SmokyRobinson

New Member
Hello i am having trouble... this is my very first grow and i am currently 2 weeks in....i germinated 6 seeds which all i had no success with. i had one thc bomb which survived
image16418.jpg
image16419.jpg
image16416.jpg


these were pics from about 3 days ago, for some reason i feel its very sluggish... i have not been feeding any nutes just pH'd distilled water at about 5.8-6.0.....i had 2 23w CFL's placed right above them, and as you also see the tips of the leaves are a bit yellow...i just did not like the progression of it so i decided to throw it in the tent at about day 18
image16417.jpg
image16415.jpg
image16414.jpg
image16408.jpg


overall i am really not pleased standing at 20 days in now.. this plant looks like a runt or idk what im doing or something....please help me as i am a noob in my very first grow, any feedback that will help me im all ears and will greatly appreciate it.
 
Temperatures have been at 76-80 F.... I feed 5.8-6.0pH'd whenever I feel the starter plug is dry enough which is about once- twice a day mostly once
 
Growth is definitely slower than average. You're right about that.

What is in the starter plug? What is it made of? (Might be a silly question, but I honestly don't know)

When you water, does the starter plug sit in excess water? This could be a problem as well.

At this size I keep my CFLs around 5cm or 2" away from the top of the leaves, and only one bulb is really needed at this size.

Your temps are fine.

Something new I learned recently, PH adjustments can contain some nutes. That could possibly be the issue. Try watering with plain water. I personally just use tap water, letting it sit for 24 hours or more before using. When I'm starting seedlings, they only get plain tap water. No PH adjustments are made until they have 4-6 adult leaves and have been transplanted into the final container.
 
Hey@ Antics thanks for responding, The starter plugs are similar to those rapid rooters I believe idk exactly what they are made of but they feel like some sponge type of airy foamy material...I have no clue great question lol...when I water I usually moist them with a spray bottle so they don't sit im water actually but maybe I am over saturating them with the water idk..I agree with you on the distance of the cfl's and I will probably go with that route until it's more mature and you are entirely right about the pH solutions as I have been using them to adjust the water since day 1...shame on me...I'll take your advice and run with it man I appreciate the help...hopefully she turns around as I have some more seeds On the way
 
Sure no problem man, I'm always happy to help out. And it gives me an excuse to stay at the computer a little longer to take a few more hits before bed. :thumb:

Rapid Rooters are made from composted material. I THINK these should be treated as soil then, being compost, but I could be wrong. But if I'm right, the PH should be around 6.5. I'd wait for someone to confirm though.

What brand plugs are you using? That could help narrow things down.

You sound fine for watering too. I do the same thing, just misting with a spray bottle until slightly moist, but I don't water until I get runoff. But I germinate in 3" pots, your plugs are going to behave a little differently and may have some runoff, depending how well they hold moisture.

My 2 guesses to your problem are either an unknown nute content in the plugs, or the PH'ed water is doing it.

When you water for the next few days, I would use plain water allowed to sit 24 hours or so. Water until you see a small amount of runoff, drain the tray carefully, and wait until the plug is fairly dry, but not bone dry when you water next. A plug like that would probably need the 2x misting you've been doing, so that should be good. I mist my seedling pots twice a day as well.
 
Your an awesome help dude :bravo: lol...I dont know exactly the brand as it was included in a package I bought from HTG supply..I bought a seed starter dome/propagater tray and the heating mat to go with it...the plugs were included in the deal so maybe I should go with a more trusted brand or other options???? What is your preferred method of germ and products? Do you use plugs or what do you use? I am just starting and I'm open to other options....And I think your 2 guesses are fairly accurate as I always have a funny feeling about these things also...I will go ahead and go with plain water as you have stated previously..
 
Well it's not like you made a grave error, These are products made to do what you want, so you jumped on a deal. Most of us would have done the same thing.

Now it's not so much a trusted brand, but knowing exactly what you're buying. Just like buying food, and checking the ingredients label for allergy information, fat, calories, sodium, etc...

I wouldn't use the heat mat though. It may not have too much of an effect on Feminized seeds, but one grower here, who is quite experienced (KingJohnC) has said that Cannabis sex is somewhat influenced by temperature, and advises against using heat mats, or heat sources during germination.

Now if you don't want to do the research, or don't know enough to know what to compare, going with a proven brand will always work. And proven means used over and over by different growers, with the same result. Just because Miracle Grow happened to work for one grower, doesn't mean it's proven. That means he just got lucky lol.

And as for my germination method, this link will take you to the post in my new journal, where I outline my entire germination technique, with 100% germination so far: Antics Perpetual Learning Experience

KingJohnC uses a similar method, but he places his seeds inside a small matchbox, and the bottom of the tray is lined with 300? 320 grit sandpaper. I didn't have a match box, or anything small enough, so I improvised with the nail file, and it worked pretty well for me. You just can't use any direct pressure, or excessively rub the seed, or it can damage the hull. Then I plop the seed into my growing medium, which at that time was soil, but I have since switched to coco in favor of a more stable PH environment than my soil was giving me.
 
Hey Antics....so I took all of your advice and I really hunk I turned that plant around...here are pics below...my next question is so you think its now ready for LED and my grow tent or how much longer under CFL???
image16719.jpg
image16720.jpg
 
Back
Top Bottom