Hello all, I posted pictures of the beginnings of my plants after I had a few problems off the start with a few of them. All the advice I got was very helpful and all the plants SEEM to be doing fairly well. However I am definitely a noob as this is my first grow so I thought that it couldn't hurt to post a few more pictures as they progress and check back in with the GC Community. Apologize in advance for the poor photography. Just to review, I am growing three plants under one 400w HPS thats hanging about a foot and a half above the plants, I have a small space heater and a medium sized oscilating room fan continously going over the plants. I have had the plants on 24/0 lighting ever since they sprouted and would approximate that they're all about a foot tall? maybe a little less? Just a few questions to go along with the pictures... 1. For some reason I only filled up the pots about halfway with a mixture of Scotts Potting Soil along with some fluffier peat moss - I am worried at this point that maybe because they only have half the pot to grow in that will ul timately be detrimental to their growth ability? And also wonder if it is past the point to transplant or somehow just add more soil or something to solve this problem. All three plants are in 5 gallon pots ( I think 5 gallons definitely 5 something hopefully the pictures are more help than me lol) 2. How much longer until I need to change the light cycle to 12/12? or Maybe Even 18/6 for a little bit? 3. The plants are about four weeks old I think, I went on vacation and that seemed to screw up my already imperfect date counting, but I four weeks is definitely pretty close - At what point can I expect to see preflowers - I see some growth around where it brances out, some is leaf growth but others appear to be something different - am I seeing things or perhaps they are getting close to showing their sex ( Sorry no close up pictures of this as of yet, you will just have to go off my mediocre description ) ^^^^^Each one of these is a different plant ^^^^photo of two from a little further away ^^^^^zoomed out picture of the third one, the one not pictured with the other two (couldnt fit) Thanks again guys, any help / advice would be greatly appreciated...
You should probably fill those pots up, even if there's enough room for the roots to grow, those plants are down far enough in those pots to start losing lights. Your plants are looking good, but it looks like you are getting residue all over them from misting them. You might want to take it a little easier on them if that's the case.
yeah I was told not to mist from a few people early on but my roomate decided to take it upon himself to mist them once or twice while i was gone for the week ( though I guess I never really told him not too )
Heh heh well in the vegging stage it isn't as bad. It's when the plants start making bud that it causes real problems, like the residue on the buds that you then smoke. If the buds are over misted, it can also cause them to mold right there on the stem.
ok well I should be supervising this grow exclusively from here on out so that should not be a problem, as far as "filling up the pots", what is the safest way to pull the entire plant up whilst not ripping off any roots or stressing out the plant - your comment was very accurate about the possibility of not getting light to the bottom, the very very bottom set of leaves have already started to yellow and wilt
Place your hand at the base of the soil with the stem in the V of your thumb and forefinger. Tip the pot side ways and let the plant and soil kind of fall into your hand so your supporting the roots thru the soil. Depending on how much root growth there is the soil could be really dense and come out in one clump, or it could be really lose and need some tapping to shake roots lose. I usually don't transplant until the soil is a little dense, because it makes it easier, but your case is different, and you shouldn't wait to much longer.
No problem man, I actually dropped a plant while transplanting it once, it didn't like me for a little while It got all droopy a couple minutes later, but by the end of the day it was back up growing happy again. If yours gets all droopy, give it a little watering if the soil isn't moist already, I usually go with no nutes for that watering, but you could probably do like 1/2 strength or something, then the next watering go back to full strength. What happens is your plant experiences a little shock in the transplant process, but MJ is hardy and bounces back quick. Just take it easy on the baby for a day or two