New grow(er) - need help Please

Whats up I have a few questions. First im growing NL from Southern Oregon.

I had some problems in the beginning which is why some plants sprouted and some havent (had to germinate more seeds) I planted on 2/21...so at the most those seeds are about a wk behind.

Im growing in coir...I bought a premade closet (due to my situation). I know that you have to add nutrients since its inert.

i havent added any nutrients yet (since cotyledons have some in there) but i know im getting close so i have a lot of questions....pics will be at the end too. Im not really measuring water except for PH....Im watering the sprouted plants about 8oz of water a piece. The unsprouted im just wetting the top...maybe half that or less

i found this feeding chart so let me run this by you guys.

Can i do this? Make a 5 gallon bucket batch using the boost, grow, and calmag (at full strength per the chart). So if im using half strength or 1/4 strength i can use a 1/4 or half of that mixture along with regular PHd water......then PH the whole batch and use?

Isnt half strength what i want to feed at the max in both flower and veg? Also, it says PPM = 1000.....so when i make it and my PPM is off what do i add to it so that my PPM is close?? And should i follow the Feed, water, water schedule it recommends or feed at every watering?

And one last thing, 20% runoff....is "runoff" going to happen in smart pots? and how much are you guys actually watering during veg and flower? Does a 3gal pot = 3 gal of water in order to water it? Just so i can get a feel of how much to actually water.

Also, I want 3 main plants......is there a way to keep my 3 gallon pots and have the other seed grow out just not as big as the others...i think it would be too crowded in there for 4 - 3 gallon pots. My lights are about 16in away from the plants...when can/should i put it closer and how close? Its an HPS 150w

Thanks for all your help!!

Also, when my light is on the inside is about 85-ish and my Humidity gets low, like 35-40.

When they are off, temp is 70-ish with about 45+ humidity....do i need to change anything??

bump!

It looks like soon you will need to get that light lower. Feed them when they show signs of need.

O Wise One said:

Whats up I have a few questions. First im growing NL from Southern Oregon.

I had some problems in the beginning which is why some plants sprouted and some havent (had to germinate more seeds) I planted on 2/21...so at the most those seeds are about a wk behind.

Im growing in coir...I bought a premade closet (due to my situation). I know that you have to add nutrients since its inert.

i havent added any nutrients yet (since cotyledons have some in there) but i know im getting close so i have a lot of questions....pics will be at the end too. Im not really measuring water except for PH....Im watering the sprouted plants about 8oz of water a piece. The unsprouted im just wetting the top...maybe half that or less

i found this feeding chart so let me run this by you guys.

Can i do this? Make a 5 gallon bucket batch using the boost, grow, and calmag (at full strength per the chart). So if im using half strength or 1/4 strength i can use a 1/4 or half of that mixture along with regular PHd water......then PH the whole batch and use?

Isnt half strength what i want to feed at the max in both flower and veg? Also, it says PPM = 1000.....so when i make it and my PPM is off what do i add to it so that my PPM is close?? And should i follow the Feed, water, water schedule it recommends or feed at every watering?

And one last thing, 20% runoff....is "runoff" going to happen in smart pots? and how much are you guys actually watering during veg and flower? Does a 3gal pot = 3 gal of water in order to water it? Just so i can get a feel of how much to actually water.

Also, I want 3 main plants......is there a way to keep my 3 gallon pots and have the other seed grow out just not as big as the others...i think it would be too crowded in there for 4 - 3 gallon pots. My lights are about 16in away from the plants...when can/should i put it closer and how close? Its an HPS 150w

Thanks for all your help!!

Click to expand...

You have the right idea, though a bit confusing. Just curious why mix up 5 gallons at a time instead of just 1? That's an aweful lot of water just for seedlings. And that's alot of nutrient solution you have to store and hope that it doesn't go bad (anaerobic, sludges, algae, etc). Mix up 1 (or 5) gallons of water at full strength. The dilution rates are -

If you want to feed at:

*1/2 strength, use a ratio of 1:1 - 1 part solution, 1 part plain water (i.e. 8 oz solution, 8 oz water. Feeds 2 plants @ 8 oz each)
*1/4 strength, ratio 1:3 (feeds 4 plants)
*1/8 strength, ratio 1:7 (feeds 8 plants)

Only then can you pH the water and check PPM after you've mix and dilute. FYI, 8 oz of liquid per seedling is an overkill. You can get by with just a shot glass worth of water. Plus why such a big pot to start off with? You can feed everyday in coco. Just lower the concentration level. 1000 PPM will fry your seedlings in a heartbeat. Not too many grower knows how much water they they are putting in, that are actually 20% that's coming out. And frankly, no one is going to sit there and measure 20% runoff. Just water untill you see some runoff, though you really don't want to do this to small seedlings in a huge pot. You can throw in 2 - 3 seedlings in one 3 gallon pot if you don't veg long but it is highly advised against. Lower your lights-on temp to 80, 77 - 75 is ideal and humidity in veg should be around 45 - 65%. The cooler you lights run, the closer you can put you seedlings, the less they will stretch.

Water with 1/4 strength.
I grow in coco. It works great. But I start my seeds in soil because it is significantly easier. You can transplant a small plant that's growing in a small amount of soil into coco and that's what I do. It makes it much easier than trying to adjust your nutrients for a seedling.

6ixtynin9 said:

You have the right idea, though a bit confusing. Just curious why mix up 5 gallons at a time instead of just 1? That's an aweful lot of water just for seedlings. And that's alot of nutrient solution you have to store and hope that it doesn't go bad (anaerobic, sludges, algae, etc). Mix up 1 (or 5) gallons of water at full strength. The dilution rates are -

If you want to feed at:

*1/2 strength, use a ratio of 1:1 - 1 part solution, 1 part plain water (i.e. 8 oz solution, 8 oz water. Feeds 2 plants @ 8 oz each)
*1/4 strength, ratio 1:3 (feeds 4 plants)
*1/8 strength, ratio 1:7 (feeds 8 plants)

Only then can you pH the water and check PPM after you've mix and dilute. FYI, 8 oz of liquid per seedling is an overkill. You can get by with just a shot glass worth of water. Plus why such a big pot to start off with? You can feed everyday in coco. Just lower the concentration level. 1000 PPM will fry your seedlings in a heartbeat. Not too many grower knows how much water they they are putting in, that are actually 20% that's coming out. And frankly, no one is going to sit there and measure 20% runoff. Just water untill you see some runoff, though you really don't want to do this to small seedlings in a huge pot. You can throw in 2 - 3 seedlings in one 3 gallon pot if you don't veg long but it is highly advised against. Lower your lights-on temp to 80, 77 - 75 is ideal and humidity in veg should be around 45 - 65%. The cooler you lights run, the closer you can put you seedlings, the less they will stretch.

Click to expand...

Thanks man this helps a lot. So after i mix everything and check my PPM and its off what do i add to bring my PPM down? Just add more water? What about if i need to raise it?

I started with a big pot because ive never grown anything in my life and figured the less i have to move a plant the better off it would have at survival lmao. So i have been watering just around the seedling in the beginning. The 2 seedlings are about a week old.....and the others just sprouted...Ill post some pics later, one looks like it has stem rot?

What should by PPM be for seedlings? ive read around 200. I also read the most PPM i want to have during a grow is around 1300 and thats in the flowering stage....How accurate is this?

xtsho said:

Water with 1/4 strength.
I grow in coco. It works great. But I start my seeds in soil because it is significantly easier. You can transplant a small plant that's growing in a small amount of soil into coco and that's what I do. It makes it much easier than trying to adjust your nutrients for a seedling.

Click to expand...

So a 1/4 strength now and when should i switch to half strength? when it has about 3 nodes or so?

How close should the light be when i move it? about 12in?

Here are some pics from this morning...is that stem rot? I didnt take a pic of the best looking one tho, no change since last time.

Bro dont feed nutes, like you said "since cotyledons have some [nutrients] in there" which is true. I would start feeding around 200ppms (tap water/well water etc.,ppm excluded) of nutes when they start yellowing. Its ok to be overly cautious as a noob, but your plants look fine. Also, ALWAYS water in coco to RUNOFF, if using synthetic nutes, the salts build up causing lockout. For the first three weeks treat coco like soil, water every other day, or every three days, this helps build a nice root system. After that you can water everyday, I have heard the best method for watering everyday is mixture of 70% coco 30% perlite (I can say It works because thats my current grow). In regards to high ppm, I currently feed my Blue dream matic 1,500 ppms. High ppms until the leaf tips burn slightly then back off a little. Southern Oregon Seeds, Nice, I got a blueberry auto from them right now handling 1500 ppms (week 3 flower) no signs of nute burn. Also, bring down temps to 77 degrees Farenheit, humidity to at least 100% for veg. I'm still learning too, but Im not sure what low humidity ( in your case 35-45) like yours affects these seedlings. Get a ph and ppm meter man youll need them (bluelab brand is good). Lights: HPS is strong and causes stretching but if thats all you got, try lowering it to the point where they dont get burned, might help reduce stretch, im not sure, havent used HPS in ages. Take it easy!

O Wise One said:

Thanks man this helps a lot. So after i mix everything and check my PPM and its off what do i add to bring my PPM down? Just add more water? What about if i need to raise it?

I started with a big pot because ive never grown anything in my life and figured the less i have to move a plant the better off it would have at survival lmao. So i have been watering just around the seedling in the beginning. The 2 seedlings are about a week old.....and the others just sprouted...Ill post some pics later, one looks like it has stem rot?

What should by PPM be for seedlings? ive read around 200. I also read the most PPM i want to have during a grow is around 1300 and thats in the flowering stage....How accurate is this?

Click to expand...

Dont set a hard target number. Be reactive when feeding. Always proactive can slip you up. Also you ask how to cut ppms. You dont cut them down by adding more water after you mixed. You mix less in the first place.

O Wise One said:

Thanks man this helps a lot. So after i mix everything and check my PPM and its off what do i add to bring my PPM down? Just add more water? What about if i need to raise it?

Click to expand...

Normally, you don't want to over shoot on feed strength (PPM levels). You want to get it just right or at least close the first time, by adding a little at a time. If you overshoot, you can cut it with plain water no problem. Just keep in mind your targeted micros and marcos and/or minerals/trace elements will be offset by doing so. Then you re-pH. If you need to raise it, you just increase the amount of nutrients you put in. Don't do it just to do it, know why you are increasing your feed strength

O Wise One said:

I started with a big pot because ive never grown anything in my life and figured the less i have to move a plant the better off it would have at survival lmao. So i have been watering just around the seedling in the beginning. The 2 seedlings are about a week old.....and the others just sprouted...Ill post some pics later, one looks like it has stem rot?

Click to expand...

While that has some truth (the less you moving/transplanting, the higher plant's vitality rate and chances of survival), you don't want them in that big of a pot for many reasons. 1. You want to start seeds in smaller pots (or cups) to efficiently build up their root mass. 2. Easier and a more thorough watering when in smaller pots. 3. Small root mass = less water absorption. In order to give your young root system an even watering, you have to use lots of water. A young, weak root system that sit in wet medium over long periods of time can lead to damping off (stem rot and even root rot). You can't water because the medium never seems to dry. But you need to water because you need to flush out the salts and exchange oxygen in the rhizosphere. See where I'm getting at? Anyways, the better your plant's health and the better you prep 'em up to fight stress, the higher your chances are to transplant with minimal stress.

O Wise One said:

What should by PPM be for seedlings? ive read around 200. I also read the most PPM i want to have during a grow is around 1300 and thats in the flowering stage....How accurate is this?

Click to expand...

That's not accurate at all. You will get hundreds of different answers with this one. Some says zero, some will say 200 or 300. I've have a heavy feed OG strain that I started feeding 300 - 400 almost right off the bat, then another one that will throw all kinds of burnt tip with PPM's above 150. Get a couple of grows under your belt and work with a strain until you get a feel for it. I'm not going to tell you how to grow, but I will tell you what works for me. I usually start feeding around 100 - 200 PPM, 1 week after the seed breaks ground. I feed a few days after sprout on some heavier feeding strains. On most strain, I never go above 1.0 EC (500 PPM on 500 scale & 700 PPM on 700 scale) and in flower, I never go above 1.3 EC (650 PPM on 500 scale & 900 PPM on 700 scale), with the exception of boosting certain micros and macros when the plant asks for it. I've noted my feed schedule on a post somewhere in this forum a while back, i forgot. You can see my results in the posts too. And PPM so low, I don't ever have to flush. Do whatever works for your strain. Not all strains feeds equally.

Thegermling said:

For the first three weeks treat coco like soil, water every other day, or every three days, this helps build a nice root system. After that you can water everyday, I have heard the best method for watering everyday is mixture of 70% coco 30% perlite (I can say It works because thats my current grow)

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Honestly you don't really want to treat coco anything like soil. Coco should remain moist majority of the time. If you let coco dry out too much or just dry slightly, it can swing your pH up pretty bad, causing lockout. This is why if he had his seedlings in smaller container, he would have had no problem watering every day. The best method is what works for you. 100% coco, 70/30 coco/perlite, 30/70 coco/perlite... It's all a personal preference thing but typically, grower like extra drainage and aeration during the cold season (70/30 coco/perlite) and lean more towards moisture holding during the summer (100% coco). I personally like 70/20 with the bottom layer 10% lava rocks in plastic nursery pots, and 80/20 in fabric pots.

Thegermling said:

humidity to at least 100% for veg. I'm still learning too, but Im not sure what low humidity ( in your case 35-45) like yours affects these seedlings.

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100% humidity would be ideal for seedlings for the first few weeks, but not necessary. Never do 100% humidity when you are far into veg. You'll be begging for root rot, molds, powdery mildew and all kinds of bad shit in the grow room. You can get away with 45-65% humidity in veg.

O Wise One said:

Here are some pics from this morning...is that stem rot? I didnt take a pic of the best looking one tho, no change since last time.

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Your plant looks fine. Don't see any stem rot. You'll know that damping off is happening when you see it - stem can turn mushy and is typically blackish/brown in color and the top will collapsed and fall over.

So the plants are comin along. I started feeding yesterday on the 2 big ones...half strength. I found another way to do it that im going to try once my nutes get here....Im watering everyday until runoff. I will be giving PHd water every other feeding. The big ones were starting to yellow, but now they are getting some nutes im sure it will go away.

The small one is not even a week old yet. From what ive read, once they have their serrated leaves its "officially" in veg mode, so ive also been watering just PHd water on the small guy until run off (since he is still so green). I also read (from @6ixtynin9 and other places) you want to keep coco moist at all times. I will prolly start in solo cups the first 2 weeks next time before transplanting to final pot.

I think im doin alright for my first grow (thanks for all you guys help) which is surprising considering how i started lol. Anyway, here are some pics. Light is normal distance away....about 10in or so.