help! whats doing this to my babies?

[SkyLopes]

hi all, i lost 4 female white widow for this same reason, now i have this sagarmata mix that came as a freebie and its getting the same problem... top looks ok but the stem looks ill.. it streched a lot and now the stem looks very ill... can you see when it gets thinner? looks rot? i dont know... oh.. they are all on 100% vermiculite

i have other seedlings doing good but im not sure if it will happen to them as well


here are pix of the ill stem from sagarmata










top




whole plant






anyone know what is doing this to my seedling? can i cure it? how?

these seedlings are ok for now..... nirvana indoor mix




thanks a lot!!

skylopez

 

[bartender187]

If you think its rot, add perlite to the mix next time you pot. I go 40/40/20 Promix/Perlite/WormCastings.... 50/50 verm/perlite im sure would work

http://www.icmag.com/gallery/data/500/10736DSCN0439.JPG

 

[SkyLopes]

i dont know.. it looks like it happens with strains that stretch more?! makes any sense?

here are other health seedlings on 100% vermiculite.. looking health at least for now.. hope they dont have the same problem...

 

[mace_ecam]

what bartender said

 

[inc0gnit0]

definitley add some perlite to your mix. I could not grow without it! Your roots are drowning.

 

[SkyLopes]

i cant find perlite where i live.. only vermiculite... will it help if i adjust ph before watering the vermiculite?

 

[Guest]

Vermiculite holds water. With 100% of your mix holding water you have problems. 1st priority is getting something in that mix to help drainage before the girls get much bigger.

Pumice sand works. Don't know what it's called out there in the big world.

 

[inc0gnit0]

YOu've gotta mix something in your soiil (vermiculite) so that it's not so compacted. This is killing what little chance your seedlings have to start roots. The roots need 02. I don't know where you live and don't need to know but if you've got any place with a garden center, you can find perlite. If not, then mix something non-toxic in with the soil like crumbled up styrofoam. This will work in a pinch but you should probably get the perlite somehow for the 1st transplant.

 

[mace_ecam]

drainage is very important

possibilities are perlite or hydroton(expanded clay), lava rocks, etc...

But you need it, no way around it.
If you are lucky, you might save some of your seedlings, maybe...

 

[wikidcalibudgrl]

...right right,,add in Something to the vermiculite..... an if the stretch is a problem use a floro light Right above these babies,, keep um from streching that much..
the seedling with the "thinned" stem is dying...
good luck with your babies, and hope you can find your ingredients for transplant SOOOON!!

 

[kushedout]

put them into soil that already contains perlite. As much as I hate the MG company, Miracle Gro does have a pretty good soil called Moisture Control that all Walmarts carry. Take a look at the stuff. I bet that it takes care of your problem. In either case, you have to do something about that 100% vermiculite mix. Too much water retention, and not enough oxygen getting to your roots are going to slowly suffocate your plants.

 

[JWP]

Mate they stretch and the stem becomes thin in one part and they fall over and die?

They want more light. But not too much. I use a single 18w flo

What I do is: Start them in cups but only full the cups like %20. Then as they grow and stretch I backfill (add more dirt around the stem). The dirt supports the stem.