Watering issue

Hey folks!
so it's my first grow and its in my closet.. I've started with one plant to see how it would be. But now I think I might be experiencing some issues with watering. My plant is in its 5th week of veg and is like 8'', but with only about 15 leaves..It does NOT show any signs of disease tho. I got it from green seeds, it's a himalaya gold. I know it'd be better with pics but I dont own a camera so.. OK here is the real problem.. I have this kind of rotten substance on top of the earth (wich I bought at Home depot.. organic and sterile). I think I might be watering to much .. I usually water about once a week. The plant itself, i repeat, does not show any signs of bad maintenance , only the earth. My pot is a 3,5 gallons with holes under .. Can someone please help me !?
THanks a whole lot !

Sorry I forgot to talk about my light setting.. Since I dont have a lot of money I only have a fluo tube lamp of 150 w i bought at home depot. Plus I havent put any nutes yet.

Hi

I had similar problems when I was messing around with some plants before I started a serious crop.

What i'd suggest to start with looking at your light. Ideally you want to have it under a 400 or 600w light well it seems to work for me.

I used really small pots to start with. What I found was using small pots, less soil = I was having to water because there wasn't much there to hold moisture. I've moved them to bigger pots now and im watering once every 2, 3 days or pretty much when they start drying up. It also gives your roots a chance to grow. Room temp at 75, large pot 600w light should equate to watering every 2 days giving your girl some stability

i'm 3 weeks into my serious crop and these are a few things i've learned and it's worked so far. Hope there is something in there that may help or may not :) my plats are flowering due next week and there around 14 inches just now

Yeah .. I might have to buy another lamp.. And I transplanted it in my big pot when my lil girl was about 2-3 weeks old.. I was scared that the roots get bounded. I've watered it the last time 10 days ago.. and the soil is still wet.. I think I have a problem with my earth's draining abilities.. would there be something to do or is it to late to try anything ? I dont want my yield to be affected! :(

you could try changing the soil I guess being careful. You may also be over watering. A combination of the light and the plant will absorb or should any excess water...

Is the soil drying up at all or is it as wet as it was ten days ago when you watered them? Check your room temp. People say 75 degree as long as your between 70 and 80 ive so far had no problems....

So i'm now on the 14th day since i've watered my plant.. And i think it might be as wet as the first day.. so its definitly a draining problem (?) changing the soil sounds like a good idea.. any one could inform me on an easy way to change the soil now that its 6 weeks old and i dont want to break any roots.. Thanks !!

Not too much I could recommend, if you're risky you can try to wash off some of the outside soil from the rootball and plant it in some fresh soil with lots of perlite(about 30-50% by volume). Also adding a fan blowing across the top of the soil should help dry it out and prevent mold from it being constantly wet.

Also your light is just fine, not ideal but if you keep the plant small it should be good. I've got a 200w CFL myself and it's doing wonderfully with 12,000 lumens on a 2x1 space. I hate people always trying to recommend expensive HID when you're obviously on a budget. If you want more light I'd say get a few clamp lamps and some 23-42w CFL bulbs from Home Depot for additional side lighting. Should be $20 or so for each new light & fixture.

Ok so first thanks for answering my questions. Now im about 2 months in veg and this is what my baby looks like. I've noticed some of the leaves have started curving a bit.. Is that bad ? Plus, i've also noticed a little yellow spot at the tip of a couple leaves (I know this picture isn't really clear but thats the best i could obtain) . And finaly, I wanted to know your opinion on how it looks. I personaly think it looks fragile, like not bushy... Will it be better when I start flowering ? Is it ready to flower ?? I know its a lot of question but i've been waiting for boxing day to buy a camera :P

There it is

Hey guys ! please someone answer me !! I'd like to know hows my plant !!

How close are your lights? That's a ton of stretch! If I were you I'd put the lights as close as possible.. like a few inches away!

^^Yes very stretched from lack of light. Get all the CFL's you can afford and put them as close to the plant as possible, 1 to 3 inches away at most (depending on strength of the bulb) and all around it, not just above. Check out Post #7 here: http://boards.cannabis.com/indoor-li...-lighting.html

From what I saw in the pic, the yellow tip is nothing to worry about ATM.

Next time you transplant definitely get some perlite like redtails said and stay away from those "moisture control" soils.

Just to repeat redtails again :D you should get a fan in there to help dry out the soil but also to get your plant waving a little, it'll strengthen your main stalk and stems and reduce the stretching.