Beginner question - Stocky growth and outta shape

[Nightflight]

Hi all - I am new to the community and new to indoor growing - and would really appreciate your advise about my first grow, which is not quite going as expected…

age: commencing 7th week from seed
Strain: 1xBubba Kush, 1xAfgooey, 1xSex Bud
# of plants: 3
Grow type: soil
Grow stage: vegetative
Bucket size: 5 gallon
Lights: 400 W COB LED, distance 20 inches (until week 4: 12 inches)
Nutrients: no liquid fertilizer
medium: 50% earth, 20% coco, 30% (cow manure, rice hull, wormcast, peat moss)
PH: don’t know
Water every 4-6 days
RH: 60%
Room temperature: 82-85
Pests: not yet

1. The Bubba Kush: Fell over in week two and crippled its main stem. Remained stunted in its development for three weeks until repotted in week 5. Growing, again, but doesn’t gain much height.

2. The Afgooey: Has been growing vigorously and developed massive fan leaves from node three onwards. After 6 weeks, however, it’s still only 10 inches tall. It has a pencil-thick stem, giant fan leaves (10inch diameter) and many tiny shoots that hug along the stem

3. The Sex Bud: the sativa of the group came along nicely but then fell mysteriously ill in week 3, all four leaves turning completely yellow overnight. Recovered after repotting in week 5 but is still growing a bit slow

Haven’t done any trimming yet and my two main question are: a) Why don’t they grow taller? and b) what can I do trim-wise to get the ladies in better shape? Where and how should I cut?

I don’t care if I have to veg them for some more weeks but want them to get into proper shape before flowering.

Thanks for your time

 

[lexort420]

You might want to consider lst to expose those little side branches to some more light. Also i read soil growing is a bit slower not sure if it's this slow though.

 

[Atulip]

At first glance I thought your pots were too small. If those are 5gallon pots those fan leaves are huge. The center growth looks unusual in that it's small and all compacted. Not sure what to make of it, but they look pretty healthy.

With leds you're going to have very short node distance, so 12 inches at a month of veg isn't uncommon, especially if you repotted them late. And with any sort of deficiency you had will have slowed growth some. They will stretch when you flip to flower. Some strains completely double in size. I would expect them to be bushier though. You could try tying the main stem over and seeing if those tiny middle leaves grow out and make your plant bushier.

As for weak stems, you need a fan blowing on them. Airflow simulates wind and they'll thinken up those stems to stop from swaying.

 

[iwltfum]

It does look like they are growing a bit slow, but they look pretty healthy to me. It might be the fact that the soil looks a bit dense. Sometime growth can get slowed down because of over watering or temps being a bit to cold. What are your watering habits like. And your temps? Highs's and low's?

 

[Nightflight]

Thanks for the feedback, guys. Yes, the plants are very healthy. They just develop in a strange way...short, with huge leaves. It's also because of the shortness that I haven't dared to top/trim/cut yet.

Atulip: The top pic (Bubba) is a 2.5 gallon pot but the middle (Afgooey) and bottom (Sex Bud) are 5 gallon. Exposing the mid section to more light is an idea, so I'll try the tying over. The stems are super-thick for the height, by the way, "pencil-thick" was meant in a positive way

iwitfum: The soil is a bit of a black box for me but I don't have much choice and have to take what I can get. I understand the mix is as described on top. It has compacted about 20% since repotting (2 weeks ago) and might well be a bit dense now...I can't get perlite here but perhaps adding more coco would be beneficial? Temp is a steady 82-85 degrees F (28/30 degrees Celsius), watering every 4-6 days - whenever the topsoil feels dry-ish.

 

[Atulip]

Thanks for the feedback, guys. Yes, the plants are very healthy. They just develop in a strange way...short, with huge leaves. It's also because of the shortness that I haven't dared to top/trim/cut yet.

Atulip: The top pic (Bubba) is a 2.5 gallon pot but the middle (Afgooey) and bottom (Sex Bud) are 5 gallon. Exposing the mid section to more light is an idea, so I'll try the tying over. The stems are super-thick for the height, by the way, "pencil-thick" was meant in a positive way

iwitfum: The soil is a bit of a black box for me but I don't have much choice and have to take what I can get. I understand the mix is as described on top. It has compacted about 20% since repotting (2 weeks ago) and might well be a bit dense now...I can't get perlite here but perhaps adding more coco would be beneficial? Temp is a steady 82-85 degrees F (28/30 degrees Celsius), watering every 4-6 days - whenever the topsoil feels dry-ish.

Oh. Pencil thick I was thinking thin lol. Magic marker thick, now that's a fat stalk.

I believe vermiculite will work just as well as perlite if you have access to that. Or rice hulls or lava rocks.

85 is a bit high. You might need a bit more airflow or run your intake ducting line directly to the ac if necessary.