Help with first grow

Hi !

I am growing for the 1st time and would like to get some feedback and help on my growth so far.

But before we begin, some background information.

1. Seeds from Nirvana ; BM auto-flower feminized.
2. Germinated on 17th May, seedling broke dirt on 19th May and transplanted to 2 gallon pots on 22nd May.
3. Using organic soil and top soil in 3:1 ratio. Unfortunately I was not able to get the good stuff like FoxFarm in my area. (I live in Asia). The only way is to import it myself. So I got some local organic soil which I was assured was suitable for planting tomatoes. (Tomatoes because I read extensively online and it was mentioned that tomatoes require the similar conditions).
4. On the 2nd of June (16 days old from seed), I noticed the cotyledons becoming brown and falling off and I believed this signaled the start of the vegetative stage. I inserted a quater of the soiltab I got from Nirvana.
5. The plant is now 30 days old from seed (see attached picture).



Now the questions.

1. Why is the seedling so small at 30 days old ? Is this normal ?
2. Those small white hairs on the top of the plant, do they indicate its female ?
Do these small white hairs also signal the start of the flowering stage ?

Like I said, this is my first growth so I am more concerned with the experience and process than the results.
I still have more than 30 good seeds stored away so this grow is basically a learning stage for me.
Appreciate any comments and feedback that is helpful.
Thanks in advance !

1. Wow, I'd have to guess compact soil, over-watering, low light, low temps, low N, but, wow, that's amazing. Generally anything that can cause stunted growth. Amazing.

2. Amazing because yes, that thing is flowering, and female.

Is that outside? Do you know the zone you live in? What have the temps been like? How much light do you get daily?

Asia is enormous. If you're growing outside, the zone would help a lot.

Hey Tri, thanks for the reply.

1. I do not want to be too specific about where I live because as you know Asia has draconian laws on the cultivation of cannabis.
But I live in East Asia and the temperature is now 31-32 degrees Celsius in the day and around 26 at night.

2. This plant has been living outdoors since the transplant at 4 days old.
I get around 13 hours of sunlight per day, and the plant has been in a place where it can get direct sunlight for at least 10 hours a day.

3. I am not sure if the soil is compact, because when I water it the water usually goes down immediately and does not pool at the surface. But deeper it might be a problem. Will try to get my hands on better soil in future.

4. I water once every 2 days, making sure the top is dry and after inserting my entire finger in the soil to ensure it is indeed also dry underneath. Once every 2 days might be alot but the temperature here now is quite high and it can be hot in the afternoon, and the soil gets dry really fast probably due to the heat. I water usually in the evening close to sunset, and I alternate between watering from above and feeding from below to try to boost root growth.

5. Not sure about low light because the plant is under direct sunlight and it is pretty intense in the day. I get sunburned by staying out for just an hour tending to the plants. Should not be an issue with low temps as well.

6. Low N might be possible, but the fertilizers I used has a 7 in N content and I also included the soiltabs from Nirvana which stated that it is appropriate in N ratio. Don't think there is nute burn as well judging from the conditions.

7. Water pH might be an issue, and I admit I have not purchased a tester to confirm this. But since it is outside, I usually let it get watered with rain water. Even when I bottom feed the water was collected from rain. When I have to water from the tap, I usually used distilled drinking water, which should have a pH of 7. Rain water is slightly acidic so the pH should be in range.

So the soil might be the main issue, which I will take note of. But getting access to soil specifically designed for cannabis cultivation is difficult here. I might have to import soil in future.

Now to the questions.

1. Since it is now flowering, will it continue to get bigger ?
If so, how much bigger ? I hope I don't end up with a harvest of just a gram.
It will be a shame for all the effort. But its a good learning experience I must admit.
I read and it was mentioned that plants do grow significantly during the flowering stage, so I would like to hear some feedback from experienced growers out there.

2. Is there anything I can still do to rectify the problem ?
I considered transplanting again, but since this is auto flower and flowering has started I think it is really futile.
But any helpful comments will be appreciated.

Thanks again !

planting a seedling into a 2 gallon pot so soon will slow things down, you need to root the pot out before you move to the next pot size up other wise the wet dry cycle will take alot longer, your starving the roots of oxygen

Light looks your biggest problem, direct sunlight is a must outdoors

Light and heat are your issues. Not enough light, too much heat. 21-27 degrees Centigrade is ideal. 85 degrees Fahrenheit will downright stop your growth.

EuZin said:

1. Since it is now flowering, will it continue to get bigger ?
If so, how much bigger ? I hope I don't end up with a harvest of just a gram.
It will be a shame for all the effort. But its a good learning experience I must admit.
I read and it was mentioned that plants do grow significantly during the flowering stage, so I would like to hear some feedback from experienced growers out there.

2. Is there anything I can still do to rectify the problem ?
I considered transplanting again, but since this is auto flower and flowering has started I think it is really futile.
But any helpful comments will be appreciated.

Thanks again !

Click to expand...

It might get a little bigger, yes, but I'll be honest, it won't end up yielding much.

Cut back on watering. That's a tiny plant in a relatively large, solid wall pot. The sun is what's drying out the top of your soil, but it's likely waterlogged below, if you're watering every two or three days.

A transplant won't help, the plant is still small enough for that pot, and I don't see it outgrowing it before harvest.

Best bet at this point is probably to let her dry out, and then water with some bloom nutrients. I imagine that soil is loaded with N still.

Thanks for the reply guys ! Really appreciate it. Will take note of all the comments in my next grow.

I don't think newbies should start with auto's outdoors I've been growing for 7 years and I'm doing my first auto outdoors and it's a lot more demanding than regular seeds.

Olive Drab Green said:

Light and heat are your issues. Not enough light, too much heat. 21-27 degrees Centigrade is ideal. 85 degrees Fahrenheit will downright stop your growth.

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Wrong. My tent sits at 85 and growth has been explosive for weeks now.

JanesRain said:

Wrong. My tent sits at 85 and growth has been explosive for weeks now.

Click to expand...

Your tent is too hot. Anyone will tell you the same. At the very least, it will grow more slowly than it normally would. It's definitely going to catch up with you. Sativas might tolerate it better, but depending on strain, it will effect it more noticeably. You could also potentially herm it.

EuZin said:

Hi !

I am growing for the 1st time and would like to get some feedback and help on my growth so far.

But before we begin, some background information.

1. Seeds from Nirvana ; BM auto-flower feminized.
2. Germinated on 17th May, seedling broke dirt on 19th May and transplanted to 2 gallon pots on 22nd May.
3. Using organic soil and top soil in 3:1 ratio. Unfortunately I was not able to get the good stuff like FoxFarm in my area. (I live in Asia). The only way is to import it myself. So I got some local organic soil which I was assured was suitable for planting tomatoes. (Tomatoes because I read extensively online and it was mentioned that tomatoes require the similar conditions).
4. On the 2nd of June (16 days old from seed), I noticed the cotyledons becoming brown and falling off and I believed this signaled the start of the vegetative stage. I inserted a quater of the soiltab I got from Nirvana.
5. The plant is now 30 days old from seed (see attached picture).

View attachment 3708907

Now the questions.

1. Why is the seedling so small at 30 days old ? Is this normal ?
2. Those small white hairs on the top of the plant, do they indicate its female ?
Do these small white hairs also signal the start of the flowering stage ?

Like I said, this is my first growth so I am more concerned with the experience and process than the results.
I still have more than 30 good seeds stored away so this grow is basically a learning stage for me.
Appreciate any comments and feedback that is helpful.
Thanks in advance !

Click to expand...

Okay lots of question before and after so I'll just jump in a start ........I grow outdoors legally here in oregon so that may be a definitive issue ..... So from seed: first I wash my seed in a solution of 1 part hydorgen peroxide 3 part water before I rinse and soak for a few hours until the seed exhibits a small white sprout. I place these sprouts in a plate with a single layer of tissue the seeds sprout and than a second single layer of tissue this is wetted and holds the seed sprout within about 2 days .... Now I have carefully cut this sandwich of tissue and seed in sections one for each seed sprout I cover the process with a heavy cup or lid to keep the contents dark and without draft. when the sprout is about a inch long the tissue paper makes it easy to manipulate the sprout into a pot of soil. every transplant will cost you 2 weeks of growth ......every clip every break every movement of supplemental light will reduce your grow time by 2 weeks maybe 3........my advice is to plant in the intended bed from seed..............if that is not possible do the best you can to mimic the natural light cycle of your seed. wind movement is important and lunar as well as solar light is important ............a 30 gallon pot will only develop a 10 foot plant.......... a plant in good soil with unlimited growth will develop double digit weight outside under the moon and sun . I grow my own effective microorganisms and I use corde ceps fungus as well as my own composted soil and demineralized water. when inclimate weather threatens I use Hoop houses made from poly and PVC keeps the hail off and allows fro some moderate temerature control through the thermals developed under my composted soil everything is fed one time in the prepared beds long before the seed gets planted and once the plant has emerged the bed gets banked in with clean straw one time for the entire season
after that it just water

Hey guys, I would like to give an update of what happened so far and hopefully some future new growers will benefit from it.

Basically the plant is dead. Why ?
Well I noticed that there were spider mites growing on the leaves. Lots of tiny black spots underneath and above the leaves as well as the presence of webs so I decided to make my own bug spray after reading about them online. What I did was use some baking soda, liquid soap and chopped garlic in small quantities mixed in water, and then sprayed on the plants in the evening. When I woke up the next morning and checked on it the leaves had all dropped and wilted.

Now I am no chemist or plant doctor but I did minor in physics in college and have access to a good and powerful microscope.
After performing an "autopsy" on the plant and examining the leaves under the microscope, I noticed that the surface of the leaves were coated in a white power (which I suspect was dried baking soda residue and whatever chemicals in the liquid soap). This effectively blocked the stomata and rendered them unable to "breathe". There might be more reasons behind the sudden death overnight but this is one possible reason I found.

Anyway, what I want to say is this :
Don't trust everything you read online about how to handle the plants. Common sense is a definite must here.
Failure is a biatch but experience is the best teacher.
There are alot of growers in forums out there who are in no way smarter but will not think twice in offering lousy advice.
Not just what happened to me but I have seen really bad advice given out there unrelated to this.
But there are also tons of good growers and fantastic advice so the bottom line is do research what you are going to do to make sure its the right thing.
I learned it the hard way but have to say it was a very good learning experience.

I have now started another grow (germinated another 2 seeds) and have decided to grow them indoors due to the heat outside.
I have also switched to a less compact soil (thanks Tri !) and have started them in smaller 4 inch pots as advised (thanks Bob !)
A smaller pot does indeed allow me to manage and control the watering schedule quite significantly.
I have also invested in a reputable good organic bug prevention spray (for around 5 dollars) just in case the same thing happens again. Unlike what I thought, a simple indoor grow box doesn't actually require heavy investment.
I have spent less than 50 dollars so far and actually have a working grow box.
(4 CFL 23W at 2 dollars each with an additional 2 lying around when the plant has grown bigger, three 4 inch fans for intake, exhaust and blowing at the plants at 4 dollars each, a thermometer at 80 cents and some wiring, adapters and card boxes lying around unused at home. Well the electricity bill may be higher as I placed the box in my bedroom with the AC on 24/7 at 20 degrees Celsius and the grow box registering a temp of 26 degrees Celsius. But its bloody hot here anyway (almost 40 outside !) and without the grow box I would have left the AC on anyway since I work from home. And yes the new plants are growing very well and fast. Makes me wonder what I hadn't started indoors from the start.

So don't be afraid to try. The best way to learn is to try it out yourself. You will be offering valuable advice to the younger generation of growers in no time.

Cheers people !

Olive Drab Green said:

Your tent is too hot. Anyone will tell you the same. At the very least, it will grow more slowly than it normally would. It's definitely going to catch up with you. Sativas might tolerate it better, but depending on strain, it will effect it more noticeably. You could also potentially herm it.

Click to expand...

Autlfowers aren't gona turn herm XD

JanesRain said:

Autlfowers aren't gona turn herm XD

Click to expand...

You're wrong. They most certainly can.

JanesRain said:

Autlfowers aren't gona turn herm XD

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Oh but they do, Happens to my neighbor all the time.

Why does no one do their research before trying to talk shit and naysay about things they don't even know what they are talking about?

Meh everyone seems to have their way, and if they dont know of another way then it just cant be true lol. Ive learned so far this is a take it with a grain of salt hobby. And try it for yourself to learn.

Seems silly though learning the hard way if someone else has already done it for you and posted about it lol.

Right, and I agree on both accounts.