A newbie--need feedback on this first grow!

[Psyche]

This is my first grow of anything! Never planted a flower or a tomato. I really appreciate any advice to help me with this grow (not future ones). Also, please do not advise any new equipment as I don't have the finances--please offer any grow tips!

• Strains and predicated heights: Autoflower fem seeds from Seedsman. Here are the strains and the predicted heights. (I know the numbers are not guaranteed!) Northern Lights (31"-59"), Blue Dream (43") Gelato OG (23"-46").
• Seeds planted in final pots: January 5. Sprouted: Jan 8.
• Currently (January 20) about 2.5 inches high.
• Mars Hydro TS 1000 in 2.3 x 2.3 x 5.3 ft tent
• Three fabric pots–2 gallon each. Sitting on plant stands to allow drainage.
• Future training plans: I will do LST at 4th or 5th node. Considering topping and SCROG. I know it might be a crowded tent!
• Soil: Plagron RoyalMix with a layer of Platinium Lite Mix on top.
• Light: Currently at 75% intensity, 15" above pots. ppdf about 600 (using Korona phone app to measure). 24/0 light cycle
• Water: ph to 6.0. No nutes. I water slowly 1 cup daily about two inches around plant.
• Temp and rh: Varying unfortunately a lot. This past week 77F to 80F and 45% to 50% rh.
• Air: Currently have both exhaust fan on top and small circulation fan on bottom on low. Have two vents open for fresh air but need to close sometimes to increase rh

These are pictures taken today. Look forward to any feedback. Some basic questions:
--I am color blind so any feedback on color and what it means is appreciated!
--Do I call this vegetative stage yet?
--Raise/lower lights? Change intensity?
--When do I water until I see run off? It seems too early to me.
--I track a lot and take photos often. What else should I track?
--What's your experience growing or smoking these three strains? (I only chose these strains because they were recommended as easy to grow, they don't get too tall, and the predicted high was attractive!)
I appreciate any advice on this grow--please remember these are autos and it's my first time! I have watched a lot of youtube videos, read websites and studied FB responses. However, I know I have a lot more to learn!

Thanks!

 

[Trichome farmer]

This is my first grow of anything! Never planted a flower or a tomato. I really appreciate any advice to help me with this grow (not future ones). Also, please do not advise any new equipment as I don't have the finances--please offer any grow tips!

• Strains and predicated heights: Autoflower fem seeds from Seedsman. Here are the strains and the predicted heights. (I know the numbers are not guaranteed!) Northern Lights (31"-59"), Blue Dream (43") Gelato OG (23"-46").
• Seeds planted in final pots: January 5. Sprouted: Jan 8.
• Currently (January 20) about 2.5 inches high.
• Mars Hydro TS 1000 in 2.3 x 2.3 x 5.3 ft tent
• Three fabric pots–2 gallon each. Sitting on plant stands to allow drainage.
• Future training plans: I will do LST at 4th or 5th node. Considering topping and SCROG. I know it might be a crowded tent!
• Soil: Plagron RoyalMix with a layer of Platinium Lite Mix on top.
• Light: Currently at 75% intensity, 15" above pots. ppdf about 600 (using Korona phone app to measure). 24/0 light cycle
• Water: ph to 6.0. No nutes. I water slowly 1 cup daily about two inches around plant.
• Temp and rh: Varying unfortunately a lot. This past week 77F to 80F and 45% to 50% rh.
• Air: Currently have both exhaust fan on top and small circulation fan on bottom on low. Have two vents open for fresh air but need to close sometimes to increase rh

These are pictures taken today. Look forward to any feedback. Some basic questions:
--I am color blind so any feedback on color and what it means is appreciated!
--Do I call this vegetative stage yet?
--Raise/lower lights? Change intensity?
--When do I water until I see run off? It seems too early to me.
--I track a lot and take photos often. What else should I track?
--What's your experience growing or smoking these three strains? (I only chose these strains because they were recommended as easy to grow, they don't get too tall, and the predicted high was attractive!)
I appreciate any advice on this grow--please remember these are autos and it's my first time! I have watched a lot of youtube videos, read websites and studied FB responses. However, I know I have a lot more to learn! View attachment 1278213
Thanks!

looking right on track to me so far id say you have all the bases covered for now the only issue i could see coming up is that plagron royal mix is rated for 6 weeks of full feeding so you might need to add some nutrients in a few weeks if you see deficiency also autos tend to use less food so you might be ok i use coco so im no expert on organic growing my only other advice is to start increasing the radius you water around the seedling to stop the soil drying out completely il pull up a chair to watch your grow id like to try the royal mix in the future myself :smoking:

 

[1Dobo]

I think everything looks great so far. I've no experience with auto's only photo's, and if my seedlings looked as good as these do after 10-12 days, I'd be happy! Looking to possible transition to auto's myself... but only grown outdoors.

 

[EP3]

Look good to my inexperienced eye. The stalk will start to thicken up shortly and you will see daily noticable growth. Good luck!!

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

@Psyche Welcome to AFNLooks like you are off to a good start. After the plants have their first true leaves it is time to change your light schedule to 18/6.

Don't water in little circles. Cannabis tap roots can grow 9 inches in three days and the laterals are not far behind. Roots will not grow into dry soil and you can be stunting the root growth without knowing it.

What you need to learn about watering will come with practice. Here are the basic rules: Never let the soil dry out. Soil and or coco can become hydrophobic if allowed to dry. This means it repels water. This in turn will create dry pockets in the soil and roots there will die. If your soil - coco have accidentally dried out use a surfactant to help re-wet it. I like yucca powder. Don't let soil remain soggy by watering too much too often. Root rot, damping off, molds, fungus gnats and other problems start in soggy soil. When you do water water the entire pot. How to learn when to water starts before you plant the seed. Fill your container with fresh soil/coco and weigh it (heft it) this is the lightest weight and consider it a dry pot. Now slowly water until the soil/coco will no longer absorb the water and run-off begins; weigh the pot (heft it) this is the maximum water, the wettest the pot can get. The difference between wettest and driest is the maximum water weight, for ease of explanation lets just say the water weighs 20 pounds. When the pot loses 10 pounds (half of the water weight) it is time to water again. There is an art to watering. Coco can be fertigate many times a day if you want to continually present fresh balanced nutrients to the roots. Begin fertigation 2 hours after lights on and end it 2 hours before lights out.

Although not a true soil the Plagron Royal Mix is closer to soil than hydro and you should not necessarily water to run-off. This is a balancing act of never over-fertilizing so the salt build-up that is avoided by run-off does not happen to begin with.

Enjoy the journey as you will learn much!

 

[ryangrovebags]

Doesn't look too bad, what are you using for lights? How high are the lights above the plants? If it isn't a light intensity thing it could just be poor genetics.

 

[Psyche]

Doesn't look too bad, what are you using for lights? How high are the lights above the plants? If it isn't a light intensity thing it could just be poor genetics.

Thanks for replying. I did put in my first post the info on the lights and here it is again. However, you said "If it isn't a light intensity thing"; so that says to me there is an issue for me to correct. What do you see in the photos that is an issue? I need to know how to read my plants! Thanks!

 

[Psyche]

@Psyche Welcome to AFNLooks like you are off to a good start. After the plants have their first true leaves it is time to change your light schedule to 18/6.

Don't water in little circles. Cannabis tap roots can grow 9 inches in three days and the laterals are not far behind. Roots will not grow into dry soil and you can be stunting the root growth without knowing it.

What you need to learn about watering will come with practice. Here are the basic rules: Never let the soil dry out. Soil and or coco can become hydrophobic if allowed to dry. This means it repels water. This in turn will create dry pockets in the soil and roots there will die. If your soil - coco have accidentally dried out use a surfactant to help re-wet it. I like yucca powder. Don't let soil remain soggy by watering too much too often. Root rot, damping off, molds, fungus gnats and other problems start in soggy soil. When you do water water the entire pot. How to learn when to water starts before you plant the seed. Fill your container with fresh soil/coco and weigh it (heft it) this is the lightest weight and consider it a dry pot. Now slowly water until the soil/coco will no longer absorb the water and run-off begins; weigh the pot (heft it) this is the maximum water, the wettest the pot can get. The difference between wettest and driest is the maximum water weight, for ease of explanation lets just say the water weighs 20 pounds. When the pot loses 10 pounds (half of the water weight) it is time to water again. There is an art to watering. Coco can be fertigate many times a day if you want to continually present fresh balanced nutrients to the roots. Begin fertigation 2 hours after lights on and end it 2 hours before lights out.

Although not a true soil the Plagron Royal Mix is closer to soil than hydro and you should not necessarily water to run-off. This is a balancing act of never over-fertilizing so the salt build-up that is avoided by run-off does not happen to begin with.

Enjoy the journey as you will learn much!

Thanks for the detailed response.

I wanted to stick to 24/0 as I heard that autos don't need a rest from light. The only downside I have read is the cost. And I am ok so far with the cost. Sorry, I thought I had true leaves already. Are you saying I don't yet? If so, what are true leaves? (I told you I was new!)

As far as watering, I love the idea of figuring out the weight ahead of time! I will do that for future grows. But for now, I have read to not water the whole pot but only two inches. If the roots are as long as you say, that makes sense, I will water the whole pot. I am concerned about overwatering. I am really not sure how much to give--I thought that if it was dry about two knuckles down into the soil, it's ready to water gain. Any more ideas on how much I should water?

My grow shop who sold me the RoyalMix says I will need nutes in a few weeks. Not sure how to know for sure when!

 

[Psyche]

looking right on track to me so far id say you have all the bases covered for now the only issue i could see coming up is that plagron royal mix is rated for 6 weeks of full feeding so you might need to add some nutrients in a few weeks if you see deficiency also autos tend to use less food so you might be ok i use coco so im no expert on organic growing my only other advice is to start increasing the radius you water around the seedling to stop the soil drying out completely il pull up a chair to watch your grow id like to try the royal mix in the future myself :smoking:

Yep, I grow shop guy who sold me the RoyalMix agrees--I need nutes in a few weeks. Thanks for your support!

 

[ryangrovebags]

For what I see...the color is off and they look kind of leggy (the stem is very skinny). The yellowing/discoloration this early is probably over-watering or the soil is too hot for them, they should be a nice green. The leggy stems are why I asked about the lights, they grow that way when they are reaching for light. Whether you're using LED, T5, HPS or something else and what wattage you're running them at would be more helpful to determine what height you should be above your plants.