Hi all. I'm a first-time grower, and I fear that I've already made a mistake. I'm growing the Ambrosia strain (with seeds ordered from Vancouver Seed Bank), and I had 10/10 germinate using the water-glass method and switching to paper-towel. However, my seedlings aren't receiving very much light, because I'm not going to get a hold of an HPS light for at least 7 more days. As it stands, I'm resorting to leaving the little pots on the floor in my bedroom (was cleaned and sterilized for the occasion) where they get to receive about 4 hours of great sunlight (usually between 8am-12pm). I live on the top floor of an apartment building though, so once the sun passes overhead my plants only get about 6 more hours of weak light filling the room, particularly with these overcast skies. The plants are about 3-4 inches tall now, and only half have their first "feeding" leaves open. The other half still have the seed casing around the head, and I'm worried that they're going to be entirely too skinny and weak by next week, when I get my grow equipment. They're also showing a HUGE tendency to "bend" toward the patio window, and I find myself turning them around almost every half hour. Have I seriously screwed up my grow by germinating these seeds before having my HPS light and using poor, overcast October sunlight for their first 2 weeks? Once I get my HPS up and running with the plants in the closet, are they going to start looking better?
I could be mistaken but I believe plants only need about 3 hours of direct sunlight to be okay. Obviously more is ideal. It is totally natural for the plants to bend towards the light. If the shell is about ready to fall off I think you'd be okay to take some tweezers and carefully remove the shells. I would not force it though. I would also get a weak fan blowing on them to help strengthen that stem up. Do you have any cfl bulbs you could use in the mean time till you receive your other equipment? Again this is with my limited experience on growing and I could be mistaken on the direct sunlight part. But either way best of luck to you and your plants. I hope they turn out well. Soap
Ah, the biginners days Hang in there Too little or too much intensity have negative effects on babies I give seedlings 24/0 light for ~ 7 days, but not too intense: ~ 100w of leds/hot5s Once they develop a decent root mass and leaf structure you can increase intensity
I wouldn't worry too much. But I do recommend getting a 4' 4-bulb T5 fluorescent light fixture. They cost about $45-50. I say this because you will ultimately end up with a leggy (tall/skinny) plant if you continue with your current lighting schedule. If/when you buy the fixture get some 6500 spectrum T5 bulbs. This will promote better growth during veg.
Killroy One of the techniques I use to salvage a really leggy seedling is to transplant it in a container so there is only about 1" between the soil and the lowest set of leaves. With proper lighting and all other things dialed in correctly for the "best" environment I can assure you the plant will grow short and squat and you won't end up with a leggy plant. IDK when you'll get things set up but I'd save this tip for when the lights arrive otherwise you'll end up with another leggy seedling/plant if you're growing in poor light. The plant wants light and it's going to try until it falls over and dies to get it. Make sure you keep it staked up with something - a straw, a bamboo stick, popsicle stick etc. Get that light....
Hey Guys! I can't help but recommend this light setup. Its my second setup and I've had it almost 6 months. Best bang for the buck I've found! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004YXDHX6/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004YXDHX6&linkCode=as2&tag=infobarre0971-20&linkId=AGPSON3UAXQNIYWS">Apollo Horticulture GLK400GW19 400 Watt Grow Light Digital Dimmable HPS MH System for Plants Gull Wing Hood Set</a>
Hey guys. Thanks for the input. I ended up buying a 150W HPS bulb and ballast kit. It worked fine for the next 2 weeks. The plants now have their 4th set of leaves (counting the cotyledon; 4th set has 3 fingers), but as I understand, at only 5-7 inches tall they're not very big. The stems did thicken up a bit though. All I can say is that they're better than they were, definitely...but still not quite where they should be for 21 days old. I've got a new predicament, and I just posted the new topic a few minutes ago. If anyone has time and wants to help, I'd appreciate it!
If you ask me you need a higher watt light. Maybe 400watts for a couple plants will help them grow nicely. But they should only grow a few inches a week in the veg state.