Help!!! Suffering young plants

[GiantSteps]

Just started my first grow and the babies are not doing too hot -

600watt LED
Fox Farms Ocean Forest
Fox Forms Big Bloom
Organic Unsulphured Molasses
4x4 Grow Tent
Trainwreck and Blueberry

I put the clones (which were in rockwool cubes) in solo cups with just straight Fox Farms soil. I put holes in the cups for drainage. I mixed the nutrients very weak - at about 5 tbsp Big Bloom to 8 gallons of water and adjusted the PH to about 6.0. The first day, I fed them each 1/2 Cup water with Big Bloom (which I am certain now was too much). The next day I watered with molasses - 1 tbspn molasses to a gallon of water - I gave them each 1 cup of water (big mistake). Day 3 I gave them each 1/4 cup water with the Big Bloom. Day 4 I did not water. Day 5, in an effort cut out moisture, I took the plants out and put them back into the solo cups with fresh (and drier) soil. Day 6 I also did not water.

I suspected overwatering early on - the leaves have been drooping, some plants worse than others. And perhaps too much nutrient wise too early in the game..? The leaves on one have yellowed at the bottom - shriveling up - I cut the two shriveled up yellow leaves today as I assume they are just going to fall off anyway. The leaf yellowing at the bottom makes me suspect a nitrogen deficiency, but I do not see how it could be from the waterings directly. Could this be that the roots were suffocated from over watering and unable to uptake nitrogen?

I made sure to adjust the PH of my water accordingly to about 6.0 (after adding ferts, of course), so I do not see how it could be a PH problem.

My plan as of now is to avoid watering until the leaves stop drooping - and then to only water with 1/4 cup of pure water.

There is also portions of top leaves on some of the plants that have lost pigment and have bleached out. I suspected this was from getting too high a concentration of light and have adjusted the light to be much further away from the plants - is this right..?

Any help is greatly appreciated!!!

 

[GiantSteps]

Also, with regards to the bleaching tops, the light was on 24/0 - I am assuming it was not just too much light but for too many hours of the day. Yes..?

 

[GiantSteps]

These are from a bit earlier on - maybe Day 3? The first two are some of the Blueberry plants, the third is some of the Trainwreck. The fourth is an example of some of the bleaching I am getting on the tops of one of the Trainwreck plants.

 

[GandalfdaGreen]

You don't need to feed them with the OF so early. Your ph is a bit low. Get it to 6.4ish. The clones will have enough food for a month in the OF. I'd water them with 3 ozs of water max at each watering without nutes. They will recover. The affected leaves won't but the new growth will be green. Happy Frog would be better next time for the clones then jump into OF after a month. Take care.

 

[GiantSteps]

Thanks for the advice GandalfdaGreen! So raise the PH of the water to 6.4 - when should I water again?

 

[Commander Strax]

how close is the LED?

can I have more info on the 600w led, pics would be nice.

I have heard that LEDs can bleach.

 

[GandalfdaGreen]

Water them when the cups feel light. Fill up a cup of the OF and water it. Feel how heavy it is. Its probably going to be every 2.5 - 3 days. Not a rule but a general ball park.

 

[GiantSteps]

Here are some pictures I took maybe 30 minutes ago. I wanted to put up something current since obviously they look much different than the pictures I posted that were from a few days ago. I took pictures of the ones that look the absolute worst in hopes it will make it easier to distinguish problems, etc.

Sorry for them being sideways

 

[GiantSteps]

The light was maybe 8 inches away before. I moved it up today to 3-4 feet about the tops.


Here is a link to show you the exact light, with a little info on it.

http://www.amazon.com/LEDwholesalers-2516-Series-Spectrum-Light/dp/B004GJS03A/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1373714162&sr=8-9&keywords=ledwholesalers+600+watt+led+grow+light

 

[*BUDS]

I suspected this was from getting too high a concentration of light and have adjusted the light to be much further away from the plants - is this right..?

That's exactly right and a lot of times they never recover and if they do they are shadow of their potential. Next time have the light much higher at the start, lowering it gradually over 2 weeks.

 

[*BUDS]

Hang on what do mean they were in rw cubes now in cups of soil? If you ripped the rooted clones from the cubes this is why they are fucked and not due to light intensity. Next time plant the cube in the medium and use jiffys for soil.

 

[GiantSteps]

No, of course I didn't remove them from the rockwool. I just put them into soil in cups. They would definitely be fucked! hahaha

 

[GandalfdaGreen]

Are they as dry as the pictures show? If they are water them with plain water.

 

[GiantSteps]

I gave them about 3 oz of plain water shortly after I took those pictures. Before, they were droopy - and within the last 6 hours or so is when they started to get very yellow - however, the leaves do not feel dry. I will try and get some update pictures up in an hour or two. Hopefully they will perk back up from the watering.

 

[GiantSteps]

Is this something they are likely to spring back well from? How badly should I expect this to effect the end quality and yield?

Today is Day 6 for them. Should I scrap them and start with new clones? I would hate to spend 3-4 months on these plants if I have seriously affected them. I rather cut my losses on the clones and the last 6 days and start strong. What do you guys think?

 

[GiantSteps]

They are looking a bit better now (pictures to come!). I think I am finally going to plug the light into a timer and set it for 6 hours of darkness from 12:00pm-6:00pm. Those seems to be the warmest hours of the day - not that heat is too much of an issue (temperature seems to go as low as 72.0 and as high as 85.0 - but hopefully I can get more hours of the ideal 75-77 or so if I keep the light off during this time.

Anyone think it would be better to leave the light 24/0 while I veg?

 

[GiantSteps]

They are looking better but the Trainwreck is still looking pretty yellow. I watered them with 2oz of water today. These photos were taken a few hours after. Should I have given them more water? I am afraid of over watering.

Sorry again for the sideways pictures. How do I fix that? I made sure they were right side up but then when I put them in a post they get turned sideways.

 

[GiantSteps]

I just watered them all will another 2oz of water - there were two that looked especially droopy and yellow, to which I gave 2.5oz. The cups felt light, even after the watering earlier today.

Most importantly, I would like to know: how badly this will affect my plants potential (quality and yield)?

If it would effect the yield in a way, example 1oz yield instead of 3oz - I want to start from fresh clones. I started from these clones 7 weeks ago and would rather cut my losses and start from scratch if it means far greater yields and quality.


ANY FEEDBACK IS GREATLY APPRECIATED. COME ON, ROLLITUP COMMUNITY! GIVE ME SOME LOVE!

 

[Sir.Ganga]

Placing Rockwool cubes into dirt can cause problems you seem to be having. If your watering too little or even just enough what happens is the surrounding soil has a tendency to wick the moisture out of the cubes. How are you watering? In this situation you must go against the grain and water the cube. You must keep the cube wet till the plant has rooted well into the soil. Good Luck.

 

[roseypeach]

used coffee grounds is a good way to improve nitrogen without adding extra ferts your girl doesn't really need. Just sprinkle the grounds on top before a watering.

IMO your plant is needing more nitrogen. Good job on not overwatering. Once a week I always put my girls in the bathtub and spray them until runoff. Let them drain and put them back in your closet/grow room. Then just give them a drink of water every other day or so and you'll be fine.