Hey folks. Totally new to this site. I need help with my very first grow. I have a blue og fem and LSD fem about a week into veg. I am not satisfied with their growth rate after reading several week by week grow reports. My main question is are they too far away from their light. I'm using a 400w metal halide. And they're about 4ft from the bulb. Any help would be great. I'll add pix. Namaste Sent from my iPhone using Grasscity Forum
Almost identical to my setup, running a 400w over Blue OG fem, Purple Haze fem, and a mystery seed. I kept my mh on the 25% setting while they were babies, then 50%, 75%, and 100% as they grew bigger. Usually the closer you keep the light to the plant without burning them, the tighter the nodes grow and the more dense the plant will be. The general rule is if you can keep your hand between the plant and the light without it feeling too hot for you, most times it's not too hot for the plant either. This is my first grow as well, but I hope these tips can help. Good luck! My grow journal: forum.grasscity.com/indoor-grow-journals/1285498-first-grow-400w-mhhps-closet-updating.html
Thanx Display Name. That's was a great tip. Unfortunately I can't adjust my light settings which is why I'm being so careful. Sent from my iPhone using Grasscity Forum
You're very welcome. I forget not every ballast has the adjustable option. If I were you, I would use the 400w but lower them to like 3ft and see how they do. If they don't show any signs of stress, try 2.5 ft and gradually lower them as you feel comfortable. Remember though you have to pay attention to light intensity just as much as heat, because even if it's not too hot for the seedling, too intense of a light can also bleach the leaves and cause Ill affects. Just to put it into perspective, mine were about 2-4 weeks old, and I was able to keep my 400w bulb about 18-24 inches from the tops of my plants without any problems before I got my cooltube. I believe it's only the first week or two while they're still fragile you have to be that careful, because now that I have the cooltube and they're about 5 weeks old they can grow till they're almost touching the bulb before I have to raise the light.
Cool tube? I've never hear of that. And thanks for that tip on light intensity. Most grow report don't mention that. I was under the assumption the more light the better. Hence the need for Mylar. What are early signs stress to be aware of? Sent from my iPhone using Grasscity Forum
The cooltube is basically just that, a tube that goes around the light that you can hook ducting to, with an outtake fan to pull all of the heat off of the light, through the ducting, and out of the tent or whatever kind of setup you have. I can touch the tube without it burning my hands, definitely a good investment for longterm. Light intensity is really only going to be an issue if you have really young seedlings, or a really intense light really really close. I just didn't want you to go from one extreme to the other thinking distance from the light was all of the problem.
Ok now we've hit another snag. I know dialing in on my nutes is important. But I've only got one bottle. The guy at the hydroponics store said I should be pretty much ok with just the one bottle until flowering. That diagram you sent is a little difficult to decipher because my plants have been in the ground a week today. And so young I'm not sure what is good or bad. I'm gonna get a real close look at my seedlings and that chart to see. Sent from my iPhone using Grasscity Forum
They look healthy right now, but you will be able to notice if they start to become deficient of something. I thought the same thing as you but every sign of stress I had, I was able to match to that chart. Brown spots on the leaves, or tips can be over or under fertilized and bleaching from light intensity would be discoloration, lighter green or pale looking.