A friend of a friend has started his first grow, 6 seeds have successfully been sprouted in paper towel and planted in a small pot containing potting mix with slow release fertiliser outdoors. The plants have been watered daily for three weeks and only one has managed to grow. Although this one plant has came through, it's health appears to be diminishing. The leaves have turned a light green and have started to dry up, the new bottom shoots has completely died also by the looks of it. By looking at the pictures would anyone be able to help determine the problem here? My guess is it is either being burnt by the slow release fertiliser or the plant is being under watered. Thanks
I could well me wrong but has this plant been in direct sunlight with water droplets on its leaves? Your PH is probably wrong by the looks of things - try to get some test papers - it should be around 6.5
Plants should not be fertilized until they are well established. Seedlings will get fertilizer burn. You can start them in miracle grow soil however if you are dead set on giving them something early. I would wait until 4th set of leaves and then fertilize sparingly. You will also want to run as much water through the soil as possible right now to dilute the fert as your plants may get worse and completely die over the next 3 days.
Those don't need water everyday either. After you flush out the soil only water when soil becomes quite dry. Pot should feel very light. 4th grow(Apprentice) - BC Big Bud 1200w
Yes Bellamy808 i agree because most soils/mediums come premixed with a slow release fert - However if the medium is completely inert then feed must be applied - there are feeds specifically designed for propagator sprays - Canna start for example - use about 2mls per litre.
My sunshine4 doesn't come with premixed ferts. Feed doesn't need to be applied until 4th week of veg. After the energy from the cotyledons is used up and they dry and fall off. Don't kill cannabis with kindness. 4th grow(Apprentice) - BC Big Bud 1200w
I understand how easy it is to burn the babies vjaj and i agree sort of - but i feel that a slow and methodical "teething" period is necessary - phosphates are very important for root development and a lack in any nutrient can cause significant metabolic/growth problems for a young plant. If you sell someone a clone which hasn't been fed - likely they wont be happy when leaves start to become yellow after a week - even if there's nothing technically wrong with the clone
The plants are most likely over watered. That combined with poorly draining soil will combine to choke the root system, and prevent new vegetative growth. What hemisphere are you in, because anywhere in the northern hemisphere isn't getting enough sunlight per day to veg plants well. Slow release ferts can be a problem, but those plants don't look like too much nitrogen is the problem. Soils like miracle grow get a reputation of burning, but I really believe many of the problems are due to their crappy drainage and get misdiagnosed as nute or Ph problems. With no burn or leaf damage, I think the stunting is more likely a symptom of problems in the root system and possibly lack of light. Attemtping to flush slow release ferts can be a bad idea. The nutes in them are basicly encapsulated in a water disolvable material of varying thickness. With normal watering the different thickness of coatings causes them to be gradually released over time. Flushing can cause them to be released more with each watering and the flush ends up releasing a higher concentration of nitrogen, doing exactly what you don't want.
I think you might be right and I'm going to get them started on juice a bit sooner. Just 150-200 ppm. 4th grow(Apprentice) - BC Big Bud 1200w