First timer right here but I've done my homework. Here's the rundown:
2 chemdawg (supreme seeds)
veg w/ 23w (100w equivalent) CFL w/ metal bulb reflectors. One 5000K and one 6500K bulb in each reflector, for each plant. 150w HPS will be added later.
Well water ph 6.8 and 45ppm
Temp: 75F RH: 65%
Organic Soil (vermiculite/perlite, sphagnum peat, KOW brand manure .5-.5-.5, Garden-tone, bone meal, blood meal, dolomite) aged for 60 days
seeds germinated Nov. 13 in water. The taproot only came out about 1/4" or less in two days and didn't get longer the following two days (I thought because they were pretty small seeds to begin with approximately 4mm wide). So on Nov. 18 I potted them in small (2 oz.?) plastic cups. Vermiculite/Perlite was my choice for the seedling medium. Within 24 hours under CFLs cotyledon emerged.
My choice for starting in vermiculite & perlite in 2 oz. cups was a conclusion about nutrients. I wanted to start the seeds without any nutrients for the first week until they were ready for water. At that point I didn't have a PPM meter so I was unsure about nutrient content for seedlings. The plan was to repot from the 2 oz cup - no nutrients - to an 18oz plastic cup with a weak nutrient medium for the plant to grow into. Taking a stab, I combined 1/2 vermiculite/perlite/peat mixture to 1/2 KOW brand cow manure rated at 0.5-0.5-0.5. The plan was to veg the plants in the 18oz plastic cups until flowering, or at least until they were able to handle being potted in 5 gallon smart pots with the full measure of nutrients in the soil I've been aging.
But as most newbies probably do, I got nervous that there wasn't enough nutrients in the KOW manure to feed them for 2 months, so I sprinkled a teaspoon of blood meal around the stem and lightly worked it into the topsoil, several days later I watered it in for the first time (first ten days I watered from the bottom so the starter pod could dry out and the roots could stretch toward the moisture) and I measured the pH from run off at 6.5 and 625ppm.
Now here's the result about 5 days later (2 weeks into veg):
As you can see the problem is only affecting 1 of 2 plants. However, even though the plant below isn't showing signs of distress, she is maturing more slowly than the plant pictured above.
Temps did spike last weekend, the max temp registered at 92F. Why I do not know. My thermometer is several centimeters below the leaves but generally stays 68-80F. I've also added a small fan to circulate the air, a cool mist humidifier in the adjoining room to boost the RH into the high 70% range, and I'll be starting up my inline fan soon.
So many factors to consider, but I'm feeling confident in my approach and I'm excited each day I learn something new.
Thanks for any advice and direction. I've learned a great deal from so many of you already. Your guidance is invaluable!
2 chemdawg (supreme seeds)
veg w/ 23w (100w equivalent) CFL w/ metal bulb reflectors. One 5000K and one 6500K bulb in each reflector, for each plant. 150w HPS will be added later.
Well water ph 6.8 and 45ppm
Temp: 75F RH: 65%
Organic Soil (vermiculite/perlite, sphagnum peat, KOW brand manure .5-.5-.5, Garden-tone, bone meal, blood meal, dolomite) aged for 60 days
seeds germinated Nov. 13 in water. The taproot only came out about 1/4" or less in two days and didn't get longer the following two days (I thought because they were pretty small seeds to begin with approximately 4mm wide). So on Nov. 18 I potted them in small (2 oz.?) plastic cups. Vermiculite/Perlite was my choice for the seedling medium. Within 24 hours under CFLs cotyledon emerged.
My choice for starting in vermiculite & perlite in 2 oz. cups was a conclusion about nutrients. I wanted to start the seeds without any nutrients for the first week until they were ready for water. At that point I didn't have a PPM meter so I was unsure about nutrient content for seedlings. The plan was to repot from the 2 oz cup - no nutrients - to an 18oz plastic cup with a weak nutrient medium for the plant to grow into. Taking a stab, I combined 1/2 vermiculite/perlite/peat mixture to 1/2 KOW brand cow manure rated at 0.5-0.5-0.5. The plan was to veg the plants in the 18oz plastic cups until flowering, or at least until they were able to handle being potted in 5 gallon smart pots with the full measure of nutrients in the soil I've been aging.
But as most newbies probably do, I got nervous that there wasn't enough nutrients in the KOW manure to feed them for 2 months, so I sprinkled a teaspoon of blood meal around the stem and lightly worked it into the topsoil, several days later I watered it in for the first time (first ten days I watered from the bottom so the starter pod could dry out and the roots could stretch toward the moisture) and I measured the pH from run off at 6.5 and 625ppm.
Now here's the result about 5 days later (2 weeks into veg):
As you can see the problem is only affecting 1 of 2 plants. However, even though the plant below isn't showing signs of distress, she is maturing more slowly than the plant pictured above.
Temps did spike last weekend, the max temp registered at 92F. Why I do not know. My thermometer is several centimeters below the leaves but generally stays 68-80F. I've also added a small fan to circulate the air, a cool mist humidifier in the adjoining room to boost the RH into the high 70% range, and I'll be starting up my inline fan soon.
So many factors to consider, but I'm feeling confident in my approach and I'm excited each day I learn something new.
Thanks for any advice and direction. I've learned a great deal from so many of you already. Your guidance is invaluable!
