I can't grow seedlings

[sahima]

So , i can't understand what's wrong with my seedlings. They just stop grow, and the conditions are close to the ideal.
Temps are about 25-27C, humidity 70%, i water with small amounts of water every 1-2 days and keep the soil slightly moist. The lamp, a 430 son agro, is 80cm away from the seedlings(24/0). The soil is at a p.h range of 6.0-6.5, and it is peat based with no chemical nutritients, and i use another seedling mix just for comparison, no difference anyway. I do exactly the same thing as with my previous grows, and i never had a problem like this.
The seedlings are 5-6 days old, they have their first leaves. The cotilydons are big and have a nice dark green color. The leaves started like that but now they have a more light green. They grew until the day 3 and now nothing . Is my second attemp and i can't waste any other seeds.
I am mad with the situation, please any ideas?

 

[4iiii'z]

"and it is peat based"

seedlings dont do well in peat

 

[Tunefull]

hi m8

Not got any answers sorry
Just wondering
You have done a few grows with no probs in past?(Everything the same?)

I cant see anything that is wrong
The light is a bit much for seedlings,But i have grown seedlings under a 400 in past np(As u say temps are still low)
I would try the light further away(U can deal with a little strech at a later date)

Also i like a 18/6 cycle
Lot of debate over this
i have grown under 24/0 and 18/6 and seen no real diff..but i like to think of them having a rest,and my equipment))

Apart from the lights i really cant see a prob

 

[sahima]

Hi tunefuff, that's why i am mad with the situation, i can't think what else seedlings need? I am sure i don't overwater- underwater, keep my lamp away from seedlings, temps and humidity are perfect!!! All are the same with my previous grows except from the soils, but their characteristics are good, and there are 2 different types and the problem is exactly the same.
I already moved my light a little further(90cm) and i will change my photoperiod to 20/4.
I will try to post some pictures, but really the seedlings look healthy, no droopines, only the last days a more light green at their first leaves and the biggest problem is that they don't grow!!!
Thanks for the response!!!

 

[Guest]

Unless you live in an unusually dry climate the seedlings don't need to be misted. I'm not sure what besides peat composes your medium, maybe something in the soil is burning them. Also I'm metric stupid so it might be like already mentioned, that your light is too close. I wouldn't worry about 24/0, I've used it for decades for starting seeds. I would stop misting though

 

[Guest]

You say the ph of the soil is 6-6.5 but have you tested the ph of your water? try testing the run off after you've watered your plants. 5-6 days seems too early to have to give plants nutes especially in a soil based medium so they shouldn't be starving for nutes. It almost sounds like ph lock up but I'm betting that misting the plants is the major culprit behind your problem. Hell I don't even mist clones when they're rooting and neither do I use a humididty dome and I would NEVER mist a seedling

 

[sahima]

Hello rudedude, i only water with small amounts of water when the soil is not completely dry but slightly moist . And usually needs 1-2 days to need water again. Always that was the way i watered and i didn't have problems. Last night i let it dry a little more so to be sure, and i watered today a little more than usuall.
At the peat soil i use, the bag writes: Blonde peat 45%, black peat55%, organic matter on dry matter >85%, moisture 60%, P.H 6.0-6.5. Thanks.

 

[beancounter]

i water with small amounts of water every 1-2 days and keep the soil slightly moist.

this is your problem right here.. ^

I would make sure you do as follows with seedlings in the future..

1) germ seeds in water/paper towel until they split.

2) water starting pots of medium, and plant the seed 1/2" or so down.

3) then do NOT water again until the medium has dried out until it's starts to dry out at least 1/2 way down, or more.

4) when you water, water fully, all at once, until the medium is fully saturated and dripping out the bottom, maybe 10% runoff.

5) then let the medium dry out again, almost completely, and feed with 1/2 strength nutes, since you have no nutes in your medium.


Nothing else in your grow is gonna stop them growing like that except overwatering.

Now I suggest you let them dry out fully, feed with 1/4 strength nutes when dry, watering them fully, then let them dry out again, slowing increasing the nutes on each watering.

MJ loves nothing more than good wet/dry cycles, the more the better. Once the roots are fully established and have a good root system it makes them much harder to overwater. Until then you wanna focus on getting those roots growing.

 

[beancounter]

i grow in peat-based soiless, and i feed my seedlings about 2/3 strength nutes when the plants 1st dry out. my medium has zero nutes in it, and the plants starve within 2 plain waterings.

 

[OGDread]

Are this seeds new?

 

[sahima]

Thank you all for the quick responses.Really appreciate all the help .
Hello beancounter, think that the seedlings are young for nutes but if i will not see recovery i am gonna use something like 1/4 of the recommended stength of my biogrow nutes.
I already did what you described. Let it dry yesterday, untill today was almost completely dry, and i gave a more generous watering. I am waiting for their response and hope i don't loose those seedlings again.

 

[sahima]

Yes, OGDREAD, the beans came from femaleseeds and are 3 months old from the time they came to me.
It is really a waste, having those seedling die.

 

[Tunefull]

Mmm it could be that you have a picky/tricky strain(i aint got a clue on many strains).That would explain why is happening this grow(with the new seeds)

Tbh tho i doubt even a challanging strain would stall that fast into its life(do u know what i mean?)




I wonder if your soil is to compact,and the roots are struggling to move?(what do u mix with your soil?)

 

[beancounter]

any decent peatbased soiless should be pretty loose. And any good peat based soiless should be PH balanced, and go much longer than this even with un-PHed waterings. At least in me experience anyways..

I really dont' think your PH would go out so quickly, so i doubt that has anything to do with it..

keeping your medium constantly wet can be especialy detrementle this early in life. Even once established constant moisture can cause serious problems.

I don't mean to give them 1/4 strenght nutes right away, only after they dry out again. If it's a truly nutrient free medium your plants will usualy need some sort of nutes byt he 2nd water, when they are growing healthily..

 

[sugabear_II]

ok so you said they don't droop or fall over - check the stem at the soil line, is it discolored at all? if so consider an anti-fungal like 2 drops bleach per gallon h2o.

Is your medium sterile? some kind of rot may be occurring under the soil and you'll never know - next time consider throwing the moist soil in the microwave for a few minutes on high until a meat thermo reads above 160 F to kill any microbes.

the wet/dry cycle thing beancounter said is fucking gospel too I grow hydro and I use RW cubes to start my seeds and I always make sure to let them get pretty dry before watering. Hell my landscaper father in law gave me the same advice on some new ornamentals we planted in the yard this year - let them dry until the just start to droop and then water them really good - do this for a month and the roots will be strong and drought resistent.

and just turn off the damn HPS - go to the store and buy a $5 desk lamp and a couple of "daylight" cfl's (6400K flourex lights of america brand) - seedlings and clones love nothing more than the cool blue spectrum these lights provide. there is absolutely no reason to use a HPS for seedlings!

 

[sahima]

I guess that, i have to wait for a couple of days to see what will happen, after the soil is completely dry .I was giving them small amounts of water frequently, and maybe i have to change it to more water less frequently. That's what i am trying now. I am starting to believe that the problem has to do with the waterings. I will wait to see and i will come back to update here. Hopefully i will come with good news.

And sugarbear, yes there is some purple at the stems, but i think that even with healthy seedlings can occur. Their look as i mention it is healthy until now. No droopines(but still very small i think so to have droppiness), no sign of burn, or yellowish(only a little at their first leaves, after the 3rd day).
The soil is pretty loose as bean counter said, not compact, and it dries out normally fast i think.
Once again thanks a lot!!!

 

[sproutco]

I think I would keep the light about 60 cm away from the seedlings for now. Too far away and they will stretch. Photoperiod should be 18/6.

 

[MTF-Sandman]

Didn't see this posted yet, so what size pots are you using? Oversized pots can cause alot of problems with watering for seedlings...

 

[sahima]

Shit, the problem was me

Shit, the problem was me

Sandman, you are right, the pots are too big for their age. I don't know the exact size but i would say something like 0.5L. I guess that at the bottom of the pots the soil is always wet . And i was watering when the top inches of the soil was almost dry
But what now? Is it possible to grow these seedlings? The seedlings starting to loose their green color to a more yellowish, and the soil is still wet from the previous waterings... I guess that it is difficult,if not impossible, to save them at this early stage .

Most likely i will have to start again, with new seeds, right?

 

[Guest]

If there is life, there is hope. I've seen plenty of sick lil plants recover and flourish. If they do die you can start over and look at it as an educational experience but as long as they aren't dead there is a chance, maybe even a good chance that they will recover. The thing is that they want to live and flourish so they will do everything within their power to grow for you.