Bad LEDS?

Hello, I am trying to do my first grow with autoflowers in coco coir with 25% perlite. I'm running a humidifier and have all the plants dancing in a gentle breeze, hovering around 78 degrees. Germination took place in paper towels, and went well with the exception of the towels drying out a bit overnight the first night, but all the seeds and taproots looked fine and popped from the coco in about a day and a half.

Since that point however, the seedlings have basically stopped growing. They still only have their first set of true leaves. They are not stretching, so I believe the lights are close enough. However, I did exactly what you shouldn't do, and tried to really go budget with my LEDS. I got 2 Vander 2000w full spectrum. Most the diodes are red, so I'm assuming these lights will do better during flower, but if they cant even get to that point I'm gonna be pretty darn effed.

Attached are pictures of my plants. You'll notice some nutrient burn, because I got pretty confused with all the information about feeding in coco coir. The oldest plant (zkittlez) is a week and a half since popping from the soil, with the rest just hitting a week since pop today.

They just dont appear to be taking on the mass they should. So here's my question: are these stunted, and if so is it because of my budget LEDs, the slight drying during germination, or a culmination of all my idiot newby mistakes? Or are these ladies gonna be fine and I'm freaking out for nothing?

If it IS the lights, would you order more and try to get these plants going again, or would you scrap the whole thing and go again?
 

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InTheValley

Well-Known Member
what can you afford?

They dont look bad to be honest. reds dont do roots to good, and what is your PPMs of nutes going in? SHould be no lower then 250ppms,
 
what can you afford?

They dont look bad to be honest. reds dont do roots to good, and what is your PPMs of nutes going in? SHould be no lower then 250ppms,
I can't afford a lot, which is why I went with these offbrands to begin with, but I was thinking if I had to I would add some of these:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01B4GQ6MO/ref=cm_sw_r_fm_api_i_s8b3CbV5TNVY2

The reviews are good and they have more blue spectrum than my current ones. I'd probably just use these in conjunction with my current lights.

As for PPMs, I don't have a tester pen (budget being so low) but I can tell you what I've done:

As soon as they got their first set of true leaves, I added 4ml calmag per gallon, 1ml of grow and 1 ml of bloom, then watered until runoff. I did thoroughly wash the coco (it was GH coco block) but I did not buffer it with any calmag so I know the plants are getting too much, I'm sure the coco is taking most of it.
 

InTheValley

Well-Known Member
Unfortunately, yes. Gotta add to them or work with what I got. Its maybe 5x5 but the ppants are clustered under each light in like a 1.5x15 square
ok, well, that stinks, lol.. hummmmm,,,, The cheapest that will work great are the MarsTS1000, but they are kinda up there in price, and the next best thing, your looking at $95 https://www.amazon.com/ONEO-Spectrum-Flowering-Thermometer-Hygrometer/dp/B07KW3H82Q/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2Q4V0V2GD9FIB&keywords=3500k+grow+led&qid=1557935363&s=lawn-garden&sprefix=3500k+,lawngarden,1800&sr=1-3

without wasting money, id get this light to supplement for right now. then add the others you have for flower time.
 

coreywebster

Well-Known Member
Buy yourself a digital dimmable ballast and get a 400w metal halide bulb and a 600 or 1000w hps bulb and worry about changing lights when you have a few grows under your belt.
 

InTheValley

Well-Known Member
no problem man, and just because the tips are burnt, isnt nessasarily nute burn. I put my germed seeds into 1300+PPM medium, and they grow great, so keep that in mind. Burnt tips can be a root problem, and light burn also, you might of rotted the tap root, so it will slow down a bit till the side root shoots off.
 

delstele

Well-Known Member
Relax sit back let them do there thing. Most new growers get far to worried it called weed for a reason, cilllax they will be fine.
 
Relax sit back let them do there thing. Most new growers get far to worried it called weed for a reason, cilllax they will be fine.
I knew that was probably 90% of my problems. I'm too high anxiety, and probably shouldn't have tried 10 plants with different strains for my first grow
 

InTheValley

Well-Known Member
I thought with coco you don't want it to dry out?
Your not really letting it dry out.

The aewsome thing about the cannabis plant, is, it tells you pretty much where its roots are growing. Usually, the width of the plants leafs, is pretty close to the area the roots are taking up in the pot. Watering the whole thing to be soaked, is useless, because there arnt roots out there yet, to be eating nutes.
 

Airwalker16

Well-Known Member
I can almost guarantee it's over watering and being in too much media. It's amazing how LITTLE moisture is not only needed but is NECESSARY to have a strong seedling with roots that grow and search for water. If they're soaked, they're choked, and content with it. They basically give up cause they don't have to try.
 
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