Bottom leaves yellow

[petemoss]

My three week old seedlings have just developed yellow bottom leaves.
Two days ago, only the cotyledons were yellow and the oldest leaves were starting to get lighter in color. Today, the bottom leaves are completely yellow.
What could be the cause? deficiencies? I've been feeding a weak solution of Schultz, Superthrive and fish emulsion a la Dr. Bud.

 

[TemptedSoul]

Up the fish emulsion a bit! Hard to burn 'em with fishguts! I would probably flush them well first and test the ppm of the runoff to make sure it isnt lockout. If you get high ppm's your soil may be too "hot".

 

[petemoss]

Thanks, TemptedSoul! Guess I should give them some full strength nutes and more fishguts. I sprayed some epsom salt solution on the leaves for some more Mg. I think the underlying cause is PH fluctuations I caused myself. Hope the yellowing stops with the oldest leafs.

 

[toodles]

Why were you feeding seedlings that young all that stuff? Superthrive? That stuff is not needed for seedlings, ever IMO. Superthrive can mess up a full grown plant if not used very carefully...nevermind a 2 week old seedling. 2-3 weeks old is when you should begin feeding if they are in a decent soil mix. Sounds like you began feeding way too early.

What sort of potting mix are they in? Is it properly limed?

I don't like flushing at all, especially plants that small.

Get them out of the contaminated mix they are in now and transplant them into some known good soiless mix. You need some slightly larger pots. Maybe like the 3 1/2" square nursery pots I have mine in....maybe better would be 4-5" pots. Then just feed them with some mild Nitrogen fert like that Alaska Fish fert 5-1-1 beginning at maybe 1tsp/gallon. Make sure your mix drains well.

Toodles


These were 12 days old in the picture. They have had nothing but bubbled tap water to this point. 3 1/2" pots



These plants are 25 days old here and got their first feeding on about day 20-21 3L+ pots

 

[petemoss]

Thanks for the tips, toodles. I read your tips for new growers and it was helpful. The soiless mix I'm using is LC#1 and I'm afraid I've been guilty of overwatering and feeding too soon. The seedlings were given half strength nutes, but that may have been too strong for the young plants. I've since repotted and added coco to get better drainage. The seedlings are recovering slowly.

 

[toodles]

Thanks for the tips, toodles. I read your tips for new growers and it was helpful. The soiless mix I'm using is LC#1 and I'm afraid I've been guilty of overwatering and feeding too soon. The seedlings were given half strength nutes, but that may have been too strong for the young plants. I've since repotted and added coco to get better drainage. The seedlings are recovering slowly.

Good deal. I hopethey recover OK and I'm betting they will.

Sorry if I came off like an asshole. That's one reason I began my own thread...so I don't end up yelling at others on their thread

Please let us all know how you're doing OK?

Toodles

 

[Weedman Herb]

An asshole with helpful info is better then No Info at all. Good call toodles ... I hope it all pans out for ya Pete ...

 

[petemoss]

Update: The yellowing has spread and the seedlings look bad. I think the culprit is the damn chicken compost I added a couple of weeks ago. It may have been too hot for the young plants. I have to blame someone, it can't be me who screwed up! Look, this is my first soil grow and I've never had such problems in DWC, so allowances should be made.

The chicken shit has to go, as well as the superthrive and the peat moss. I'll start over with a basic LC#1 soiless mix using coir. My old soil mix will be relegated to the hedges outside. I'll start mixing a new batch tonight.

 

[melvin2]

I'm doing my first soil grow too. Previous grows were DWC like you and it was so easy.

My seedlings are 3.5 weeks old, topped at 3 weeks and they are showing some problems. After two, half-strength feedings of Fish emulsion, Maxicrop seaweed, and molasses, I gave nothing but water for 5 days (wont do that again). All kinds of deficiencies showed up on most of them below where the healthy cuttings were taken. 2 of those 5 days were waiting for them to dry out after topping and I watched it get worse. I finally fed them but a few hadn't dried totally. One looks really bad but the others are showing healthy new growth. I've had them in cut-down water bottles (20 or 24oz) since week 2.

And I agree allowances should be made for guys like us on a first soil grow.

 

[toodles]

Chickenshit is good stuff, BUT it need to be well composted....otherwise it'll burn the paint off the barn door.

If you follow the Sticks in the Organics section , you'll do fine IMO.

I'm not saying shit. I doubt I could do a hydro grow of any kind right now LOL!! No patience and my water sucks for hydro. I couldn't keep the pH below 7.0 for more than a day. I tried. I would have to buy a RO to do hydro here.

Toodles

 

[petemoss]

I'm doing my first soil grow too. Previous grows were DWC like you and it was so easy.

My seedlings are 3.5 weeks old, topped at 3 weeks and they are showing some problems. After two, half-strength feedings of Fish emulsion, Maxicrop seaweed, and molasses, I gave nothing but water for 5 days (wont do that again). All kinds of deficiencies showed up on most of them below where the healthy cuttings were taken. 2 of those 5 days were waiting for them to dry out after topping and I watched it get worse. I finally fed them but a few hadn't dried totally. One looks really bad but the others are showing healthy new growth. I've had them in cut-down water bottles (20 or 24oz) since week 2.

And I agree allowances should be made for guys like us on a first soil grow.

Glad to see another soil newbie here! This soil growing is quite different from DWC, where you never have to worry about overwatering. Now with a coir based mix, I understand that you need to keep it moist with more frequent watering - don't let it dry out completely. That's what I gather from browsing the organic soil forum.

Roger on that chickenpoo composting, toodles. After I got the "composted chicken manure" I only let it cook a few days. It still has a bad smell and likely hasn't broken down completely. It's in the basement now in a big rubbermaid drying out. The seedlings are looking better today, with a lot of new, lighter colored growth on top. I'll take two clones from each this weekend if all goes well.

 

[slowandeasy]

Petemoss,
Thanks for your opinion, but you are comparing apples to oranges my friend. Dirt and DWC are wayyyyyyy different! You overwatered and fed with chicken shit. Been doing DWC for about 7 years without a problem. You can give a very very mild dose of nutes from the get go with DWC, but since using new nutes decided to wait until they started to yellow.
Do agree they have been screwed up from the start, but my guess is bad pH...meter went out and it was low for a week. Humidity was low for 3 weeks, but is now fixed. They show no signs of nute burn, rather a deficency. Highly doubtful the light dose burned them, but could be wrong...anything is possible. Thanks for giving your opinion!

 

[Hash Zeppelin]

toodles nailed it i think

 

[L-Thirt33n]

I'm no fertilizer scientist or anything but I do know that clear pots of any sort are absolutely horrible for any kind of plant...

The roots do not function properly when exposed to light. The plant will grow but 9 times out of 10 you end up with a deficiency very young in the plants development.

 

[HeadyPete]

They are burning. Toodles called it. No ferts especially manures. No more Superthrive either. That is a powerful B vitamin and you only need a drop or two when they are bigger. Don't even know why people use that stuff....