Help diagnose the prob w/ these seedlings

[Jerry Maine]

I've had four seedlings going for the last 10 days, counting from when they popped up from the soil, after initially getting them started with the paper towel method. While slow they've seemed relatively healthy, but in the last three days they've begun to yellow as well. Here is a shot of the worst affected one:



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Strains - grapefruit (2, feminized)) and hindu-kush X skunk#1 (2)

Temps - plant height around 22C / 70F.

Lights - had each about an inch from a 13W CFLs. Yesterday moved them under the 250W HPS, currently about 25cm / 10 inch from that, temps are the fine, same as above. 18/6 schedule

Soil - regular potting soil with about 1/4 perlite mixed in.

Nutes - nothing added

Water - About every second or third day, not even so much as it comes out of the bottom of the cup.

Water pH level is around 6.5-7.0. Havent checked the run off pH level yet.

Grower - Born again noob

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Any help greatly appreciated. The only thing I can think of is either I've bleached them from having them too close to the CFLs.

Jerry Maine

 

[JJScorpio]

Everything listed sounds correct. Are you sure they are not overwatered? Also, is that a clay pot and does it have drain holes?

 

[Sinfuldreams]

Your almost 2 weeks in.
I'd give it a small shot of Nutes.
Perhaps a Flolier spray... VERY LIGHT NUTES!
If it was overwatered you might have locked something out.
I have given 4 day old seedlings nutes with no problem... but some strains are fussier than others..so?

Sin

 

[Blackvelvet]

I agree. Weak ferts.

 

[Verite]

Imo that soil doesnt look 'regular'.. I see some of those soft round 'egg' thingys they put into fortified soil or moisture assisted soil. Whats the brand name on the bag?

 

[Guest]

Yea is that time released ferts ? Is that scotts potting soil?

 

[Jerry Maine]

Thanks everyone, it's great getting some second and third opinions on these kind of matters.

I've been looking through the infirmary for similar problems, and I think the yellowing may just be from when I put the seedlings out in the sun for a few hours while I doing some mods to my growbox a few days back. Apparently a big change in light intensity, like from 250W to the mighty Halide in the sky, can upset them a tad and bleach them. These little ladies (I hope) all look kinda pale. And I may have had them too close to the CFLs before that too.

However, they are still growing too slowly, probably a soil/water/nutes related problem. At 11 days they should well be onto their third set of leaves, judging by other grows. The cups they are in are made of cardboard, there is a hole in the bottom, and when I've watered them I've stopped before there has been run off. I've checked the soil in the hole in the bottom for moisture, and by weight, before watering them each time, every two days or so, and they've seemed pretty dry, so I don't think I've overwatered them. I hadn't watered them for about two days, and even then just a little, so I just gave them all a good soak, measured the pH of the runoff, and it was around 6.0. Now I'll let them sit for three days or more before I water them again.

As for the soil, I have no idea, I'm living in Japan and am hardly fluent, just asked the guy for some soil for growing vegetables from seed. It is definitely a seedling and cutting mix, has that much in English, lol, and also has a table of different vegies, herbs, and flowers on the back of it, and planting times, etc. I added about 1/4 perlite to that, mixed it thoroughly, and ran with it. The seedlings popped up pretty quickly and grew out their first set of leaves, but then slowed down. I was hoping it was just focusing its energies underneath the soil, but became suspicious with the yellowing. I doubt it's time released ferts or anything flashy, just regular potting soil and perlite.

It could be a nute deficiency but aren't these things still a tad small to start adding nutes? I was thinking after two weeks, but now three or four cos they are still so small.

Jerry

 

[Jerry Maine]

Oh, and the little egg things are just the perlite. It's just standard potting soil, nothing fancy, but I don't know for certain if it has any added nutes or not. I'll try to find out.

For nutes I was planning on using these



They have an NPK rating of 0.2 / 0.1 / 0.1 and you seem them a lot over here in pot plants and what not. You're supposed to just twist of the top and stick them upside down into the soil, and they slowly release the watered down nutes. Each one is just 35ml. I think you can use them from 2-3 weeks, but need to confirm that, and I might first water one down further and add it manually

Jerry

 

[Blackvelvet]

That's pretty neat. Like an injection. Yeah, jam one of those babys in the pot and let's see what happens. (Velvet does not accept responsibility for plant damage and/or personal injury due to bad advice. )

 

[Jerry Maine]

I've jammed one in an aloe vera pot, using that as a guinea pig, lol. I want to see how fast the things empty, but I've mixed one of them with 150ml water and will use that to give minor nute doses. This way I can control it a bit better.

Following last nights watering and another day the plants look the same as before. Hopefully they'll perk up sometime soon.

Jerry

 

[Verite]

(Velvet does not accept responsibility for plant damage and/or personal injury due to bad advice. )

Why isnt this your sig? Seems highly fitting.

 

[Jerry Maine]

Added some of those watered down nutes. Not sure if that's making a difference or not, but they seem to be on the mend, and the second set of leaves are growing out and are looking healthy. Will let it run its course for a bit.

Jerry