New Grower RQS Royal Critical & Northern Lights Autoflower LED Grow

[Gonzo]

I have started my first AF grow under 340W LED (Blue colour in the pics) with 6 plants, 3 x Royal Critical & 3 x Northern Lights both from Royal Queen Seeds (see picture).
T: 22,6 C, RH : 64%, I run 340 w LED on 70% power so that it takes app.120W. The distance is 80cm.


I have put them on wet towel on sept.17, sept.20 in soil. All came out, NL were little bit lazy and had big issues with removing shells, I helped a little very, very carefully. That is why NL has strange forms of small leaves on the pictures.
I use 18 and 20 L containers with Plagron Light Mix. I use light that has already given this kind of product (see the picture) but I have not tested it in early veg stages. It was involved in flowering times. This buds were made on photo plants that had never had recovered from summer extreme heat and damage during early flowering.



I put germinated seeds into quite dry medium (as it comes from bag, not really dry) and added little tap water with Hesi Root Complex around them every day. Very little water. 3 days ago I watered each with 1-1,5 l water with Hesi Root Complex and Powerzyne both half of the recommended amount.

That was all so far.

And my plants are very, very small. Any idea what could have gone wrong? (See the pictures of them 8 days in soil). The highest and mightiest is 8 cm tall and has 5,8 cm over leaves.

WTF is going on?

 

[namvet25]

What brand of led are they? They look like there stretching for light.Try moving your lights closer but not too close to burn them.What is your light schedule? They will be a little slow a that age until they build up a root system.Once they get there third or fourth set of leaves they should start taking off.

 

[Gonzo]

Gehl Lighting from Shenzen.

24 hr

I have now lowered the blue light and added one more light (see the picture) with switchable growth/bloom lighting. Of course I have switched off red spectrum for veg state on the second one. So I will be able to compare how each of them works. Blue one draws full power 167W now and green one 117W with red blom add on out. Otherwise it would take 170W and emit more red light.



They really look a little bit too streched, seems that 80 cm at 120 W actual power draw was too low.

Now I run 2 lights 280W 60cm from top leaves. I do not want to see any stretch anymore.

 

[TaNg]

Good luck with the grow Gonzo....can you raise your temp at all? I've found the optimum temp for growing under GNs LED spectrum is 26-29c and RH around 45% for the entire grow.

 

[Gonzo]

Thanks Tang,

I have just started my gas heating (without emiting water in the air), 24,4 C now and 60 % RH (rain outside). I would like grow mix to dry faster and higher temps will help. I have not added any nutes yet, only root stimulator. Will rise temps in grow place furthermore and RH will go down at the same time. Thank you for reminding me. again one thing that I know but has not been paid enough attention at so far. In fact it was, but from another point of view. I dry my buds in the same appartment and I was satisfied with lower temps and higher RH what was not the best for the seedlings. But let the plants thrive, I will dry my buds somehow, they are doing just fine on day 8.

That is why I post my grow here, some people will see things that I am blind for or see different way.

The biggest one has reached 7 cm over leaves (in 16 hours from 5,8) with no vertical grow at all. Babies do not need any more vertical growth for now, have been overstretched so far, I think.

Two of them now look like Dreamliners, they have happily stretched their leaves, I hope they are as happy as I am seeing them. Sometimes plants seem to thrive and then suddenly burning signals come unexpectedly. That is why I will be carefull. Now on 60 cm. Will go lower if everything will seem fine. I have a lot of experience with overreacting and making changes faster than plants were able to show their happiness or sadness.

 

[Gonzo]

Things get better now, lights are lower and the light seems to be just fine. They have made a lot of progress last 7 days, but because of giving them too litlle light in the first week they are behind schedule. Especially that ones that hadlong shell removing struggle.

Day 15
T: 26C RH: 39%, 20/4 light, Plagron Lightmix



I wish I would leave my ganjappartment for three days to see the progress in one peace.

 

[Gonzo]

after 4 days there is some progress, my friends.

4 days ago

ten minutes ago

Royal Critical 10 minutes ago and forth one on the picture in the above post from 4 days ago


I like their stems. They start to look like a highway for food supply. I do not believe buds will be short of anything.

And I will not be short of buds.:dance2:

 

[Chester]

Your plants look great Gonzo ... When you have a light w/ a flowering switch it is important to mix in the red spectrum early in the grow ... if for example you waited 3-4 weeks to add in the red you would damage the plants ... I like to slowly add in the red starting at about 10 days and then leave it on full time after about 2 weeks ... I read this from a very reliable source and it makes sense since one of the reasons for IR in a light is that it irritates/damages the plant to make it grow added trichomes ... If anyone has a link to this info please post it and if anyone knows this to be wrong please post a reference link.
:Cushty:

 

[tokaite]

Looking good !
Peace

 

[Gonzo]

Your plants look great Gonzo ... When you have a light w/ a flowering switch it is important to mix in the red spectrum early in the grow ... if for example you waited 3-4 weeks to add in the red you would damage the plants ... I like to slowly add in the red starting at about 10 days and then leave it on full time after about 2 weeks ... I read this from a very reliable source and it makes sense since one of the reasons for IR in a light is that it irritates/damages the plant to make it grow added trichomes ... If anyone has a link to this info please post it and if anyone knows this to be wrong please post a reference link.
:Cushty:

Chester, I agree completely. I do have one such light and I will never buy that kind of stuff any more. It is a green one above.

Recently I have been using it with both buttons switched on from the day 1 and I put it 55 cm above plants at first, but because of stretching, it went down to 40cm. This is light with no 90/120 lens so the angle is 160 degrees and it loses much power. That is why it is lower that others.

But at the beginning I was misleaded by two buttons and had been using it wrongly for couple of months until I had got the same explanations as you are talking about.

LED works great when you learn how to use it. And not so great before.

This is my first auto grow, was a little bit painfull at the beginning but now it becomes pleasure.