Hi: I've got 2 seedlings that are in trouble. Help! My sprouts are dying!! What am I doing wrong??? I fear I'm watering/feeding them too often. How much and how often should I feed seedlings?
Dude, there's no need to create a second thread for the same problem, and you've received several responses on your linked thread.
OK thanks but - would you please answer my question? I never got a straight answer. How often should I water them?
I grow in organic soil that has plenty of nutrients for plants so I do not feed from bottles, however, if I did, I would not recommend feeding seedlings at all. Their need for nutrients is not extensive, and once the need does grow, good soil (hell, even FFOF and FFHF) should have enough nutrients to tide them over for their first month or more. They'll let you know when they need additional nutrients. At that point, feed with not more than 1/2 strength, increasing the strength slightly once a week or so, until you're at full strength, if you veg that long. If you flip to flower sooner than that, I'd keep it around 1/2 strength nutrients. With bottles, it's too easy to give too much or have the pH be just a little off so I'd recommend going light. More nutrients does not equal a larger or higher quality harvest. Generally, more nutrients equals throwing off the balance in the soil and fucking up the plants. Been there myself. That's part of why I started researching living soil and organic gardening. The No-Till Revisited thread has a lot of great info. In regards to straight watering, I have a seedling from clone going in a solo cup right now. I water it once every other day, sometimes every three days if I forget. She'll be fine, and if she ever dries out too much and gets droopy as hell, she'll perk back up within a few hours of being given water. Happy growing, Blade.
Thanks a whole lot. That was definitive. I'm watering exactly as you describe, including the occasional missing of a day. I'm still not sold on 'organic'. Advanced Nutrients has a really great pitch - mostly from pros. I started them on distilled water and switched to a nute mix (General Hydroponics GMB) for cuttings a couple days ago. I wonder if the medium (just dirt) is just real thick and holding onto the water longer . I'm guessing that it's more likely that I'm giving it too much fertilizer and not that they're being under fed. It could be that I'm over watering but that couldn't be by too much. The light was pretty close. That could be it. So, I'll make sure the lighting is a good bit away from the plants, go back to distilled water and continue to water them about every other day, skipping a day every few times. We'll see how that goes. Thanks much for your help