Stunting

[hillbillydeville]

Just purchased my first led lights. Can someone explain what stunting is, what causes it, how to overcome it?

 

[blue]

Hi There! ^_^

A stunted plant is one thatdoesn't grow to it's usual potential. It's usually caused by a bad enviornment or something not right in the medium (too many nutes, so burned, or an unreasonable PH, or too few nutes)

A stunted auto is quite an undesirable thing as it's on a life and death timer (unlike photoperiod plants) and will never reach it's full potential if it's stunted in early life.

You can (mainly) avoid it by keeping the grow parameters at a good level. 70-80f heat, 40-60RH, the correct PH for your medium (probably soil at around 6.2) and don't over or under feed and water!

That's about it.

Good luck with the new LED - hang it around 60 inches above the seedlings and cross your fingers!

Hope this helps
Blue ^_^

 

[hillbillydeville]

Thank you blue, as mentioned with the new led light replacing my old de hid the learning curve has been rapid and steep. I definitely stunted some freebies I was using these to learn the lights, now I'm seeing similar signs on the newbies. One of the first I stunted is still hanging around it's a tangerine short, stocky but definitely not reaching its potential, little frustrating at almost 30 days it's all of 6 inches tall.

 

[Rev. Green Genes]

Thank you blue, as mentioned with the new led light replacing my old de hid the learning curve has been rapid and steep. I definitely stunted some freebies I was using these to learn the lights, now I'm seeing similar signs on the newbies. One of the first I stunted is still hanging around it's a tangerine short, stocky but definitely not reaching its potential, little frustrating at almost 30 days it's all of 6 inches tall.

ouch. Thats a long time.

How many plants and how big is the grow area?
What size and type of LED are you using?
How far are the lights from the plant?
are you in soil or hydro?
What nutes? what pH? What feeding schedule?
Did they start growing faster all of a sudden or was it just slow?

 

[hillbillydeville]

3 platinum p450 5 plants 7.5 gallon air pots pro mix hp w/ 1 tbs.lime added per gallon ph is at a high 6.7 an nutrient line. Rain water coming in at 7.2 about 7-9 ppm lights are in veg only at 24" for the first ten days then up they go. As for feeding schedule I'm trying to adapt the schedule I used under my hid. Grow, micro, bloom,.5 per liter after the first ten days b52,piranha voodoo @2ml per liter grow space is 6' 9' it seems right after sprouting they just stopped growing 2 were culled and the tangerine I just wanted to watch and see what comes of it. I put down new seeds and have my fingers crossed temps are at 80 and humidity is 62 light cycle is20/4 the larger is the tangerine at 29 days, the sprout is a ultimate at 9 days

 

[Rev. Green Genes]

Thanks for all the detail, that all sounds normal. It's hard to say what would cause that sort of stunting without other symptoms. The main causes are usually over watering or over feeding and environmental variables like temp. With that amount of lime you may get better results after recycling that soil because that can take some time to buffer. I would bet that pH level is your issue, but it is still odd that you don't show other symptoms on the leaves. Perhaps @Waira will be able to figure it out.

 

[Hippy_BiotabsF70]

Have you got 3 x P450 on seedlings at 24 inches for first ten days?

If so, I suspect that is the source of your stunted heights.

I would try ONE P450 for the first couple of weeks personally. Vegging doesn't take much light.

I have seen countless LED grows with very very short plants. Depends what you're after, but that amount of LED light at that height from day 1 will definitely have an effect on your plant heights and node spacing IMO.

Also pretty easy to "stunt" autos with overwatering at a young age? Soggy roots won't bother to spread out to look for water.

 

[hillbillydeville]

@hippy71, I would say your right in your comment. I had 2 of the lights on the seedlings and remember these that stunted were freebies. The current seedlings at doing much better and are from quality breeders. Also not knowing the lights I probably had them too close. Normally I take the time to read as much as I can take what I can use and put it away in the knowledge tool box. I've had a lot of overtime at work and less time to read this summer. I want to thank you and everyone for the input as always plenty of good people on here.

 

[Hippy_BiotabsF70]

@hippy71, I would say your right in your comment. I had 2 of the lights on the seedlings and remember these that stunted were freebies. The current seedlings at doing much better and are from quality breeders. Also not knowing the lights I probably had them too close. Normally I take the time to read as much as I can take what I can use and put it away in the knowledge tool box. I've had a lot of overtime at work and less time to read this summer. I want to thank you and everyone for the input as always plenty of good people on here.

Absolutely agree mate. I only have faith in a handful of breeders so far.

Good luck buddy.

 

[Waira]

HBD-- after seeing the info, I'm leaning toward light blasting as well,.. seedlings need less intense light, too much compacts internodal spacing or can even stunt them outright,... it's possible to have too much light, but not have the heat/stress symptoms on seedlings,... Platinum should have recommendations for distances,... lights that powerful should be about 30" away, more if multiple lights,..... Pt units are great lights, but the center zone can be downright fierce! you'll love them mate, just mind the intensity which can be deceptive,.. our eyes are very poor measure for this truth be told,...


Blooo lovie, great to see you popping in here!