Why my plants are always small

darklordmelkor · Apr 24, 2022

Hello.

This is my first grow and i failed with my two girls. They are pretty small and still waiting to harvest.
Then i did put some seeds to soil again and start over. Still, they look so small to me.

This two pictures is Autopilot XXL which at day 19 from breaking soil.

And this two different girls are Auto White Widows. Both is 9 days from breaking soil.
This is #1

And this is #2

Using 1000w hps. Distance from plants is 80cm. Tent has some heat issues. 30C at mid day and 24C when lights off. Humidity is 40-50% when lights are on and 50-60% when lights off. Using Advanced Nutrient Grow, Micro, Bloom with company chart. Watering every 3 days with checking 4-5cm of soil from top with finger and watering if it's almost dry or fully dry. pH of water 6.3 and it's not chlorinated tap water.

They still looks very small to me. Any ideas?

And should i start LST with Autopilot XXL now?

This two girls are Auto Blue Amnesia and Auto Cheese NL which i failed. I didn't fed them first 5 weeks and overwatered few times. So they are right to stay small but i am really taking care of this new seedlings. I don't know why they are still small :(

Homesteader · Apr 24, 2022

All the seedlings look okay to me. I don't grow autos though but I am going to assume they are just growing their roots and will take off soon. Nothing seems to be very off to me but maybe someone who grows autos will chime in

darklordmelkor · Apr 24, 2022

Homesteader said:
All the seedlings look okay to me. I don't grow autos though but I am going to assume they are just growing their roots and will take off soon. Nothing seems to be very off to me but maybe someone who grows autos will chime in

difference between first and second white widows is very obvious. first one is larger and taller.

comparing autopilot XXL with other grow pictures at same days makes me think its pretty small. maybe i am wrong tho.

Homesteader · Apr 24, 2022

darklordmelkor said:
difference between first and second white widows is very obvious. first one is larger and taller.

comparing autopilot XXL with other grow pictures at same days makes me think its pretty small. maybe i am wrong tho.

Obvious yes but its probably only due to different phenotypes of the strain. The seeds all don't go true and have slight variations of which most often it seems size and flower time being the major factors.

Swayz · Apr 24, 2022

I think you’re blasting them with too much light. 80cm is really close for seedlings with a 1k hps. Some mulch would help improve soil moisture.

Maybe try starting the seedlings in Plastic pots/Solo cups under some house lamp bulbs until they are ready to move in to the bigger pots. The cloth pots can dry out too quickly for seedlings so keep on top of misting the surface and keeping the top few inches moist until they take off.

Be careful following a companies labels and feeding charts. A lot of them overfeed.

N1ghtL1ght · Apr 24, 2022

there should be plenty of minerals in such a large pot but u need to keep the whole soil watered because roots only grow into moist soil but will die if exposed to dryness for too long a time

Heywood · Apr 24, 2022

1000W hps on seedlings... Ouch.

Something like a 400W Metal Halide would get you through veg better, IMO.

darklordmelkor · Apr 25, 2022

Swayz said:
I think you’re blasting them with too much light. 80cm is really close for seedlings with a 1k hps. Some mulch would help improve soil moisture.

Maybe try starting the seedlings in Plastic pots/Solo cups under some house lamp bulbs until they are ready to move in to the bigger pots. The cloth pots can dry out too quickly for seedlings so keep on top of misting the surface and keeping the top few inches moist until they take off.

Be careful following a companies labels and feeding charts. A lot of them overfeed.

I was going to start them in cup but company that i bought seeds said just put them in final medium. So that's why. And i read few times autos are shocking when transplanted. That's why i started in 20 liters pots. Using company chart now but there is no overfeeding signs on leaves yet. I hope there will be not.

N1ghtL1ght said:
there should be plenty of minerals in such a large pot but u need to keep the whole soil watered because roots only grow into moist soil but will die if exposed to dryness for too long a time

I just put my finger 15 cm deep to soil and it's pretty wet (not muddy but wet). I added 10% perlites to soil btw.

Should i start LST to Autopilot XXL?

This is how she looks like. The last picture taken few hours ago at the my first post. Leaves was droopy yesterday night. And now leaves are up. I think she is growing :) How is thickness of stem?

darklordmelkor · Apr 27, 2022

Ok found what's wrong. It was underwatering. I was watering only stem spot and few cm around of stem with 200-300mL water. Great helps from peoples and found that issue. Saturated all soil of all diameters equally of pot and til water run off from bottom and they really take off. Especially one of white widow growing so damn fast.

This is day 9 of White Widow #1 and before saturation.

And this is White Widow #1 (same plant) 2 days after from saturation.

I am bit late for Autopilot XXL because it's first day of 3rd week (day 21) but she is doing really well now. Her stem thicker than my 9th week Blue Amnesia now :)

This is day 19 of Autopilot XXL and before saturation.

This is day 21.

Also heat issues going well now. It's 32C outside and i am able to keep grow tent 29-30C. Humidity at 45% when lights on ad up to 65% when lights off.

I didn't know that watering is that much complicated. I overwatered few times my first plants so they stay small. Afraid to do it again and went with low amount of water but now i know how to water my plants! And they really liked it! :)

Stonerbudz · Apr 27, 2022

darklordmelkor said:
I was going to start them in cup but company that i bought seeds said just put them in final medium. So that's why. And i read few times autos are shocking when transplanted. That's why i started in 20 liters pots. Using company chart now but there is no overfeeding signs on leaves yet. I hope there will be not.

I just put my finger 15 cm deep to soil and it's pretty wet (not muddy but wet). I added 10% perlites to soil btw.

Should i start LST to Autopilot XXL?

This is how she looks like. The last picture taken few hours ago at the my first post. Leaves was droopy yesterday night. And now leaves are up. I think she is growing :) How is thickness of stem?

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The soil looks way to dry in my opinion and in. My experience of growing autos maybe you can try giving them little bit more water also and like someone else said above before that they are also still growing the roots and than they will start to take off and also don’t forget you got you stretch usally around after day 30ish

darklordmelkor · Apr 27, 2022

Stonerbudz said:
The soil looks way to dry in my opinion and in. My experience of growing autos maybe you can try giving them little bit more water also and like someone else said above before that they are also still growing the roots and than they will start to take off and also don’t forget you got you stretch usally around after day 30ish

autopilot's soil looks dry yes. because of 8inch huge fan on her running 24/7 so water really evaporates fast from top. but far away from WW. so its still looks wet. but when i put my finger 2-3cm deep its still very wet with autopilot. anyway i will water them til water comes out from bottom. no more less water. i think idea is getting water run off. not watering too often(like everyday) but water with good amount.

anyway i still need help. i will share pics every few day :)

Shaded_One · Apr 27, 2022

darklordmelkor said:
i think idea is getting water run off. not watering too often(like everyday) but water with good amount.

Correct. Saturate the pot and let it almost completely dry out before saturating again. Just don't let the pots sit in any runoff.

Heywood · Apr 27, 2022

darklordmelkor said:
autopilot's soil looks dry yes. because of 8inch huge fan on her running 24/7

Just a friendly tip - You really only want a gentle breeze on your plants. I aim one of my fans at the base of the pots and my other fan above the canopy.
This gives good airflow all around the plants without wind-whipping them.

Ponky · Apr 27, 2022

Water fully. Buy better seeds.

Moshmen · Apr 27, 2022

Shaded_One said:
Correct. Saturate the pot and let it almost completely dry out before saturating again. Just don't let the pots sit in any runoff.

Or on the floor cold roots don’t work right

Stonerbudz · Apr 27, 2022

Moshmen said:
Or on the floor cold roots don’t work right

Yup cold roots also Will not grow as strong and fast also since they are pretty much like in shock

Edinburgh · Apr 27, 2022

You need better dirt, I recommend FFOF add 20% chunk perlite for aeration, use clay pebbles for good drainage, you will see a major difference. I use botanacare pro grow 1ml per USgal watered down, for bloom I use atami Bloombastic 1ml per USgal watered down but if you don't go really light you will burn them.

darklordmelkor · Apr 28, 2022

Okay 3 days later from saturation, when i put my finger 3-4cm deep top of soil it was little moist. So i saturated all pot again. It took me 2 to 2.5 liters of water again. Runoff bit was too much but most water went to sides of pot.

This is Autopilot XXL day 22. Her leaves bit curling down from tips. Too much nitrogen?

This is W.W. #1 day 12. Her leaves also bit curling down from tips.

This is W.W. #2. She is still too much smaller than her sister :)

And this is W.W. #3 day 5 :)

I moved light a bit higher. Now it's looks like that.

N1ghtL1ght · Apr 28, 2022

Holy hell, 1000W HPS on these plants. The light is doing more harm than good, at least, put it at max height up the ceiling of your tent.
If plants get too much light they grow less, not more. Same with fertilizer. More doesn't equate better. Not saying they can't take it but needs a long veg, big plant for all of that.

The second pic, the clawing, it looks as if watered too early. These big pots usually are still moist in the midst when plants are still small. With little plants and big pots usually better to wait a more on irrigation

Saul.Goodman · Apr 28, 2022

In my experience Autos vary drastically (I think this is why a lot of people do not like them). My first Auto (Bruce Banner) grew to be over 4 feet tall with a huge harvest. My current grow (Northern Lights) is just over two and a half feet tall which is taller than the seller listed but still really small IMO. Granted, I was not paying attention to the listed grow height of the plants when I purchased the seeds so I was really surprised when the Northern Lights came in so small.

Why my plants are always small

Why my plants are always small

darklordmelkor

Homesteader

darklordmelkor

Homesteader

Swayz

N1ghtL1ght

Heywood

darklordmelkor

darklordmelkor

Stonerbudz

darklordmelkor

Shaded_One

Heywood

Ponky

Moshmen

Stonerbudz

Edinburgh

Attachments

darklordmelkor

N1ghtL1ght

Saul.Goodman

I just wet my plants...

Why my plants are always small

Why my plants are always small

darklordmelkor

Homesteader

darklordmelkor

Homesteader

Swayz

N1ghtL1ght

Heywood

darklordmelkor

darklordmelkor

Stonerbudz

darklordmelkor

Shaded_One

Heywood

Ponky

Moshmen

Stonerbudz

Edinburgh

Attachments

darklordmelkor

N1ghtL1ght

Saul.Goodman

I just wet my plants...

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