Alright, so... Since it seems that I'm too stupid to figure out how to post pictures on this forum, here is a link to the photo album that I created: https://forum.grasscity.com/gallery/album/7686-wha... Question #1, Would it be better for my plant, which is probably a week and a half old, to be taken out from the 400w halide that I'd been running on a ballast at 50% and place it under the 26w CFL Aerogarden light? Question #2, Same plant, the one out of the three seeds that has made it this far, is about two and a half to three inches tall and has a very narrow stem. You'll be able to see this if you look at the photo album. What can I do to help this sucker gain some stability and avoid the same problem going forward into the future? Question #3, I've got perlite and I've got organic potting soil that I purchased from a pretty well-renowned local nursery. Obviously, it's not ideal, but it's also not ideal for me to leave the plant in the little tomato starter pod that it's been in for the past week. So, I'm going to be moving it to a Solo cup. What sort of ratio, or how much perlite would you folks put in there? Question #4, Having all sorts of fluctuations in temperature and humidity. There's a picture of the little humidifier that I purchased in the photo album. It seems to work much better if it's placed up higher, but I'm still working out the kinks there. I've also been using a space heater outside the 5-tallx3-widex2-deep to help keep temperatures up, but I've bought a heat wire to try and combat that issue. Do any of you folks have any tips or tricks for getting things stabilized in that sweet spot? That's all I got for now. As always, I appreciate the help and my little plant will as well.
1) If it's looking fine leave it, maybe use the CFL for the seeds in the future if you already have a mature plant under the MH at 100%. Maybe even turn the MH up a bit. 2) The stems start of like a flexible toothpick, but they straiten out and thicken up over the next week. If it's flopping around, just prop it up with anything that comes to hand for a little while. 3) You want good drainage, but its possible your organic soil already has perlite. Add somewhere in the order of 10%, more if the soil is heavy. 4) Temps are going to vary, there's a big difference between day and night for instance. If they are between mid-50F and mid-80F then you're not really in any trouble. Similar with humidity, if you're between about 40% and 70% there's not much trouble.
Since you've already been using the mh, don't change it now. The mh is excellent light for veg and as the plant gets stronger and healthier, you can turn the wattage up on it. Be careful and don't hang it too close to your plant until the plant has developed some stability though because mh lighting is very strong. If it were me, I would only use the CFLs when just starting out a seed or working the first few days with clones. The stems will tend to be spindly if your light source is too high above the plant. They want to stretch to get to the light and this makes them run up on their stems. But as the plant ages, the stems get stronger and that won't be an issue. To avoid too much stretch, we generally get the plant and the light closer together...but make sure not close enough to cause burn. That's why CFLs are so good for veg. You don't have to worry too much about the plant getting too close to the light and burning it. Your soil should have at least 30-40% perlite in it to make these plants happiest. They like a very light arid soil so their roots can move around easily. They also don't like their roots sitting in moist conditions and require defined wet/dry cycles to be the healthiest they can be. It's a BIG DEAL to let the plants dry almost totally out between watering/feedings and to make sure that any liquids going into your plant are pH adjusted to the 6.3 to 6.7 range for soil grows. Not managing the pH will eventually lock up the roots of your plant and it can't take in any nutrition....so pH is something you need to be diligent about managing. These plants can handle quite a bit of temperature variation. Think about it...they grow in the wild and will survive on their own until killed by frost eventually...depending on where they're growing. But they're basically weeds and have survived thousands of years on their own without man hovering over them and pampering them like a puppy. As long as your temperature range doesn't get too out of whack, they'll be fine. Ideally, the median temp should be around 78 degrees...if I remember correctly, but having some variation isn't a big deal. Get on the new grower threads here and do a bunch of reading. You need to get a good concept of the basics of growing these plants the right way. Information is your friend when you're first starting out and the more you know and understand about the process, the easier the journey will be. The "fly by the seat of your pants" method rarely works out for the best. Good luck! TWW
#1 Leave it under the MH but get it closer. Here is a chart. If it's too hot then point a fan at the bulb to blow off the heat and you can get closer. #2 Get the light closer and don't use those pods for seedlings, they suck. Use starter cubes instead, Root Riot works great. Add silica to your nutrient lineup for stronger stems later on. #3 I would use a 2:1 ratio with the soil and perlite. 2 cups soil, 1 cup perlite. Perlite is to a soil grow as aeration is to a hydro grow. With hydro you need lots and lots of bubbles, the more the better. Soil is no different, needs plenty of aeration for your plants to grow up strong and healthy. #4 There are lots of things you can do to stabilize your temps. I grow in cooler temps as well and like to use the light to heat my grow as much as possible. Plug your exhaust fan into a thermostatic outlet and your temps will stay where you want them to stay. Use the built in thermostat on the heater to nudge temps just above what the thermostat is set for, that will flick your exhaust fan on and off for air exchange. With the right setup you should only need your heater at lights off anyway. http://www.amazon.com/Lux-Heating-Cooling-Programm...