New Grower My first "real" grow

[brian247]

Hey guys so I have grown a plant or two just to get use to how to take care of the plant even though I never had it on any nutrients or anything out of pocket (this was for me to learn some of the very basics), Though I was lucky enough to get free worm tea from my local hydro shop twice a week which was what made it possible for me; lemme stop rambling and talk about this current grow, so I have 5 seedlings in my tent right now under 4 citizen 1212's and they are taking well to it, even though a heat wave has hit socal it hasn't seemed to negatively impact anything yet though humidity is SUPER LOW so i have the plants in a dome for now. The strains running are power lock(1), purple tribble(2), straweberry og(1), and a possible gorilla glue(1)-was from some decent bud that my friend wanted to give a go haha; I also was lucky enough to come across a bubba kush x gorilla glue seed of some DANK from a local friend which is germinating now. Also when do you guys start using cal-mag and your other base nutrients(I hear people using extremely small amounts from the start while others wait at least a week)

 

[blue]

Hi Brian - Belated welcome to AFN! D

So this is the first real run, so be prepared for mistakes, but also take on board some of the advice that the good folk will offer you - we all started our first grow once!

So are they Autos?? I'm guessing not as you've got a bagseed in there (GorillaGlue).

humidity is SUPER LOW so i have the plants in a dome for now.

Sounds like a good plan!

I like to use individual small platic cups for humidty ... just for the sole reason that when the leaves get close to the sides i know it's time for the dome to go and for them to start to tough it out. Get the circulation fan on at this point.

(my humidit is always super low - like 20s ... you'll be grateful of that in flower (no bud rot))

Also when do you guys start using cal-mag and your other base nutrients(I hear people using extremely small amounts from the start while others wait at least a week)

It depends what medium you're using. If it's a light soil mix - you shouldn't need anything for a couple of weeks.
If it's coco you'll need to introduce the base nutes from the off at a very light level - having an EC meter under these circumstances is invaluable. trying to guess 0.8EC is not really possible.

Have you thought about PH management so your medium can be in the right range for plant nute uptake? (Unless this is an organic grow)

I see you got little pots - (unless that humidty dome is a MONSTER lol) and you're going to transplant.

If they're autoflowers, be aware that a tap root grows fast and you don't really want it circling at the bottom of your pot and to transplanet before it hits the bottom (see my current thread for the possible balls ups and timescale you're working to)

If they're photo periods -- no worries, just when the leaves reach the edges of the pot and seem big enough, it will be fine to transplant.

Calmag can be needed with LED but i wouldnt be too quick to add it. I use it if i see a problem - but some anticipate a problem due to past experince and add in.

Your LEDs look really low (in height) for seedlings - i'd raise the light as too much can benot good for them - they don't need loads at this point, maybe about 2 feet above the plant (i don't know your light brand - i keep mine 3 feet away from seedlings becuase it's really powerful!)

Hop this helps - i'm sure others with chip in with the grow advice! Enjoy and i'll keep my fingers crossed and send you some green karma!

Happy Growing
Blue!

 

[brian247]

Hey man thanka for all the input, most people run there cobs real hard and these are at around 25 watts each if I'm correct so I was thinking that would also mean to move them a bit closer, I did move it up a few inches anyways to he safe anyways. I will be transplanting to 5 gal buckets, and these plants are in 1gals atm haha. I have some ph up and ph down and will be mixing up some water tomorrow for the plants, I sprayed some ro water to make the soil damp and to keep the dome moist for today and did not ph it tbh; I'll be using tap water and an air stone to get out the chlorine so I can still maintain some trace minerals that ro may not have, now with this said do you think that tap water dechlorinated is detrimental to microbial life in the soil?

 

[blue]

do you think that tap water dechlorinated is detrimental to microbial life in the soil?

Assuming the water has chlorine and not chloramine (I think some US water may have cholormine), it should be fine dechlorinated - infact i'd say better than RO water if the PH isn't wild as it contains other trace elements like calcium etc.

I don't have access to RO water and have (almost) always used dechlorinated tap water unless i'm treating them to store bought bottle with a better PH!

 

[brian247]

Now that's something I'm going to have to look into haha, and I would love for it to he full organic but I have foxfarm nutes LOL I don't know if they are heavily frowned upon on the forum or not hahaha. I know that they can technically be called organic but I doubt it is, now this doesn't mean I don't have other nutrients because I have quite a few different ones but not a full set. I think it's important to maintain microbe life in soil to help keep the plant more resistant to other issues, it really helped me out with the other plants because they would have been worthless without the wormtea.- it's 4:40am and I've yet to sleep, just took a dab n gunna pass out I'll be back on in the afternoon.

 

[brian247]

The heat wave has been pretty tough sitting at 87 in the tent today... 94 outside of it,last day of the heatwave though! Alright so my ph test kit went missing right as I was going to water; is it a bad idea to put bottled spring water not phed into a cocoa based soil (I'm using royal gold basement series) for just one watering? Since the plants are in cocoa and I do have the equipment to drip feed, is that really worth setting up, and I don't mind doing it at all haha.

 

[AutoWonders]

Your LEDs look really low (in height) for seedlings - i'd raise the light as too much can benot good for them - they don't need loads at this point, maybe about 2 feet above the plant (i don't know your light brand - i keep mine 3 feet away from seedlings becuase it's really powerful!)

I too feel that the led light is far too low. I start my led lights at no less than 30" to see how stretch goes. Then I start lowering over a week or two depending on whats happening. I rarely went lower that 18" for the duration of grow.

 

[brian247]

I already raised it, it's at least 30" now; also it's going through a humidity dome that doesn't let full light through(unless I'm crazy haha), here's some new photos of the plants; also do you guys vent your tent 24/7 or do you have it click on once an hour for a few minutes at a time? Just trying to think of a way for me to raise the humidity after I take the plants outa the dome, which would be tough with a constant flow sucking out the air.

 

[brian247]

Alright guys so they all seem to be doing real well, here's a better photo of everything. I added my bubba glue in just after taking this photo; when do y'all think I can start running small amounts of nutes, I have the dirty dozen of fox farms which contains a microbe brew, anyone have experience with the set? Also check the bottom right one in the photo, its yellowing slightly. I have been using filtered water with nothing added phed around 6.0 for my cocao based soil
Edit: Was being a dumbass, started up using my nutes and cal mag, Lowered the lights slightly due to imo excess stretching, and everything seems to be taking very well. I will get another pic for you guys tn.

 

[brian247]

Here's an updated pic, one of the plants may be showing singns of nute burn but not 100% sure, have them in the dome still but the outside humidity if around 50%. The one with possible nute burn is the one with the leafs curling upward.