Advice with first time grow

Hi all,
This is my first try at an indoor grow. I have read through quite a few topics and i think i know what my problems are but not quite how to fix them.

I started with white widow seeds from ILGM and soaked them in water for 2 days then into damp paper towels until they sprouted. That was a success as I started 3 seeds and they all sprouted…thanks ILGM for quality products. I planted 2 seeds in small containers u till they sprouted then transplanted into the containers they are in now…I think approximately 3 gallon. I used fox farm ocean forest soil.
The light I am using is this King Plus 800w Double Chips LED Grow Light Full Specturm for Greenhouse and Indoor Plant Flowering Growing sorry if the link does not show, I don’t quite have the hang of posting.
I planted the seeds in soil at the beginning of February, so now it has been almost 2 months, and the plants seem small compared to pictures I have seen from other posters given the same amount of time. Also just yesterday I noticed a couple of brown spots on a few of the leaf tips. A few weeks ago I thought I should try some nutrients so I put about a capsule of Fox farms grow big in about 1 quart of water and put about half that into the potted plant…maybe too much?..but it has been weeks since I did that.
These are in a closet in my basement where it is dry and comfortable temperature. I have the light on an 18/6 schedule, I had the light closer at first then I moved it up to about 24 inches above the plants based on what I read here about led light should not be too close to the plants.
So my questions are,
Is my light correct? Is there too much red light not enough blue for vegetative stage?
Does this sound like nutrient burn, and should I flush with water, or just let it go on its own? I do not have a ph probe, should I get one.
Any other suggestions would be most welcome, I appreciate the time and experience that you growers are will to share here, this is a great resource for beginners like me.
I hope i can post my photos, taken yesterday 03/20/17


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Hey @Fenton I found your post my friend, great job so far if you need any help add the @ symbol in front of my name ill be happy to help

Thank you @Majiktoker, I am nervous and excited seeing these grow, and I hope i can do it correctly as I don’t have much of a green thumb. I don’t really want large plants, and I will only grow 1 or 2 at a time. If I can get an ounce per plant I would be happy. Thank you for the help

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@Fenton, my pleasure thats why im here, you’ll do great with all of us here guiding you, as well as achieve what you are trying to do :slight_smile:

Happy growings and welcome to ilgm we are happy to have you here

Hey @Fenton. Welcome to ILGM. @Majiktoker and the other mentors here are amazing growers.

Maybe cut and paste this info so we all know the details (temp, ph, soil, etc). Also, A pic in normal light is always great to have. Good luck!!

COPY/PASTE: This “Support Ticket” into your forum post.
Answer these simple questions the best you can.
If you do not know, or do not use something; Just say so = NA

Strain; Type, Bag seed, or NA

Soil in pots, Hydroponic, or Coco?

System type?

PH of water in?

PH of runoff or solution in reservoir?

What is strength of nutrient mix? EC, or TDS

Indoor or Outdoor

Light system, size?

Temps; Day, Night

Humidity; Day, Night

Ventilation system; Yes, No, Size

AC, Humidifier, De-humidifier,

Co2; Yes, No

Add anything else you feel would help us give you a most informed answer. Feel free to elaborate, but short, to the point questions and facts will help us help you

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Thanks very much @Matthew420 and @Majiktoker I will take a picture in normal light when I get home and post again with the info on my environmental conditions

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Sweet, ill be around and look forward to the pictures in normal lights

I wouldnt worry sir Fenton, those look like nye on perfect plants! Cant really poke a hole in them, keep up the good work sir. (Maybe skrog later on)

Thanks again everyone for all the help and advice.
These are my growing conditions as best as I can determine

Strain; white widow

Soil in pots

System type? Don’t know

PH of water in? I do not have a ph meter

PH of runoff or solution in reservoir?

What is strength of nutrient mix? I used fox farms grow big once about 3 weeks ago. 11/2 capsules in 32 Oz of water. I gave the plant about half

Indoor or Outdoor indoor

Light system, size? King Plus 800w Double Chips LED Grow Light Full Specturm for Greenhouse and Indoor Plant Flowering Growing (10w Leds

Temps; Day, Night with doors closed to the grow room and light on I would say upper 70’s to 80’s at night after lights out into the 60’s

Humidity; Day, Night 40 Ish percent it is only a guess

Ventilation system; Yes, No, Size no

AC, Humidifier, De-humidifier, no

Co2; Yes, No don’t know

So my concerns are slow growth, I don’t want a big plant, just about 18-24 inches, but the seeds have been in soil since February 1 and seem small to me. Would a different light be better?

The tips of some of the leafs are burned, is that too much nutrients? Is it bad for the plant at this point?

When I change the light schedule to make it flower, will the plant grow much bigger? Now I am on an 18/6 schedule, I am limited right now on the amount of space for height.

Sorry for the many questions, thanks in advance for any help.


In actuality you are 6 1/2 weeks in. Based on that I would say that you aren’t far off. But you seriously need to know and adjust the ph of your water, which could stunt your plants. Your lights should be fine for the whole grow. I got 4 oz of bud off a 20" tall plant grown entirely under LED’s in soil.

Thank you @Myfriendis410, if I can get half of your yield I would be pleased.
I will check the ph of my water this weekend, even if I just get the straps from home Depot.
A few questions if you don’t mind.

  1. Should I be feeding nutrients to the plant? I have fox farms grow big, but I have only used it once about 3 weeks ago.
  2. Are the brown spots on the leaf tips any concern?
  3. And could I start the Flowering at the beginning of April? I need to be finished with the growing part of the process by end of May or very early June?
    Thanks for all the help on this forum…everyone is great and so will to share their knowledge.

@Fenton take pics of the spots under natural or white light for us so we can see them. LED pics are cool, but we can’t really diagnose issues under those lights.

Here is a sample ph and tds meter and ph up and down. Just examples…

ph and tds meters

ph up & Down

https://www.amazon.com/General-Hydroponics-GH1514-Control-Kit/dp/B000BNKWZY/ref=sr_1_2?tag=greenrel-20

Before we discuss nutrients we need to know exactly what soil you are using?

So FFOF is a nutrient rich soil. I use it as well and am over 8 weeks into my grow and my soil is still to enriched to add nutrients to.

It takes a plant roughly 2 months plus to flower

Hi @bob31 and thanks for the reply.
I am using fox farms ocean forest soil, and I have fox farms grow big liquid nutrient if I need it. I used it once before about 3 weeks ago, I mixed 1 1/2 capsules in 32 Oz of water and used about 16 Oz of the nutrient water on the plant. Too much too soon?
Maybe the natural light photo did not upload before so I’ll try again.


Hey @fenton boy her indica is definitely showing! fat leaves and compact plant

I was looking for just a picture of the leaves with the brown tips. I took your photo up full size and I see them. Looks like nutrient burn to me.

Is your WW a fem or an auto?

Ahhh sorry @bob31, next time I’ll get close up pictures, but I hope there is no next time…:).
The white widow seeds are feminized, not auto flower

ok, I have read a lot of posts here and I see guys getting a little nutrient burn on their leaves from using Fox Farms soils. (including myself)

I would recommend you get those meters so you can check to see where your pH and TDS is. If your runoff TDS is low enough you can start nutrients, but I doubt that is going to be anytime soon.

Thanks again @bob31, and I just ordered those meters

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In the pot size and using the soil you have you won’t need nutrients for a while. The burn at the tips could be due to light exposure too. I experienced that with WW under LED’s which went away as the plants hardened. You can put them into flower at any time you wish. That’s where growing under lights is so cool. But be aware that your yield will be very small.

@Myfriendis410 thanks, I think at first I did have the led lights too close…about 12 inches, I moved them to about 30 inches now after reading that more distance is needed for the full spectrum of light for Leds?
I moved the lights a couple weeks ago, but I just noticed the burn at the tips a couple days ago.
I’ll give it some time and see what develops.
In the meantime I ordered the ph meters today, maybe that will,provide some clues. I have been using bottled water to water the plants tho.

It sounds like you are doing everything right. They are pretty and healthy and certainly not reaching for lack of light. It’s too bad that you can’t let them go a bit longer because they really explode after about 18" tall.