First Time Grower! Advice Appreciated

[ViperStatus]

Hello All My Brothers!

I am a first time grower and will be putting up a detailed and complete journal of my progress with photos and status updates for all to view and comment on.

I have just transplanted 12 60 day wonder auto flower strains from cups to the 3 gallon grow bags.

I am growing in a 72x72x72 grow tent.

I have a 1000w digital ballast with MH and HPS bulbs.

I have one 6 inch carbon filtered fan.

I have two small rotating fans in the corner to make my plants stronger!

I am growing in Scotts Soil. The Soil comes with fertilizer in it already.

Please look at my photos and tell me what you think!

Thank you in again for your help! I will take all advice very seriously!

Viper Status!

 

[fncg]

Re: First Time Grower! Please Help!

Setup looks good, Viper. I don't know much about soil, but I'll be watching along to see how your grow progresses.

 

[Psyclops]

Re: First Time Grower! Please Help!

The wilting may be due to needing to be watered. Your meter says they are dry. May be due to transplanting as well. Your soil is it a time released fertilizers?

 

[ViperStatus]

Re: First Time Grower! Please Help!

The meter is showing ph, when I clicked it for moisture it actually said it was wet... ill check on the fertilize... These pics are two days old I will put up new ones tonight..

 

[ViperStatus]

Re: First Time Grower! Please Help!

Some more information, I threw in a couple of pictures I had from them things were little baby girls. FYI the ones in the plastic cups were germinated about 4 days before the ones in the coffee mugs.

I wanted to add that am on 24 hours of light underneath the MH Bulb currently,

I think I might need to add co2 to the air somehow?

Anyways, the curling is getting worse, and I don't know whats up with my meter but its saying that the soil is completely wet, and it doesnt seem that wet. I haven't watered them since about 32 hours before these pictures were taken.

 

[jdub]

Re: First Time Grower! Please Help!

Hi welcome to the site, ill be following along with you here, I'm a noob also, but have been around growing for a while and have a few friends that grow commercialy, Sooo.. not an expert but heres my 2 cents, j would check the p.h. of the soil, and your water before watering, you need to make sure that you let the soil dry out completely before watering again, also how far away from your plants is your light?

 

[ViperStatus]

Re: First Time Grower! Please Help!

Hm maybe I over watered... I haven't been letting soil dry out that much... Keeping it wet... The light is about 14 inches above the plants average height...

 

[jdub]

Re: First Time Grower! Please Help!

Yea bro, when u let them dry out it helps with the salt buildup I believe and keeps you from getting nute lock out, maybe someone can back this for me, but I think the other thing that might play a factor in the curling is too much light, so maybe lift your light up to about 3'...

 

[Goshawk]

Re: First Time Grower! Please Help!

Looking real good ViperStatus!......................you have good setup and equipment to grow beautiful plants, big frosty buds and a great harvest! My idea would be to grow out eight of the strongest plants and then transplant them into big pots when they get bigger. If you are using regular seed then I would grow them all out and then pull the males when they show their sex. Also I would think about getting another light. The Scotts soil should say on the bag how long the fertilizer in the soil will last. I would think about what type of fertilizer to use after that. I am a big fan of organic fertilizers................ you're on the right track and...................for the rest of your grow. It's going to be a good one!.................

 

[Psyclops]

Re: First Time Grower! Please Help!

A way to check your soil for wet is to stick your finger in upto the second knucle. If you feel moisture, they are good, if it is dry, time to water. They are not over watered IMO. I hate to say this but I think your soil may be your culprit. Something about soil with time release nutrients just doesn't mix too well with MJ. ;}

 

[jdub]

Re: First Time Grower! Please Help!

A way to check your soil for wet is to stick your finger in upto the second knucle. If you feel moisture, they are good, if it is dry, time to water. They are not over watered IMO. I hate to say this but I think your soil may be your culprit. Something about soil with time release nutrients just doesn't mix too well with MJ. ;}

That's a good technique, another one would be to pick up your pots when they're fully watered, note the weight and check on when its time to water if they are significantly lighter, and when the nutes run out on your time release soil, I would look into contacting blueplanetnutrients, he has some great deals in some killer stuff, and we can always use another team member at on the bpn team...

 

[ggrant]

Re: First Time Grower! Please Help!

Looks like it could be overwatering. See the plant abuse chart on this site.
Check out the 5th picture.

Here's the URL:

Plant Abuse Chart

Otherwise, nice setup!

 

[420 Warrior]

Re: First Time Grower! Please Help!

Autos usually need very little water and that soil should never have the nutes already in it because the nitrogen in those nutes are usually way too hot and can not be flushed out so what I'm thinking it that those nutes may be melting down now and way over fertilizing your plants...just my thoughts and I hope I'm wrong as well.

As for a solution? I think I'm going to leave that one for the real 420 mag experts.

Yea, I dig your set up too, you should be able to rock some plants out with that.

Get your self some miracle grow organic potting mix and things should be jammin'.

We have sponsors that have some kick ass soil as well as nutes.

 

[Wingman420]

Re: First Time Grower! Please Help!

Hey there my brother I see you are a bit worried and you are in the correct place. While placing seedling starts in already fertilized soil seems like a no brainer it can kill your plants. While I do not purport to know what is in that bag of Scotts turf builder? I can say you ain't building any turf, so the right tool for the right job as our forefathers always told us. Go buy for $40, a bale of ProMix BX, or any ProMix, and transplant those babies asap. I am not saying you have to, I am saying it will eliminate any guess work about the soil. Always use inert, ph neutral medium to grow Marijuana with. I try not to start with something that is a handicap off the rip.
While that soil may be fine I see you went to a big exspense and trouble to provide a quality enviroment for your plants so why not make it complete?
As for the closeness of the light? 13 inches, is not terrible but a 1000wt light can be no closer than sixteen (16), inches from anything, plant or structure, as it will set it onfire. I also think overwatering is part of your problem you do not need to babysit these plants so let them dry out and then bang them with water but be sure to set up a bucket or reservoir with already ph'd water to give them. I would say the ph should be anywhere from 5.8-6.5 to be safe. I would stay around 6.2 or so in soil for ph.
Try to get yourself a TDS meter for you will need one eventually. I reccommend the Dip Stick or similar unit that never needs calibration. Nice and Easy is my motto, screw breaking your neck, or getting electrocuted, that is not any fun. You will see the hard work will pay off with some killer Green my brother! Good Luck and nice setup!
+Rep for asking for help!! The only stupid question is the one you don't ask.

 

[hypnotictonic]

Re: First Time Grower! Please Help!

Hello I just was looking around and in my opinion you need to raise that light cause hid lighting is not good for seedlings because the light is way to intense. Also how many gallons are those bags? If you start your seedlings/clones in 16 oz dixie cups and give them the first two weeks in them then you can transplant into a gallon to finish off the rest of veg you would have very hearty and healthy plants. This is for future referance and not trying to sound mean you know. you should look into a cheap t5 setup for veg for the first 3-4 weeks then you can put under hid to help them to get use to the lighting. Also if you have a hydro store near you you can go there and ask them if they have Fox Farms Ocean forest or if they have Aurora Innovations Roots Organics soils. Either one of these soils are good for beginners to use. Also if you only use molasis in flower you will have an easy time with the growing just make sure that the pH of your water is anywhere between 6.8 and 7. I suggest these soils because they are both organic so all you have to do is feed the beneficial bacteria and it will break down all the natural nutrients that are already in the soil. Nutes can make things complicated you know and the molasis trick will give you a nice organic suprise. Make sure that you take the lid off of the gallon jugs for atleat 24 hours before watering so that your dechlorinating your water. Sorry about the rant just wanted to help I've been a newbie before . Also it makes it a lot easier then trying to figure it out on your own and make sure your being safe while your medicating.

 

[ViperStatus]

Re: First Time Grower! Please Help!

Thanks to everyone for giving me your time and advice, I have moved the light up to about three feet away. Haven't watered for about 55 hours now, plants seem to be looking better... I think I'm gonna ride it out with this soil... But I have 5 feminized Himalayan gold, 5 femonized great white shark, 5 femonized white rhinos, and 3 feminized each of big bud and cotton candy... These autos were kind of a test run for my main shit later! I will be putting up some pics I took three hours ago shortly.... Thanks everyone! Also, does anyone have any co2 suggestions? I think that would help my yields here...

 

[jdub]

Re: First Time Grower! Please Help!

A good thing to try is next time you water, try to flush as much fert outa the soil as possible, get a ppm meter and test your runoff, watch for it to go down over the next few waterings

 

[voltron]

Re: First Time Grower! Please Help!

A good thing to try is next time you water, try to flush as much fert outa the soil as possible, get a ppm meter and test your runoff, watch for it to go down over the next few waterings

Nice jdub, I was going to encourage a ppm meter as well as test runoff. I like others think the soil maybe the main culprit for your young ones. Fox Farm Ocean Forest soil and Promix I have and currently use for germinating my seedling with no problems before I either hempy or keep in soil. I simply watered with tap that sat for a day or two with the lid off, checked my run off and water was ph'd to 6-6.5 and my plants never burned or showed deficiency so it worked for me. You can make your soil work cause your plants are still living and are healthy enough to age day to day which will help them tackle the nutes especially if you flush them now(let em dry out) which will assist their roots so they'll be strong enough to survive, and you can check ph/ppm with first runoff that you get. Wish you the best look forward to seeing them grow out for you! Oh yeah, did you mean you raised the light 3" more? I'm a lil medicated this morning and may have hit a blurry moment

 

[420 Warrior]

Re: First Time Grower! Please Help!

Hey there my brother I see you are a bit worried and you are in the correct place. While placing seedling starts in already fertilized soil seems like a no brainer it can kill your plants. While I do not purport to know what is in that bag of Scotts turf builder? I can say you ain't building any turf, so the right tool for the right job as our forefathers always told us. Go buy for $40, a bale of ProMix BX, or any ProMix, and transplant those babies asap. I am not saying you have to, I am saying it will eliminate any guess work about the soil. Always use inert, ph neutral medium to grow Marijuana with. I try not to start with something that is a handicap off the rip.
While that soil may be fine I see you went to a big exspense and trouble to provide a quality enviroment for your plants so why not make it complete?
As for the closeness of the light? 13 inches, is not terrible but a 1000wt light can be no closer than sixteen (16), inches from anything, plant or structure, as it will set it onfire. I also think overwatering is part of your problem you do not need to babysit these plants so let them dry out and then bang them with water but be sure to set up a bucket or reservoir with already ph'd water to give them. I would say the ph should be anywhere from 5.8-6.5 to be safe. I would stay around 6.2 or so in soil for ph.
Try to get yourself a TDS meter for you will need one eventually. I reccommend the Dip Stick or similar unit that never needs calibration. Nice and Easy is my motto, screw breaking your neck, or getting electrocuted, that is not any fun. You will see the hard work will pay off with some killer Green my brother! Good Luck and nice setup!
+Rep for asking for help!! The only stupid question is the one you don't ask.

That's spot on advise, more crops are lost by over thinking and over doing things than just letting nature take it's course.

Take your time, come here and learn from the pros and you'll have a beautiful harvest

 

[ViperStatus]

Re: First Time Grower! Please Help!

Hey So I still havent watered the plants yet... let them flush... the curling has really gone away now and the plants are looking alot healthier... I have some nute burn on some of them... hoping that will go away soon too. My ph is at 6.5 right now. These things are looking good though right? Pictures were just taken !