HELP! First Grow - Slow, shrubby plants?

[InvertedAxis]

Hi everyone!

I just wanted a very quick opinion on my first ever grow.

Grow is inside a tent using 4x45W CFLs about 2-3" away from plants.
Substrate is coco coir in 3 gallon smart pots.

Watering using a nutrient schedule found elsewhere in this site.

Plants are northern lights auto feminised x1 and another auto feminised strain that came free with the shipment (oops I forgot the name).

They were started in Root Riot cubes and these photos are day 14 post-sprouting.

I keep getting new growth but it feels like they are remaining very squat - they aren't spreading out much and the new growth looks very 'crowded'.

Does this look approximately normal or are they behind schedule? One of the older leaves on one plant does have a tinge of lighter green at the edge closest to the plant.

Temp wise I've been maintaining about 26-28c.
Humidity is difficult - normal humidity in the tent is 35%, with wet towels and a humidifier I can get it up to 60-70% but it does drop to 30-40% at times.
Nutes are FloraTrio and CalMag.
Ph has been 5.8-6 of water.

I do think I under-watered a little at the start because I was scared of slowing down growth.

[SlevinKelevra]

What the k rating on your CFL?

I would suggest backing the light off to about 6-8” to allow the plant to stretch out and encourage growth.

It is very possible the the slow growth is due to the size of the pot compared to the size of your plant. Once the roots have taken hold good it should move along.

[InvertedAxis]

6500k on each.

Thanks, I'll try backing off the lights a bit!

[SlevinKelevra]

If you look at this plant and how close the 1st 2 nodes are compared to the 3rd. The 1st 2 are tight because of the light being close by backing off the light I was able to get the node spacing where I wanted it. I will take a few days once you move the light for it to stretch and moving it a few inches will not make it stretch to far but should give you the distance between node you’re looking for.

[Canuck147]

Keep the cfl's as close as they were.
Your autoflowers are spreading their roots - seeing how big their home is. So if you haven't watered them till you get a runoff - I suggest you do it at the next watering. You want your roots spreading out to the whole pot. And that's what they are doing. Growing their roots.
I like to think of my grows as growing in stages. First ya gotta germinate - then get that little green alien out of the seed husk [hopefully without a helmet head] - and then the most important part - grow those roots to the capacity of the pot. Cuz the roots do not stop growing through the entire grow. I use fabric pots and they are great.
They will take off - patience.
Good luck growing - and welcome to this forum InvertedAxis

[billyboy]

Better short and stubby and healthy than all stretched out, in a tent, IMHO - but I have never grown autos.

Do you want a stretch w/ autos to try an have more room for the buds when they tip over and flower?