Slow Start Blue Cheese Op PLEASE HELP! :(

Discussion in 'First Time Marijuana Growers' started by grassmanslaw, Mar 7, 2011.

  1. So, I'm going to give the low down on things and hopefully someone out there can tell me what I have been doing wrong. As of today, the plants are 5 weeks old and seem to be small. The taller bunch are 10 inchs, the smaller plants 7-8 inches. They started growing wider with about 6 sets of leaves. What concerns me is the thickness of the stems as they are very small.

    Heres what we got:
    -10 Feminized Seeds
    Strain: Blue Cheese
    Seed-bank: Big Buddha Seeds
    Type: Sativa / Indica Hybrid (25% Blueberry, 75% Cheese)
    -250 watt HPS Light
    -Fox Farm Ocean Soil
    -Fox Farm Big Bloom, Tiger Bloom, Grow Big
    -Distilled Water
    -Fan
    -3and 6 inch pots

    Heres what I've done so far(I am now at the start of the 6th week):
    Week 1-2:

    When I got my seeds i germinated them in a wet damp cloth for 4 days until they were an inch long. I filled 10 16 oz. cups with the soil and good mixture of already damp perlite. With a chopstick I poked a one inch hole in the centers and placed each seedling in. With 24 hours of light each day and a watering when the soil felt dry. The light was 12 inches above to ground. They broke the ground within 3 days, and by the end of the second week they began to form leafs and were about an inch tall. The temp was at 70 degrees in the room and the fan was not on yet.

    Week 3-4:
    Plants are still getting 24 hours of light every day, the light remained 12 inches above the ground, temp at 70, and the fan still off(the area is decent size and i was afraid the wind would knock over my weak plants). Watering was still about every 3 days keeping the soil from drying up. Exp: day 1 water, day 4 water. I started fertilizing every other watering at the beginning of week 3 using one tablespoon of fox farm grow big per gallon of distilled water(I read not to fertilize the plants every serving of water). During weeks 3 and 4 the larger plants grew to 6-8 inches with 3 nodes. The smaller plants were struggling to stand on their own at about 4-6 inches with 2-3 small nodes sp we attached supports to each. Attached is a picture at 24 days.

    Week 5:
    During week 5 the plants where getting 24 hours of light every day, the light remained 12 inches above the ground (now about 4 inches from the tops of the tallest plants), temp at 70, and the fan still off. All plants had a good 3 nodes displayed and could stand up on there own and roots were becoming visible. I made the decision and transplanted the plants into a larger pot since they were strong enough. They handled the shock fine and I began watering the pots thoroughly every other day with a dash of water on the days in between. Every other watering I would alternate between no nutes and one with mixture of fox farm grow big (1tbs/gal). Exp: day 1 water no nutes, day 2 sprinkle no nutse, day 3 water w/ nutes, day 4 sprinkle no nutes ect. During this week the taller plants grew to 10 inchs, small plants 7-8. They started growing wider with about 6 sets of leaves. What concerns me is the thickness of the stems as they are very small.

    Week 6:
    Today is the first day of week 6. I turned the fan today because i read that it can help make the stems stronger. I began watering with 1tbs of grow big and 1 tablespoons of big bloom every watering (still about every other day w/ a dash in between). I started a light cycle of 20/4. I recently read that my nutrient schedule was a little off and I'm starting it on this schedule below. By the increase of the air flow, the light cycle, and the fixed nutrients schedule I hope my plants will see improvements.

    Light and Nute schedule from here out (all tsp/gallon):
    Week 6 >> 20/4 1tps grow big, 1tps big bloom.
    Week 7-8 >> 18/6 1.5tps grow big, 1 tps big bloom.
    Week 9 >> 18/6 1.5tps grow big
    Week 10-11 >> 12/12 1 tiger bloom, .5 big bloom.
    Week 12-14 >> 12/12 1 grow big, 1 tiger bloom, .5 big bloom.
    Week 15-17 >> 12/12 1 tiger bloom, .5 big bloom.


    What do you guys think about this op, can I make any improvements? Im I doing anything just flat out wrong? Anyone have any ideas of why they may be behind and how to catch them back up? WHY ARE THE STEMS SO TINY?

    I will post a picture tomorrow showing what they stand at as of 5 full weeks.


    Thanks you much for the help! I really appreciate it.
     

    Attached Files:

  2. Not sure why they are so small but im curious and will be checking back on this when someone else gives you an answer. Bump :)
     
  3. clear cups, Light hits the roots and stunts growth dramatically.

    Tape up or cover those cups.
     
  4. please flush those babies and get them in actually pots....5 wks old? you should be going into flower next week...

    a couple of things...nutes probabaly should not be introduced for the first 2-3 wks and only at maybe a 1/4 or an 1/8th of the recommended dosage...check you ff nutes...are those for hydro or soil? they do sale 2 different types...wanna make sure you have the correct nutes...

    once you flush them...its like hitting the reset button....so maybe it will take a week for them to recover, but atleast, they should turn around provided you get them in bigger and better containers...

    also...please do not water them so much....every other day if i am correct in you saying is just too much...you should be watering every 3-4 days...if even that much...

    and hps for vegging....not saying it cannot be done...but you do know this is the wrong light spectrum correct? hps simulates a setting sun...red light...which tells you plant its time to bud...this can contribute to some of your stretch also....
    [​IMG]

    this plant is the same age as yours....5 weeks
     

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  5. There's really no set days on when you water, Just use your head, only water when it is dry and crusty, Or the pot is light. Under watering is easier to fix then over watering
     
  6. As mentioned the cups are clear - roots hate light.
    I take it there is drainage in those cups?

    I'd put the stretching down to the light spectrum and distance. I believe you would have been better off buying a few CFL's 6500k spectrum, and use these to veg for 3-4 weeks.

    When you transplant to your next medium, be sure to flush it good then use a pot- also try and bury as much of the excess stem as possible to help support it.
     
  7. #7 grassmanslaw, Mar 7, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 7, 2011
    That pic was at 24 days, I transplanted them into 6in pots that we not clear almost right after that picture was taken, and the nutes are for soil yes. Here are some updated pictures at 35 days. As for the watering I will lighten up a little bit and make extra sure the soil dries first. How do you suppose these bad boys look? What are some tips you have to give on flushing? Do you use the nutes every watering? What actions should I take at this point to maximize my yield? Does that feeding schedule look right? Basically just trying to stay on the top of things because of the slow start and save the op.

    ^^Yes there was drainage in the cups, I have moved to bigger pots as of a week or so ago. Does anyone else agree with covering the stem? what if i already transplanted them? Please see updated pictures.

    Thanks for the responses thus far, PLEASE CONTINUE !!

    PICS IN POST BELOW
     
  8. The attaches pictures are as follows:
    -The whole op at 35 days (bunch thats not red)
    -The whole op at 28 days (reddish picture)
    -Largest plant at 35 days
    -smallest plant at 35 days
     

    Attached Files:

  9. ok glad to see you have them in pots...i did notice you dont have that much soil in the pots tho...i guess the stretch can you help you out....fill up those pots with soil any leaf that is below the top rim just remove..and cover with soil....eventually that covered stem will start to root in the pot also...this should help beef everything up...

    i suppose the girls are old enough for feeding...but we dont need one yet...flushing is relatively simple....just run 2x the volume of water per pot size...if you want to introduce a small, small amount of nutes after the flush thats fine...i normally dont...i just wait for the recover, which is a couple of days and then start feeding again...

    with soil...i think i fed them every 3 waterings....never every other and had good results...some people feed a lil more, but normally with soil, you build it to hold all the amendments you will need to get you from veg to flower....soil combos are limitless.....:D
     
  10. the problem is 2 things, 1 main issue is clear cups i had same problem roots hate i just put old socks over my cups and plants boomed wen the roots had dark, also the size of cup is fine but they will root bound fast hope that helps
     
  11. I can deffintly tell you your problem it is the 24 hours of light you only want that for a couple days for your clones plant grow at night when they sleep if you dont let them sleep no growth the will get tweeked out and lean to grow within light pirods cuase you see the light as solid light but its light dark light dark ex........you just cant see at the speed of light so that dont happen any more set your light timed to 18 hours on 6 hours off untill fower then 12/12 oh and your nutes are fine nice dark leafs
     
  12. fower when you want its up to you when your lights go 12 and 12 the plants will flower
    :D
     
  13. #13 deacon, Mar 7, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 8, 2011
    first off...roots dont hate light...they grow towards light if available....light causes things to grow on the roots...which is bad..just nittpickin' on that one...i just failed on germin' 3 blue cheese and think the genetics just flat out suck...older seed stock rocked...others having same troubles...that being said...you got lots of other things goin on to...these blades will steer ya right:smoke:
     
  14. UPDATE:
    Today is day 35, I have flushed each plant with 1.5 gallons of distilled water and plan to let them sit for the next 3 to 4 days before i start giving them nutes again. I also filled each of the 8 inch pots to the top of the pot covering all the stems that were under the potline. In addition to that I set the fan on the plants at all times and started the light cycle at 18/6........That being said.... hopefully my plants will take off... any thoughts?
     

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  15. might add some superthrive...great for root developement....or rizo by canna...work you roots and it pays off in dank...till they get their roots under em its touch and go...but by 25 day...if it were me id take the worst one and see whats goin on in the dirt...whats your run off ph:smoke:
     


  16. .... 1 month ago when I transplanted into 8 in. pots the roots where spider webbed and were ready to grow into a bigger space. I just checked my ph level in two separate pots and they were reading 6.9-7.0. .......Any Idea's?????
     

  17. i think the soil guys like it around 6.5 if im not mistaken...let me see if i can pull out the pH chart...
     
  18. okay here it is: [​IMG]
     

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  19. I added 4 cfls to the op today to help promote more growth due to the high volume of plants... what do you two think that commented about lights?

    [​IMG]
     
  20. i think that works
     

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