Newbie Issues

[lux01]

Hey All,

 

Thanks for all your useful help so far. Ive been reading for a while and now need some help. Hopefully one day soon I’ll be able to help noobs too.

 

So Ive decided to start growing mainly because I have don’t want to buy from growers I don’t know and don’t want to buy anything that’s been grown in chems.

 

Anyway I know it’s NOT the ideal time right now, but I thought Id get growing to get my skill levels up in time for the coming spring. So yes this is more of an experiment, but at the same time. Id love for the Berry Ryder Auto and White Widow Auto to go full flower/harvest.

 

Grow Info below

 

Medium: Osmocote Professional Seedling & cutting mix

 

Pot: Paper coffee cup with holes in bottom for drainage

 

Light: Natural direct sun light from 8am-4.30pm. Then both seedlings go under 2x80W CFL’s until 12am. CFL’s were introduced around 2 weeks ago. 18/6 schedule CFL/Natural sun light combo.

 

Night time CFL: Bathroom. No window. Direct exhaust outlet in roof. Pedestal fan on low. Took temp last night and was around 28-29c at the top of the plant. CFLs are about 5cm above seedlings.

 

Water: only watering when the dirt is almost dry half way down the cup. Testing with a toothpick. If toothpick comes out clean I water. Only spritzing with a spray bottle of fiji water still. They’re needing water every 3-4 days.

 

Nutes: 0. There’s plenty in the soil already. About a week ago the Mrs knocked the mutant White Widow over and said it was fine and re-packed her. When I got home I checked her out and she almost fell over as she was due for a drink and dirt was lose from mrs not re-potting enough. I freaked out thinking I would lose her so I gave her a couple of drops of seasol (white bottle, Green lid) with her water just in case. Shouldn’t of given her the Seasol after I read how much nutes are in the soil Im using. Few drops probably wouldn't have hurt hopefully.

 

So I germed about 3 weeks ago now in fiji water. The babies popped a day later and went into Seedling mix. All was going well with the Berry Ryder. Looked good and healthy. But the White Widow had mutant first leaves and the second leaves were curling. Thought it was just a bad seed as it was a freebie in my seed bank purchase.

 

So in the last few days Ive noticed the BB starting to look a little curled up too. I have been searching for why in here and other reputable sites. After reading I thought it was the fan so I changed to oscillate instead of directly blowing on the seedlings. Then I read maybe the lights are too low so raised them a bit. Today I read I may be over watering but then read my symptoms are under watering. Im totally confused from the contradictory info. Ive read to let them totally dry out all the way to the bottom before watering. Then read I should keep the soil damp and humid. I had initially put a plastic bottle over the top of my seedlings in the first few days for humidity and then was told by a mate that’s been growing for years not to do that as they don’t like humidity.

 

This morning Ive noticed a bit of slimming around the base of the stem on the WW. I know this is bad! Im quite upset and I don’t want to lose my babies. Also the WW first leaves are very light green almost yellow. The Berry Ryder is still doing ok, but doesn’t look as good as the first week or so and as mentioned new leaves looked curled.

 

So overall there seems to be a lot of info but not much relating to seedlings so your help will be appreciated. I’m thinking I will stop putting them in the bathroom at night as maybe not enough exhaust from the stock exhaust outlet in the ceiling and not enough fresh air. I have no other way of getting the CFLs over these babies without lighting up the entire apartment and people getting suss. Could potentially put them in laundry (internal and again no windows and leave door slightly open but I'm paranoid of the lights catching fire ).

 

Thanks in advance all.

 

 

White widow

 

Berry Ryder

Edited April 21, 2016 by lux01

[Stiritup420]

Ok, so you can rule out the bathroom thing. There is plenty of fresh air for  them in a room and i don't think the direct fan would have quite that effect either..

 

Over watering is possible but doesn't seem likely seedlings like it to stay moist as long as it drains well and they are not sitting it mush.  You say you have not used any ferts so cant see why that should be a problem.  Same happened to mine last year when i used miracle grow.. Bottled water is between ph 7.5-8 so i am wondering it's a ph problem?  Have you checked the ph in your potting mix?

[Faith]

Maybe  stiritup, the seedling mix should buffer a bit with those amts I would think though? ph lockout?  Maybe could be a hot mix?  I have bought some stuff before that had been thoroughly saturated by weather and it was way washed out and pretty much seemed almost toxic to them.  Oh,  I am not sure but I reckon I saw a few dots could be mites or gnats but?  Hope you can nail it down lux.  Just a warning, you won't be able to stop growing so easy once ya get going

Faith

Edited April 21, 2016 by Faith

[louise]

The assumption that the seed raising mix has enough fertiliser might be in error... they look nitrogen starved to me. 

[growbabygrow]

I used that osmocote seedling mix that you are using for my last grow and i had 2 plants go hermie in the same pot that came from 1 different batch and my other plants were in pots from different batches and came out good. That stuff is too inconsistent. I had seedlings also in the same mix and quite a few went like yours and i put it down to Ph. Also just mist the seedlings they look a touch overwatered to me. I always make that mistake and go too sick with water and seedlings and kill them. Believe me the bottom of those cups will be mush with no roots. Get jiffy cups and when they feel dry on the outside you know its time to water. I had way better success with seedlings that way. Good luck man were all here to help. Interesting to see this experiment in winter.

[Stiritup420]

Yeah i thoughts so too Faith. I know little about soils. The only ones i have grown in were dug up from and old vegie garden

 

Two potting mixes i tried were shite and has similar results to above.  The water leaves are dead and they don't have a lot of ability to get nutes themselves yet. Could be because of ph that may have damaged those roots but i do think the problem is with the roots not the environment.

[Stiritup420]

The assumption that the seed raising mix has enough fertiliser might be in error... they look nitrogen starved to me. 

They do indeed and that is what is happening because the water leaves can no longer feed it while it builds a big enough root system to become independent of them. Normally it would not matter if it had ferts or not as long as its not high in fert... I would give them a good flush with ph'ed water and just see whats coming out at the bottom. If its really high that's the problem.. Cant think of anything else cause seedlings need very little to get going.

Edited April 21, 2016 by Stiritup420

[Sir PsychoHashy]

If that's where they're at after 3 weeks, unless you've been keeping the medium too wet you pretty much have to blame the medium.  Even in an inert medium like coco they would get bigger than that before starting to starve for food, so there is another problem even though they would be starving by this age if there was nitrogen lacking or locked out.  But overwatering does look highly likely.

 

How many growers have started posts with problems here over the years where they are growing in potting mix, usually the stuff with bits of bark all through it.  My guess is that aside from not being ideally suited to canna, it doesn't drain well which makes the tendency to overwater more of an issue.

 

Prep some new medium of some sort, if you want to use potting mix get a premium one like Searles Premium and mix in a bit of perlite, or if you want to stick with what you've got, at least give it a good flush with water and wring out the excess.  Get them out of those cups, and if they aren't root bound gently get rid of the excess potting mix, and repot them in proper small pots.  Then let them dry out a bit before watering.  Hopefully that stem thinning isn't damping off.

 

Best of luck

[Stiritup420]

Yeah do what Hashy said, look to another medium. To be honest i missed that they were 3 weeks old, they look a week old tops but the main clue is how dead those water leaves are.

 

This is how i fixed mine once, dead water leaves and were going south fast. I made a little DWC then carefully dug them out and soaked the roots in ph water.  got them into some net pots with a few clay balls to support them and let the bubbles do their thing. 1/4 strength nutes and they got better really fast.. Then a week or so later i transfer perfectly healthy seedling to coco which i should have done in the first place.. Maybe a bit over the top but they could be worth it to you.

[lux01]

Ok, so you can rule out the bathroom thing. There is plenty of fresh air for them in a room and i don't think the direct fan would have quite that effect either..

 

Over watering is possible but doesn't seem likely seedlings like it to stay moist as long as it drains well and they are not sitting it mush. You say you have not used any ferts so cant see why that should be a problem. Same happened to mine last year when i used miracle grow.. Bottled water is between ph 7.5-8 so i am wondering it's a ph problem? Have you checked the ph in your potting mix?

thanks guys. Fiji water is 7.3 hence why I'm using it. Best I can get for seedlings for now