Auto Newbie, need help

Hi everyone! I think I need some help. I have three auto plants (Bubble Gum, Jack Herer, OG Kush) in a 4x2x5 tent, with a 600w LED, soil is FFOF and they’re in 5 gallon cloth buckets. I put the seeds to germinate in water on 3/15 and put them in soil once they had a nice tap root on 3/18. So far so good but I think they’re looking a little leggy. Being that I have no idea what I’m doing regardless of all I’ve read, I need someone to talk me off this ledge, lol. I’m thinking I may need another light maybe and some these babies. What do you guys think? Thank you!




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Welcome to the community. Your seedlings look good. Just keep an eye on them. The ocean Forest might be a little hot For small seedlings. Also water in a circular pattern try not to over water.

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Thank you! I’ve been watering them by spraying around the seedling and not on them.

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You might want to use. A clear Dome Just mist the inside of the Dome couple times a day for right now that will get your humidity level up.

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Looks great to me so far.

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Welcome to the forum…

I’m the wrong one to talk you off the ledge…I would say jump…with a parachute…lol

They are looking fine for their age.
What make/model is your light?
You may experience some minor issues with the ocean Forrest soil. I suggest next time to use a seed starter soil like Fox farms light warrior soil as it had a lower concentration of nutrients and you would fill the pot mostly with the ocean Forrest and leave some room where you put the seed maybe the size of the solo cup in picture and fill that area in center with light warrior to allow the seedling to grow a bit before its roots reach the ocean Forrest soil.
Also consider watering them using a plant saucer underneath and pouring some RO or distilled water (no need to adjust PH of these types of water) into the saucer and let the soil wick up the water…5-10 minutes later all the water will have disappeared (wicked up into soil) and add some more etc…not looking to saturate the soil but get the lower portion wet and the plants roots seek water and that will cause them to grow roots down to the lower portion of the soil. If your using Tap water you’ll want to check it’s Ph and adjust it to around 6.5 before watering. If needs adjusting up or down I use these products…they are very inexpensive and a little goes a long way and are natural based and not synthetic.


I will also give them some water in a ring about 4” away from seedling which also causes roots to seek that moisture growing them outward too. Your plant will be concentrating on establishing roots in the beginning so the top growth won’t go very fast at first.

Depending on the light your using it may work from seed to harvest but may not…post what light you have and we can better advise.
Seedlings don’t need much intensity but as they grow into bigger plants they will need more.

Also what are your temps and humidity?
Here is a chart you can use to reference during the grow showing what’s optimal during each stage of growth…

Hope this helps and shout out if needed we are here to help get your grow on!

Edit to add…this watering is great for seedlings etc but as they get larger you’ll be watering the entire top of the soil and not just rings etc. mostly do top watering later in growth and not so much saucer watering…my style anyway

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As Kelly suggested if needed use a clear piece of Tupperware or a cut 2 liter coke bottle etc as a dome …spray mist the plant and the inside of the dome to a couple times a day to maintain high humidity
After a week or two you’ll not need to use the dome anymore unless humidity is too low

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I currently have Bloomspect I don’t think its giving enough light. When I check on them they’re leaning towards the light source instead of straight up.

My humidity is all over the place, can I use glass jars or do they have to be plastic? Nothing against it, I just don’t have any plastic bottle. Lots of glass jars though.

This was this morning when I went to turn off the light and water them.

Thank you so much for your help! I really appreciate it.

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I have and use mason jars for just about everything too…avoid plastic as much as possible. That should be fine maybe have something to lift it up maybe 1/2” or so for some airflow underneath. I’ve used them before but usually have trash from grocery stores that I reuse for domes.
Is the light this one…or less wattage model?


This light will be fine for the early middle stages of growth but at 265 wall watts will not be optimum for flowering that size space. Some of the watts used are for cooling and aren’t as efficient as other options out there. It will work but you may not get the possible yields along with dense buds etc.
Look up Horticultural Lighting Group and take a look at their HLG 260 xl model with r-Spec…this light will blow away the one now with regards to flowering that space with bigger denser buds.

You’ll want to get your humidity way up…if you have a humidifier I would use it. Just be aware if using tap water it will contain calcium and when it’s humidifier into are ends up coating things with a white fine powder and that will clog up your prefilter on your inline fan and even your furnace filter etc. I went down that road in the beginning and now use RO water for that and for watering plants

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The light I’m using has 600w so less than the one you posted. I knew I should’ve gone bigger :woman_facepalming:t4: Going to try my best to find distilled water during this quarantine. Everyone is sold out. Going to look at getting more precise light (veg/bloom) with a new lamp. I just looked at the one you suggested and is there a less expensive version? I’m not currently working due Coronavirus and not sure when I’ll be back.

You are a lifesaver! Thank you.

When you can get this or one like it…saves money and oil/plastic in the long run…over buying distilled or RO at store for $1 or more per gallon

There are less expensive lights out there…
Look up spider Farms on amazon for one around 250-300 watts…similar build to the hlg ones

You can use tap water to feed just need to have a liquid PH meter costs about $12 or so for cheap ones and if needing to lower it use citric acid…like for canning
You can also use those ph test strips but not as convenient etc

Use a bucket and a towel wicking up water from bucket with fan in tent blowing over it to help get humidity up…other ways too just one I’ll toss out

Okay, that’s cool! Didnt even think of that.

I have a meter, should I start measure the ph when they’re this tiny? I do have citric acid, thanks for the tip.

I’ll try the towel trick!

Muchas gracias!

Your meter can test the Tap water?
Not a soil meter but testing the tap water before feeding and adjust that to about 6.5 ph. If you end up using RO or distilled water there is no need to check or adjust as it will take the Ph of the soil as there are no or very few solids in the water (ppm…parts per million) whereas tap can change / effect the soil Ph because it has stuff in there…calcium etc etc make sure your letting tap sit out overnight (or bubble in bucket with air pump and air stones only takes a couple hours…so the chlorine can off gas as plants, soil critters and our bodies critters don’t do well with chlorine. If you have fish tanks that water when you do a 20% water change would be good to use as there is fish shit in there etc…
Chloramine is another chemical they put in city water and that’s harder to get rid of…your county/city water supply

Wanted to clarify about using RO or distilled water.
When you add nutrients to the water you will want to check the Ph and may need to adjust that depending on what nutrients you added.
Check the solution Ph after adding the nutrients and adjust if necessary

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I also vote for The HLG 260 XL R-Spec Is a perfect fit for your space. You will not need to buy another light or be disappointed. ( heavy dense buds ) Sometimes they have some good sales. Good luck.

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Yes more light needed in flower for sure, the bloomspect 600w is not 600w it only pulls 136w from the wall. For decent bud they recommend 35 to 50 watts per square foot. 2x4= 8 SF ÷ 136= 17 watts per square foot. I understand times are crazy, hope this helps. Happy growing

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Thank you for the clarification, I thought you meant a soil meter. I have a pool chlorine and ph meter (which measures ph) would I be able to use that?

At the very least I will let the water sit out over night.

doing the same grow for my first grow rn im 45 days in full nutes on OGK and BBG and half nutes on jack herer all after day 25 - 30

If it measure liquids for Ph then yep you can use that to check Ph
Not sure if your pool chlorine tester would be useful as those show how much chlorine in water and in pools you want chlorine to keep stuff from growing in the pool. It may work just not sure how low it goes…zero is what you want