Slow seedling growth

[Cadillac42]

Hello all first timer! Seems like my babies have been moving along slower then they should be.....any suggestions or comments would be greatly appreciated! My setup has a portable AC, humidifier and CO2 bags added to provide a better environment. Been trying to keep water PH between 5.7 & 6.0, also been running an 18 on 6 off light schedule.

What Strain is it? Two (2) Hidden Pastry 90/10 Indica, One (1) LA Kush Cake 90/10 Indica, One (1) Frosted Sherbet Indica dominant (% unknown)
How Many Plants? Four (4) Total
Is it in Vegetative or Flowering Stage? Seedling Stage, three (3) day 12 and one (1) day 7
Indoor or Outdoor? Indoor
Soil or Hydro? Soilless 70/30 coco perlite
If Soil... What Size Pot? Solo cup
Size (Wattage) of Light? sun blaze t5 48” - produces 5,000 lumen per lamp. Total of 10,000 lumen
Temperature of Room/Cabinet? 78-85F, 50-60% humidity
Any Pests? No
How Often are you Watering? Once approx. every 3 days (when the cup starts to feel light)
Size or Square Footage of Room? 4x4, approx 7 ft high.

Day 12’s - My last watering I added one ml of calmag to a gallon of 5.8 water. Whole gallon was not used, stopped once I got a light run off in each cup.

The small one that’s only on day 7 I’ve been spraying down with 5.8 PH water only.

Another question I have is regarding how high I should be hanging my lights? The picture with the tape measure is the distance from the light to the rack I have them on.


Thank you!

 

[Pennywise]

Welcome Cadillac, in coco you should water/feed daily. I've not used T5's but I'm thinking you could move them closer if they are at 24" but we'll wait for someone else to make that call.

 

[Cadillac42]

Thanks for your input. Two things I’ve really been trying to tweak is light placement and how often to feed. From what you’re saying it seems like the slow growth is from a lack of water and light.

 

[Chris Scorpio]

I've had t5 as close as 6", but for a seedling 12" is good, just do the hand test, if it's hot to the back of yer hand, too hit for them

 

[Chris Scorpio]

Like PW said, Coco needs water and nutes daily, even at this age

1/4 strength nutes daily. It also how I start out my kiddos in DWC

 

[Lowrider72]

Nice plants mate, dont be scared to run full spectrums 12" away, LED run sooo cool.
I dont agree with the guys above on the,watering coco daily, Im more with you on the 3-5 days before,watering based on pot weight.
Going that style,will help you learn to feed to how much the plant is,drinking.
One of the true secrets of Coco.

 

[Cadillac42]

Like PW said, Coco needs water and nutes daily, even at this age

1/4 strength nutes daily. It also how I start out my kiddos in DWC

I’m definitely going to move them closer to the light thank you! As to the nutes I have a batch made up of GH’s 3 base nutes @ 1ml each and 2ml of calmag to a gallon of water. I’ve been waiting to use it because I was unsure if they would damage the plant at such an early stage.

 

[Cadillac42]

Nice plants mate, dont be scared to run full spectrums 12" away, LED run sooo cool.
I dont agree with the guys above on the,watering coco daily, Im more with you on the 3-5 days before,watering based on pot weight.
Going that style,will help you learn to feed to how much the plant is,drinking.
One of the true secrets of Coco.

I actually started them on a Kind LED K3 XL600 but switched to the T5’s until they further into veg. A lot of the research I’ve looked at says to start at 6400k

 

[Cadillac42]

Nice plants mate, dont be scared to run full spectrums 12" away, LED run sooo cool.
I dont agree with the guys above on the,watering coco daily, Im more with you on the 3-5 days before,watering based on pot weight.
Going that style,will help you learn to feed to how much the plant is,drinking.
One of the true secrets of Coco.

Thanks tho man they do look healthy for the most part, just seem small for what day they’re on.

 

[Chris Scorpio]

Everyone I know, cept lowerider, waters with nutes every day

So I'd suggest that

 

[Pennywise]

They will grow at their own pace, just roll with it for now. Get those lights lowered a bit and water/feed daily they will grow.

 

[StoneOtter]

Welcome Cadillac, good start. I use t5's sometimes and this young they can go pretty low like 6 inches. In a week when the leaves are as wide as your cup the light can go 1 or 2 inches but you have to be there at least twice a day to adjust it. You don't want them to touch. Cheers

 

[Captain Cannabis]

Welcome! Here's my tip: That Co2 bag isn't going to help very much, from below the plants. Co2 is heavier than oxygen, so it will "fall" downward. Hang it above the plants, with the opening facing them. I personally hang them directly above my oscillating fan, so my entire canopy gets a little more.
Goodluck!

 

[Lowrider72]

I actually started them on a Kind LED K3 XL600 but switched to the T5’s until they further into veg. A lot of the research I’ve looked at says to start at 6400k

The LEDs do a great job in early stages, enough of the 6500k, can veg under it, but need punch. I run two philips 19w high output globes, 2 equals 4600lumens. Your on the right track.

Thanks tho man they do look healthy for the most part, just seem small for what day they’re on.

lol. They always grow slower than we like.
Maybe lower temps, try a heatmat, plants will start flying, unfortunately LEDs lack heat in winter.

Everyone I know, cept lowerider, waters with nutes every day

So I'd suggest that

Thats because Lowrider isnt a sheep who tries to feed a plant feed they dont want and call it growing.
You and ya lil gang of daily waterers got a knot in ya knickers?
Maybe because, I use less of everything and can still match you all...some girls cant handle competition.

They will grow at their own pace, just roll with it for now. Get those lights lowered a bit and water/feed daily they will grow.

Another crack from the sidelines......

The guy worked out a good feed regime and then you guys have to FORCE your opinion on them.
Rocket Scientists.

 

[Camaro1691]

Hello all first timer! Seems like my babies have been moving along slower then they should be.....any suggestions or comments would be greatly appreciated! My setup has a portable AC, humidifier and CO2 bags added to provide a better environment. Been trying to keep water PH between 5.7 & 6.0, also been running an 18 on 6 off light schedule.

What Strain is it? Two (2) Hidden Pastry 90/10 Indica, One (1) LA Kush Cake 90/10 Indica, One (1) Frosted Sherbet Indica dominant (% unknown)
How Many Plants? Four (4) Total
Is it in Vegetative or Flowering Stage? Seedling Stage, three (3) day 12 and one (1) day 7
Indoor or Outdoor? Indoor
Soil or Hydro? Soilless 70/30 coco perlite
If Soil... What Size Pot? Solo cup
Size (Wattage) of Light? sun blaze t5 48” - produces 5,000 lumen per lamp. Total of 10,000 lumen
Temperature of Room/Cabinet? 78-85F, 50-60% humidity
Any Pests? No
How Often are you Watering? Once approx. every 3 days (when the cup starts to feel light)
Size or Square Footage of Room? 4x4, approx 7 ft high.

Day 12’s - My last watering I added one ml of calmag to a gallon of 5.8 water. Whole gallon was not used, stopped once I got a light run off in each cup.

The small one that’s only on day 7 I’ve been spraying down with 5.8 PH water only.

Another question I have is regarding how high I should be hanging my lights? The picture with the tape measure is the distance from the light to the rack I have them on.


Thank you!

Welcome to Cadillac, while I will not chime in about the watering part of your grow (don’t use coco, and others have that part covered lol).. As far as lighting, t5’s are ok to start seedlings under but in my experience they premote stretching much more than t8’s do, while there is nothing wrong with using led at a safe distance, why use all that juice when the plant doesn’t need it right now? I use 6500k t8’s for germinating and beginning of veg, cfl’s for cloning, and led for veg and flower, this combination has been giving me beautiful plants harvest after harvest with dense sticky buds. All this aside, get your lights a little lower, and consider leaving them on for longer, when I’m using my t8’s I burn em 24 hours a day till I bring the leds in, it could also be the genetics, those play a huge role in any grow. Wishing you greenest of gardens mate

 

[Nunyabiz]

I concur with most everyone here.
I think while they're this small and in a solo cup that you're probably doing your watering OK but I would err on the side of more frequently, you do not ever want coco to dry out, needs to stay moist.

I would suggest that you transplant into at least 7 gallon fabric pots and THEN start watering everyday.
Straight coco is basically Hydro so it needs to be fed about everyday just keep it weak.
Coco with 30% aeration in a fabric pot short of tossing it into a swimming pool should be about impossible to overwater but easy to let dry out, especially when the roots fill out and it's close to flower they'll drink a lot.

I'd hang the lights about a foot above for T5s and switch to the LED in a few weeks.

 

[Cadillac42]

Thanks for everyones suggestions! I’ve since lowered my light to 12” and hung my co2 bags.

I do have questions regarding curling leaves. Research says possible nitrogen toxicity and/or over watering. Any suggestions?

Since I made the original post I’ve done two feedings of 1ml of GH’s 3 base nutes and 2 ml of calmag per gallon. I decided to run some 5.8 water through each of them today to see if they are in fact facing nitrogen toxicity

 

[cannanewb]

Caddy I have seen this before and it is nothing to worry about, Unless things worsen substantially. Many things can cause little imperfections no big deal. My plants are in Pro Mix soil less mixture and I use the General Hydroponics 3 part series. My first strength is 2ml Calmag 1 1/2 ml Grow 1ml Micro 1/2 Bloom when the girls get outdoors in the big beds this increases substantially....lol but so do the buds.

 

[Cadillac42]

Caddy I have seen this before and it is nothing to worry about, Unless things worsen substantially. Many things can cause little imperfections no big deal. My plants are in Pro Mix soil less mixture and I use the General Hydroponics 3 part series. My first strength is 2ml Calmag 1 1/2 ml Grow 1ml Micro 1/2 Bloom when the girls get outdoors in the big beds this increases substantially....lol but so do the buds.

Cool I’ll definitely keep an eye on it considering I fuckin check em out every free minute I get haha.

 

[cannanewb]

Cool I’ll definitely keep an eye on it considering I fuckin check em out every free minute I get haha.

Me too.