Week 3 Autos so small?

[Leo_dean]

HI,
I’m worried about these plants they have been going for 3 weeks from sprout now.
I ph water and have been using GoGo juice from bunnings , I have some bloom and pk13/14 but I haven’t added that yet because they haven’t started flowering .
There is also about an inch of sand on top of the soil because there were what appeared to be fungus gnats in the soil so in an attempt to rid them I added a top layer , fairly sure the gnats have gone now but I’m worried about taking the sand off in case they come back. I’m bassically just hoping someone’s gonna tell me it’s fine and that they r normal hahahah

 

[hotrodharley]

They look okay but possibly your medium is too wet. With sand on top it will delay drying. You don't get fungus gnats except with medium that stays wet. Overwater kills more plants than all other causes combined.

 

[hotrodharley]

By the way perlite is perfect for top cover. It "breathes" and it doesn't retain moisture unlike sand.

 

[918Farmer]

Little small for 3 weeks but they could bounce back. Like Harley said though. Less is always more!

 

[Leo_dean]

Thanks guys really appreciate the info

 

[Leo_dean]

Would you say the plant is stunted or will I still get a decent yield?

 

[Kipn]

By the way perlite is perfect for top cover. It "breathes" and it doesn't retain moisture unlike sand.

good tip but i find it gets algae on it and the gnats will enjoy that

 

[hotrodharley]

good tip but i find it gets algae on it and the gnats will enjoy that

Gnats aren't the problem. Their larva is. They can't lay eggs in perlite. Nothing for the larva to feed on.

 

[hotrodharley]

Overwatering is the cause of fungus gnats, algae, funguses and molds. Or never allowing the medium to dry.

 

[Leo_dean]

Overwatering is the cause of fungus gnats, algae, funguses and molds. Or never allowing the medium to dry.

Will the plants make a full recovery do you think it will i not get much yield off them now?

 

[hotrodharley]

Will the plants make a full recovery do you think it will i not get much yield off them now?

I would remove the sand. Allow to dry out. They will not die of thirst.

 

[Leo_dean]

I would remove the sand. Allow to dry out. They will not die of thirst.

Ok thanks heaps mate

 

[Bud1284]

Will the plants make a full recovery do you think it will i not get much yield off them now?

With autos, days are critical buddy.

I would go with above suggestions, get rid of the sand and allow medium to dry before watering again.

If you address it in a timely manner, then your yield should be ok but do not forget that with autos, after 4 or 5 weeks, they will start flowering no matter their size. So your job, is to get it as big as possible until that time arrives for optimum yield.

 

[Leo_dean]

With autos, days are critical buddy.

I would go with above suggestions, get rid of the sand and allow medium to dry before watering again.

If you address it in a timely manner, then your yield should be ok but do not forget that with autos, after 4 or 5 weeks, they will start flowering no matter their size. So your job, is to get it as big as possible until that time arrives for optimum yield.

Thanks im getting the sand off now , whats the best thing to do to get it to stretch out quick?

 

[Bud1284]

Thanks im getting the sand off now , whats the best thing to do to get it to stretch out quick?

Get a fan blowing some air permanently around the plant (not directly on the seedling), leaves should only be rustling a little bit.

Which light you are using? which distance from the plant canopy?

The more light the plant will get, the more photosynthesis you will have but you should be careful not to light burn the seedling. With Led lights, i found that they can be in the region of 15 - 18 inches. CFL lights needs to be very close to the leaves (heat might be an issue here) and with HPS lights i would not go below 20 inches.

I do not know how wet/moist is your soil right now, but if it feels dry a couple of inches from the top then you should water a bit. But that's a seedling and you need to water often but a little bit each time. 200ml every other day should do it if you have a fan on and good lights but it is also strain depending...some will drink more, some less.

You just got to be careful until you understand how the lady works and you will be fine - Careful not to fall in the under watering trap, symptons are similar to overwatering!

And 1 thing if i may add, if you are using soil, (and i would believe it is a decent one,) you probably do not need to add any nutes until week 4 or 5 - Soil already has what a plant needs especially if you added stuff like worm castings and choir, moss etc. I mainly grow autos in soil and i start with flowering nutes 1/4 strength after week 2 of flowering...even then i sometimes get slight nute burns! So better be careful, your lady will show you if she needs something extra!

 

[Leo_dean]

Get a fan blowing some air permanently around the plant (not directly on the seedling), leaves should only be rustling a little bit.

Which light you are using? which distance from the plant canopy?

The more light the plant will get, the more photosynthesis you will have but you should be careful not to light burn the seedling. With Led lights, i found that they can be in the region of 15 - 18 inches. CFL lights needs to be very close to the leaves (heat might be an issue here) and with HPS lights i would not go below 20 inches.

I do not know how wet/moist is your soil right now, but if it feels dry a couple of inches from the top then you should water a bit. But that's a seedling and you need to water often but a little bit each time. 200ml every other day should do it if you have a fan on and good lights but it is also strain depending...some will drink more, some less.

You just got to be careful until you understand how the lady works and you will be fine - Careful not to fall in the under watering trap, symptons are similar to overwatering!

And 1 thing if i may add, if you are using soil, (and i would believe it is a decent one,) you probably do not need to add any nutes until week 4 or 5 - Soil already has what a plant needs especially if you added stuff like worm castings and choir, moss etc. I mainly grow autos in soil and i start with flowering nutes 1/4 strength after week 2 of flowering...even then i sometimes get slight nute burns! So better be careful, your lady will show you if she needs something extra!

Im growing outdoors and bringing them in at night because its been cold, so i don't have to worry about lights at the moment although i'm thinking about getting some when i have the money and growing indoors. Thankyou so much for the info by the way really helping me out

 

[Bud1284]

Im growing outdoors and bringing them in at night because its been cold, so i don't have to worry about lights at the moment although i'm thinking about getting some when i have the money and growing indoors. Thankyou so much for the info by the way really helping me out

You are welcome buddy, happy if i can help out!

If you are outdoors then should maybe be careful with direct sunlight for such a small seedling - How many hours does she get of direct sunlight? Ideally, it should be 50/50 direct sunlight/shade until she has a few more leaves and has established a solid root system.

From experience, the best yield i got with autos was when i ran 18 hours light. 6 hours dark period. It is obviously easier to control inside with timers etc.

Just make sure they do not get any rain which would further delay the drying up of medium.

Also, roots needs a lot of oxygen and your medium might be a bit muddy if you have been over watering. Take a clean wood barbecue skewer and poke the soil in various areas - If you hit healthy roots, they will grow again so no worries, and by doing so, you would aerate the soil a bit more. Just do not poke it too close to the stem and the main taproot.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

 

[Leo_dean]

You are welcome buddy, happy if i can help out!

If you are outdoors then should maybe be careful with direct sunlight for such a small seedling - How many hours does she get of direct sunlight? Ideally, it should be 50/50 direct sunlight/shade until she has a few more leaves and has established a solid root system.

From experience, the best yield i got with autos was when i ran 18 hours light. 6 hours dark period. It is obviously easier to control inside with timers etc.

Just make sure they do not get any rain which would further delay the drying up of medium.

Also, roots needs a lot of oxygen and your medium might be a bit muddy if you have been over watering. Take a clean wood barbecue skewer and poke the soil in various areas - If you hit healthy roots, they will grow again so no worries, and by doing so, you would aerate the soil a bit more. Just do not poke it too close to the stem and the main taproot.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

Cheers mate I’ll give it a go and hope for the best haha

 

[Leo_dean]

You are welcome buddy, happy if i can help out!

If you are outdoors then should maybe be careful with direct sunlight for such a small seedling - How many hours does she get of direct sunlight? Ideally, it should be 50/50 direct sunlight/shade until she has a few more leaves and has established a solid root system.

From experience, the best yield i got with autos was when i ran 18 hours light. 6 hours dark period. It is obviously easier to control inside with timers etc.

Just make sure they do not get any rain which would further delay the drying up of medium.

Also, roots needs a lot of oxygen and your medium might be a bit muddy if you have been over watering. Take a clean wood barbecue skewer and poke the soil in various areas - If you hit healthy roots, they will grow again so no worries, and by doing so, you would aerate the soil a bit more. Just do not poke it too close to the stem and the main taproot.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

Also just realised i didnt answer your question they get a good 12 hours light id say and then they come in at night

 

[Leo_dean]

You are welcome buddy, happy if i can help out!

If you are outdoors then should maybe be careful with direct sunlight for such a small seedling - How many hours does she get of direct sunlight? Ideally, it should be 50/50 direct sunlight/shade until she has a few more leaves and has established a solid root system.

From experience, the best yield i got with autos was when i ran 18 hours light. 6 hours dark period. It is obviously easier to control inside with timers etc.

Just make sure they do not get any rain which would further delay the drying up of medium.

Also, roots needs a lot of oxygen and your medium might be a bit muddy if you have been over watering. Take a clean wood barbecue skewer and poke the soil in various areas - If you hit healthy roots, they will grow again so no worries, and by doing so, you would aerate the soil a bit more. Just do not poke it too close to the stem and the main taproot.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

Quick update , I took the sand off yesterday and have let the soil dry out a bit alothough it’s still a little damp so I’m still gonna leave it . Do you think they are looking ok???