seedlings stretching

[t2am]

hello gentleman,
ive been a long time troll to this site and have gathered a ton of useful information. Thank you all for that.

I have recently started a crop and have came across my first problem. my seedlings are stretching i have some that are as tall as two and a half inches with only about half an inch of leaf growth and im begging to worry. They where started 3 days ago by pre soaking in superthrive and rooting hormone for 3 hours then transported into the soil and placed under a 400 watt hps light ( 4 1/2 feet under) I have had wonderfull germination results above 90%. The light has been on 24/7 for the first 2 days more as a way to keep the closet warm than anything. last night i switched to 18/6 and plan on keeping it like that until time to veg.

My question is have i done irreversible harm to them or will they over time correct them selves. can i cover there bases in about an extra inch of soil to help compensate.

any suggestions criticism or feedback is greatly appreciated

edit: i have been spraying them every 3 ours with a water bottle with superthrive mixed in (1 drop per gallon)

 

[sam_i_am]

you might move the lights closer i think, plants generally stretch because of lack of light, i dont know for sure but that sounds to be your problem. with more light intensity the plants should "level off" and get wider instead of taller.
sam

 

[drpressure600]

closer to light . .

the seedlings grow to the light, you need to bring the light right down, & make sure that the soil or rockwool is damp too, the light dry it up big style . .

 

[Zoolander]

Get a small set of T5's and they will save you alot of money in power and you can place them at 2 inches above the seeds and they will be perfect

 

[t2am]

Thanks for your quick reply's i have lowered the light to about 4 inches off of them, they are under a plastic dome and i have a fan blowing across the top of them to help draw of the heat. hopefully with a little tender care they will look like the ones posted above :)

 

[Zoolander]

Your 400 is to hot to go 4 inches above them and why the plastic dome ?

 

[Zoolander]

I think 18 inches or so but aircooled with nice temps maybe a bit lower but 4 inches sounds crazy

 

[drpressure600]

Your 400 is to hot to go 4 inches above them and why the plastic dome ?

,

you couldn't put a 400w near seedlings, you need an envirolite 200w etc, 400w is really only for plants over five to six inches tall . .

 

[sam_i_am]

shewww...4 inches is a bit low, no? anyways your in good hands with these guys so ill shut my yapper now.
sam

 

[Thick Smoke]

18-24" above the plants. even if you could cool the light enough to be 4" away i think the plants would get light poisoning.

 

[t2am]

thanks guys i steped out but problem corrected

 

[drpressure600]

u ok . .

how did you get on with the 400w & those seedlings, if u ok, what distance did you set for . .

 

[t2am]

sorry bud for not replying sooner, I had a major electrical problem in the room ive been working on. A problem solved by another thread i posted :). i got on real great with those seedlings, i know have 28 4 1/2 inch plants 2 i/2 feet under a 1000w light. an overkill but necessary the 400w light i was previously using is a fire hazard. the plants are taking off pretty quick but im concerned about some slight discoloration in the leaves. I water the plants everyday with a mixture of half guano water ( 1 tablespoon dissolved in a gallon of water) and half fresh water. if the plants look droopy at all i will skip a watering. Every 2 hours the plants get a strong misting of clean water. The room is still climate controlled and kept at a constant 78*f and 50% humidity.

should i raise the light higher?
Thanks for all your help. I have a few other questions concerning cloning and sexing my plants that ill be making a new post for very soon