questions for first grow

[toomuch]

hello everyone. I'd like to start by saying awesome site, I've read a ton and learned quite a bit although I have a long way to go . After relocating from California I have had a tough time coming across good bud so I decided to give a shot at growing my own.

My setup:
Extra unused closet that is 8'(L)x3'(W)x8'(H).
4x 4' 30watt Fluros that are 3K lumens each on a 18/6 timed schedule.
Soil: Schultz Garden Safe Organic Potting mix 0.06-0.09-0.06
Box fan which blows fresh air into the closet and also to strengthen the stems

I started with germinating 12 bag seeds about three weeks ago using the paper towel method. I have a ten pack of White Rhino that I ordered but figured I would butcher these first. All twelve sprouted and I moved them to party cups using Sta-Green Flower and Vegetable mix (time released ferts) and covered with clear wrap. Within a couple days all had sprouted and I moved them under the lights.

After about a week I had a couple sets of leaves and they were a couple inches high. They were also showing a little growth every day. Unfortunately the tips of the second sets of leaves were starting to yellow and brown so I decided I needed to make some adjustments. Feeling that I was a bit ambitious with the number of plants, first grow, and limited lighting, I picked the 4 healthiest and killed the rest. When I threw them out I took a look at the roots and they had circled around the bottom of the cup. Figured this meant they were root bound and time for a transfer to a new home.

I want these to be about 3' high when I'm done so I bought 4 three gallon pot's. They don't have a collection thing built in so I have them sitting on buckets. After reading a little more I knew the time released ferts were really bad so I also bought new soil, the organice mix that I have listed in the set up. I carefully removed all the soil from the roots and moved them into the new large pots.

The leaves returned to a nice green color after a couple days but my growth has been very little, if any over the last week or two. They are about 4 inches tall and only have their two sets of three leaves (after the initial round ones).

So this is getting lenghty so I'll break to the questions.

1.) I've read that if you replant them into too large of a pot, that it will dramatically slow growth as the roots will try and grow until they become restricted. Should I replant them into one gallon pots for the time being? Can I get a way with just leaving them? I dont want to shock them too many times. I see a lot of folks on here with huge plants after two weeks and I'm getting a bit jealous

2.) PH- I bought a Soil Test Kit from Planters Pride which has four tubes , but only one is for PH. There is only one capsul in it so it's pretty much a one time use thing. It measured about 6.5 so I think I'm good there. For further tests though, I don't want to keep buying the $8.99 kit every time and I don't want to invest in a $100 dollar digital one either. Anyone know where I can get the replacement capsuls for these things? Went to their website but it appears that they want you to buy the whole kit every time which is pretty retarded.

A couple quick pictures. I would have made a grow journal but my camera sucks. Thanks for any advice in advance.

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[deafeningsilanc]

im kinda in the same boat as you, only i just hate spending money on comercial weed that isnt that great. but i do have some answers from what i have tested on my previous grow and the problems that i found

i started mine in party cups and left them for around 3 weeks, bad idea, they were rootbound and once i moved them to bigger pots they didnt survive because i didnt cut the bound roots to encourage new spreading and growth, i dont mean cut the bottom haif of the cup off either, slicing the root ball 4 times around a half inch into it will cause the roots to grow more and keep your plant alive.

1. Your pots are huge for lil plants, and i do think taht they are growing slow because of that. the second thing is taht you cleaned the roots to change the soil, the shock from that will also cause slow growth because of the recovery time.

2. Go on ebay and type in ph meter, you will find ones that range from $15-100, a good cheaper one will run you around $30 but will also be a moisture reader and a light reader. thats the best option ive found, they are accurate and it takes the guess work out of how much soil to test and everything that cones with test strips and drpooer tests.

One last thing that i noticed from lookin at your pics, your stems are really tall and thin, how far away are your lights from the plant? and is the fan facing in or out of the closet? also, do you hvae more lights? cause from what i have read, not experienced, you will need far more than you have.

[toomuch]

thanks for the response deaf.

1.) My next grow I will definitely start with solid soil that way I can just leave the dirt clump when I transplant. What's a good intermediate size pot during the transplanting? Party Cup -> 1 gallon -> 3 gallon?

2.) Thanks, I found one at Home Depot that was battery-less for about $15. PH was actually about 7, so I guess I need to bring it down another half point.

3.) The lights are kept about an inch or two away, you can kind of get an idea of it from the first pic. If the lights are not enough, I may have to bite the bullet and go to HPS as I can't really fit more fluro's in there. Fan is facing in.

Thinking about just killing these and starting fresh with the White Rhino pack I have. Maybe make a grow journal to keep professional eyes on it the whole way through.

[TheGrassTree]

I think ur leaf problem was due to either soil that you used(schultz has caused a ton of people wilting and yellow leaves) and/or the ph. Try to avoid those soils u mentioned with lots of ferts in it.

[deafeningsilanc]

from what i have read, a lil vinegar will go a long way to lower your pH. just dont go throuwing a gallon on there, id go with an ounce at a time to lower it, i might even add it to the water when you feed em to get it throughout the soil.

i cant really get an idea about why they are so tall and thin, if i were you i would bury most of the stem in soil to make the base more stable.

And one last question before i go back to class, how old are they, when did they sprout?

[sh4d0ws]

They're probably stretching for light...you might need to make the lights closer.

edit: I just read they were one inch away...err...yeah I guess there must be something else effecting it, or maybe they don't even have enough light?

[toomuch]

sadly they sprouted 8/15. I decided to kill them and start fresh with quality seeds and the knowledge I gained so far. Definitely gonna start a journal with the new round which are germinating right now.

[Daniel.]

That's a nice little place were you're growin'

Good luck.