What am i doing wrong??!!

[YorkshireNewbie]

This makes the most sense to me, given what I'm seeing with my plants.
Thank you.

Whenever I turn the extractor fan on, even on the lower setting, the plants curl up aggressively, and quickly, but I need to have it on, especially when the buds begin to grow (fingers crossed)
Ive got a dilemma on my hands unless I can find a way to fix it.

I live in apartments which were converted from commercials premises, and my only windows open into a courtyard with high walls on all four sides. Not much wind gets down here, and the fresh air gets blown over the top of the walls long before It reaches down to me, 50 yards below. Consequently i suspect the air is, as you identified, very dry.
Ive bought a duct booster fan, but only after buying it did I realise it only circulates half the amount of air as my extractor removes, so might have wasted my money there. Still, it wasn't a gmhugd expense so I can but the 5 inch model which is only about 20 cubic ft per hour less, and I hope the air flow in the tent will be almost neutral then.
I'm also going to try running some ducting from the inlet hole (and duct booster fan) right up to the window to get some better air, albeit not the best still.
I've got a humidifier going 24/7 and the plants do look a lot better after a couple of days with no extractor, however within minutes of me turning it back on to see what happens the leaves curl up quick.

I'll just keep trying different things to see what works.

The bloody Ph was almost NINE!!!

that explains the necrotic patches on some leaves, the chlorosis, and likely the leaf curl too.
My RH is sweet, right about 70%, and my temps are good, hovering around 25°c, so by process of elimination i think the massively high ph has been the problem.

I'm writing these notes to keep a log of sorts for the future, and to help any other new growers with these teething problems.

A pH pen is an absolute must.
I'd have killed my plants eventually if I hadn't caught onto this.

Ive just switched them back to 12/12 too, and hopefully ill report back in a few days that most of these issues have been sorted.

Just waiting for the TDS pen to arrive now.

I'm now on week 7 of veg, and km quite concerned these are female plants. The bracts are distinctly bud shaped, and most definitely NOT sac shaped, so it could be a lot worse.
Theyre still growing, and have a decent colour to the leaves, but I'm hoping they'll be a lot better now I'm addressing the high ph.

Fingers crossed this is it.

 

[YorkshireNewbie]

The bloody Ph was almost NINE!!!

that explains the necrotic patches on some leaves, the chlorosis, and likely the leaf curl too.
My RH is sweet, right about 70%, and my temps are good, hovering around 25°c, so by process of elimination i think the massively high ph has been the problem.

I'm writing these notes to keep a log of sorts for the future, and to help any other new growers with these teething problems.

A pH pen is an absolute must.
I'd have killed my plants eventually if I hadn't caught onto this.

Ive just switched them back to 12/12 too, and hopefully ill report back in a few days that most of these issues have been sorted.

Just waiting for the TDS pen to arrive now.

I'm now on week 7 of veg, and km quite concerned these are female plants. The bracts are distinctly bud shaped, and most definitely NOT sac shaped, so it could be a lot worse.
Theyre still growing, and have a decent colour to the leaves, but I'm hoping they'll be a lot better now I'm addressing the high ph.

Fingers crossed this is it.

*quite confident.

 

[jdog22]

alot to read, sorry if youve already fixed but my money is on a heat problem <3

 

[YorkshireNewbie]

Its now the first week of August, meaning these babies are 2 months old now.
Despite the leaf curl issues, and still undiagnosed splitting in some leaves, theyve grown well and are now growing buds and stretching.

Ive invested in an automatic watering system, as my small tent got way too busy as these three plants grew bigger.
I ended up accidentally tearing leaves and even a stem off whilst trying to water them by hand so I bought the auto waterer with a 50 litre drum.

I still arent convinced I'm watering them properly, but someone told me when new growth is light green that means the plant received adequate water whilst growing so I should take it as a good sign that theyre happy with the water theyre getting.

The work I put into training the plants has begun to pay dividends, as the canopies are almost square, and almost flat, which I hope will result in a very even spread of light and consequently grow some awesome buds.
Hopefully.

Anyway, this is how the girls are doing 9 weeks in.

 

[frostworks]

Its now the first week of August, meaning these babies are 2 months old now.
Despite the leaf curl issues, and still undiagnosed splitting in some leaves, theyve grown well and are now growing buds and stretching.

Ive invested in an automatic watering system, as my small tent got way too busy as these three plants grew bigger.
I ended up accidentally tearing leaves and even a stem off whilst trying to water them by hand so I bought the auto waterer with a 50 litre drum.

I still arent convinced I'm watering them properly, but someone told me when new growth is light green that means the plant received adequate water whilst growing so I should take it as a good sign that theyre happy with the water theyre getting.

The work I put into training the plants has begun to pay dividends, as the canopies are almost square, and almost flat, which I hope will result in a very even spread of light and consequently grow some awesome buds.
Hopefully.

Anyway, this is how the girls are doing 9 weeks in.
View attachment 2493263View attachment 2493264

these are looking healthy so nice work! a pH meter (a good one) is something i recommend to pretty much every new grower. let us know how you're getting on as you get closer.

 

[doober]

Its now the first week of August, meaning these babies are 2 months old now.
Despite the leaf curl issues, and still undiagnosed splitting in some leaves, theyve grown well and are now growing buds and stretching.

Ive invested in an automatic watering system, as my small tent got way too busy as these three plants grew bigger.
I ended up accidentally tearing leaves and even a stem off whilst trying to water them by hand so I bought the auto waterer with a 50 litre drum.

I still arent convinced I'm watering them properly, but someone told me when new growth is light green that means the plant received adequate water whilst growing so I should take it as a good sign that theyre happy with the water theyre getting.

The work I put into training the plants has begun to pay dividends, as the canopies are almost square, and almost flat, which I hope will result in a very even spread of light and consequently grow some awesome buds.
Hopefully.

Anyway, this is how the girls are doing 9 weeks in.
View attachment 2493263View attachment 2493264

looking good man. I've been really considering buying or building a drip system for my tent, what did you do with and how are you dealing with runoff?

 

[YorkshireNewbie]

looking good man. I've been really considering buying or building a drip system for my tent, what did you do with and how are you dealing with runoff?

I appreciate the support dude!

I just bought an automatic watering kit off Ebay, for 30 british pounds, and it was really easy to set up.
Just connect the pipes to the connectors and plant the drippers in the soil.
It took me about five minutes to get it up and running and its been an absolute game changer.

I made the mistake of filling the 50 litre barrel that comes with the kit, but my plants are only drinking about 1.5 litres each per day so the water was going bad after a few days in the barrel.
I dumped it all out and now juat use a 14 litre bucket to drop the water pump in.
Its easier to manage to nutrient ratios and if it goes wrong and you need to dump all the water, youre not wasting 50 litres worth of nutrients and additives.

Regarding run off, I just mop it up afterwards. Ive been meaning to buy trays for the pots to sit in, which collect the run off, but I just haven't got around to it just yet.
I definitely need some though, just for cleanliness if nothing else.
In fact, ill get some now. There's a garden centre nearby so ill sort that out.
It'll be helpful to start ph testing the run off.
Thanks dude. That gave me kick up the arse I needed.

Watering by hand was perfectly fine for the first 7-8 weeks, when the bush was still relatively thin, but once they started stretching and bushing out, it became almost impossible to get the watering bottle in without damaging the plants, and thats what spurred me into buying the watering kit.

A friend of mine swears by the wilma set up, which is a bottom watering system which you simply fill up and then you can leave it until it needs refilling.
The plant takes as much water as it needs, and you don't have to watwr them every day.
The kits were a bit more expensive online that the kit I bought, but in hindsight I wish id have spent that extra money to get the wilma kit.
I'm not disappointed with what I did buy, but my friend has convinced me theyre the way to go.
It cost 4 times as much as the kit I bought though, and if youre on s restrictive budget I would buy the water pump system again. For what it cost, its a great bit of kit, and removes a lot of the stress of watering big plants.

How are yours doing?

 

[YorkshireNewbie]

I appreciate the support dude!

I just bought an automatic watering kit off Ebay, for 30 british pounds, and it was really easy to set up.
Just connect the pipes to the connectors and plant the drippers in the soil.
It took me about five minutes to get it up and running and its been an absolute game changer.

I made the mistake of filling the 50 litre barrel that comes with the kit, but my plants are only drinking about 1.5 litres each per day so the water was going bad after a few days in the barrel.
I dumped it all out and now juat use a 14 litre bucket to drop the water pump in.
Its easier to manage to nutrient ratios and if it goes wrong and you need to dump all the water, youre not wasting 50 litres worth of nutrients and additives.

Regarding run off, I just mop it up afterwards. Ive been meaning to buy trays for the pots to sit in, which collect the run off, but I just haven't got around to it just yet.
I definitely need some though, just for cleanliness if nothing else.
In fact, ill get some now. There's a garden centre nearby so ill sort that out.
It'll be helpful to start ph testing the run off.
Thanks dude. That gave me kick up the arse I needed.

Watering by hand was perfectly fine for the first 7-8 weeks, when the bush was still relatively thin, but once they started stretching and bushing out, it became almost impossible to get the watering bottle in without damaging the plants, and thats what spurred me into buying the watering kit.

A friend of mine swears by the wilma set up, which is a bottom watering system which you simply fill up and then you can leave it until it needs refilling.
The plant takes as much water as it needs, and you don't have to watwr them every day.
The kits were a bit more expensive online that the kit I bought, but in hindsight I wish id have spent that extra money to get the wilma kit.
I'm not disappointed with what I did buy, but my friend has convinced me theyre the way to go.
It cost 4 times as much as the kit I bought though, and if youre on s restrictive budget I would buy the water pump system again. For what it cost, its a great bit of kit, and removes a lot of the stress of watering big plants.

How are yours doing?

Automatic Irrigation System Foldable 50L Bucket Water Pump 8 Drip Nozzles Garden | eBay UK

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Automatic Irrigation System Foldable 50L Bucket Water Pump 8 Drip Nozzles Garden at the best online prices at eBay UK! Free delivery for many products!

ebay.us

This is the automatic irrigation kit i got.

 

[YorkshireNewbie]

Automatic Irrigation System Foldable 50L Bucket Water Pump 8 Drip Nozzles Garden | eBay UK

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Automatic Irrigation System Foldable 50L Bucket Water Pump 8 Drip Nozzles Garden at the best online prices at eBay UK! Free delivery for many products!

ebay.us

This is the automatic irrigation kit i got.

ATAMI WILMA 4 - Complete Hydroponics Dripper System - Pots 6L,11L,18L & 25L Pots | eBay UK

ATAMI WILMA 4 - Complete hydroponics dripper system - Pots 6L, 11L, 18L or 25L & Wilma DUO. Wilma drip feeding systems are incredibly versatile as you can grow traditionally with pots and soil or coco or you can turn it into an active drip and drain hydroponic system utilizing clay pebbles.

ebay.us

This is the wilma kit I was telling you about. Much more expensive, but very easy to use.

 

[YorkshireNewbie]

August 16th, 2025.

The plants are now well into flowering and producing some rather underwhelming buds, so i invested in a 300W deep red CFL bulb to supplement the 200W (from the wall) full spectrum LEDs.
Ive heard arguments for and against supplemental CFL bulbs, but if nothing is ventured then nothing is gained.
I wasnt ready, however, for the size of the bulb so I had to retrieve the old HPS reflector to direct more of the light onto the plant. It seems to work with the reflector hanging vertically, sort of, so im excited to see how the new light affects the bud growth.
I also bought some flowering booster nutrients called PK13/14 from Plant Magic to add to the plant magic Coco A&B base nutes and Plant Magic coco Bloom.
I bought some powered calmag with added boron and fulvic acid too, because I was burning through the little 250ml bottle id bought when I started the grow.
I think the added boron helps a lot.

Anyway, this is how theyre looking half way through their bloom stage.
I'm waiting for a jewellers loupe so I can monitor the trichomes to try judge when to harvest, and im glad to say the white widows in particular (left and back right) are frosting up nicely and the trichomes are multiplying at a staggering rate now.

 

[YorkshireNewbie]

August 22nd, 2025.

the plants are now swelling the buds and trichomes are growing more and more every day.
Theres a lovely frost developing on all the buds and sugar leaves, and theyre beginning to smell at last. Ive been waiting for the smell for weeks. Its now here and intensifying daily.

ive added PK13/14 to their feed and have been using it for abkut 2 weeks.
i think these buds have about 4-6 weeks to harvest so ill start to flush them in about 3-4 weeks and chop soon after.

youll have to forgive the filtered shots. Being my first grow, im still very excited about it all and delighted ive got buds actually growing in my tent!
im quite proud of myself, and took the liberty of a few touched up bud shots.

anyway, i forget which week im in, but im going to judge it on the trichomes and pistils.

looking good so far though!