Hi everyone, sorry for the panic here, this is my very first time growing and I'm afraid my young plants are about to die. If anyone can help me out I'd really appreciate it. I recently bought the CashCrop 5.0 from Dealzer, a hydroponic grow box that fits 6 plants. I managed to successfully germinate 6 Northern Lights fem seeds in the starter plugs, using water, and they were growing very fast at first. I've been checking the PH daily and making sure to keep it between 5.5 - 6.5, and using distilled water. Fast forward to day 7-8, they're about 3 inches tall. The guide that came with the grow box said to feed the plants a nutrient solution as soon as the first true leaves begin showing. I waited until the first set of leaves after the embryonic leaves were getting to be about an inch long. The guide recommended I feed the solution (RX Green Solutions called Grow, Part A & B), 22ml per galon, to my plants. This seemed like a lot to me after reading that the first feeding can send the plants into shock, and also that you don't technically need to feed the seedlings until the 4th leaf nodes start showing. So to be cautious, I ended up putting in 5ml/5ml of the Grow solution parts A & B. The next morning they seemed fine, so I added 10ml/10ml more, for a total of 15ml/15ml. Within several hours I noticed the leaves had become dark green, and begun canoeing, such as plants exhibit with nitrogen poisoning. So I flushed immediately and refilled the reservoir with 5.5 PH distilled water at room temp. After 48 hours of just water, I tried to give them 5ml/5ml again, but the conditions seemed to get worse. So about 48 hours ago I gave them more clean distilled water, and let them just drink.. but I'm confused because now the plant leaves are still dark green, canoeing, but they are also starting to turn a yellowish color in the middle of the leaves, which makes me think they are in need of some nuts. I'm going to attach a couple pictures... What do you guys think? Should I try feeding them again? Or just let them keep drinking water? I'm worried they might die, they haven't grown in several days and I'm worried it's going to kill them. Here is a close up pic of the plant I notice the most discoloration on: https://photos.app.goo.gl/f9oQn6DFKvp9W81W2 Here is a pic of the rest https://photos.app.goo.gl/JL95WouJrwan2Woq2: Also just for the record I live in a state where it's legal to grow Thank you all so much for your advice!!
Hey here are up close pics and a pic of the 6 of them. I'm looking at it and think it might be stress from PH fluctuation, but I'd still like some advice on when a good time to start feeding is. As you can see they've juuust barely started sprouting their 2nd leaves, but in the last few days they haven't grown at all.. Here is a close up pic of the plant I notice the most discoloration on: https://photos.app.goo.gl/f9oQn6DFKvp9W81W2 Here is a pic of the rest https://photos.app.goo.gl/JL95WouJrwan2Woq2
If the roots look white/cream colored and don't smell or aren't browning to indicate root rot (that reservoir doesn't look very light-proof and could cause problems) then I'm feeling the urge to point my finger at the nutrient solution itself and say "You're not doing your job well and you're fired!" I've never used that particular brand but I can say with all confidence that you should switch to Advanced Nutrients 3-part line of pH Perfect grow/micro/bloom nutes. They contain microscopic balls of pH up/down that automatically dissolve to adjust your hydro reservoir to around ~5.8 and keep it there. Plus the nutrients contain chelates which help your plant roots absorb various macro and micro nutrients within a wider pH range. I cut my teeth on General Hydroponics until I discovered the pH Perfect series years ago and I've never regretted making the switch. It's especially useful in small reservoirs like yours that are more prone to quicker and wider pH swings. Advanced nutrients is a little more expensive but the price is well worth the payoff!
Yeah the roots appear to be healthy. I'll definitely be looking into the nuts you recommended. In the meantime should I wait to feed? When do you usually feed for the first time with your nutes?
With my setup I judge when to feed not on how many sets of leaves she has but based on the root system; feeding a 1/4 strength solution soon after they've established healthy roots in their Rapid Rooter plugs. My setup is different from yours in that I have a bubbleponics system that contains a 5 gallon DWC bucket combined with a top-feed drip system, which is good for hydrating/feeding the shallow roots of seedlings before the tap root has gone deep enough into the hydroton clay pellets that it reaches the reservoir below. Do you happen to have a digital PPM meter you could use to check your reservoir water? Seedlings and sprouts should only have 100 to 250 PPM nutrient water to avoid burning them. Here's a website that has a good guide on PPMs and at what levels they should be depending on the stage of cannabis plant development.
Hey thank you!! No I don't have a PPM meter. My roots are growing way down, at least a few inches long. The roots seem really healthy but the leaves not so much.
Easiest save put in soil and first few grows are easy to do too much experiment with the hydro and never enough research meanwhile have a few in dirt and don't over water just for a fallback Sent from my SM-S920L using Grasscity Forum mobile app
I don't have a setup for that, thanks though. I'm trying to figure out when people usually start feeding nutes to their seedlings. After X days, etc. I'm trying to figure out what the weird spots are on my plants, but it looks like maybe just stress from PH. I'm currently feeding them just water right now until they stop showing signs of Nitrogen toxicity.
Yeah you shouldn't give them nutes until the second or third week from when they sprouted. Im a new grower too, but im just giving you my opinion. Do you have the light closer than 18 inches? You only have to worry about that with hid type bulbs. I will post some pics of my Gorilla Glue #4, that i just put in flower a few days ago. : )
Thank you I appreciate that! Sounds like I was definitely feeding too early. Awesome, I appreciate the info. Gorilla Glue is on my list of strains I want to try growing once I get a little better at it. For now I'm doing Northern Lights and a strain called Short Ryder. This is the box btw, I got the 3ft version: Cash Crop 5.0 - 6 Plant LED Hydroponics Grow Box I'm planning to get a larger one once I file taxes, since I can grow up to 12.
I supercropped them twice while in veg, they reacted very well, and it didnt slow the growth down by much. I highly recommend supercropping. It's essential if you want to get killer yields out of your plants, i also recommend scrogging like i am, it makes it so that as you weave the plant threw the scrog, the whole plant ends up getting light exposure, which is fantastic in bloom when your buds need all the light they can get. Dont get frustrated, the great thing about growing any plant, is that you can do trial and error, it might suck having to do yiur grow all over again, but atleast you get another try, and it teaches you not to baby your plant, the worst thing you can do as a newbie is overtend to your plant, i mean by overwatering, giving it to much nutrients, or spraying your plants down to much. Dont worry, most strains of cannabis(if not all) will tell you when they are thirsty or they need nutes, these plants are very tough, botanist discovered that cannabis actually has a defense mechanism, and that mechanism is developing more and stronger buds when it feels threatened, and for that reason is so if a deer goes to eat it and gets super hi or just dont like the taste, it will walk away and the plant will survive with a couple of battle wounds, its crazy your supposed to fuck your plant up (supercropping) so you can get higher yields, (and its not proven yet) but even heighten THC levels. Here are some pics only a month ago when my plants just approached the veg stage.
What do you think of my Gorilla Glue #4 ladies ; ) i just put them in bloom, i wanted to wait, but i knew that it goes into a stretch phase right after it switches to bloom, so i made the decision to switch over now.
Im using a sun system 250/400 watt hood light, with a 400 watt hortilux blue MH bulb. I used Fox Farms ocean forest soil at the beginning of veg, and when i switched from solo cups to my 6 gallon buckets i used strawberry fields soil. I always make sure my PH levels, and PPM levels are on point as well, and i truly dont give my plants to much nutrients. I give it a base nutrient, some seeweed, bat quano, cal mag, and some rapid root solution, half of them are only micro nutes. From the "GO BOX" that general hydro sells. I use mostly general hydroponics for nutes, but if i see something worth buying thats not related to general hydroponics, ill still get it, as long as the reviews are good lol
Hey I replied to your other comment, it says awaiting moderation I think because I linked the grow box I use. Just wanted to say thank you so much for all the helpful info there!! That's really exactly what I needed to know!! Gorilla Glue is on my list of strains I'd love to try growing, but for my first grow I'm just sticking with Norther Lights, which is apparently an easy one to grow. Thank you again!!
Northern lights was my very first grow, i say the Gorilla Glue is my first because the northern lights was a disaster, it still came out good and i harvested 4 ounces per plant with a 400 watt bulb, but my sister would cut the electricity off to my grow room cause she couldnt use certain appliances when all the energy from my light was being used, she also was trimming off my plant, long story short, i dont live with her nomore and i have my own place with my GF, When im at work, she stays home and tends to the plants, she's a bigger pothead than me, so she loves it lol we got a pretty good system going. At harvest, she gets dibs on the first bud that gets trimmed. Im glad i could be of some help. We are all growers on here, there is no need to get jealous and not want to help a fellow grower, they are just trying to do the same thing you are... Surviving... Lol