Most of my plants seem to be stunted. I have been looking at a lot of YouTube videos trying to get an idea of the things I need to do to keep my plants growing and healthy. I have a 4x8 grow tent which I had no idea required so much light. I have two 300 watt lights and grow lights that was supposed to be 500 watts but I don’t believe they are. I am currently on a budget so I can’t get what I really want. I have struggled with the watering process like everyone else and I got a meter to solve that problem. My water pH is always around 5.8 and I don’t know if that’s the major problem. I keep the lights 26 in from the plant and out of all my plants only one seems to be really growing. I don’t know if the seed company was a reputable one I think the name of it was Northern seeds. I planted three mothers today so I could be able to clone and do this project through trial and error. I definitely know I need to keep a log of the differences. I have a YouTube… GENERAL KOBRAA. I just started the channel back again and I have three subscribers. I know that’s a lot and you don’t want to know how wealthy I am from this channel LOL. Grow friends! Hellllllp
First grower also here! this is what i thought with my little knowledge. U dont have to struggle with watts power, is more important to know how much ppfd is the plant getting. My recomendations based on pro growers: 600ppfd for early veg, 800ppfd for mid/late veg, 1000-1100ppfd for Bloom. U can use an app called Photone to estimate this values, its not 100% accurate but its helps a lot.
For water pH try to aim to 6,2-6,5 if u are not growing in coco coir, in that case 5,8 is perfect, plus be careful with the water EC, this parameter shows how much of “nutrient saturation” the water has, bought an EC meter for a couple bucks. Early veg 0,4-0,6. mid/late veg 0,8-1,2. bloom 1,2-2. Untreated tap water in my country has an ec of 1, so i have to use purified water with calmag additive for the veg stage
Wish u luck with your plants man!!! also im suscribing to ur channel
Oh Travis, I feel your pain so much right now! Reading your message took me straight back to my first grow when I was ready to pull my hair out watching my plants just sit there like stubborn little green statues.
First thing - breathe. We’ve all been there, and that one plant that’s actually growing? He’s your teacher right now. Figure out what he’s getting that the others aren’t. Your light situation is probably the main culprit. Two 300 watt lights in a 4x8 is seriously underpowered - that space really wants more like 1000-1500 watts total to make everyone happy. I know budgets hurt, but even moving lights closer (like 18 inches) might help stretch what you’ve got.
That pH at 5.8 though? That’s actually perfect for soil grows, so don’t blame her for this one. Your watering meter was a smart move - overwatering is the number one plant murderer and it sneaks up on everyone. Northern Seeds? Never heard of them, and in this game, if you haven’t heard of a breeder, they’re probably not your friends. Next time stick with ones the community actually talks about.
Three subscribers and starting over? Travis, I respect the hustle! And planting three mothers today was genius - now you can experiment without fear. Keep that log like your plants depend on it, because they do. You’ve got this, grow friend
Travis, the 4x8 tent is the real bottleneck here — it’s a big space and two 300s plus that questionable 500 won’t cover it evenly. Rather than guessing watts, I’d back the PPFD approach and check at canopy height across the footprint, since the center can read fine while the corners are dim. On pH, though, it depends on your medium: 5.8 is right for coco but low in soil, so confirm what you’re actually growing in before chasing it. That pH meter and the watering meter together will tell you more than another video. Logging the three mothers is the smartest move you’ve made.
The PPFD point is the one to act on first. In a 4x8, moving the lights around and checking canopy height at the corners will tell you more than the wattage labels. On pH, the medium question matters: if it’s soil, 5.8 is on the low side regardless of what works in coco. Your watering meter plus a log of the three mothers will show which one is actually thriving and why. That comparison is worth more than tweaking everything at once.
The PPFD check at canopy height across the 4x8 footprint is the most useful next step, since the center can look fine while the corners starve. On pH, confirm your medium before changing anything — 5.8 is fine for coco but low in soil, so the meter isn’t wrong, the target may be. Comparing your three mothers in the log, with watering meter readings alongside, will show which one is actually thriving and why. That side-by-side beats adjusting everything at once.