grow guide of a n00b

[frostytransit]

hello everyone.
I will post pics of my babies after i have made 15 posts
I planted them about 5 days ago. They seem very very tall for such a young age and I am a little owrried if the stems will be strong enough.. but at the same time I'm very proud of their growth! I'm going to try and post an update once a week on these little guys.

 

[Mr.Wakenbake]

you need to lower your lights.. if they are that young and the stems are uber long then u must lower your lights.. if you are using flourescents they can be as close as 1-4 inches away.

HID's you can keep within 18 inches or less depending on setup.But depending on wattage may need to be up to 24 inches away.

I am happy you are proud of the growth, but from your post it seems like it is stretching towards the lights.Move your lights closer.

 

[smokybear]

Plants will stretch if the light source is too far away. What type of lighting are you using? How close is it to the tops of the plants?

Also, a small fan blowing across the plants lightly will help to strengthen up the stems. It's a weed. It can take a little bit of abuse. It sounds like you're on the right path. Definitely keep us posted on your progress. We will be here to help every step of the way. Until then, take care and be safe.

 

[Alistair]

If they should fall over you can stake them up using toothpicks and dental floss. Or, you can cut a straw length-wise, open it up and close it around the stem of the seedling.

It's really nothing to worry about; simply bring the light or lights in as close to your seedlings as possible. Try and get between 3000 and 5000 lumens per sq. ft.

 

[PeaceLove&FreeBudz]

Ya keep the light close. no farther than 3 inches. im running on 5 cfls right now and im on about day 28. but ive made some rookie mistakes but its comen along there.

just keep them close enough so they dont get heat stress. use your hand to test if its to hot.
try running a fan, itll help strengthen the stem.
and it there to tall put soil um around them and lower the lights so they down fall over and break.

unless you want to do the pinch method.

 

[Hick]

hello everyone.
I will post pics of my babies after i have made 15 posts
I planted them about 5 days ago. They seem very very tall for such a young age and I am a little owrried if the stems will be strong enough.. but at the same time I'm very proud of their growth! I'm going to try and post an update once a week on these little guys.

15 posts are NOT required to post/attach pictures useing our host.
15 posts are only required in order to post live links, which are not allowed to post pictures with anyway.(photobucket, flicka, image shack, ect)

 

[frostytransit]

Ok, I have attached some photos taken at the time of the first post. I've lowered the lights and have started adding very minute amounts of nitrogen-based fertilizer to the plants. They have grown large enough that I have moved them into separate pots. The haven't grown much taller, but the first set of serrated leaves over an inch long, the second set of serrated leaves have started growing and stem is starting to grow between the set of oval leaves and the first set of serrated leaves. I will include another current post in about an hour.

 

[yeroc1982]

looks good, but ya keep that light as close as u can without heatstressing.

 

[Trent45]

Those reallllllly stretched on you. Get your lights as close as you can and get some wind of those little guys

 

[yeroc1982]

ya a fan will help to strengthen those stems

 

[Iron Lotus]

Yeah man, Id start over and do small dixie cups or something per plant.

 

[frostytransit]

ok, here are new pics of the three biggest plants. You can see they aren't as proprtionally tall as the leaves are big. Which I am happy about.

 

[Iron Lotus]

ok, here are new pics of the three biggest plants. You can see they aren't as proprtionally tall as the leaves are big. Which I am happy about.

When Mine done that... I put them in dirt, up to the bottom leaves. Because if they keep doing that they will never be strong enough to get big.

Turned out great for the stems, Kept the light close, (within 2 inches) and air moving so they dont get burned up. The skinny stem you cover up basically starts rooting out, and if the light is really close, and you have the fan on it will fatten up nicely.

This = Strong Thick Stems.

 

[frostytransit]

I've read before about adding soil up to the leaves, but I'm scared I wont be able to get water down to the roots. Will I have to water them "extra hard" for a little bit to wet the roots?

 

[Trent45]

Nope. Water will naturally flow to the bottom and become available. Hence why you can drown your plants by over-watering, creating a soupy mess in the bottom of your planter, so make sure you have some drainage

 

[frostytransit]

Ok, Ive replanted them and added more soil until about 2 cm under the first oval leaves so that it is just a little cluster of leaves elevated just above the dirt. They look a lot more like photos I have seen of other plants. Unfortunately one of them I was not able to give good drainage so I will need to fix that before long. New photos will be added soon, after the next set of leaves sprout. I will have better lighting by then.

 

[Trent45]

Oh an try and avoid those clear planter type things you have there. Cut a bottle in half I am assuming, either wrap them in something like duct tape or put in something different. You don't want any light getting to your roots.

 

[frostytransit]

I re-potted them in large opaque cups for now. I plan on getting genuine pots though. I just threw some seeds in a pot when I first got them not expecting so many to get so big. I hope now that their roots are more secure that they will begin growing fast again. I saw in another thread that within 11 days some guy's plants had well over the 5th set of leaves and mine are a little over 2 weeks and have just started the 3rd set. Hopefully better potting and better lighting will pick the speed up a little.

 

[Wiseguy_Chef]

well looks like u been getting some great help from eveyone here. i ant gotta repeat the problems that u have incounterd. eveyone here has all ready answerd your qustions an solved why this is happing. any how. good luck wit your grow bro, i my self am on my first grow. GREEN MOJO GREEN MOJO make sure to stop by mine...........

 

[Trent45]

I re-potted them in large opaque cups for now. I plan on getting genuine pots though. I just threw some seeds in a pot when I first got them not expecting so many to get so big. I hope now that their roots are more secure that they will begin growing fast again. I saw in another thread that within 11 days some guy's plants had well over the 5th set of leaves and mine are a little over 2 weeks and have just started the 3rd set. Hopefully better potting and better lighting will pick the speed up a little.

Yeah I have one that is 13 days old and is on it's 5th set, yet I have one that is almost a week and still isnt done his second. Takes time ya know.

Just give them the right conditions and they'll flourish, and it seems you are wel on your way to that.