Can you OVER WATER in perlite?

[ConvexConepiece]

Aye well we at a point of view stand-off

 

Seriously though i've raised a lot of seedlings in strait course perlite, feeding quite a few times the 1st few days, and then down to once a day can be enough.

 

Nothing but water till they got 2nd or 3rd set of leaves always works perfectly for me, considering my (and common) tap water is 0.4 EC....

[TheTreeBoundRat]

Aye well we at a point of view stand-off

 

Nothing but water till they got 2nd or 3rd set of leaves always works perfectly for me, considering my (and common) tap water is 0.4 EC....

 

 

Yeah definitely.

 

It surprises me your seeds even reach their thrid set with no food but you say its so I dont doubt it. I've grown enough to know that seedlings will always do better with some feed from the get go.

 

TBR

Edited May 28, 2011 by TheTreeBoundRat

[ConvexConepiece]

There is plenty of food in most regular domestic tapwater supplies to keep seedlings going for weeks.

 

I let them tell me when they want to be fed nutes - when the aforementioned 2nd/3rd set of leaves just starts to go yellow looking for nitrogen.

 

Biggest rookie error is feeding nutes off the bat.

 

Oh well goodluck aj .

[TheTreeBoundRat]

There is plenty of food in most regular domestic tapwater supplies to keep seedlings going for weeks.

 

I let them tell me when they want to be fed nutes - when the aforementioned 2nd/3rd set of leaves just starts to go yellow looking for nitrogen.

 

Biggest rookie error is feeding nutes off the bat.

 

Oh well goodluck aj .

 

Its a pointless excersise too let your plants too become deficient at any stage let alone when they are so young. As for calling it rookie error to feed light nutes you obviously havent practised it or or you''d know otherwise.

 

TBR

[ConvexConepiece]

Plants on their 1st set of leaves can't really be deficient rat. The cotyledons supply enough for them to get established.

 

If someone was using a reverse osmosis system or clean rain water i'd agree with you rat - a very light dose of nutes.

 

Alright here's one for ya, ever seen a seedling die of being undernuted? I certainly havn't. Have you seen seedlings die from overnute? I label it a rookie error because it's so easy to do and new folks seem to do it all the time.

 

Undernuting always wins over overferting.

 

It's a waste of nutrients at such a young age.

 

And what's with the 'obviously you havn't tried it' crap trying to discredit me. _mate_ I have tried all kinds of EC for seedlings and clones alike - both hand watered as aj is doing and in recirc - mostly with strait perlite, and these are my results based on experience and reading done on young plant embryos.

Edited May 28, 2011 by ConvexConepiece

[One]

Hi AJ,

 

What works for some, doesn't work for others.... meaning different growers & different strains, have different results.....

 

You'll figure it out man..... don't worry about it. Once those plants get bigger, they be fine...Auto's too, no problems....

 

Don't get discouraged is the point, that I am making.

 

You'll be a fine horticulturalist, with experience.

 

 

 

One.............

[TheTreeBoundRat]

Plants on their 1st set of leaves can't really be deficient rat. The cotyledons supply enough for them to get established.

To a point but in my experience they stretch less , are more vigorus and healthy with a feed from the get go. Theyre more stout with better colour and more resilient.

 

If someone was using a reverse osmosis system or clean rain water i'd agree with you rat - a very light dose of nutes.

 

 

Surely this would be better advice then to use rain water or the like with light nutes instead of blaming a light feed of nutrients as the culprit of poor plant health.

 

Alright here's one for ya, ever seen a seedling die of being undernuted? I certainly havn't. Have you seen seedlings die from overnute? I label it a rookie error because it's so easy to do and new folks seem to do it all the time.

 

 

Yes .Hundreds of ocasions if we're talking individual seedlings in which a light feed makes an instant diference.

 

 

Undernuting always wins over overferting.

 

 

no disagreement there

 

It's a waste of nutrients at such a young age.

 

 

Didnt realise we were trying too be thrify

 

And what's with the 'obviously you havn't tried it' crap trying to discredit me. _mate_ I have tried all kinds of EC for seedlings and clones alike - both hand watered as aj is doing and in recirc - mostly with strait perlite, and these are my results based on experience and reading done on young plant embryos.

 

I apologise and did not mean too offend . Though your saying its a rookie error too feed nutes off the bat could be taken the same way. We'll both have too get over it

 

 

Till the cows come home I'm standing by it

[ConvexConepiece]

It's all good,

 

My point was that metro tap water + 1/4 str nutes + feeding young seedling 4+ times a day initially could end badly - maybe once a day with the nutes and the other times without. I'm only letting you all know how I do it with great results.

 

If AJ has an EC meter and can get it maybe up to 0.6EC as you say rat, then i'm sure will be fine. Feed a young plant in perlite 4+ times a day with an EC much higher than that? and your heading into trouble.

 

Anyway goodluck eh

[Stix87]

spoke to my hydro shop man and he was telling me that there should be enough food in the seed its self to get it self goin with out using nutes atleast for a few sets of leaves anyway have a good one. Edited May 28, 2011 by Stix87

[SukonmiSkunk]

good thing you dont listen to your hydro shop guy huh..

 

yeah seedlings do have enough in them .. thats what the first rounded leaves are for.. but as soon as they go.. you NEED to be feeding..

 

sure you can use water for the first week or so.. if youre growing in a soil mix.. but perlite you need to start on 1/4 strength nutes pretty much as soon as you see that second set of leaves forming..perlite has no nutrient value at all

 

this problem your having is probably due to NOT enough nutrient.. and probably needs more frequent waterings..

 

i did a pretty extensive seedling tutorial.. the big question here would be.. why didnt you read it?

 

next time mix a little vermiculite or rockwool in with the perlite.. this will give you a medium that holds a little more water.. allowing for less frequent waterings..

 

forgot to add... take them out of the clear plastic cups and put them in something that light cant penetrate.. what happens.. light+water+nutrient =algae.. which in turn causes acidity in the medium ... in established plants its not so much of an issue.. but with seedlings this small can be a huge issue...

 

go read my seedling tutorial..

Edited May 29, 2011 by SukonmiSkunk