My seedlings are about 4.5 inches (11.5cm) tall and stretching badly. I suspect it’s due to to lack of sunlight which won’t get better for another month. I have a bunch of white widow autos coming and I don’t want this to happen to them. Is it too late to for grow lights to help these guys or is it worth trying? Also, if I plant 10 WW autos, how many square feet of LED light will I need? I am here to learn, thanks.
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Yeah, that’s bad. Some household CFL or LED lights will work in a pinch. They’ll have a color range on them and you’ll want 5000k or above.
Rule of thumb is 35 to 50 watts per square foot. Actual draw, not rated, by the way.
I’d also repot them into something deep and bury those long stalks. They’ll grow roots so you’re kind of making the best of a bad situation.
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@dogrepairman I just got my Afghani Fem seeds but won’t plant them until the spring. I do not think you are alone with the willowy stems. I planted my seeds (no presoaking) in seed starter soil and used a seed warming pad (Amazon.com) on 1/13 they sprouted on 1/17 and just shot up to about 3 inches, weak and I wasn’t quite sure they would make it. When I transplanted them they were not sturdy and the slightest movement would cause them to topple. I would mound the soil around the stem to prop them up, and actually I broke 2, 1 of which twice, again I just mounded the soil up around the stem. I am a firm believer in gypsum, which I added to the soil and 2 1/2 weeks later the stems are thick and very supportive. Now I grow outside so things may be different. Check out my grow journal ‘Come grow with me by HCG’ and see pics of the above story. Happy growing 
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Yes and transplant into a container that light can not penetrate it will burn the roots and cause othe issues but get some 100w equivalent 26w cfl 6500k daylight bulbs and a few sockets with y adapters and you will be ok till you get sun. Also bury your stem as said above by @highcountrygal and you can salvage them
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Wow, this is my first try at Cannabis, thanks for the prompt responses. I was reluctant to add dirt, I’ve grown tons of palm trees from seed and with monocots smothering the trunk is certain death. However, you guys have confirmed my suspicion that it will help my Cannabis. As much as I hate to do it, I may get a tent, lights, and go indoors. Thanks a ton, I need all the help I can get 
Dirt added and they already look happier. I have some LED shop lights that I will run 24/7 until I can do more research about grow lights. Thank y’all so much for the help.
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If you’re not going to pot them deeper, support the stems with some sticks of some kind.
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I’m sure you’re right about repotting them deeper, but Im worried about damaging the roots. I had the root break off one seed just moving it from a water soak to soil. I guess I’m spastic. However, I’m going to bite the bullet and give it a try since the consensus is to do so. Thank y’all so much for the advice, I honestly thought this was going to be a breeze, now I’m paying the price for my overconfidence.
Also, I did get them lit up big time with a cfl and led combo, I hope it helps.
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Are those seedlings Auto’s or Photo’s? If they are autos you can transplant them into their permanent 3 gallon pots. Most people on here use fabric pots. 3 gallon for auto’s and 5-7 gallon for photo’s. Even if you are planning to put them outside some of us still keep them in pots.
You definitely need to get them out of those clear cups into something deeper to put more dirt around the stems. Once those stems are buried have a small fan blowing on them. That will toughen up the stem.
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@dogrepairman it looks to me like you’re on course. Keep us updated …
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I now have a gentle fan blowing. My poor girls are so skinny they remind me of the time Miley Cyrus tried to twerk.
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I’m repotting in 2 days. I put 2 dots on the seedling to the left, the other 2 (of 5) plants were germinated at later intervals. Can I get some advice as to how deep to bury the stems relative to the dots? Also, they were started in Miracle Grow seed starter and imho it doesn’t drain well enough. I have plenty of MG palm and citrus mix, coco coir, and perlite on hand. Are they usable? Thanks.
And yes, I’m aware of the optimized soil mix with bat and worm poop etc. but I’m hoping for a KISS program that will provide a decent enough yield to provide enough crop for one person. Realistically, I can make do if only one of my four plants flower, I’ll have to 86 the other three due to space limitations anyway. Mostly, I’m practicing for the upcoming autos, which is what I should have started with in the first place, but being a total noobie I didn’t know better. I fear that my success germinating ornamentals did nothing but lead to a hubristic fail at Cannabis. I am here to learn.
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you’ll get there in no time. Just be patient and the best piece of advice I can give you is listen to the pros and the people on The Forum. They really do know what they’re talking about. I learn something I think every day when I get on the website. The second thought I have is to write everything down. Keep a journal (or what I do is just keep a calendar and I write in the squares each day what’s going on). It’ll help in the long run. Don’t be afraid to ask questions we’re all learning and have been noobs at one point or another.
Enjoy your growing. And welcome to the Forum.
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By the way, I’m not dodging your question about the stems😉 I just don’t know how far those should be buried down or if they should be staked for a while. Thanks enjoy the growing
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@dogrepairman Slowly mound your soil around the stem give it a day then do it a little higher etc. Too much too soon will rot the stem. Keep lightly damp not wet because that will cause fungus gnats. I did that to several of mine and they are fine now. One I accidently broke twice and it came back fine! Good growing!
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Bury those plants right up to the leaves. Maybe leave an inch or two.
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@neckNflu, I’ve been on ornamental forums for years, but I’ve never seen anything like ilgm, the body of knowledge here is staggering, but also intimidating for noobs. Thanks for the encouragement.
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A light breeze from a fan will also help strengthen them.
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