Please help my sorry seedlings!

[Megawattfarmer]

I agree with Chronic - thanks for the info Capt. I definitely stepped up in pot size before I would like, but I felt that transplanting to better soil was needed ASAP. I went from peat pots that were about 12 oz. or so to 1 gallon pots 4 days ago and they haven't used up their first watering yet! The roots were to the edge of the peat pots and looked good. I couldn't find any pearlite so I had to rely on what was in the soil mix. I would have liked a little more for better drainage...
Hopefully they will be ready for water in 1 or 2 days and then they will get some 1/2 strength fish emulsion.
They are beginning to stink up the bedroom!!

 

[CaptJamesTKirk]

wait to see fresh green growth before even thinking about feeding.


Your on the road to over attentive disorder. Don't luv em to death.

Try to plan less and observe. Or plan on giving what they want when they want it.


Did you take the peat pot thing off the roots?

 

[Chronic Newfie]

Yeah the soil looks like its still pretty damp from the pics you posted today. I keep getting told over and over to let them dry out between waterings. I have been doing that with my girls under the 400w MH. After I feed them I see lots of growth. They do fine too for awhile with the water I give them. Just need to find that sweet spot before they start to wilt. I had it happen once to me. I went about a week with out watering and they started to wilt. after watering they perked right backup. Check the weight of the pot. I like to use that as a gauge as to how much water they have.

Good luck. Peace

Edit - I'm just a newb on my first grow btw. I'm just going by what I've been told. I'm sure you know what your doing. I hope I can grow some nice bud like the ones you posted. Sweet pics.

 

[CaptJamesTKirk]

Lift the cup up - if it's heavy - it is fine - if it's light - it needs a drink. No looks to it.

Believe me - the first few of mine didn't look like that - lol


That wilt lesson is the good one - If you could time every watering to about an hour PRIOR to the wilt starting - you would be a grow God. They recover better from wilt than they do from swimming lessons but they grow best down the middle.

My rule is - will it be ok until my next visit?


Steady as she goes.

 

[Megawattfarmer]

Your on the road to over attentive disorder. Don't luv em to death.

Hehehe I hear ya. I've been spending too much time with them since I'm still working on the cabinet. I definitely always try to have a plan though - I can't help it, I'm an engineer. I am definitely waiting for them to dry out - judged by the heft of the pot, then we'll see how they look before adding the ferts.

Did you take the peat pot thing off the roots?

We tore the peat pot sides down to the bottom, then burried the whole mess in the new soil. Seemed like a good idea...

- Chronic
Thanks for the kind words. That was a very enjoyable SCROG and very enjoyable fruits.

 

[CaptJamesTKirk]

When i used to use them (peat pots) - I never could get the roots to grow thru the walls like they show in the ads - - that could be grounds for a repot - you want to break the little root ball up just a bit around the outside and if you don't have a good solid set of roots - you know it then.

I kinda like 8 oz styro coffee cups for starters poke 4 or 5 holes in the bottom and away we go; time to transplant? - pop it out and look at the roots



And I show my plants blue prints, - they just LAUGH! LOL

 

[Megawattfarmer]

Wow, just read through Chronic Newfie's thread... Good thing you got your problem taken care of before the thread went to pot.

I use RO/DI water for my plants same as my saltwater reef aquarium. Anything special I should be doing as far as trace elements? The picture above from my last grow was the same water with some superthrive and occasional epsom salts added. I never did anything to alter the ph either - other than having the lime in my soil mix. I'm pretty sure it stayed around 7 and my plants seemed fine.

I have fish emulsion for a veg fert and am thinking about making an organic tea to supplement. Haven't decided on bloom ferts yet. Probably will be Botanicare Pureblend Bloom.

Oh, I think I know the original reason that the plants stunted. It was pretty cool in the room I have them in and I did 18/6 light. It got below 60 a few times. Once I realized this I switched to 24/0 so they would stay warm. I wish I could start over, but alas these are the only seeds I have and I don't feel comfortable ordering seeds to my house. Hindsight is a bitch!

Did Sproutco really get deleted????

 

[CaptJamesTKirk]

unless your tap water or well water has a problem - I would use tap water. If it is very hard, or worse - maybe 1/2 and 1/2 tap/DI

There's iron, coper calcium - all that good shit - I let mine sit for a few days to dechlorinate, pH here is usually 7.0 to 7.3. Life is easier if your plants get 6.2 or so and they like it too. 7.0 works - for some people; anyway, for me - it was worth the trip and the lessons to get it down.
I use mostly Foxarm nutes and soil - and suppliment with bat crap, fish and kelp juice, lil Dolomite lime and Molassas.

And I just got some BioNova PK13-14 to test drive - use the search and get the skinny on Botinicare nute package
See if you will have pH issues in flower.

Plants will grow in a fairly wide range, but they thrive in a pretty spefific range - every thing that is "off just a little" takes a toll and has to be compensated for in another way.

I'm seeing low temps and wrong pH and plants that are struggleing a little. Low temps will slow all aspects - growth and water uptake - and root growth, so you should expect this and adjust - all ya want to do is make close to right as possible.


Peers sprouts plug got pulled - I hear you can access his guestbook and leave a message - he still leaves neg rep for some

 

[Guest]

Nice job CaptKirk!!

Bh

 

[10k]

Lots of good advice in this thread megawattfarmer, looks like you've got it under control now.

I'd just like to add one tip about those peat pots...
Those damn peat pots are very bad news for growers and should always be avoided.
They may have had something to do with your initial troubles with these seedlings.
Heres why : The peat pots absorb moisture and in the process they act like an evaporative cooling device on the growing medium within them.
Said another way...the wetness evaporates continuously and causes the entire dealio of soil to become too cold for healthy plant growth. The soil can end up being a good ten degrees F or so colder than the ambient room temp. Avoid using them in the future.

hth

 

[kokua]

^^I agree about the peat pots...the coco pots act the same way

 

[Megawattfarmer]

Hi guys,

-Captn Kirk
Thanks for the great info! I have changed my mind and have some Earth Juice nutes coming. It looks like a more complete nute package than the botanicare...

I also have a pH meter coming that I picked up on ebay. I can then at least know where I am. I haven't gotten any pH up or down. Damn am I glad I didn't waste time following the Sproutco sig on "make your own". Any recommendation?

Temps are no problem now that I've got my 400W system going! I'm still experimenting with my setup, but the tems are in the low 80's now.

-10k and Kokua
Damn!! I wish I woulda known about the peat pots. Live and learn I guess.


The seedlings are looking much better in my opinion. They are very squatty, which might be good for height control. Here's a couple of pics of them basking under their new sun.








I would just like to say a big thank you to all you guys who take time to help bumblers like me out. You make this site kickass!

I am thinking about starting a grow diary under "Indoors Soil" forum since I document for my own info anyway and the one time I did it on OG it was a good time.

Later.

 

[kokua]

they look great!!! Keep it up man

 

[CaptJamesTKirk]

Glad to hear there's green in that there closet! ;-)

Sounds like your on the road to recovery - easy does it.

Live and learn? yup!


next hurddle is watering -

if it's not thirsty - don't water
less is better than more. As you wait to water, the plants show a wilt when they have used all avaiilble water and NEED more.

Pick that plant up and feel the weight - in both hand - switch back and forth. Now water the root zone thoroley - but don't over do it. Bada-Bing Bada-Boom! Small plants and unhealthy plants need less, as do recent transplants - after growing into the pot the volume goes up with the volume of vegatation now wait till it gets light again - and you have the hardest lesson of growing.

Keep up the good work!

 

[Megawattfarmer]

Thanks guys. I can't believe they don't need water yet. I transplanted a week ago today into the slightly overly-large pots with a good soaking and they haven't used up that water yet. They are getting close though. Maybe my pH probe will get here first. That'd be good so that I can test the runoff.

My wife is actually the one who keeps wanting to water them. I have to keep her outta the cabinet

 

[CaptJamesTKirk]

Too many cooks spoil the soup.


(we won't go into the detals of that lesson - Everybody's a freekin farmer some days!!! till the garden goes south,,, LOL) -- see signature~

edit-

I just walked past a bubbleing caldren of bat shit, fish and kelp juice that I KNOW my plants are going to love - the next time they are thirsty . That tonic - if simply given a day or two, too soon in the watering cycle can hurt instead of help.

Overwatering is part of an affliction I refer to as Over Attentive Disorder
Some people have to pick up a jug or do something every time they come in to the grow - those plants will most likely struggle. and be loved to death.

Maybe mama need her own beans.

Might be time to wack some bubblegum here on the starship.

One to beam up.

 

[Megawattfarmer]

Well, the plants finally wanted water and they are showing yellowing on the new growth. I think that maybe it's a zinc def.? The leaves had just started to wilt a little when we watered. Gave them some fish emulsion at 3/4 tbsp per gallon along with some epsom salt @ about 1 tsp/gallon.

Still waiting for the earth juice and the pH tester to come in the mail.

Any thoughts on the yellowing?

 

[CaptJamesTKirk]

New growth looks fine.

Don't get "sproutco" with the deficencys - a ballanced diet and proper watering go a hell of a long way down the road of good plant health.

BUT If I were to inject opnion,

lil heavy (and probably little soon) on the fish sqeezins and epsom salts are kinda a flowering thing. (Way too soon)

Just throwing shit at the plant dosen't help. Slow down - give it some time to adjust. You just transplanted - there's plenty of new food in the new soil.

Like I said - just because you have something plant oriented, dosen't mean it will do the plant any good - if it isn't helping - it's likely harming.


I'd be more concearned as to why the leafs are laying down - first two guesses are over watering -(sounds like you timed it right if you didn't flood the new pot) or the roots can't uptake enough water - either is potentially lethal If you can put a dome over the plant and it perks up - it's a lack of roots and low humidity - possibly due to the recent transplant also; - plant needs to catch up. (if your watered heavy - do nothing)

Temps a lil chilly?

 

[Guest]

^^ What Capt said exactly^^ Don't throw nutes and such at the plant daily, give it at least 2 days after the correction to see how the plant reacts.

 

[Guest]

Been watching and agreeing, great job guys.

If pics were taken same day as watering or at lights out the leaf droop is normal. The yellowing, while not alarming yet is something to watch over the next few feedings (not waterings). Could just be a recovery process for the roots to take in what they need and get back on track. As long as you know what goes in and where your PH range is they should do great. Week or so to recover from transplant shock and they should take off like gangbusters.

It's a weed, it wants to grow. It's amazing how much better they do when you ignore them. The sprout has all it needs to get it into veg, then light feedings until you're ready to flower and heavier feeding, then heavy feeding for flower. Like shifting gears.

Good call on that 400 - I used those when I started until I could steadily upgrade. Finish time with 400 will be a tad longer than those with 1k so don't get impatient or discouraged, it's a great cabinet light.

Now, get to growin, slacker!!!


Seee ya in chat..........