First timer seeking opinions/advice (pics included)

[OhDoobie]

Hey all! I'm new here to Rollitup and look forward to any and all advice, opinons and/or information as a first time 'wannabe' home grower. I've been around in this life now for over 50 years and a 'bud affectionado ' for near to 40 of those years but have never tried my hand at this before so bear with an old man . So, I've attached a couple pics of my efforts so far of (4) little guys/gals that are just a few days short of being 5-weeks old now. I'm growing in Miracle Gro Moisture Control Potting Mix using distilled water when i started. They get anywhere from 8-10 hours of steady Florida sunlight except for the rainy days of course (which we've had a week or so of lately). They're all standing between 5-7" right now (seems a little short to me but what do I know) and appear to be fairly healthy other than not developing as many leaf starts as I had expected by now. You'll ask, I know, and I have yet to check PH or add any kind of nutrient, etc. and they have been transplanted once about 2 weeks ago from small starter cups using the same soil and watering as when I started them. I wouldn't know if I have any problems or not which is why I'm simply giving you the grow history to date and hoping for more expert opnions, advice and/or information as to what I should or shouldn't do from here. Thank you all so much!!

 

[jon.]

5 weeks? I say you taake them inside under some lights. doesn't look like there getting enough light.

 

[trichlone fiend]

...what's up o'l timer?
...I've got a few wrinkles myself.

...your doing great. I personally wouldn't suggest MG for soil. The time released fertilizers tend to open the more you water....so be careful .

(edit) jon. is right, those are pretty small for 5 weeks....and kind of stretched a bit...can you get them in better sunlight?

 

[MellowHaze]

dont use Miracle Gro its not good 4 weed an as the other dude sed looks like they need more light they should be alot bigger by now. how are you growin them? are you just leavin them to grow by themselves? by the way im on my first grow too but im growin indoors so im in charge of all the factors involved ie light, temp, etc

peace out

 

[stumps]

looks like you could start adding some nutes. use a 1/4 mix of what ever your going To use. and add from there. I'll snap some shots of a few I have going.

 

[dyzel]

Those are WAY too tiny to be 5 weeks old.

Here is my outdoor plant at almost 6 weeks:

View attachment 1033106

I would have held off transplanting them until they got better developed.
Did you graze or rip the root ball when trying to transplant? Such an injury could deter growth substantially, assuming it doesn't kill your plant...

On a side note...

Rowan Atkinson makes the worlds UGLIEST baby!

 

[golddog]

Hey Maynard,

Take it easy. It's your first grow. See what you can learn.

Plants look O.K. just a little small. Keep it simple. Don't over water.

It's late in the season (they will probably start flowering near the end of August), plenty of time for them to grow.

Start reading up on what you want to do for your next grow. Just don't believe everything you hear and just half of what you see....

 

[dyzel]

Also, any chance you could move the plants right into the ground? I bet they'd like that!

 

[trichlone fiend]

Rowan Atkinson makes the worlds UGLIEST baby!

...hahahahahahahahahaha

 

[dyzel]

...hahahahahahahahahaha

See! I ain't the only one who thinks so...
That thing is gonna give me nightmares!

 

[1nicegrow]

that and i dont know how many times I type this in a day but lose the miricle grow to start...time release agents in there soil sucks for mmj growers...I use black gold with about 2 inches of grow stones in the bottom of a 5 gal bucket...I dont do mutipal transplants...it stresses the plants. for seedlings I use a solo cup to start and then into a 5 gal...they dont appear to be growing well upward and thas either the light or there locked out wich would be a ph issue...at 5 weeks they are safe to start a round of nutriants but with miricle grow for your medium any nutriants you add now will probly kill them with the time release in the miricle grow. I would get me some diferant soil and remove as much of the miricle grow as possible and re plant in a 3 gal bucket at least...keep light low for a week so they can get re established and then bring them back to the stronger litht...then get the fox farm nutriant line and follow the sheet but never go full strength....3/4 max and start light were the big bloom starts on the feeding schedual as it has the most amount of nitrogen wich is what those plants need right now for veggitive growth......now fox farm has ph agents in it so add the nutriants and ph your water. my tap water is 7.6 and after nutriants is 6 so I add ph pro up to bring it to 6.4.
now soil i use is black gold with 1/2 cup of dolomite lime per bag and a 2 inch layer of grow stones in the bottom of a bucket...the dolomite will make your soil ph 7(Neutral) so when I water my plants in the buckets for the first time I run it thru the bucket till its comming out the bottom about 2 to 3 seconds and take a sample...water is 6.4 soil is 7 and my run off is 6.6...perfect area for full up take of food by the plants.

I wont garentee you will save those plants after trying to get the miricle grow off them but if you dont keep this mix and try it....it works well for a begginer and my plants thrive in this set up

 

[OhDoobie]

So I should consider changing the soil mix from the MG they're in now but any advice as to what? I mostly shop at Lowe's since I'm sort of outside the suburban area and not a lot of other close choices but I'll travel some if it's neccessary. Bare in mind that I did just transplant them from some itty bitty starter cups a couple weeks ago so I'd hate to do that again too soon but again, I will if it's the best thing to do. As for sunlight, this is Florida sun and it's close this time of year and they get both mid morning and afternoon exposure up until the trees in the backyard block it which is usually around 5:30 pm, maybe a little sooner. Also, today is the first day they've gotten sunlight for almost a week because of downpours and total cloud cover although during that week I did put them under a flourescent fixture in the garage but not all that close to it in the hopes it would at least maybe sustain some.

 

[stumps]

on the left are clones. On the right 14 day old seeds. Very cold nights just about killed the seedlings but temps are up now. These will be 2 foot by the end of the month. View attachment 1033126

Lowes has sone stuff called sta green I mix it with a little over 1/3 perlite. Has been working well for me. I would tay with what you have. Just make sure you don't water to often. let the soil get good and dry then water very slow and good. I add perlite to all soil I buy so far.

 

[dyzel]

Try Fox Farms mixes. People seem to have great results with the products, though I personally have never used them.

I use my own composted soil mix, including perlite, styrafoam and a bunch of other stuff to help in aeration as well as drainage.

I use no additional nutes until 5 weeks in, and ready to flower

 

[OhDoobie]

I was very careful when I transplanted them and sure that I didn't graze or rip the rool balls, which BTW were showing very strong development for being less than 3-weeks old or at least IMHO. Also, you asked if I could put them straight in the ground and yes, I could, although I would REALLY need some guidance and direction I think for doing this as close to PERFECTLY as can be done so I wouldn't lose them.

On a side note: Rowan Atkinson ain't the world's ugliest baby! At my age, that's dang near a mirror image of me after a weeked of short track racing, a couple cases of Natty lite and too much of the Ganja.

 

[1nicegrow]

Dont do the ochean forest soils if your a begginer.....fully loaded and burnt the crap out of my plants with plain water...might of been hot spots in the mix but it sucked...thas why I swiched to black gold...black gold is alot more fiberious to so has good water retention and breathability

Try Fox Farms mixes. People seem to have great results with the products, though I personally have never used them.

I use my own composted soil mix, including perlite, styrafoam and a bunch of other stuff to help in aeration as well as drainage.

I use no additional nutes until 5 weeks in, and ready to flower

 

[stumps]

"1nice grow" your wrong about the lime. but thats ok. I've done grows with mg soil without killing them and adding nutes.

 

[1nicegrow]

well ...not saying it cant be done but I do know one thing.....mg releases nitrogen thruout the grow including flower...flowering plants need lack of nitrogen and nitrogen in plants when dried and cured tastes like shit and crakles like a sparkler....you can flush the plants but mg then releases more nitrogen into the mix...bad stuff man and 95 percent will swear you off of it.

as for the lime...you might want to tell people back east they are wrong cause the have to apply it to there lawns to get grass to grow every year because of poor soil ph....grass wont grow without it

"1nice grow" your wrong about the lime. but thats ok. I've done grows with mg soil without killing them and adding nutes.

 

[dyzel]

Transplanting into the ground need not be any more tedious than moving to another pot. Alas, I have never grown in the 'Earth' so I will step aside and let someone with more experience guide you.

Good luck with your grow, rowan

 

[OhDoobie]

Yours are looking really nice! You mentioned earlier about maybe adding nutes despite the fact that I've started with and am still using the MG moisture control potting mix. Since I've never done this before and the fact that the MG soil has the time release fertilizers, any suggestions or recommendations for the nutes and how to mix based on using the MG soil? You mentioned also using Sta-Green with Perlite? I have some Sta-Green granular all purpose plant food mix (12-4- which is a kind of old but I don't think that's what you had in mind? Also, where do you get Perlite and should these both be in liguid form? Like I said, I'm really 'green as grass' about all this but I'm willing and wanting to learn. Lastly, and hopefully others will read this too, 1.) should I be checking the PH now and how often 2.) how much water is too much or too little in terms of ounces, cups, etc based on the pot sizes you see in my pics and 3.) if the 'stretching' is due to not enough sunlight and since I can't totally control that should I be considering moving these to an indoor grow? I could do that but I really had hoped to make my first try at this au-natural if possible. Everyone's input so far is MUCH MUCH appreciated and from me to everyone ... THANK YOU!!