Have I caused my Feminized Seedlings to turn Hermie?

I started a thread back in December about being worried about very unusual SLOW GROWTH of my seedlings. At day 40 they were still only about three inches tall or less. Everybody posted good advice and speculated about what my problem was causing the abnormally slow growth of my plants. Thanks.

BUT: I think I just discovered the primary main reason for the slow growth.

When I set up my vegging tent, I bought my two, T-5 four-bulb flourescent fixtures from HTG Supply, and they came with bulbs of my choice. I ask for cool-white Grow Spectum bulbs.

The packaging on the outside of the bulbs CLEARLY said "Grow Spectrum" just like I ordered, so I put the tubes into the fixture without a thought. I didn't pay any attention to what was printed on the bulbs themselves.

Yesterday, I happened to look up towards the light fixture when checking on my plants, and saw on one of the tubes it was clearly labeled "Bloom Spectrum"!

I'm like "what the hell????!!!!!!" These were supposed to be Grow Spectrum lamps; that's what I bought ! I went back and checked my receipt and it showed the Grow bulb. I checked all eight two-foot tubes in the fixtures, but sure enough all eight are "Bloom Spectrum" tubes. I went and checked my packages for the tubes and they clearly were printed with "Grow Spectrum", so it was a clear packaging mistake. I checked my other eight spare bulbs I bought for spares at the same time, and only ONE was a Grow Spectrum!

SO NOW MY QUESTION: has vegging under these Bloom Spectrum bulbs damaged my seedlings and will it cause them to turn hermie or something? They have grown so slow, and I need to decide if I need to kill them and start over or what?

To the experienced growers out there: BUMP! Please give me some input and ease my mind if you can.

Thanks.

WSF

Well in my opinion if after 40 days they're still just 3 inches or less as you said, you may want to just start a new batch of babies.

I had a little plant that vegged for nearly 5 months just sitting on my window sill. I never cared about it but one day decided to throw it in the flower room. By the time the buds were visable the bitch was herming out all over the place.

When I chopped it and smoked it I did have one accomplishment, I'm pretty sure it was the worst, least potent female marijuana in history


EDIT: If they're actually good seeds that you bought, It wouldn't hurt to give them a chance. Just be very careful and make sure to check them for ball sacks everyday. But I'd try and get more seeds anyways. With proper settings new babies will catch up to that 3 inches in about 5 days

I don't think its the bulbs there are a lot of factors that will turn a female herme. Light leeks, heat stress, over watering, under watering,.

man fuck that!!!!somebody needs to make that shit right!!!we dont take theese grows lightly!!and they wasted a lot of your time and money on a grow that they messed up for you!!!they need to fix!!!!!

delstele said:

I don't think its the bulbs there are a lot of factors that will turn a female herme. Light leeks, heat stress, over watering, under watering,.

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my seedlings look okay now; actually I presently have under these Bloom Spectrum lights the four feminized seedlings I germinated January 30, so they are only about two weeks old. They are growing kinda slow too.

I don't see any signs of damage or signs of herming goin on, I just want an opinion as to the effects of vegging with a Bloom Spectrum bulb.

Any damage done???

Thanks, WSF

Aside from continuing to grow or to start anew; I'd contact HTG Supply and have them send you the correct bulbs at their expense.

jamesv420ify said:

man fuck that!!!!somebody needs to make that shit right!!!we dont take theese grows lightly!!and they wasted a lot of your time and money on a grow that they messed up for you!!!they need to fix!!!!!

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....... I was so mad yesterday when I discovered the screwing they served up to me that it ruined my whole afternoon. I have worked so hard on my first grow (these four are my second grow). I am just sick, and that shittiness by HTG pisses me off!!!!!

krozone said:

Aside from continuing to grow or to start anew; I'd contact HTG Supply and have them send you the correct bulbs at their expense.

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.......... I jumped right on the internet and ordered the right T-5s from BG Hydro and they will be here sometimes late in the week. Cost me 80 bucks! I was just afraid to trust HTG again to send me any light bulbs in the mail. They probably might just come to me mixed up as hell again.

I'll deal with those cats at HTG later on this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sucks that they sent you the wrong bulbs, but thats not why theyre only 3" tall after 40 days.

mafia said:

Sucks that they sent you the wrong bulbs, but thats not why theyre only 3" tall after 40 days.

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So you don't think this accounts for the slow growth?

Woodstockfan said:

.......... I jumped right on the internet and ordered the right T-5s from BG Hydro and they will be here sometimes late in the week. Cost me 80 bucks! I was just afraid to trust HTG again to send me any light bulbs in the mail. They probably might just come to me mixed up as hell again.

I'll deal with those cats at HTG later on this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Woodstockfan,

If I were you (and if you could) I'd cancel that order. Then go to your local HomeDepot (or other hardware store) and get some bulbs rated in the 6000k range (cool white) to use for the vegging stage.

Those "Bloom Bulbs" you have are just standard "warm white" bulbs (in the 3000k range). These specialty grow stores are just raping you price wise for things that are commonly available else where for far less money.

Concerning various kinds of stress causing plants to go hermie.... it is my opinion that plants go hermie because they're genetically predisposed to do so and not because of any kinds of stress the person growing them may cause them.

The vary fact that you're growing from "feminized" seeds has greatly increased the chance that you might get some hermies. But if you do get them it's going to have very little to do (if any thing) with any mistakes you may have made in growing them.

My advice....get your bulbs switched out and carry on with the grow. It'll be what it's gonna be.

Jack

Additionally....If your plants are only 3" tall after 40 days I'd have to suspect that there's some other contributing factors that are causing it besides just the spectrum of the bulbs you've been growing them under.

The main reason for not vegging under "warm whites" (Bloom Bulbs) is because they tend to make plants get "leggy" and stretch (etoliate). And from what you've said that's not the problem you're having.

Jack

Jack in the Bud said:

Woodstockfan,


.......... Those "Bloom Bulbs" you have are just standard "warm white" bulbs (in the 3000k range). These specialty grow stores are just raping you price wise for things that are commonly available else where for far less money.

Concerning various kinds of stress causing plants to go hermie.... it is my opinion that plants go hermie

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Thanks for your input Jack. It is a well known fact that sometimes we newbies are a little gullible and "spend way too much money."

But, do you think that my vegging under these lower-intensity warm tubes accounts for the slow growth?

The plants look good and healthy, they are just growing slow. Here are some pics of the babies under the "wrong" bulbs.

Edit: after posting this I saw you somewhat already spoke for my concern on effects of the wrong bulbs for vegging. So should i be able to resume vegging with the right bulbs without any ill-effects ya think?

Also, I DO think that there were other contributory factors on that first grow (if you read my other thread) not least of which was the crappy soil. Things have been better using the Fox Farm mixes.

Thanks, WSF

damn, woodstock I am sorry to hear what happened. They fuc8ed you, and cost you more f in money + ur babies. This might be the first time you have ever thought "I wish that company drug tested their employees" I'll have to remember this with HTG

70micronboee said:

damn, woodstock I am sorry to hear what happened. They fuc8ed you, and cost you more f in money + ur babies. This might be the first time you have ever thought "I wish that company drug tested their employees" I'll have to remember this with HTG

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i highly doubt that the employees at htg are the ones putting the bulbs in the lil package things.. i would imagine that tihs occoured at sylvania or whoever the bulbs are from, and not really htg supply..
as far as doing any damage to your plants vegging under a bloom spectrum bulb, i agree with what someone else has said, the only difference would be that they may have stretched some, which surely they haven't, so its nothing to do with the bulbs..
think of it this way, plenty of people veg under an hps bulb or flower under an mh bulb, and they don't have four inch plants after forty days.. there is something else wrong here.. i do remember your older post as well.. my first suggestion would be to start with different genetics from a different breeder other than the ones you have used thus far.. it souncs like you have already started a second grow, but i am not sure if they are with the same seeds as the first batch or not..
and i agree, get online with htg supply and they will surely make this right for you

racerboy71 said:

think of it this way, plenty of people veg under an hps bulb or flower under an mh bulb, and they don't have four inch plants after forty days.. there is something else wrong here.. i do remember your older post as well.. my first suggestion would be to start with different genetics from a different breeder other than the ones you have used thus far..

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Of course I was very pissed but I realize it wasn't the employees at the store themselves that did this .................. again being a newbie, I just wondered if vegging with bloom bulbs would screw them up.

The second grow of those four plants in the tent now ARE from a different supplier. I did want to compare genetics as you suggested, and these plants are doing better than the others did, even under those bloom bulbs. Those first six were a strain called "Amsterdam Indica". These four: two are White Rino, the other two are Northern Lights.

So, what you are saying is that I can change the bulbs to grow lamps and take right off NO DAMAGE DONE just a little lost time, huh?

WSF

70micronboee said:

This might be the first time you have ever thought "I wish that company drug tested their employees"

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Too funny Micronboee!

You said it right! Laugh my ass off!

yes you can just switch them out and continue your grow, like someone else said lots of people use warm or red for veg and do just fine,when you switch you should notice better progess after a week or so. good luck.oh ya if i had your problem i think i would keep every other one warm and put 65k in the others. could be awesome with the multi spectrum.

sixstring2112 said:

.....oh ya if i had your problem i think i would keep every other one warm and put 65k in the others. could be awesome with the multi spectrum.

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Good Idea SS. I will do that, mix in some warm whites. After all my lights are wall-to-wall overhead with eight T-5s in all. Like ya said, it could give interesting results.

Woodstockfan said:

Thanks for your input Jack. It is a well known fact that sometimes we newbies are a little gullible and "spend way too much money."

But, do you think that my vegging under these lower-intensity warm tubes accounts for the slow growth?

The plants look good and healthy, they are just growing slow. Here are some pics of the babies under the "wrong" bulbs.

Edit: after posting this I saw you somewhat already spoke for my concern on effects of the wrong bulbs for vegging. So should i be able to resume vegging with the right bulbs without any ill-effects ya think?

Also, I DO think that there were other contributory factors on that first grow (if you read my other thread) not least of which was the crappy soil. Things have been better using the Fox Farm mixes.

Thanks, WSF

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Cataclismic,

I'm currently shipping a pretty good quantity of whiskey and weed on board so take the following with a grain of salt.

As far as newbies falling for things they shouldn't have.....Been there, done that.....

I don't think you're vegging under the "wrong" spectrum accounts for where you're at. There's some thing else at work here. If it were simply a matter of vegging under a "bloom" spectrum light yout plants would be tall and leggy and not just stunted. There's definetly something else at work here, most likely a combination of things.

It certainly won't hurt you to switch to more of a "cool white" bulb for the rest of vegging. But save those "bloom" bulbs you have because I'd switch back to them a week or so after switching to 12/12. [And at this point I'd certainly recommend at least another month of veg before forcing}

And I don't think you can blame it on crappy soil just yet. If anything, upcan them to a larger pot with some more of the same (fresh) soil.

Don't feed them any additional nutes just yet. Maintain good watering pratices, try and maintain the temps between 70 and 80 F (no lower than 60 during lights off) and give them some "tincture of time".

There's not a dam thing wrong with those plants at this time that you can't turn around and get yourself a good harvest from (in time).

Hoo-yah!

Jack