Recovery Grow & Redemption Arc: Autoflower Northern Lights First Time Grow

[Paul Squiggle]

Howdy do.

From what I can see, I think your light is doing the damage. You have it at full power, at 24 inches. The par value the plants are getting at the centre will be this, according to the ts1000 specs

My plants are only getting 370 par and they are this big

Dial back your light mate. I think it's stunting the growth...what do others think?
Also, what type of soil are they in? Is it compost? As even regular topsoil would have enough nutrients in to get them to a bigger state of growth.. they hardly need any nutrients at the age..
List the soil type or take a picture of the bag and I will tell you if you need nutrients or not.

 

[goosebuds420]

Howdy do.

From what I can see, I think your light is doing the damage. You have it full power at 24 inches. The par value the plants are getting at the centre will be this

My plants are only getting 370 par and they are this big

Dial back your light mate. I think it's stunting the growth...what would do others think?

Thanks mate, I've dialed it back to 75% and for reference its a 150w LED quantum board in case I should be dialling it back even further?

 

[Paul Squiggle]

Thanks mate, I've dialed it back to 75% and for reference its a 150w LED quantum board in case I should be dialling it back even further?

150w That's a powerful light still. I will read Mars hydros specifications and see what they recommend. I will get back to you. What about the soil? As you can make your seedlings unwell by giving them nutrients. Also the last picture of the floppy seedling. When did you last water her? She's either thursty or drowned? Possibly the light was too intense?. If she doesn't straighten up in a few hours, it's down to water.

 

[Paul Squiggle]

Edit.. just seen its a tomato plant soil mix. That can be too hot but it can also be perfect. Stop feeding nutrients mate, you will kill her. There's plenty in that mix.

 

[goosebuds420]

Their manual only recommends height and light periods, nothing about the intensity but thank you for looking further into it.
For the new seedling the soil shouldn't have many nutrients in it, its scotts osmocote seed and cutting premium potting mix, she came out of the ground pretty much that way and I previously had the light on 75% she just hasn't straightened up but keeps growing.

Last water would've been 8 hours or so ago but its only been with a spray bottle and I've been spraying mostly around 3x her diameter.

 

[Paul Squiggle]

Their manual only recommends height and light periods, nothing about the intensity but thank you for looking further into it.
For the new seedling the soil shouldn't have many nutrients in it, its scotts osmocote seed and cutting premium potting mix, she came out of the ground pretty much that way and I previously had the light on 75% she just hasn't straightened up but keeps growing.

Last water would've been 8 hours or so ago but its only been with a spray bottle and I've been spraying mostly around 3x her diameter.

Post a picture of the bag if you can. Your plants are still seedlings, so it should be fine. My last entire grow was with a seedling mix. I got fully developed plants without any extra nutrients.
There's something really way off here mate.
The light dialled back won't do them any harm. You may see them stretching for the light, the stems will elongate, which shows they are healthy. If they do start stretching, then move the light a little closer or then turn the power up.

 

[goosebuds420]

I can try grab a picture of the physical bags back if that helps.

I'll keep the light at 75% then it might have been too strong which kept the seedling bent, I haven't given the small seedling any nutrients yet but gave the bigger one some at 5ml per 4l and she seems to be going alright so far with it so maybe light has been a factor for her also?

 

[goosebuds420]

Literally just did a google search and for my model of light they recommend 25% for seedling, 50-80% for veg and 100% for flower so I think thats the problem here.

Lucky their both still young so shouldn't be too late to try and correct!

 

[Paul Squiggle]

I can try grab a picture of the physical bags back if that helps.

I'll keep the light at 75% then it might have been too strong which kept the seedling bent, I haven't given the small seedling any nutrients yet but gave the bigger one some at 5ml per 4l and she seems to be going alright so far with it so maybe light has been a factor for her also?

I will read up on that Potting mix also..
The light can do serious damage, the light I used on the last grow was vipar spectras equivalent, and that didn't get over 50% power until I had 4 nodes..
When you think of it. A fully flowering plant will have you at a setting of 100% at 18 to 24 inches . So, does a seedling really need the same power?
I went the opposite way on this grow. I used a higher powered light and I I didn't have it up enough and they stretched like crazy for it..

Personally, if that floppy plant was mine. I would dribble a thimble full of water at the base of its stem. I don't think spraying that far away is sufficient at the moment for this plant, but still continue watering away from the base, to promote root growth. Let the roots find the water and not the water finding the roots. But, without knowing how wet your medium already is, it's just guess work..it will all drop into place eventually mate. The first go is always the hardest. This is where you learn by your mistakes

 

[Paul Squiggle]

Literally just did a google search and for my model of light they recommend 25% for seedling, 50-80% for veg and 100% for flower so I think thats the problem here.

Lucky their both still young so shouldn't be too late to try and correct!

Just found the same thing.. there's one variable crossed off

 

[Paul Squiggle]

That's more than enough For now. It won't grow a plant for six months solid, but you can reuse it for seedlings for that amount of time. So don't add anything extra at the moment. Let her recover and go from there. I think at the start, your yellowing leaves were light bleaching..

 

[goosebuds420]

That's more than enough . So don't add anything extra. I think at the start, your yellowing leaves were light bleaching..

Thanks mate so you would recommend I don't add any extra nutrients throughout the entire grow at all? or atleast until she reaches veg?

Could very well have been light bleaching for the first one shes been through alot.

For the smaller one I've given her abit of water right at the base, the medium is pretty dry overall I've been careful to try not overwater it like the first one so I think the deciding factor here would be the light intensity shes been getting.

 

[Paul Squiggle]

I wouldn't add nutrients until she's a bit bigger. She will show you when she needs fed. The signs will be in the leaves. Now you have the light dialled in, the leaves shouldn't lighten in colour from that.. so any other colour change in the leaf will be your indication.

 

[Paul Squiggle]

Thanks mate so you would recommend I don't add any extra nutrients throughout the entire grow at all? or atleast until she reaches veg?

Could very well have been light bleaching for the first one shes been through alot.

For the smaller one I've given her abit of water right at the base, the medium is pretty dry overall I've been careful to try not overwater it like the first one so I think the deciding factor here would be the light intensity shes been getting.

It's really difficult watering a seedling correctly in a big pot. I hate it. That's why I usually grow photoperiod and up pot them a few times.. That picture of my plant is the first auto I've grown and i started that in a small cup. I would rather risk the shock of up-potting, than risk water damage.
Photo period plants are much more forgiving, as they have time to recover before you put them in flower

 

[goosebuds420]

Thank you, I really appreciate all the solid advice! I thought an auto would be easier but I'm already thinking I should go a photo for my next grow based on the simple fact they're a more forgiving grow.

I'll keep the progress photos coming and hopefully we notice changes soon!

 

[Paul Squiggle]

Thank you, I really appreciate all the solid advice! I thought an auto would be easier but I'm already thinking I should go a photo for my next grow based on the simple fact they're a more forgiving grow.

I'll keep the progress photos coming and hopefully we notice changes soon!

No problem, that's what this forums about. It's really difficult to diagnose faults , without being there. But luckily you posted what you had your light set at and that rang an alarm bell... luckily we caught it. I will keep checking in mate. Hopefully they bounce back. But also be ready incase they don't . It's devastating when they fail. The first one might not mature much. It should have been a lot more developed that it is. The picture I posted of my auto is 27 days old and that is stunted; but I also have a photoperiod of the same age which is miles behind because I dropped her and snapped her roots
Wishing you luck mate. Hopefully all will be ok. Give me a shout if you have any questions; if I don't know the answer, I will find someone on here that does..

 

[goosebuds420]

12/07/21

Temp : 20-26C
RH : 60-70%
Light : 25% @ 24in for 18/6h
Left Side Water: 750ml nute water, ph 6.5
Right Side Water: 250ml plain water, ph 6.7

Left side:

More growth coming through, must be responding to the reduction in light well.

Right side:

Starting to bend up with new growth in the middle, this little girl is just doing her own LST.

 

[goosebuds420]

13/07/21

Temp : 20-26C
RH : 60-70%
Light : 25% @ 24in for 18/6h
First Plant Water: no water given
Second Plant Water: no water given

Both plants looking happier and gaining small amounts of growth. I had to apply neem oil diluted with water to the soil as theres a small number of fungas gnats hanging around, hopefully they go away as they are incredibly annoying.

After stunting not one, but two seedlings, I did the only logical thing to be done and started a third grow!
This time its in coco coir which I buffered with cal mag for 16 hours in water that was a ph of 6, I just finished germinating and planting in a solo cup. This way I can see how much easier it is to grow outside of the final container.

 

[goosebuds420]

18/07/21

Temp : 20-26C
RH : 60-70%
Light : 25% @ 24in for 18/6h
First Plant Water: water given on 15/07/21, no water given today
Second Plant Water: 500ml plain water, ph 6.2
Third Plant: 10 spray bottle squirts of plain water, ph 6.2

The third girl has shot up like a bean sprout on the 14/07/21, growth is looking good for five days old so far I think.

First plant is starting to pre-flower, it was only a matter of time but I'm still gonna pull her through for that popcorn nug.

Second plant is coming along, still early enough in vegetative stage to make a come back and get some growth hopefully.