Droopy plants in the AM

Beginner Autoflower Suport
#1

Hey everyone,

I’ve noticed that every single morning when I check on my NYC diesel auto she looks SUPER droopy. She always perks up by the end of the day, but every morning she looks on the verge of death.

I thought it was under watering so I watered her yesterday with great results she perked right up. Yet this morning we are back to some heavy droops and her bucket is too heavy for it to be underwatering again.

Is she doing this because it’s only 1-2 hours after her dark cycle ended? I just can’t figure out why ever morning she looks like she’s going to kick the bucket, and then looks fine by the end of the day :man_shrugging:t2:

Pic below for reference. This was taken this morning 2 hours after lights on.

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#2

The plants need sleep just like we do. This when they do all of there recovery from light being on it all day. Of your only giving her 1-2 hrs of sleep every night that’s probably why she is so sluggish in the morning taking a while to perk up. Even though autos do everything pretty much on there own they still need to recover and rest. 20-4 cycle has been a sweet spot for me with autos in the past. I don’t grow autos anymore but when I did 20 hrs on 4 hrs off seem to be a good cycle. Recently I have heard that more people are finding that same sweet spot with the 20 on 4 off cycle. Hope this helps and happy growing.

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#3

My sweet spot 18and6 whats humidity in your tent

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#4

20/4 has worked amazing for me. When you water just before lights out, cut back a touch. Cannabis NEEDS to have the wet dry cycle. Let them dry back a touch more over night and see how that helps.

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#5

Thanks for the replies everyone!

I have kept my lights on a 20 hours on 4 hours off since she sprouted, but maybe I need to cut back to 18/6? Or maybe raise it to 24 on? She does seem to look happier and happier as she sits under the lights. Here’s a pic of her just 4 hours after the picture above.

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My RH level stays between 50-55 right now with it dropping down to around 40-45 at night. I was keeping her at 60-70 but I noticed some pistols busting out of her nodes a few days ago and dropped it for flowering. My hygrometer is saying min temp was 71 and min RH was 41 yesterday.

For watering I had only been watering her maybe once a week because my soil was making it difficult to properly test for water level. I’m using pro mix (bx not ph) and I’m discovering for some odd reason this soil seems to retain moisture, yet not making it available to the plant. I find the “knuckle method” won’t work because the soil still “feels” damp but once you lift the bucket you can feel how light it is and know she needs watering. I regret using this soil so much. It hasn’t really caused me much problems, but I feel it has definitely given this first grow a slightly larger learning curve than necessary.

When I watered her yesterday she went from limp like this to extremely happy, praying to the light within an hour. And even right now when I lift the bucket I can tell she drank most of what I gave her yesterday but still needs a day or two before more watering. I’m really beginning to wonder if it’s this pro mix shit is just preventing her from accessing the water I’m giving her.

#6

It is a normal tendency for leaves to droop a little after sleeping…They rest…If you have photo’s…I would go to at least a 6 hours dark schedule.
Sometimes overwatering can cause droopiness. The leaves soak up the water and get heavy.
I do most of my training after sleeping or after they droop from wanting to be watered / fed
They like to go wet to dry to wet…etc
helps build strong roots
Is she PRAYS…you cannot ask for better than that. If it only takes watering to get her there, good for you.
If it is a nutrient related issue, you will see other symptoms crop up…
A higher humidity will also swell the leaves and make them heavy…remember, Rh is different at lights off than lights on. No transpiration is taking place, O2 and Co2 levels are swapping…etc

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#7

Quick update: I’m now certain it was underwatering, I had just been underwatering her for so long it took her a couple days to bounce back. This morning the droop was gone and she’s bright eyed, bushy tailed, and quite the perky miss and has grown ALOT in the last 48 hours :exploding_head: We’re just about to enter week 5 today.

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I think I’m going to stick to the “container weight” method and abandon the “knuckle” method for the rest of this promix grow. I’m just not a fan of how wet this soil is. I’m definitely switching to a coco/worm castings mix for the next one​:metal: Thanks everyone for all the help! :green_heart::green_heart::seedling::seedling:

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#8

Right on dude!! I’m glad you were able to get it figured out. I was always an over waterer in the past. So now I run into the same thing as you did, underwatering.lol these ladies can be picky sometimes. Happy growing

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#9

I actually LIKE when my plants droop…it is my indication to water…I water, and wait for next droop before watering again…they go from droop to praying or thanking mother nature for her nourishment

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#10

now since im doing scrog set up, i wait till they ask for water, no more lifting to feel the weight., then after they pray, just like you said… :pray: :+1:

#11

We are all a little thirsty around here. :crazy_face:

Your plants are beautiful!

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#12

@Mrb53004 this is exactly how I water. Not full droop persay but when they stop praying I water the very next day.

Not everyone has their grow dialed enough for their ladies to pray though so I usually don’t suggest it to newer growers.

Both of my tents are praying hard right now and it’s a lovely sight. Lol

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