New Grow - Stretching

[Jamers]

This is my first HID grow looks like there stretching and starting to fall over, any tips or suggestions??

Feminized Northern Lights
400W MH Conversion Bulb - Sun Master Neutral Deluxe Bulb
Ambient Temp 25 C
Humidity 50%
DNF Grow Nutrients

I tried lowering the lights a bit but it seems too hot when i get it lower

 

[CannaVince]

Hey jamer...what's good welcome to ....well you need to get that light close....or switch out to cfls or T5s for vegg instead ..I would plant them now and just bury them up high.....you need to get that heat exhaust out of there........

 

[Jamers]

Hey Canna Vince

thank you for welcoming me to the forum. Iv been a sponge the last few weeks soaking up as much info from this wicked site as i can! The grow journals having been keeping me up till 5 am.

Wev got a 6" 300 cfm fan which replaces the air every 1 or 2 mins and another small fan for better circulation. Temp is bettwen 24.5 and 25.7 c.

Also we have slightly yellow leaves and purple stems. not sure what is causing this. Over watering perhaps?...

 

[Dayzt]

Hey Jamers - this is one of the most common issues with new growers, so don't feel bad, you're not alone! A rule of thumb when using HID lights = new seedlings like that are not yet ready for that much heat/light. My suggestions are:

1. Turn off your HID for now and raise it up out of your way.
2. Get some small CFL lights ( I like to use those enviro 'spiral' bulbs), one 'cool blue' and one 'red warm'. Grab a socket-splitter-plug (a dual-light-socket with a power-plug on it) and a power-bar, and put one of each type of CFL in each socket. Create 2 pairs of these and plug them into your power-bar - this is an easy-made CFL light with mixed light-types.
3. As mentioned, transplant your seedlings into pots and bury them up to about a half-inch or less from the first set of leaves (cotyledons).
4. Arrange your CFL lights directly above your seedlings so they're about 2-3 inches away - this will eliminate the stretching.

Your seedlings don't need that HID light until they have at least 2 sets of healthy serrated leaves - before that, they just need a light that's as close to them as possible. CFLs don't give off much heat, so you can get nice and close with them...

..let me know if you need some picture examples. =) Good luck!

edit: Your yellowing leaves at that stage can indeed be from overwatering - remember they just need to stay moist - only water when they're completely dry. If you've started any nutrient, that also may be the problem - young plants don't need ANY nutes for at least the first 2-3 weeks.

 

[Jamers]

OK got em under 2x T8 38W 6400K fluoro tubes and i bought some cfls that im going to hang soon

The leave tips are kinda brown and some discoloration but they dont look too bad, a bit stressed from the move i guess

Yes i was giving them a very weak nutrient solution but have gone back to just water as per your suggestions

Sorry about the pic quality my friend has my camera

 

[CannaVince]

Hello jamers...well very nice work on the lighting switch over...it will be a happier place to raise a family....ha...they shouldn't stretch so much now...I recommend a transplant now into a medium....those rockwools will soon be rotten..and just gross...make sure they don't get overwatered...when you replant them you will be able to bury them up the stem....overall it's a major, amazing improvement...nice

 

[Jamers]

Ok sorta confused here sorry.
They were in the little rockwool cubes, when i changed the light i also transplanted them into the 6x6 '' rockwool cubes that they are in now.

So i should be transplanting the big 6x6 cubes into a medium ie soil or whatever ?
Or take them out of the big 6x6 cubes and put them into a medium ?

The guy at my local hydro store said i could grow them in those big cubes, guess not eh lol

If the rockwool is rotting will planting them into soil fix this?

 

[GreenDollars]

You can grow them in those cubes. Get good sized pots and put hydroton around and over each cube. Getting the roots out of the rockwool after the plant has roots will be extremely difficult and should be avoided as it would stunt the plant and place too much stress on it.

little lights at the beginning and stronger lights as the plant matures.

Floros/CFls in beginning and HID after about 3 weeks into veg is fine, granted they are healthy and strong.

good luck

 

[Jamers]

Ok cool makes sense
I only replanted them in the big cubes two days ago so i doubt they have grown roots into the big cubes but either way i dont know how i would get them out without damaging them

I was thinking about moving two of them into bubbler buckets so maybe i could just cut the big cubes down to size rather than trying to pull them out of the big cubes and stress/stunt ?

 

[GreenDollars]

well if your going to cut the cubes down, do it now so you are not cutting through roots and stress the plant. If you cut it now you can rest assure that the plant has not produced roots throughout the cube yet, therefore playing it safe. Either way, good luck.

I started in soil. I made a hydoponis system, but kinda scared and intimidated by it. PLus if I have to move it, its not that easy as it holds a lot of water.

 

[CannaVince]

Sorry bout the confusion jamers....yah the first round of rockwool is ok , but I wouldn't ever try to put rockwool into rockwool.....it's early so get them out of the large ones and into soil.....transplant the whole small cube into your medium.....I'm going to guess and say the guy at your local shop has never grown before....just advises....bad advice....I use the plugs now and have a much better success rate and it's no nonsense......

 

[Jamers]

Awesome, thanks for the tips
Got them into a new medium and i think we've improved their living conditions, one already has quite a long tap root coming out of the net pot
We very carefully removed them from those big rockwool cubes, they were just starting to put down roots so they came out pretty easily, a little bit of damage to two small roots but they seem to be coming back, looking way better and not stretching anymore


1/4 Strength DNF, with a bit of Hydro-Thrive (SuperThrive knock off)
PH is 5.6
2 Air Pumps for the 4 bubbler buckets
DIY CO2 Generator that seems to be working quite well
Small Fan, 300 CFM inline exhuast fan and a passive intake filter

Got a Truncheon meter too
Maybe time to start a grow journal

 

[Dayzt]

Awesome man - could you explain your DIY Co2 setup? I'm thinking I may need to try out something like that - got me some of those big jugs that I could put to use!!

Cheers!

 

[Jamers]

I copied the ratios and plans for this and just scaled it up to work with those big jugs as i have lots of them too.

Fill the big jug 1/3 full with luke warm water ( ive read 80 degrees f but the yeast jar instructions say 100 f so somewhere in between is good?). Hotter than that and it will kill the yeast and colder it wont react.
Then I added 4 cups of granulated white sugar with a piece of paper made into a funnel, into the big jug
Cap it and shake the mixture vigorously until sugar is dissolved
In a separate container add 4 heaping tablespoons of fresh yeast to 1 and 1/3 cups of the same temp. water, mix well.
Add yeast and water to the big jug (which already has sugar and water) then top up the big jug with luke warm water until its about half full.

I used airline hose to connect the two bottles

I melted the holes with a soldering iron and hot glued the hose in place, silicone will work well(better) but i couldnt wait

Run the air line from the cap of the large jug (it only needs to stick down into the big jug an inch or two) then from the big jug it goes through the cap of a 2L bottle and down into it approx 3/4 of the way down with a weight on it (i used a bolt) so the airline will sink

Fill the 2L pop bottle 3/4 full of water
This will stop anything from getting into your large jug where the reaction is making c02 and it also lets you see that its working
Finally make some holes in the top of the 2L pop bottle above the water level and run them over to your plants or wherever you like

Hopefully my drawing clears it up lol

Ill take a pic tomorrow when the lights come on
After seeing how long it lasts I may adjust the ratios

 

[CannaVince]

Ahhh jamer very nice....girls are looking great....I've used that co2 generator myself and it does work....don't forget to stir it up every 8 hours or so and add more sugar....I was changing my yeast every 2 1/2 days......glad too see it all worked out my man...