Why my plants are always small

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darklordmelkor

darklordmelkor

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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.
IMG20220425001420.jpg

Why my plants are always small 4



And this two different girls are Auto White Widows. Both is 9 days from breaking soil.
This is #1
IMG20220425001407.jpg

IMG20220425001414.jpg


And this is #2

IMG20220425001446.jpg


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 :(

IMG20220425001433.jpg

IMG20220425001438.jpg
 
Homesteader

Homesteader

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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

darklordmelkor

59
18
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

Homesteader

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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

Swayz

11
3
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

N1ghtL1ght

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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
 
darklordmelkor

darklordmelkor

59
18
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.

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?

Day 19 3

Day 19 4

Day 19 5
 
darklordmelkor

darklordmelkor

59
18
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.
Day 9 First


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

Day 11 first


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.
Day 19 4


This is day 21.

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

Stonerbudz

490
93
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?

View attachment 1239068
View attachment 1239069
View attachment 1239070
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

darklordmelkor

59
18
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 :)
 
Edinburgh

Edinburgh

2,692
263
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.
 
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darklordmelkor

darklordmelkor

59
18
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?

Day 22 2

Day 22




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

Day 12 first 2

Day 12 first


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

Day 12 second


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

Day 5 third


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

IMG20220428132753
 
N1ghtL1ght

N1ghtL1ght

Staff
Supporter
670
143
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

Saul.Goodman

I just wet my plants...
Supporter
862
143
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.
 

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