Another hydro noob needs some advice/help!

[Mobb Hitman]

First off thanks for at least clicking on my thread
I'm attempting to grow some Lowryders using the bubble bucket method. I've gone throuh 4 sprouts already and can't seem to get past the first couple weeks of sprouting. Here is some background info about my setup....

Grow Area Info
It's in a closet... temp ranges from 79*f - 85*f .... humidity ranges 40-60. Currently I have a sprout that is about 2 weeks old and just finished germing another and its about to sprout from a 1" rockwhool cube. Two fans moving air.

Water Info
RO/DI (Reverse Osmosis/Deionized) filtered water (not sure if everyone knows what that is... but its a 6-stage filtration system under my sink. its commonly used in saltwater fish tanks, which is another hobby of mine). Ph is adjusted to 5.8 No nute's have been used yet. I dont let the rockwhool to get dry... I try to keep it moist all the time.

Lighting Info
3x 42w CFL (not sure what the equivalent wattage is).. all 3 are the Flowering spectrum bulbs... cause LR's are autoflowering . Running lights 18/6. I've been keeping the lights about 6" away from top of sprout... just now moved them about 1ft from top of sprout. The seed in the picture with the cup over it is the first one that I'm letting sprout in darkness and will get it accustom to the lights before I give it full strength.

Now my problem...
For the past 4 seeds I've germ'ed the sprout ends up yellow or lime green... and ends ups either not growing or just whithering away. I am keeping them in plastic bags to keep the humidity around them high.
What I've been doing is letting them "pop" from a 1" rockwhool cube... then putting that cube into a bigger cube... and putting in a netpot (but not in the bucket). Watering once a day. Also my main concern is the little one that has sprouted is actually about 3 weeks old (since sprout)... shouldn't it be bigger? Is there any chance for this one?

Here are some pictures... oh and the cup that is covering the one on the right, thats the one that hasn't sprouted yet. Sorry for the pics... its 1am, camera batteries just died, so i'm using a camera phone.

Thanks for reading... please leave any kind of tips, advice etc...

[Ganja Guerrilla]

try taking off the plastic bags

seedlings dont need 100% humidity, thats a trick for clones

[Mobb Hitman]

Ok i'll try that now....
Now when their sprouts..... should I be keeping the rockwhool moist all the time? Or should I let is dry out a little before watering again?

[Ganja Guerrilla]

rock wool is to be kept very moist

[Mobb Hitman]

Ok thanks so much for your tips!!

One last question... the one sprout that I have that is about 3 weeks old. Is that normal size for it? Or do you think its stunted a little? If conditions improve... do you think it's possible to save the little guy?

[Ganja Guerrilla]

yeah there badly stunted, @ three weeks they should be 4-5 inches and a few sets of leaves

For the past 4 seeds I've germ'ed the sprout ends up yellow or lime green... and ends ups either not growing or just whithering away

thats from Damping off disease

your lites also need to be 2-3 inches above the plants



suggestion................. you have basically done this out of your head, without much educating yourself, and as you can see your failing badly here

hydro is more advanced style growing and not at all forgiving, if you make a mistake they all are affected , with soil you have time to react

if you dont have PH meters PPM meters, Ph correcting solutions & am fully competent in thier uses, you might want to try soil first or do some serious reading before going farther with the hydro

[Mobb Hitman]

Ganja... not to go against what you said. but i've done A LOT of reading on hydro and downloaded videos. i've already had a harvest using soil. i have a ph tester (thats been calibrated with solution), tds meter (thats been calibrated). i've used these testers for years with my saltwater reef tank

also when it comes to germing/sprout stage... when you read stuff online you will ALWAYS find conflicting info. like i read a bunch of sites... that say to keep lights about 1ft away from sprouts with a dome/bag over them... until they start to mature a little. Other sites will say keep the light inches away with no bag. so its hard to figure out which is the correct way without actually doing it yourself

Ganja or someone else... can you either leave me some detail info on the sprouting stage and how the environment should be like.... or do you have a link?

[Ganja Guerrilla]

also when it comes to germing/sprout stage... when you read stuff online you will ALWAYS find conflicting info. like i read a bunch of sites... that say to keep lights about 1ft away from sprouts with a dome/bag over them... until they start to mature a little.

Hows that workin out for ya?

I've gone throuh 4 sprouts already and can't seem to get past the first couple weeks of sprouting

Oh, ... I see

gluck

[Mobb Hitman]

Thats why I'm here, asking for help... I thought that was the whole reason for this forum.


Thanks for your help though

[Help_Needed]

Originally Posted by Mobb Hitman

Thats why I'm here, asking for help... I thought that was the whole reason for this forum.

Yes that's why the forum is here. But asking for help is pretty worthless if you're not going to listen to the answers. I've read a lot of the posts on this forum, and from what I can tell Ganja is pretty much the go-to person for helping sick plants. On a personal note, his advice helped me turn 4 sick plants into 4 healthy plants in very short order. Now if only they hadn't all grown balls......... lol.

but i've done A LOT of reading on hydro and downloaded videos....also when it comes to germing/sprout stage... when you read stuff online you will ALWAYS find conflicting info. like i read a bunch of sites... that say to keep lights about 1ft away from sprouts with a dome/bag over them... until they start to mature a little. Other sites will say keep the light inches away with no bag. so its hard to figure out which is the correct way without actually doing it yourself

I find this statement puzzling because my experience has been the exact opposite. One of the reasons I decided to go hydro on this second grow is the LACK of conflicting information. There's a lot of really good info on hydro growing out there. You just need to read it carefully to make sure what you're reading actually applies to your situation - growing MJ is a lot different than growing orchids.

As for your question - I'm not an expert but I'll throw something out and then others can correct me. If you're going hydro, your seeds should be germinated in either rockwool cubes or an organic plug that's designed for a hydro environment. Yes, you can use the paper towel method or other method first to find out which seeds are viable but once the root cracks through the shell transfer the sprout to the cube/plug. Also rockwool MUST be soaked for 24 hours prior to use to bring it's pH down to normal range before you put your sprouts/seeds in it. It should not be necessary to cover the seedling with plastic, just keep the cube/plug moist (but not soaking wet).

Once the plants roots have come through the cube/plug then you can move the plants into their growing environment. If you're doing hydro, then you want a weak (200ppm) nute solution. If soil, you want no fert soil with a good amount of pearlite and/or sand to allow the plants to breath.

Lighting depends on the type, but basically keep the lights close enough that the seedlings don't stretch but far enough that they don't get too hot. You should be able to hold your hand under the light at plant level without any discomfort. If you're using CFL's then the lights can be as close as 3-4". If you're using HID's then they need to be quite a bit further away.

[Help_Needed]

P.S. In reading over your post I think I see you're problem. You're starving your seedlings. Seedlings don't need a lot of nutes - that's why they burn so easily - but then need *something*.

From the sound of it, you're letting the seedlings sprout and then moving them into a larger rooting environment, and then feeding them JUST water. Mix some weak nutes into that water and I think you'll see an improvement.

[Mobb Hitman]

Ganja and Help_Needed if my post (#7) sounded like I wasnt taking your advice... thats not it. I am taking all your advice
I was just trying to explain that I have the "materials" that are needed and BASIC hydro knowledge. I'm sorry if it came off like I was blowing off your help... cause thats far from it!

And Help_Needed..... I haven't been using nutes at all.... so I can see where your getting your "starving" answer. I just mixed 1/4 strength nutes. I'm watering twice a day... so the rockwhool is never dry. But how much water should I be giving? Enough so it runs out of the cubes?

Thanks very much for your help

Color me confused here...

You're doing a DWC setup, and you're watering your plants 2x daily.. or you mean you're watering seedlings that aren't in the bucket yet?

Reread the bubbler bucket setup info. Once your seed has sprouted in rockwoold, rapid rooter, what have you, keep that sucker under some floros/CFL for a few days.

A few drops of superthrive + 1 Tablespoon of Molasses per gallon of water has had good results in the past for SWIM.

You can move the sprouts to your bubbler bucket when they have a couple small leaf sets. The water levels should be right up against the net pot until roots begin to show out the bottom, then lower your water level 2-3 inches below.

when you move seedlings into your bubbler bucket, make sure you give them an extremely low dose of nutrients (BTW What are you using???), something around 100-150ppm is more than enough IMO. This varies on strain obviously, some tolerate more, others less.

And unless you're seeing some heat stress, CFL's at 12 inches away lose a lot of light.