HELP FIRST TIME GROWER!!

[suzuk99]

hello guys, ive just started a little ebb and flow set up and i have some questions about some stuff. First of all my system is a 9 plant system. for a growing medium i am using rockwool and expanded clay pelets together. I germinated the seeds in rockwool and then placed the whole cubes in the expanded clay pelets. Ive got a 400 watt mh on them right now on the 18/6 schedule and theyve grown about 4 cm with 4 leaves on them. It has been about 2 weeks since germination. 2 types of leafs in opposite directions. Ive been watering them about 3-4 times a day and ive got the floragrow tripple nutrient package for feeding. I have about a 35% mix to start.

well now the problem.. the other day one of my seedlings just flopped over. It was about 3 cm high and just wouldnt stay up. It looked like the stem had thinned out in 1 area and culdnt even hold the plant up anymore. I tried to save it by tying it to a tooth pick but it didnt work it just flopped over again. Is there anything im doing wrong at all? any suggestions?

btw...the seeds im using are sensi star paradise seeds if that makes any different

[bonbon]

they are most likely being overwatterd,rockwool holds plenty of water,at this stage you should only water once a day or every other day or they'll drown or develop a mold or fungus,at about 10 days old you can give them mild nutes(1/4-1/3)strength and a fan on them will help too,dont water them for a few days and see if things improve....bonbon http://www.simplyhydro.com/hydrou.htm

[suzuk99]

ive stopped watering the plants for 3 days now and theyr'e doing great. they've developed another set of leaves on each.. now how much should i water them from now on?

[bonbon]

for now,use two flood cycles,one 15 minute flood when the lamp is on,and one 2 hours before the lamp goes off,gradually increase to 3 then 4 over the next 14 days,and when they start to take off,flood for a 1/2 hour every four hours,thats a tall growing strain you've got,so by the time their around 12",you can induce photoperiod(12-12)....bonbon

[suzuk99]

my plants have been growing well. ive done everything youve said and teh seedlings are already about 5 inches tall. they all have about 2-3 sets of leaves but the only problem is that i noticed some of the bigger leaves started to curl up a bit. is this bad? what should i do?

[bonbon]

check the "ph" first,It should be at 5.5-5.8,are you feeding with a complete hydroponic nutrient?It could be a magnesium deficiency also....bonbon

[suzuk99]

my ph is at around 6.5 and im feeding with all hydro nuts. ive been using a 35% mix of the gh schedule

[bonbon]

try to lower the "ph",and start using nutes at full strength,they should be able to handle it by now,use the 1/2HR flood cycles too,if you dont have air stones or a bubble wand in the reservoir,get some,to add some oxygen to the nutrient,an top off the res with fresh water when needed....bonbon

[suzuk99]

im going to make a new nute mix today but i just noticed that a little light brown spot has developed on a leaf. does that mean anything?

[bonbon]

just an early sign of a deficiency,but that'll clear up when you increase the nute dose....bonbon

[suzuk99]

ive increased the nute mix and fed and its been a few hours and one of the plants(the one with the little brown dot on it) appears to be sagging a little bit in its leafs .. i hope its not a problem. i also have all the seedlings held up with toothpicks and a little piece of tape holding the stem to the toothpick.. is that ok? thanks for all the help.. sorry to be bothering

[bonbon]

How high is the lamp above the plants?You can keep a 400WT 12-15" over the top of the seedlings,heat will cause stretching too,are you using a fan?A fan will make the stems more rigid,point the air current between the lamp and the plants,so there is some motion and air movement in the plants,keep the fan on constantly....bonbon

[suzuk99]

yeah i have the light about 20" from the top and the fan is on a timer set to go off every 4 hours for 1/2 an hour

[bonbon]

you're not keeping the lamp close enough,that'll make em stretch,as they are doing,maintain that 12-15"distance throughout the whole grow,leave the fan on 24-7...bonbon

[suzuk99]

alright thanks a lot for all the help i just really dont wana mess these plants up . i moved the light to 15" away and got the fan on 24/7. it looks like the fan is bending around some of the leafs though.. is that ok?

[bonbon]

The motion is beneficial,like i mentioned,the stems will become more rigid,soon they will stand on their own,keep me updated,good luck....bonbon

[suzuk99]

thanks again.. the plants are doing better already. they all are looking more healthy except 1 has some light greenish parts to some of the leaves. its like more of a neon green type coloration. it looks like the plant isnt healthy. I also still have them all held up with toothpicks im going to take them off in a few days once the stems look like they can hold up the heavy leafs that have grown on top

[bonbon]

thats a tall growing strain you've got,
actualy"sensi star"is an indica,on the compact side,I confused it with "sensi skunk"A tall grower

[bonbon]

thats a tall growing strain you've got,
actually"sensi star"is an indica,on the compact side,I confused it with "sensi skunk"A tall grower

[bonbon]

What the Hell?^^^^