Buttercream Gelato, LED Light, Soil, 1st Grow

B

BossCat

Well-Known Member
Starting a journal for my first attempt at a grow. Hope I am doing this right..

UK based. So I started with three seeds. Purchased a Sf1000 LED Light direct from the USA, and I am growing in an unused shower cubicle, in the ensuite.

I popped the seeds in mineral water for 24 hrs on the top of the fridge. They all showed a tap root and I put them in saturated pots with soil. Just a normal compost from B&Q. Growmore is the brand from Westlands.
I mixed the soil with 33% perlite. I do intend to improve on the soil with nutes etc. now that xmas is out of the way and the shops reopen

I didn't want to put the grow off whilst I collected the perfect equipment/ingredients. So I just jumped right in.. After 25 years of research.

Lights on 18/6. 8" from plants.

Day 2 and all sprouted above soil and looking good..

20210103_183408.jpg


20210103_183331.jpg


20210103_183221.jpg


Room 1st Jan.jpg
 
Day 3..

Came home after a 12 hour shift and found Plant B had a stem that looked pinched and had bent over 90 degrees. Laying with her head on the soil.

A & C look great. I put a bit of soil around all the bases/lower stem for support, especially B. She is now propped up in a vain attempt to rescue her.

I read the excellent post on how to water a pot plant, so have dampened the soil 2" away from the stems to the depth of a 1/2". I will probably give them more before lights out in 1 hour. Thanks Emilya.

The sf1000 gives off so little heat that I went from 12" to 8" height, yesterday. I have just put them back to 12".

Anyone any thoughts on what caused plant B to do that?

20210103_193640.jpg
 
Day 3

Plants are in 4" pots and are very small. Only used 100ml of water on all 3. Used a spray to gently dampen the top of the soil, let it soak in. Tried to keep the water an inch or two away from the stem.

I did use a pair of tweezers and carefully dug down to retrieve a sample. It seemed to have some moisture around 3" down.
Could have been from the saturation I did on Day 0? But I don't know.

I did take a photo through the back of my mylar, through the glass panel. If that makes sense. Light shines right through.

I sit on the toilet (with the lid down) and get a view like a laboratory, or something. Relaxing.

This is the view through the back of my mylar!!
20210103_195732.jpg
 
@BossCat, I'm along for the ride!

I think that plant bent over trying to shield itself from the light (which was too close at 8 inches) and/or because the soil was too damp to support the stem.

You already raised the light now try not watering them so much. At this stage you can let the soil get nearly dry before adding just a bit of water.

You're off to a good start! :Rasta:
 
Over all they're looking really good.
Good advice from gdb above.
I'm at the same seedling stage as you and my light is 30 inches above the seedlings, dimmed to 60%. Seedlings don't need alot of light.
Also as gdb has said, seedlings don't like it to wet around the stem where it meets the soil, it can rot. Let it dry before any more water.
 
Thanks for the responses. Really appreciated.

Didn't water yesterday after finding the bent one. So really drying out now.

Got hygrometer and raised the light. Temps went from 32 to 26 ish.

Humidity was at 35. The central heating is on. Turned radiator off in the area. Sprayed some water on 2 of the tiled shower walls. Damp towel in there. Humidity now 42.

I will have to get a handle on that.
 
BossCat said:
Happy New Year.

I would be very interested in your experiences.

BC
Click to expand...
So far I've used the lights for two harvests, I only purchased them six months ago. Those two harvests have been excellent, nice big thick dence buds, strong too.
I'm very pleased with the lights, they're built really well. The only draw back is that the sf1000 isn't very powerfull in flower, I have 2 in a similar size space as yours, 80cm×80cm.
1 sf1000 for veg, then 2 sf1000 for flowering.
 
Here we go to give you a look at what I'm up to. Lights are off so this is with just flash.
20210104_162021.jpg

My two girl scout cookie autos. They're in large pots as that's how I start autos.
Day 5.
20210104_162010.jpg

This is how far the light is away, like I said it's on 60 %. When the plants have a few more leaves I'll turn it up to 80% and so on up to 100% .
Around week 2 I will start lowering the light slowly towards 24 inches.
 
Listersmeghead said:
Here we go to give you a look at what I'm up to. Lights are off so this is with just flash.
20210104_162021.jpg

My two girl scout cookie autos. They're in large pots as that's how I start autos.
Day 5.
20210104_162010.jpg

This is how far the light is away, like I said it's on 60 %. When the plants have a few more leaves I'll turn it up to 80% and so on up to 100% .
Around week 2 I will start lowering the light slowly towards 24 inches.
Click to expand...
Great advice there.

I will take that into account. I will also give thought to additional lighting.

Do you have a grow journal?
 
:ciao: Always good to see more UK growers joining the ranks. I believe what happened to your lost seedling is called damping off. Happens when the soil is too wet. Little ones really don't need much. The other 3 are looking good though:thumb:
 
Well worth a read.

The Proper Way To Water A Potted Plant

The Proper Way to Water a Potted Plant Also covered: the importance of pH and why we successively up-pot How to Water Over the last several years I have put a lot of study into this, and I feel that I can now define the proper way to water a potted plant. Keep in mind that this discussion...
www.420magazine.com
 
Sorry just realised you've already read that :laugh:
 
VetSmoke85 said:
:ciao: Always good to see more UK growers joining the ranks. I believe what happened to your lost seedling is called damping off. Happens when the soil is too wet. Little ones really don't need much. The other 3 are looking good though:thumb:
Click to expand...
Thanks for the welcome. Yep that is all making sense regarding overwatering.

I have left them to dry. I was planning on watering them in around 12 hours. Lights are off until 2am.
 
Overwatering is the most common mistake new growers make. I think we've all done it at some point.
 

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