First time grower just looking for some advice

[Gizmo_gardener]

Hello fellow farmers this is my first time going. I am using oceans forest soil with coco coir and vermiculite mixed in to it. I have read that vermiculite holds water to where perilite makes soil more airy? Any comments on that?

I am growing 3 different strains I do realize I messed up by starting with auto flowers as a beginner now. And yes just as everyone else I said flowers in half the time hell yea lol.
For the strains I have GDP AF and Sour Diesel x OG Kush from seeds supreme. The third is peanut brittle from a bag I bought. On the peanut brittle I have been battle some kind of deficiency not sure what it is.
One of my GDP is producing leaves kinda weird the other GDP in my opinion looks amazing even for not have been water since Dec 29.
For the one Sour Diesel x OG kush it only had one cotyledon leaves when sprouted so she took her sweet time to do much now that she has some true leaves she starting to pick back up.

For my lights I have a farm lite 240watt bought off Amazon. Sitting 11 in off canopy at roughly 60%.

Any advice comments criticism is welcome.

1st 2 sour 2nd 2 GDP last peanut brittle

 

[Phreakshow]

Looking really good. How many hrs a day are you running the light?

 

[Choppr]

11"inches over a sustained 18/6 light cycle will burn seedling/early veggers - Raise the light 20-24" inches - put a thermometer laying in the soil, monitor temps, 77-79 degrees.... set your light height to get your target temps. pots look dry.

*they're seedlings there is no canopy... they are fragile in this state.

 

[Gizmo_gardener]

I am running the light 18/6. I have a thermometer in the top of the soil and it is staying right around 75-76 degrees. The top of the soil is pretty dry but for the weight test I have a dry pot of soil outside of the tent never been water that pots is half the weight of the girls in the tent therefore they don't need watered. I have slowly been raising the light couple inches a day to try and help them stretch just a little bit more. As I go up I have to turn the intensity up to keep the temps to stay around 75°.

 

[Smokey_LaFleur]

Yes, vermiculite retains moisture, perlite helps with aeration, make sure air can move around in your medium. Not really sure how accurate the photone app is, but I've used it and it seems helpful with setting light level/intensity.

 

[One_Bell]

Welcome @Choppr! They look good to me. If I were you I would invest $20 into a UNI-T Ut383bt, download the free ppfd app and you will be able to dail in your lights perfectly. I am using this in my first grow and really like it (especially for only $20).

 

[Gizmo_gardener]

Welcome @Choppr! They look good to me. If I were you I would invest $20 into a UNI-T Ut383bt, download the free ppfd app and you will be able to dail in your lights perfectly. I am using this in my first grow and really like it (especially for only $20).

Thank you and smokey for the advice I have photone app but of course because I have the pixel 9 pro it doesn't work exactly correct. I have adjusted my lights based on the app at the 11". The only thing that is no where close to what it should be is the DLI but that is the part of the app that is not working correctly from what it tells me.

 

[Smokey_LaFleur]

11" is really close! I wouldn't get any close than 18". Just try putting your hand about "canopy" height, with the back of your hand facing the light. If after a few seconds it feels too warm for you, it's probably too much for the plant. Check on your plants often til you're comfortable that they're handling the light.

 

[Gizmo_gardener]

Ok I will move my lights up and see how that respond to that. So do you think that it is just to much light then not any kind of deficiency?

 

[Smokey_LaFleur]

Hard to say. She does look taller than the others from those pics. I'm still pretty new to cannabis growing myself, I still struggle to identify possible deficiencies/lockouts. I use coco loco with NLS concentrate, and I have battled calcium deficiency. If you didn't know, coco coir has a tendency to block the roots from taking enough calcium. Hopefully another member with more experience can help you with possible nutrient issues.

 

[Gizmo_gardener]

11" is really close! I wouldn't get any close than 18". Just try putting your hand about "canopy" height, with the back of your hand facing the light. If after a few seconds it feels too warm for you, it's probably too much for the plant. Check on your plants often til you're comfortable that they're handling the light.

Smokey and choppr was spot on with my lighting situation thank you guys. I have moved my lights up to 2p" from the top of plants they look a lot better now.

 

[Gizmo_gardener]

Updated photos.

 

[Gizmo_gardener]

Day 18 plants are looking a lot better I have started to do some lst on my bigger GDP hopefully the inner branches will grow out and this will actually do some justice. For the other smaller plants imma just let them do their thing and see what happens I know now that I really stunted them by transplanting them again into the 3 gal fabric pots. I did not transplant the one I started to train. Just didn't water from Dec 29th till yesterday let over 3)4 of the medium completely dry out. Moved my lights up to 24" away at 65% intensity and plants seem to be loving it.

I do have one question cause from reading there is a lot of mixed opinions and want to get some of y'all's opinions yesterday three of my plants "tops" the leaves where pointed straight up and pretty much closed. As the saying goes praying to the light gods. Is that a bad thing or good some say it is due to heat. But temps are staying right around 74.8° F during lights on.

 

[Smokey_LaFleur]

I don't really see anything, they look ok to me. No "taco-ing".

 

[Gizmo_gardener]

No I don't have a pic of it doing it that was yesterday I wish I would have taken a pic of it.

 

[Smokey_LaFleur]

I think the curling leaves is too much light. Just keep an eye on them, if it continues you could raise your light a couple inches.

 

[OldOneEye]

My temps are never above 72 degrees and I get leaves praying to the light gods all the time.

 

[Gizmo_gardener]

Day 21 plants are doing great. Though we was gonna have an issue as the power went out over night got down to mid 50sF over night in the grow room. But they still growing lol. I have also now start some little "training on the other GDP and one of my sour diesel x OG kush. Trying to get some more light on the inner nodes

 

[Gizmo_gardener]

Is this a pistol starting to show already?

 

[mstrpkl]

Yes, vermiculite retains moisture, perlite helps with aeration, make sure air can move around in your medium. Not really sure how accurate the photone app is, but I've used it and it seems helpful with setting light level/intensity.

The Photone app isnt bad but it isnt super accurate without the diffuser. The Tent Buddy app seems to be pretty accurate, id try that one if you wanna manage light intensity accurately and dont have a couple hundred $ to buy a real quality device for it.

Day 18 plants are looking a lot better I have started to do some lst on my bigger GDP hopefully the inner branches will grow out and this will actually do some justice. For the other smaller plants imma just let them do their thing and see what happens I know now that I really stunted them by transplanting them again into the 3 gal fabric pots. I did not transplant the one I started to train. Just didn't water from Dec 29th till yesterday let over 3)4 of the medium completely dry out. Moved my lights up to 24" away at 65% intensity and plants seem to be loving it.

I do have one question cause from reading there is a lot of mixed opinions and want to get some of y'all's opinions yesterday three of my plants "tops" the leaves where pointed straight up and pretty much closed. As the saying goes praying to the light gods. Is that a bad thing or good some say it is due to heat. But temps are staying right around 74.8° F during lights on.

That last plant looks like it might need a tad bit of nitrogen.

Pretty new grower as well, but i have a decent idea of what to do now haha

Glad to see that raising the light helped!