4 weeks in and very small growth

[Ghostcoast]

Hey guys, first grow, 2nd time posting.

heres the specs before i ask my question
SETUP
-4x4x7 tent

-1200watt led

-24 watt led Blue ONLY light i was given that i threw in for veg phase

-small additions of co2 via DIY fermenting yeast/sugar/water process in
-2 x 5 gallon water containers containing the mix outside my tent that join at a point and tubed up trough the top of my tent and over my plants

-oscillating fan

- foxfarms ocean bed soil

-roots organic master program nutes

- 5 x auto GS cookies


The Problem.

So seeds sprouted fast no issues at all.

Theyre a almost 4 weeks in and are growing incredibly slow.

I gave them nutrient added water for the first time 2 days ago because fox farm has been said to be way too hot at first
Theyre showing a tiny bit of growth over the past two days but either way I feel like they are no where near how tall and developed they should be at this point in.


Thanks for the help.

 

[adrenaline]

Hi Ghostcoast, I don't use LEDs, but those plants look healthy and happy, so far so good. They say LEDs give tight growth early on, not a bad thing. Plus your strain looks broad leaf which can be slow veggers. Nice job so far, good luck!

 

[OldPhart]

A girl has gotta eat. I say feed them, they are old enough, I would dose them pretty hard.

 

[Ghostcoast]

Hi Ghostcoast, I don't use LEDs, but those plants look healthy and happy, so far so good. They say LEDs give tight growth early on, not a bad thing. Plus your strain looks broad leaf which can be slow veggers. Nice job so far, good luck!

alright cool that makes me feel alot better haha thank you. My humidity is definitely a bit too low i just found out so will adjust accordingly. Also just read that autoflower start off pretty slow so I'm hoping thats whats happening.
Either way thank you!

 

[Ghostcoast]

A girl has gotta eat. I say feed them, they are old enough, I would dose them pretty hard.

for sure, i dosed them 2 nights ago so ill keep at it, thank you!

 

[Jhhnn]

Not to be a party pooper, but you're using one of these, right?

http://www.greenhouseunlimited.com/inventory/9011703/

That means you're not getting nearly as much light as they'd have you believe because it's really only ~300w if that. You can't turn 300w at the wall into 1200w of light unless you're comparing it to incandescents.

Autoflowers are tricky because they finish on their own schedule, ~70 days regardless of how big they get. You can't veg longer to get bigger plants. So they need strong light 20 hrs/day to get the best out of them.

In a 4x4 space you want 600w of HPS for solid results with 630w of CDM (LEC) being even better. Honest. LED's are more efficient, 'tis true, but not that much more efficient. You'll also need to provide sufficient air movement thru the tent to keep temps reasonable.

 

[Ghostcoast]

damn.. I mean yeah its like that but its a different brand. "full spectrum"

you really think either way its the light?

 

[OldPhart]

Not to be a party pooper, but you're using one of these, right?

http://www.greenhouseunlimited.com/inventory/9011703/

That means you're not getting nearly as much light as they'd have you believe because it's really only ~300w if that. You can't turn 300w at the wall into 1200w of light unless you're comparing it to incandescents.

Autoflowers are tricky because they finish on their own schedule, ~70 days regardless of how big they get. You can't veg longer to get bigger plants. So they need strong light 20 hrs/day to get the best out of them.

In a 4x4 space you want 600w of HPS for solid results with 630w of CDM (LEC) being even better. Honest. LED's are more efficient, 'tis true, but not that much more efficient. You'll also need to provide sufficient air movement thru the tent to keep temps reasonable.

DING, that is exactly how I feel! I've just been hesitant do come straight out and say it, because I haven't put LEDs to the test personally. I get shit every time I use the watts/sq ft. term, but I still believe it holds water. What has gotten my attention lately though is the CMH lights. I still question some of the info on them, like a 315 covering 4x4, that is about half of what I would run with HPS, and I don't see them being THAT much better.

OP

 

[Lester Beans]

You will need two 315's to cover a 4x4 properly. I have a dual end 630 cmh and I hate it. Its a pretty light, runs less juice, and gets smoked by a 1k HPS in side by side trials.

To the OP, looks like the plant is well fed so I agree you need some more light.

 

[Jhhnn]

damn.. I mean yeah its like that but its a different brand. "full spectrum"

you really think either way its the light?

Yes.

 

[Jhhnn]

You will need two 315's to cover a 4x4 properly. I have a dual end 630 cmh and I hate it. Its a pretty light, runs less juice, and gets smoked by a 1k HPS in side by side trials.

To the OP, looks like the plant is well fed so I agree you need some more light.

I replaced a 1000w system w/ twin Philips 315 3100k lamps & ballasts. I grow different stuff all the time so I can't make direct comparisons but if the yield is slightly less then the power bill is 40% less & grams/watt much higher. I went to elaborate lengths to dissipate the heat from the 1000w system & it never worked as well as I would have liked in my 4x4 space. It's a piece o' cake with the twin 315's & everything else remaining the same. they're *almost* as efficient as the best high dollar LED systems

600w HPS in a 4x4 is a proven system that gives many thousands of growers solid results. 1000w will def yield better results in the same space but shedding the heat is much more problematical.

 

[Ghostcoast]

Yes.

would another one of the same light do the trick?

this is what i have now

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01JLKUA2...88699702&sr=sr-1&keywords=king+led+grow+light

 

[Mikell]

For plants that size I would have them in one gallons.

 

[Jhhnn]

would another one of the same light do the trick?

this is what i have now

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01JLKUA2...88699702&sr=sr-1&keywords=king+led+grow+light

I'm sure it would help. OTOH, I think you'd be better off with a 600w HPS system for the same price. Either way, you'll also need an inline fan to move air thru the tent & a carbon filter, too.

Besides that, their marketing is deceptive so I wouldn't give those guys any more of my money.

Autoflowers can be tricky because there's no time to compensate for mistakes. If you've made any the yield will be poor. Under optimum conditions of strong light, fairly large amounts of good soil & good watering technique they'll grow & flower almost explosively, however.

 

[GreenThumb2U2]

I like my LED lights, run cooler, less power bill, selected spectrum. I suggest a light meter or app on phone to take readings all around, find the LX that you want. The LED's need to be much closer then the manufactures recommendations(with my light panel). I keep my light 8-10 inches for veg and 4 inches or less for flowering.
in my option
- move light closer (get close enough so leafs start to reach up, your leafs are Reaching down)
- control you temperature (looks cold from here and/or your mornings are cold)
- add The C02 during the light when temp is in 80's Fahrenheit and to 1500PPM
- Looks very healthy, but be careful too much Nitrogen will slow plants
-give them superthrive or vitamin B
- keep posting pictures of progress

 

[Ghostcoast]

hello everyone. been awhile. about 4 weeks into flowering now. I bought 2 more 300 watt LEDS to add to my 1200 watt LED light. growth was a bit stunted in this crop most likely due to the lack of light I had at first.

2 purple kush auto are budding really nice.

5 girl scout cookies auto are nice but EXTREMELY SMALL buds.

starting to smell bomb but still so so small.