Help and Advice on first grow?

[Dementednotion]

Hello this is my first post and also my first grow. I took 20 commercial seeds I had and germinated and planted them. So far they have all come out very green and nice. I am currently running them under a 400 Watt HPS light and it's been about a week since I planted them. I noticed some began to droop over so I lightly applied some Miracle-gro organic choice fertilizer (1/2 tsp -> 6cups). I've been watering them by spraying it with a sprayer. I check up on it every 2-3 hours and spritz it if dry.

What I am trying to get at here is since it's my first time I am kind of doing everything on a whim. Hell, I got a light budget too. I am using the bottom 6 inch part of 2-litre bottles(I cut holes for drainage at bottom) and put 20 of them under the light.

Just to let you know also, I used Miracle-Gro Organic potting soil.
N-10
P-5
K-5

Fertilizer has 8 nitrogen so I figured that would be good for the beginning.

Keep in mind I am still only 1 week into vegatative. I am trying to get some good tips together on what to watch out for and hopefully even how many plants I can fit in the end under my light and avg yield for commercial strand. Also maybe when I should switch it to normal pots and change the light cycle. I also noticed the fertilizer made it a healthy green so should I keep using it or wait a while?

[Burrizzle]

im new to this too but i will share with you what i know.1st off,are you spraying the actual plant or the soil.if you are spraying the plant it could be why the leaves are drooping.im told if you spary the leaves you will burn the plant.as for the 2lts bottles,i dont think its a problem with them at a week old but u will need to put them in proper big pots(the biggest pots you can fit in your growroom).if possible bunch them altogether as they all compete with each other to reach the light therefore incourging them to grow faster.also check out the threads i posted asking about light heights and sizing of pots,realy good info.have you a temp and humidity gauge?? i picked up ones for cheap at my garden centre and put them half way up your growroom,helps you keep on track with climate control.
basically keeping the light times strict helps the plant alot so get a timer so its one less thing to worry about. btw all of what i have told you are not facts or maybe they are,i dont no,lol i have just heard these things from this website and word of mouth,well i hope this will help you!! good luck!!!

[letsgetalongbrd]

i think you might be over watering. sprouts don't need much water and mary likes to dry out all the way before shes watered again (think like a cactus).

try just spraying them once a day, if even that.

i would also lay off the nutrients until they are older as well.

as far as your lights, your pumping out probably close to 16,000 lumens, you'll need about 5000 lumens per sq ft for optimal growth, so base how many plants you choose to grow off how much your lights can actually handle.

if you bought your seeds commercially the average expected yield per plant should have been listed with your seeds.

[Dementednotion]

i think you might be over watering. sprouts don't need much water and mary likes to dry out all the way before shes watered again (think like a cactus).

try just spraying them once a day, if even that.

i would also lay off the nutrients until they are older as well.

as far as your lights, your pumping out probably close to 16,000 lumens, you'll need about 5000 lumens per sq ft for optimal growth, so base how many plants you choose to grow off how much your lights can actually handle.

if you bought your seeds commercially the average expected yield per plant should have been listed with your seeds.

For watering I just keep the soil moist. I don't spray a whole bottle at once, just moisten the top a bit and then chilling with them.

I will lay off the nutrients for now, I guess. Might be a good idea.

If my light is 16,000 lumens, how many plants can that fit avg for optimal growth.

I'll try letting it dry out more now though.

Another thing... Is it really hard to grow marijuana in your opinion? I mean I hear from some it's a "weed" and they grow by themselves anyways. Others tell me it's VERY delicate and a pain to maintain. I just wanna experience the feeling of giving life to something and burning it all away! =D

PS: My room temp from 12PM to 8PM can range from 90 to 110! I keep a fan blowing past the plants and another fan pulling air out of the room through the window while the other fan circulates it to the other. At night it can get down to 70-85 degrees. I was told since I live in Ohio and am so close to the lake I won't need to worry about humidity. It's a fair amount here in Cleveland, I guess.

[Dutch Pimp]

400 watt HPS is a good light. If you can't lower the temps?...keep good air circulation between the canopy and the light.

Veg 4 weeks...switch to 12/12 light cycle...sex the plants...:thumbsup:...IMO.

ps ..400 watt HPS is 55,000 lumens...excellent for 3-5 flowering females.

[letsgetalongbrd]

yeah listen to him, he knows better than me. i use only cfl's and ive only got one grow on my belt.

[Dementednotion]

400 watt HPS is a good light. If you can't lower the temps?...keep good air circulation between the canopy and the light.

Veg 4 weeks...switch to 12/12 light cycle...sex the plants...:thumbsup:...IMO.

ps ..400 watt HPS is 55,000 lumens...excellent for 3-5 flowering females.

I currently have great circulation through the plants. They seem to be developing very healthy so far... I am unaware of any complications that may arise in the future due to the heat condition.

So you're saying veg them for 4 weeks and then switch to the 12/12 light cycle and sexing is RIGHT after? Also do I have to switch from my ghetto 2-litre bottle set up to say... a 5 gallon drain able pot?

I currently have now about 15 plants under the light. Since I have no feminized seeds I am trying to make sure I get the most females possible and healthy. Is it normal for people to do this or am I doing a nub thing here?

Also I noticed one of them has a longer stem than the others (keep in mind in veg for a week) and it seems to have a weak support and droops down due to top heaviness. It's still a nice healthy green though, but just weak stem.

Thank you very much everyone to take the time answering my nubbiness.

[Dutch Pimp]

yes ...you will need to transplant after about 3 weeks...I use no nutes the first weeks...but, do use a root stimulator at transplant time

I go from 16oz cups to 6-8 inch pots after 3 weeks...to 3 gallons pots after the plants show their sex...under the 12/12 light cycle..(no sense transplanting males?)

weak stems are common...I start seeds in cups 2/3's full and add soil around the stem, later as needed

[Dementednotion]

yes ...you will need to transplant after about 3 weeks...I use no nutes the first weeks...but, do use a root stimulator at transplant time

I go from 16oz cups to 6-8 inch pots after 3 weeks...to 3 gallons pots after the plants show their sex...under the 12/12 light cycle..(no sense transplanting males?)

weak stems are common...I start seeds in cups 2/3's full and add soil around the stem, later as needed

Thank you for the transplant and pot(hehe) info. I am relieved about the stem thing though. Now when you say use a root stimulator... What do you mean? Is there a specific brand?

[Dutch Pimp]

Thank you for the transplant and pot(hehe) info. I am relieved about the stem thing though. Now when you say use a root stimulator... What do you mean? Is there a specific brand?
I use Ferti-lome (root stimulator & plant starter solution-4-10-3)..sold at Lowe's, Home Depot, Gardening Shops, etc....about $5.

but, any brand will do....mix very weak amount with water...:thumbsup:

[Dementednotion]

I use Ferti-lome (root stimulator & plant starter solution-4-10-3)..sold at Lowe's, Home Depot, Gardening Shops, etc....about $5.

but, any brand will do....mix very weak amount with water...:thumbsup:

Yeah about that weak amount stuff... My fertilizer now says use a tsp or whatever with 6 cups of water. Now how many plants would that feed? It also says use every two weeks. Does that mean use that whole dilluted solution at once on one plant, wait two weeks, and do it again? Or does that go a LONG way? These labels aren't very specific. :-p