What the hell am i doing??????

Hi all. this is my first time growing, and im not so sure what im doing is working well enough. I have 3 plants in 8 inch pots, that consist of vermiculite, pete moss, and some sand for better drainage. The seeds i used are reggo seeds from a seedy bag of tree. I figure i better start small before i spend doe on seeds. Right now there at about 3 weeks, give or take a day or two. all three are about 6 inches tall, and have a good amount of leaves growing. although on one of them, the starter leaves that first appeared when they sprouted are turning yellow. is this bad? im wondering if its a sign of poor watering or is it nutrients? it also has one leaf on the bottom thats got a slightly yellow tip, nutrients maybe or root rot?

i dont know how to fertilize these beasts if someone could help it would be great!! i need all the tips i can get!!!!!

and i should also include... i keep the plants well ventilated, although they are in a clauset. Im using 8 florescent grow bulbs that are 1800 lumens each, that i got at a local indoor growing store. as for right now i have 24 hour lighting. they are full spectrum bulbs and what not i cant afford a 200 dollar lighting system. as for watering i water whenever i feel they need, i usually test the soil an inch down, if its dry then i add a cup of water, id say about ever 4 to 5 days. The temperature is at a steady 78F.
anything else that i need to add let me know, ill try to get some pictures..

starter leaves (the round ones) are called cotyledons. they're supposed to fall off. perfectly normal. i'd be careful with the sand though-it tends to drain the soil too much if you used a lot. doesn't sound like its a watering issue cause over or underwatering will lead to really droopy wilting leaves.

as for nutes get one high in N for veg and use it at 25%-50% strength every 3-4 waterings (or as needed).

alright thanks man. good to know, and a great relief! when am i going to know if i have male or female plants?

about a week or so into flowering. sucks i know. or you could take a clone and flower that so you know sooner...

what should i look for

check the growFAQ, top left corner. it'll tell you all you need to know, with pictures.

freddythekruger said:

about a week or so into flowering. sucks i know. or you could take a clone and flower that so you know sooner...

Click to expand...

Not completely true. If you grow the plant out large enough, say 14", it will show its sex with preflowers.

good call football, forgot about that.

yeah i looked in the FAQ about checking the sex. im going to wait for about 2 more weeks and im going to look for pre flowers. but how long should i wait if i want to top the plant? and when i do that, will it automatically grow two new shoots?

dude! sand and vemiculite? shit ur plant is gonna suffocate or grow slow, try some perlite 50/50 w/ vemiculite then u can also add pete moss.

can i switch the soil in the pot? or just keep going, i mean this is first time everything, tryin to learn!! i dont think i can transfer them now, i think its a little to late for that. also with an 8 inch pot, how big can these get?

you can use different soil when you transplant, if you transplant. nobody gets it right their first time so just chalk it up as experience--now you know better for next time. in my eight inch pots they get about 2-3 feet before they show signs of being rootbound. and you can top as soon as you get 4-5 nodes. good luck and keep reading.