Started 6 auto flowers 2/4. Germinating was slow and veg growth is slow. I apparently made lots of mistakes, with that process, I finally have them at the early veg stage after two months. Finally transplanted to a grow tent using fox farm ocean forest medium. They handles the transplant well, 24 hour light cycle with 1000led grow light, but I know I need to add something I just don’t know what. I do not know what nutrients to use. I know the ff has nutrients but what do I use to supplemen it bout killing them? t I did not buy the fertilizer pack bc I couldn’t afford it, my temp and humidity in grow tent is good, but the ph of my soil is averaging about 4.5. They look healthy but I’m seeing the leaves curling and yellowing on two of the plants.
Can someone please help?? I’m going crazy looking for answers in a place where there is too much information I have no idea where to look. Getting very frustrated
Welcome to the forum.
Photos of the plant would be very helpful.
This is not common when in a FF soil that has not been fed. Have you been feeding nutrients? What is it that you are testing (runoff water?) that reads 4.5?
Manufacturer and model of the light? It is highly unlikely that the light you have is capable of flowering 6 plants. Plants generally require about 200 watts of quality lighting per plant. 1,000 watt lights are typically fraudulent in their wattage claims and it is more likely that you have a 100 to 150 watt light that might flower 1 plant.
What are you using to measure the soil pH?
A test gauge that I put in the soil. Looks like a large thermometer kind of. It’s battery operated.
Vivosun VS 1000 led. It was part of a grow tent kit I ordered online.
These are notoriously inaccurate. Apera and Bluelab both make great meters.
This light is (barely) capable of flowering 1 plant. You need more lighting or you will end up with a spindly plant with few buds. You want a light that is built with Samsung LM301 series diodes. HLG is the best, but you can get models with LM301b diodes that are only 1 generation old and are nearly as effective from Spider Farmer or Mars Hydro. HLG uses LM301h diodes, which are about 10% more efficient and are the best diodes currently available.
I doubt that your pH device gives an accurate reading. A decent soil pH probe (I have Blue Labs soil pH probe) is quite expensive (About $180). You should get an Apera 20 (about $50) or something similar. That will test the pH in a liquid. Make a soil slurry and test the pH of the slurry. Proper pH is very important when growing cannabis.
I haven’t given any nutrients so far because I know the FF has some and I was afraid of killing the plants with too much of something and am unsure what to feed it, or what they need. I am looking for advice because there is SO much information out there it’s overwhelming.
Welcome aboard! Pics woukd help a ton. If FFOF, you should be good for at least 4 wks without any nutes added. After that, start checking runoff for ppm’s to be less than 1,000, and then it’s advised to start feeding at 1/2 to 3/4 strength.
Will it help if I try to replace the light with something more effective and efficient at this point? Or is my grow a wash and I should just start over?
Btw here are pics as of today. They have really increased in growth since I put them in the tent about 10 days ago.
Thank you all for the welcome and feedback, this noob is nervous for sure.
So far so good @Alphia. They are chugging along nicely from what I see. Nothing to be nervous about. Better to underwater than overwater them. They’ve already told you, but that light won’t cut it for 4 plants…really even 1 for that matter. Good lights are critical for good weed.
Agree with this.
HLG is the most recommended light on the forum, and for good reason
Other budget friendly contenders are
AC Infinity (beware that they will up sell the product just like Vivosun does, so get a bigger light than you think you need if you go this route)
KingBrite (you need to buy it on Alibaba which feels sketchy AF)
Green Beams - unfortunately last I looked they were out of stock but they are a direct replica of HLG for a fraction of the price
Your plants look small for their age. I suggest decreasing the frequency of your watering and water in a wide ring around the outside of your plant - really saturate the soil at the edges of the pot and don’t water directly on top of the stalks.
As others mentioned, a good pH pen - Hanna, BlueLab or Apera - is going to go a long way in keeping things happy.
That said, they all look generally happy, if not small. Better watering practices and better light will make all the difference in size next grow around.
You said you just put them in the tent 10 days ago they were someplace else before that? That could account for slow growth cold temperatures, insufficient light