First grow, help and advice please :)

Hi! This is my first grow ever. I bought 3 AK 47 auto seeds and decided to start with just one. I germinated one seed successfully with paper towels and planted it 4 days ago in a 5 gallon pot with BioBizz light mix soil and I'm using a 45W LED vintage grow light. The seedling came through the soil about 2 days ago but it is growing really tall and skinny with no real leaves like i've seen from other growers. I thought this might be due to the light being too far away so I moved it closer - to about 1 foot away from the pot.

-Will this adjustment help or do I need to fix something else?
-What else am I doing wrong?

Thank you in advance for the help

Chwonz said:

Hi! This is my first grow ever. I bought 3 AK 47 auto seeds and decided to start with just one. I germinated one seed successfully with paper towels and planted it 4 days ago in a 5 gallon pot with BioBizz light mix soil and I'm using a 45W LED vintage grow light. The seedling came through the soil about 2 days ago but it is growing really tall and skinny with no real leaves like i've seen from other growers. I thought this might be due to the light being too far away so I moved it closer - to about 1 foot away from the pot.

-Will this adjustment help or do I need to fix something else?
-What else am I doing wrong?

Thank you in advance for the help
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Put more soil in the pot, dont water afterward, just add more soil

I think you can get closer then 1 foot with only 45 watts might want to wait for other advice never ran one of them

Bbcchance said:

Put more soil in the pot, dont water afterward, just add more soil

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Will do, thanks! Is one foot close enough for the light? And when do you suggest I water next?

Chwonz said:

Will do, thanks! Is one foot close enough for the light? And when do you suggest I water next?

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I dont know anything about the light, but water when the planter feels light, they are easier to drown than dry out

Chwonz said:

Hi! This is my first grow ever. I bought 3 AK 47 auto seeds and decided to start with just one. I germinated one seed successfully with paper towels and planted it 4 days ago in a 5 gallon pot with BioBizz light mix soil and I'm using a 45W LED vintage grow light. The seedling came through the soil about 2 days ago but it is growing really tall and skinny with no real leaves like i've seen from other growers. I thought this might be due to the light being too far away so I moved it closer - to about 1 foot away from the pot.

-Will this adjustment help or do I need to fix something else?
-What else am I doing wrong?

Thank you in advance for the help
View attachment 3802457

Click to expand...

Don.t know bout the heat from leds, I run 45 watt cfls about 5 inches from plant starts. my plants that start like yours I give silica early on and run a fan with a light breeze when plant can take it, Thin stems have never given me probs. but I am leery of them. Water with a table spoon. do what chance said, add more soil. Thin stalks stay that way in my experience, stake early if top gets heavy fast. Good luck

I never 3r used one but I'm thinking it would be nearly impossible to Burn a plant with a CFL, anyone with experience to clarify on this? I reckon you get that bulb really close? Maybe a stronger bulb, or 2? Definitely cut down on the water and bury the skinny stem.

Just about all plants start off tall and skinny. You'll hear a lot of people call it stretching. That happens in the first week or two with most plants no matter how much light you're running and/or how close it is.

What you need to do is be careful with it until it's roots get established. Don't water it with a cup or bucket. Spray it with a water bottle. (DO NOT rinse out a Windex bottle or other such stupidity. Buy a clean, fresh one.)

Just lightly spray the soil enough to keep it slightly moist but not soaking wet. You can add (VERY carefully) a little more soil around the base to help support it if you want, but it's not necessary.

The vast majority of all plants of this ilk stretch like that to assure their survival. The first plant to the top dominates the light source, and in so doing insures its survival. It'll slow down once a few leaves form to obsorb more light, so don't worry too much about it.

Do keep your light close though. 8 to 10 inches should be perfect. Any more than that and you're losing a lot from such a weak light.

You could definitely do with more wattage. Even with the 90w light I've got. One of my seedlings also grew really tall. Got to about 7cm. Moved the light to about a foot away. Which seemed to solve the stretch problem.

Watering too often and too much is one of the easiest ways to kill your plants. So your best bet is to wait till the soil is dry about an inch below the surface. Then give them a drink. I'm still learning this one myself.

Good luck

Haven't used led's myself but the stretch is a good indication the plant is reaching for the light , low heat on 45 w led so I'd probs go as close as 6 inch or increase wattage ..
my newb advice ..
could be wrong..
Could be right ..

redeyedfrog said:

I never 3r used one but I'm thinking it would be nearly impossible to Burn a plant with a CFL, anyone with experience to clarify on this? I reckon you get that bulb really close? Maybe a stronger bulb, or 2? Definitely cut down on the water and bury the skinny stem.

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I use 300w dual spec CFL and can't see it being capable of burning anything , I keep around a ft away to get the cover but can hold my hand directly under without any worry of it being too hot.

I think it's like 50w from the wall per square foot of plant you want to grow. Up to about 80w per square ft.

CFL is the cheapest option for filler light. But isn't as effective as a basic 150w mh/hps setup.

Nugachino said:

I think it's like 50w from the wall per square foot of plant you want to grow. Up to about 80w per square ft.

CFL is the cheapest option for filler light. But isn't as effective as a basic 150w mh/hps setup.

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CFL is definitely cheap my 300w on 12/12 cycle uses around 24p a day!

Hps will always be more effective just have to make sure yield justifies cost.

1-4 small plants justify CFL/LED
Anything more Needs more

Noobs opinion.

Lol, dont tell the cob guys you need more than led for 4 plants...they will disagree....
Validly

Bbcchance said:

Lol, dont tell the cob guys you need more than led for 4 plants...they will disagree....
Validly

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Would depend on the LED's I suppose ... unless your prepared to spend around £200+ I wouldn't personally use for more then 4 ..

Could be wrong , never tried lol

I've never used hps. But a friend of mine swears by them. I'm using LED for my first run. And can't fault them thus far. It's quiet. Doesn't output much heat at full tilt. And I can have my hand about a foot away before I notice any real heat from the lamp.

Hey all hows it going, I just wanted to show you what my setup was when I got back into Growing. I made a 4 light holder thing on a piece of plywood and wired and old extension cord to power it lol, it still works its just in storage now, and I used 4 cfl floods. Worked pretty well till I upgraded my skills and equipment, but it's still the best option for stealth growers, who need to grow in cabinets. Yes mirrors work very well for reflecting light with out hot spots! Thanks for Growing! Peace, be safe MD.

moondance said:

Hey all hows it going, I just wanted to show you what my setup was when I got back into Growing. I made a 4 light holder thing on a piece of plywood and wired and old extension cord to power it lol, it still works its just in storage now, and I used 4 cfl floods. Worked pretty well till I upgraded my skills and equipment, but it's still the best option for stealth growers, who need to grow in cabinets. Yes mirrors work very well for reflecting light with out hot spots! Thanks for Growing! Peace, be safe MD.View attachment 3802954 View attachment 3802955

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That looks spot on , my cfls in a cabinet with shade and covered walls in reflective Mylar so like to think I have pretty good reflection for light ..

Hoping to get another 300w for next time and have them side by side with about ft gap at slight angle .

There ya go I got one of those stored up too, that was my next move up. I am running an imitation bad boy 8 bulb with dual spec bulbs, a parabolic 42"hood with 250MH and a 4x4 600 HPS Vertical bare bulb flower chamber! Thanks for Growing! Peace, be safe MD.