First Grow - Help Please...

Hey all. For a first grow, I am starting to get concerned at the lack of growth and some other things. I was hoping if I keep a log for a little while and post some pics I might get a better idea as to what is going on from more experienced growers... Ironically, I am a biologist with a minor concentration in botony - but I have no idea what the life cycle is for this (genus) species. On to the details:

Germination was on the 16th, on which day the seedlings were moved from the germination tray to soil medium. Two days later on the 18th, they broke the surface. The attached image was taken on the 20th - four days post germination. Since then, this little girl (I hope) hasn't really done much at all. The leaves are now about 3mm longer/wider than they were when this pic was taken (8 days ago), and there is a pair of smaller leaves on the same internode (you can barely see them in this pic at the center of the meristem) that are about half the primary pair's size now, but thats it. Today is day 12 post germination and I would have expected to see a second tier of leaves by now (a full week and a half since it began photosynthesizing). The color is still a healthy green and appears ok, and the tiny leaves are fairly turgid (adequately hydrated; ie they aren't drooping). If I didn't know any better I would say time just froze. Its like the plant isnt doing ANYTHING - good or bad. It doesn't seem to be getting bigger, smaller, healthier, sicker, etc. It is just the same. So what gives? Any help is much appreciated, thanks!

FYI: 18/6 photoperiod, 4,000 lumens in the 350-500nm and 625-700nm wavelength ranges (mostly blue and some red light). Light is about 14 cm (6 inches) from the top of the leaves (they are cool lights - bulb surface temp is about 42 deg C). Lamp was repositioned about 8 degrees to one side of the plant 4 days ago (I did this to test for phototropism) and the leaves did angle toward the light within 24 hours, so she is still healthy enough to be phototropic (follow light) as far as I can tell. Thanks again for any help - and let me know if anyone would like more info to help me diagnose...

i would put it under 18/6 light as close to ya light as ya can but dont worry too much m8 about the look of it it looks like it is putting all its energy on to root making and once done this should start having grow sperts
cheers hope this helps:)
also only give it water for the first couple of weeks no nutes or ferts
wait till ya see the second lot of good looking leafs befour ya start nutrients
as ya could kill it off !!!!!
cheers bud good luck with ya grow

My asshat "friend" who doesn't know his ass from page 8 drenched the pots with concentrated NPK solution last night because he thought it would jump start everything and he wants some product (which he will never see now). I panicked when he told me, so I flushed them all with a ton of DiH2O (deionized water), and then grabbed some CaCO3 (Calcium Carbonate) from my lab and titrated about 200mg in some more DiH2O to subsequently flush this pots with. Hopefully the CaCO3 will compensate for the cation overload and control the pH (CaCO3 is an extremely strong anion / base), and help leach some of the NPK so the girls aren't totally nuked. /crossing my fingers...

By the way - does anyone have any background or degrees in science? Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, etc? I would be curious to talk to someone else with knowledge in these fields regarding advanced chemical and biochemical techniques in increasing productivity... If anyone is interested, I am planning on running chromatographic and electropherographic chemical structural analysis of the compounds in several strains (once I get them) since we have authorization to work with hazardous and restricted chemicals. The result would be an exact measurement of the levels of the psychoactives involved - and I'm sure there are a lot of people who would like reliable information on the levels of CBN, CBL, and D-9-THC in various strains. Just food for thought.

Also, if anyone is interested, just reply in this thread with your background and any info you'd be willing to share, suggestions you have, or if you are interested in any information I am collecting (I'm more than happy to share). Thanks!

after reading about your friend, i'd start more seeds in new pots/soil asap.

yeah and give your m8 a slap telling him not to touch them again :)

im extremely inexperienced (not even a first grow yet still reading) but i have been doing as much research and reading as possible, and one thing i noticed is i believe cannibus plants u want to have around 55,000 lumens at least, and u said ur light was only putting out 4000 so that could really effect the growth in the vegetative state, also after the shock of the concentrated nutrients u may want to attempt an emergency transplant if things dont get better


just my 2 cents anyone with more experience feel free to correct me

Delta, I've got a GC machine at work, although I don't think they'd like me using it with weed ;-) But, I have been interested to figure out what's in Dutchmaster Reverse, so we can better understand how it works. Would you be able to run an analysis on it? (I'm more of a mechanical/civil engineering background, although I do chemistry and biology when necessary) I'm guessing it's some sorta hormone, but I really don't know.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by delta9420

By the way - does anyone have any background or degrees in science? Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, etc? I would be curious to talk to someone else with knowledge in these fields regarding advanced chemical and biochemical techniques in increasing productivity... If anyone is interested, I am planning on running chromatographic and electropherographic chemical structural analysis of the compounds in several strains (once I get them) since we have authorization to work with hazardous and restricted chemicals. The result would be an exact measurement of the levels of the psychoactives involved - and I'm sure there are a lot of people who would like reliable information on the levels of CBN, CBL, and D-9-THC in various strains. Just food for thought.

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Wow... a guy that "titrated" something for his grow.

You, you are a scientist my friend!

I'm involved with chemistry... not a super-duper expert, but some knowledge.

If you can use those machines, damn homes! Start analyzing stuff! lol !
Super!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mountainman

But, I have been interested to figure out what's in Dutchmaster Reverse, so we can better understand how it works. Would you be able to run an analysis on it?

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I'm not that familiar with it, but it is possible. I would have to look in to it a little more, but from what I understand it reduces male to female ratio? A handy tool indeed...

Anyway, here are some pics. Let me know what you all think. The close up is about day 12, and you can see it had a rough time with that NPK incident (leaves aren't too happy here), but it seems to be recovering. The leaves are getting a little fuller and wider, and it seems to be growing a little more rapidly (as opposed to seemingly not growing at all). I know it is stretching, but that is due to the crappy lights that were up when it germinated. There are now 3 CFLs (botanical spectrum) on this single plant, producing a combined 8,000 lumens on an 18/6 schedule. It has been transplanted since this picture, and the shock was minimal (although it is only slightly bigger). After the transplant, a bit of soil was added to the top layer around the stem so it wasn't stretching so high and had a little more support.

looks nice mate good healty greeen stem no purpl here

Delta,

I say take some of that biologist $$$ you banking and roll over to Ebay for a real light. Say a 400 or be a real biologist and step up to a 1000 watter. If you want to play? Play chess not checker.

Loco

R u growing a sativa or and Indica or a cross? U r gonna need some higher wavelengths later on. Whats the temp and humidity? There's just so many factors...