants respond.

 

[GrowSwami]

I finally got my new lights and switched out the LEDs for a new LEC 315 by Sun System. This thing is awesome. I also lowered my carbon filter to see if I could cool off some high temps I'm getting in my tent right now. Also added a cool mist humidifier to the mix. I'm down to one Northern Light seedling and my Dinafem Dinamex plant below.

New Setup

Day 9 Northern Light Seedling

Day 17 Dinamex

 

[Bradlyelliott]

Put one outside of your tent. Outdoors see how it does. If it thrives and you'll notice then it's your tent not you. If it still dies its something your doing. Just a idea. I know it's a longshot but I'm all out doors and there small for day 13 too. It's hard. Good luck

 

[GrowSwami]

This new grow light has made a ton of difference. Both of my plants are doing very well. I probably stunted them a lot from not enough light from the LEDs but they are looking pretty good now. I also transplanted my Northern Lights into a 5 gal smart pot. I also got the high temperatures in check as well. I bought a small inline fan and have air vented in coming from outside the tent. This is hooked up and turned on by a digital temperature controller. Learning a lot from this grow and loving it.

Dynamex on the left and NL on the right.

 

[Sejd2131]

Outstanding. You addressed the issue and saved your grow... Congrats...

 

[smokiebear]

Woohoo! Good job on saving the girls you could.

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