Help...Seedlings Dying

[djdasher]

I'm having a big problem with my seedlings. They were statrted in a potting soil called "Parkis Mills". I added one part vermeculite to three parts soil. Germination took place in four days. We are three weeks into growing and the seedlings look pathetic. The tallest is two inches and the others barely break one and a half inches. Leaf growth is very minimal. The leaves are like a lime green and the stalks are reddish/purple. The few small leaves that are there do not seem to want to grow at all. I would say that over the last week I have seen no growth. Zero.

The first leaves to emerge are now about one-inch long but have vellowed significantly. They now have brown tips. The other leaves, while still rigid, seem to be drooping.

The plants are under flouro's 24/7. I've added some liquid nutrients and have also, when the soil is getting dry, watered with a solution containing epsolm salts as I suspected a magnesium deficiency. The temperature in the room stays at about 70 degrees (f).

Any ideas as to what the problem might be?

Thanks for offering advice.

D

[lessismore]

Originally Posted by djdasher

I'm having a big problem with my seedlings. They were statrted in a potting soil called "Parkis Mills". I added one part vermeculite to three parts soil. Germination took place in four days. We are three weeks into growing and the seedlings look pathetic. The tallest is two inches and the others barely break one and a half inches. Leaf growth is very minimal. The leaves are like a lime green and the stalks are reddish/purple. The few small leaves that are there do not seem to want to grow at all. I would say that over the last week I have seen no growth. Zero.

The first leaves to emerge are now about one-inch long but have vellowed significantly. They now have brown tips. The other leaves, while still rigid, seem to be drooping.

The plants are under flouro's 24/7. I've added some liquid nutrients and have also, when the soil is getting dry, watered with a solution containing epsolm salts as I suspected a magnesium deficiency. The temperature in the room stays at about 70 degrees (f).

Any ideas as to what the problem might be?

Thanks for offering advice.

D

Sounds to me like a PH problem. I would flush the plants w/ tested water(6.0-6.5PH). Do you have a PH tester?

When the PH is off, it will hinder your plants, even cause root lock. How big are your containers? The norm on flushing is 3 gallons of water to a 1 gl pot, 6 to a 2 gl, 12 to a 4 gl, etc.... Give that a try, make sure to test the PH of every drop of water you flush with. A PH kit, including the PH-up and PH-down solutions can be purchased at almost and garden or hydro shop for about $15.

Good Luck.

[djdasher]

The PH comes in at about 6.7 - 6.8. I thouught that was an adequate range. The seedlings are in well drained containers that are about 10-12 oz. I have a small fan on them at all times. The fan barely ruffles the leaves but provides circulation.

[lessismore]

Originally Posted by djdasher

The PH comes in at about 6.7 - 6.8. I thouught that was an adequate range. The seedlings are in well drained containers that are about 10-12 oz. I have a small fan on them at all times. The fan barely ruffles the leaves but provides circulation.

Are you testing the water everytime you water them? Also, you cannot go by the container if using bottled water, it is seldom right. If you are using tap water, it changes everyday. I test my water when I bottle it, after I mix in the nutes, and again before using it on my plants. That may be to the extreme, but I have my soil PH levels perfect and want it stay there. I ran into PH problems before and it is never good....especially when root lock occurs, which IMHO sounds like your problem.

[GrowBot]

you probably had nutes in the soil and you added more nutes. you also added magnesium into the mix. sounds to me like you've babied them to death. too many nutes and mag too! i'd flush them and leave them alone.

[max11max]

Originally Posted by GrowBot

you probably had nutes in the soil and you added more nutes. you also added magnesium into the mix. sounds to me like you've babied them to death. too many nutes and mag too! i'd flush them and leave them alone.

Good advice but I feel it's gonna take time and luvin em so much might have done em in.

[djdasher]

All good advice. One point that I should make is that I only provided water (no nutes or epsolm salts) until AFTER the symptoms came up. That changes things...

[GrowBot]

this thread belongs in the sick plants thread just like a lot i see on this forum. aren't there any mods working here? this forum also needs a sick plant checklist for symptoms etc.

[KamelRedLight]

I don't know too much, but I do know you probably should not have given them any nutes, it probly only made things worse. That is wild though, all your conditions seem good. Your lights at a reasonable hieght? What is the color temperature on the lights? Is this soil prefertilized? If you want to save them, I'd move them to new soil and leave them be, watering with plain water. Seedlings need no nutrients, just light and water, till they are a decent hieght. You may have overfed them, that'll give you your brown tips. Can you get any pictures?

[max11max]

Originally Posted by GrowBot

this thread belongs in the sick plants thread just like a lot i see on this forum. aren't there any mods working here? this forum also needs a sick plant checklist for symptoms etc.

It's not just this post but I see loads in the wrong place, some are totally irrelevant to the forum title and should be deleted. Rule breaking on the site is also OFF THE SCALE. Nothing is done or if it is it's rare.