I could use some clarification

Hi, everyone. Well, I'm new to this. I am trying to grow some Indica from seed so I can make RSO - I have metastatic breast cancer that spread to my bones - did the chemo thing years ago, but now I want to do it naturally. I am purchasing RSO for $250 for 5 mls, but I am fast running out of money. SO - I decided to grow my own.

So - I read everything I could and tried to understand it all - I ended up buying a nice two-panel LED light from a company called EZ Grow. I could afford it, and I talked with them and they seemed pretty confident of the product's effectiveness. Now I'm more 'into' everything, and wondering why my little seeds are so spindly and not healthy looking - and I'm thinking I don't have enough light. They were planted in little Rockwool blocks on the 6th of October - so roughly 23 days and they are just skinny little nothings. One seed cap stayed on - that one died. The bottom leaves are curling on the ends and turning brown.

We transplanted them into actual soil (Fox Farm Ocean Forest) mix - once they were up and we moved them into the grow area. We have the LED light about 10 inches from the plants, and the room, otherwise, is full of fluorescent lights that we leave on - all lights for 16 hours are on.

We are using filtered water at 7.0pH. We have not added any fertilizers or other supplements.

I am thinking that we are just starving these guys for light. So, my only option is probably CFL's - 26W is equal to like 150W incandescent light. I'm not sure how many I need...or if I should buy 23W which I can buy in a 10-pack, and it produces what's equal to like 100w incandescent light.

If someone could give me an idea of the CFL's I should get, i.e., daylight, soft, warm, cool - etc., I would be appreciative. I have 5 plants right now...

Thanks - Pam

holy smokes! 250$ for 5 ml? that sounds crazy to me. I can see why you got into this.

Cool white is generally what you want for veg. The more the merrier when it comes to cfl's Ime. If it has been that long and they arent doing anything I would say light is probably a big factor. Also...make sure you are not over watering as they don't need much when they are little.

Flaming Pie is another lady grower who grows almost exclusively w/cfls. I'll send her your way. I haven't used cfls in years. I'm a t5 guy when it comes to florescents.

Oh and welcome to our board pam

Go with the 100w equivalent daylight (6500) and put a small fan that is just blowing a light breeze over them.
If you have a problem like this again, when you transplant them to where most of the stem is buried. Pics would help.

Post some pictures.

The rockwool was unnecessary and probably did more harm than good.

Not sure LEDs are the best option for a beginner either. The effective units are expensive, usually out of range for the novice grower. I'm sure the salesperson told you what you wanted to hear.

Adding CFL's would help but would be more of a stop gap measure than a long term fix. I would return the LED and get a decent T5 fluorescent fixture. You'll also need a HPS for flowering. They may seem intimidating/expensive but it is really the right way to do it. If you're growing to produce medicine for yourself, the cost will be offset after the first harvest of high quality meds you produce.

Probably not not what you wanted to hear but a badly stunted/ stressed seedling is not worth the time and energy involved.

If you would like some recommendations on good, inexpensive set ups let me know.

I would try try to help salvage what you're working with now if I can after I see the plant.

Thanks for your reply. I'm afraid I'm really good at 'some' things, but math isn't one of them...but I think I have way too little light. As for watering, we check them several times a day...if the soil feels dry, we water a little, but most often, we are just keeping the soil moist. Yes - that's expensive, but not as much as some folks want. One guy on FB wants $800 for an ounce of RSO. I thought I had found a lady in CO that could make it for me, and she doesn't charge anything, but she is already full-up with clients. Please do send Flaming Pie my way. I have a lot to learn. Been reading and reading, but I'm not absorbing much, I'm afraid...lol

At 23days the plants should be at like their fourth or fifth node and a couple inches tall.

Not sure why you would need cfls if you have led. Picture of your plants and lights would help alot.

I am on my phone give me a min and I'll get on the computer.

kalmarrin said:

Thanks for your reply. I'm afraid I'm really good at 'some' things, but math isn't one of them...but I think I have way too little light. As for watering, we check them several times a day...if the soil feels dry, we water a little, but most often, we are just keeping the soil moist. Yes - that's expensive, but not as much as some folks want. One guy on FB wants $800 for an ounce of RSO. I thought I had found a lady in CO that could make it for me, and she doesn't charge anything, but she is already full-up with clients. Please do send Flaming Pie my way. I have a lot to learn. Been reading and reading, but I'm not absorbing much, I'm afraid...lol

Click to expand...

maybe the biggest mistake new growers make is over watering. You should not have to water seedlings every day.

and I sent a pm to Pie. She'll get with you when she comes back on I'm sure. She likes to help if she can.

Put some pics up of your seedlings and your grow room if you would.

I just reread your first post and see you have other floro's in there but it sounds like they are not over the seedlings yes? I'd put the floro's over them and scrap the led's. They really do underperform. (I know you probably don't want to hear that)

and like someone else said put a small oscillating fan in there to help build stem strength.

we really need some pics to be more helpful.

Flaming Pie said:

I am on my phone give me a min and I'll get on the computer.

Click to expand...

enter the pie

my work here is done

Hi, MYOB - I'm attaching a few photos...you will see that one of them is really tall...but he's healthy looking. Out of 6 seeds, we have 3 that are ok - one of the other's is iffy, one is dead, and the other on the way.

1 EZGrow LED light panel with EZGrow Hanger for easy hanging. (No frame required.)
14 Watt, Quadcolor recommended best overall general purpose growing combination to date, (77 660nm Red diodes, 47 450nm Blue diodes, 77 610nm Orange diodes, 24 6500K White diodes) (Inquire for other LED color combinations; all white, red, blue and red and blue.)
Each panel size: 12.375" x 12.375" x 1.5"


Is that what you bought? Like 39 bucks?

Those things will not grow plants. The diodes are like .10 watts each. You need 2 or 3 watts per diode to get growth.

Your plants are DEF stressed for light.

Pics three and four look ok but i'd toss one and two.

they all look too wet to me also. You want the soil to get kinda dry between waterings.
get a fan on em and let them dry out some.

and yes, give them more light

Honey your plants are in need of light. They are starving. Put some CFLs around them. keep within 2-3 inches of top.

Might wanna up pot in a few days to bury those stems.

Hi, I do have a fan in the room...and heaters (this is in a storage barn where I do my stained glass)...keeping the temp in the room at around 75 degrees - humidity is roughly 42%, +/-. There is a large, 4-bulb fluorescent light above the LED light - so, the edges of that light are hitting the plants, but it's several feet above them. I will have to take some photos of the area tomorrow...I've tried to think of everything. They are getting 16 hours of light - they are on a timer - and honestly, I am not tending them right now...my best friend is, and she told me she doesn't water them unless the soil seems dry. Unfortunately, my bone cancer caused my left hip and right thigh to break within seconds of each other, so I can't go up to the barn to participate yet, which is driving me nuts. LOL So, I'm reading, and reading - I will save the LED's and just have them on in the room. I was really trying to avoid the MH lights to keep my cost down - since I'm not working right now, I'm having to depend on donations for my supplements and RSO, which really sucks! I need all the help I can get! I think I'm gonna run out of money for RSO before I have buds to make my own, but at least I'll have them then, and can share it with folks once I get up and going.

So was that your light then?

Write stuff down for your friend to read later.

yes, the shop lights will work better than those led's. I used shop lights for years until going to t5 fixtures. Have her move them down to within inches of the tops. . It's a shame that there are still companies out there taking advantage of new growers by selling them inferior products.

I truly believe your issue is lack of light.

Yeah that is def fucked up that they had you buy that POS.

For 20 bucks more you coulda got a 150w HPS

BTW no fans are needed in a large space with baby plants. Once your plant gets 4-5 sets of leaves then you can bring in the fans. Right now it might blow them over because they are stretched.