How am I doing? Please be honest!!

Ok so I've been tring to grow some clones, and it's been a ride. I've had all sorts of problems, but I read and read and read, and now I think I'm ready to show off what I'm doin at week 4 of flower.
It starts off rough so don't cringe too much, lol.



I tried to LST, but the stalks turned reddish purple so I untied them. I have no PH meter, for soil or water, so I've been doin what I think they like, and here is where I'm at right now at week 4 of flower.



All constructive critisism is accepted, thanx.

No ones going to criticise your first grow. Advice, yes. Congratulations for getting this far they actually look ok.

Thank you I have been reading threads on this site, and it helped alot, and actually the 1 in the white 3 gal bucket is an OG#18 from seedling, and the rest are Blue Rhino clones.
If you don't mind answering a question, what would cause the reddish purple stems and stalks, it seemed to clear up by itself when I put them in flower? IDK, PH maybe, like I said I don't have a PH meter, I need to get 1 though.

Really bro, TBH, you would have an easier time as a newb, trying to control your watering habits in smaller containers, but it looks as though you are doing ok.
Keep on what you are doing, keep an open thread, with frequent pics and info, and I'm sure plenty of people will chime in to help you out.

not sure mate , maybe some sort of deficiency. Not a huge problem wouldn't think.

Purple/reddish stems are common and unless coupled with another symptom (leaf discoloration etc) than I wouldnt worry about it. LSTing definitely didnt cause it.

Dont do what "you think they like"

Learn how a plant grows and what it needs. Read about plant biology. Read books.

Dont guess. Know.

IMO, since I have only tried a few clones, and they have never been the "right" way, I still find seeds easier, but if you do a few seedws first, then try clones, you will know what you want to look for in the clones.

Subbed.......
I will peek in occasionally, and expect to see you doing better!

my clones were red too

From what I have read bro, some strains just have occasionally red stems, and sometimes red occurs from overfeeding like I did one time, but unless you see something sad in your leafs, I wouldn't panic over it.

Out of interest, they were slightly overfed as newly rooted cuttings. I adjusted accordingly and they sorted out.

LetsGetCritical said:

Out of interest, they were slightly overfed as newly rooted cuttings. I adjusted accordingly and they sorted out.

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The stems changed from red/purple to all green when you fed them less? Was that the only symptom?

Just wondering. Always see people overreacting to red stems or petioles. I have never seen them as a result of nutrient imbalance unless they were accompanied by other, more obvious symptoms appearing on leaves.

When I did see them due to nutrient imbalance, it was always a deficiency. Usually Mg or P.

Dark green leaves , burnt tips and purple stems. Leaves went correct colour and stems went green after less feeding. But the stem colour may not be directly attributed to the feeding schedule.

LetsGetCritical said:

my clones were red too

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Perfect example of what I was about to explain-- so here's the thing about "red stems". Most of the time, if a plants stems have red (which is often) then it will be kind of striped on the actual STEMS. Now the petioles, which are your "leaf steams" for your big fan leaves, can be read and if they are its usually the top part (sun side) of the "stem", and that's if the whole petiole isn't red. The red can even run all the way up to the leaf, and that's fine. Like the other guys said, it can be caused by the strain or also high (not toxic but slightly "over healthy") levels of phosphorous.

What you don't want to see, is the red streaking down the very center vein of the leaf. I wish like hell I could tell you what that is called but my cat spilled my tea on one of my grow books when I was sleeping and its completely ruined. This is what happens when stoners try and learn, lol. If I wasnt so high when I read it I guess I could'be just remembered and we wouldn't have to cry over the spilt tea.

Anyways, about pH-- go get one of the cheap little indicator dye and water sample tube kit thingies. It comes with the tube to put your water sample in, and a die that will cause the eater to change color based off of the pH. It isn't the most accurate, but it can give you a good enough idea of your pH to keep your plants nice and healthy.

Here's what I was talking about with the red petiole, and how it stops at the fingers. If it runs down the fingers I think its aeither a deficiency or toxicity. Also, in my pic there's an example of some light nute burn on the leaf. That type of nute burn is called eutrophication and starts at the leaf tips, and is the main type of nute burn that shows up on older growth. You can also see some of my tips got a little scorched as well, but I'm running realllllly hot organic nutrients (fox farms ocean forest soil and the roots organic master pack) so I'm surprised it took this long, lol. Needless to say, over been flushing with pH'd water-- if you are using nutes, that is going to be your best weapon for 90% of your problems.

Another important thing to always remember-- advanced nutrients, when added to your water, will make the pH of that water low as shit. With mine you can mix them a day ahead of time and it buffers out a little but still needs to be taken up to 6.5. Go to the pet store if you're on a budget and get some cheap aquarium pH up and down and the tester kit with the dye, it'll be like 15 bucks max altogether and it will really not only help you but be necessary when you are feeding.

Usually tap water for people comes out a little high (or basic) so they have to bring it down with pH minus when they are giving straight water. Mine comes out of the tap at around 8-8.5 so I put pH minus in and take it to 6.5 when I am flushing, and my nutes take it to around 4.0 so I have to take it up with pH plus to 6.5 when i feed.

Red stems are an early sign of p and k deficiency that's why most clones have them. Once you get them food the stems should green up. If not then its genetics, my dj shorts Flo have purple stems no matter what.

Looking good for a first grow, well done! Advice for future grows: More lights = more buds, jam more CFL's in there! also You should LST them like a kinky german bitch then SCROG, this in my opinion is the most efficent way to grow with CFLs due to their lumen dropoff rate.

LetsGetCritical said:

No ones going to criticise your first grow. Advice, yes. Congratulations for getting this far they actually look ok.

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Well he asked so yes, i will critisize his first gro for him...
your lights suck. Those puny 13 watt cfls arent doing a lick of shit. Replace every single one of those bulbs with 42 watt warm cfls and bloom to your hearts content. Too many plants for not enough light...thats obvious. Those plants should be bushes and their toothpicks. The money you sink into bulbs youll get back if you hirry the fuck up. Otherwise your harvest will be ten grams which is about par for the shit bulbs you have. Stop milkin his tit. Grow like a pro or waste all your time.

ArCaned said:

Looking good for a first grow, well done! Advice for future grows: More lights = more buds, jam more CFL's in there! also You should LST them like a kinky german bitch then SCROG, this in my opinion is the most efficent way to grow with CFLs due to their lumen dropoff rate.

Click to expand...

Scrog a toothpic and you get a blunt.

ThorGanjason said:

Perfect example of what I was about to explain-- so here's the thing about "red stems". Most of the time, if a plants stems have red (which is often) then it will be kind of striped on the actual STEMS. Now the petioles, which are your "leaf steams" for your big fan leaves, can be read and if they are its usually the top part (sun side) of the "stem", and that's if the whole petiole isn't red. The red can even run all the way up to the leaf, and that's fine. Like the other guys said, it can be caused by the strain or also high (not toxic but slightly "over healthy") levels of phosphorous.

What you don't want to see, is the red streaking down the very center vein of the leaf. I wish like hell I could tell you what that is called but my cat spilled my tea on one of my grow books when I was sleeping and its completely ruined. This is what happens when stoners try and learn, lol. If I wasnt so high when I read it I guess I could'be just remembered and we wouldn't have to cry over the spilt tea.

Anyways, about pH-- go get one of the cheap little indicator dye and water sample tube kit thingies. It comes with the tube to put your water sample in, and a die that will cause the eater to change color based off of the pH. It isn't the most accurate, but it can give you a good enough idea of your pH to keep your plants nice and healthy.

Click to expand...

You havent even held a bud that youve grown in your hand you noob. You dont know shit, when you get a hammer in the twat and pop your cherry maybe someone will listen to your flap.