Ooops

Hello there, I'm a n00b so be gentle with me. I'm pretty certain I know what my problem is but haven't a clue how to sort it. Before I planted my seeds I read loads and loads of stuff, probably too much for my plants good. Because I've half successfully grown a plant before using soil I decided to try a variety of growing methods to see which worked best. I picked an easy to grow variety (White Widow) and used various germination techniques; rockwool (Only seeds which didn't germinate) wet tissue, soil and clay pebbles mixed with vermeculite. Out of 10 seeds, 8 germinated. Up until this point all was well. Then disaster struck, I was too busy to pot what needed potting up and sort out my grow room so left my precious seedlings in the hands of my black fingered husband. He assured me all was well and he had given them a feed I'd prepared which was phosphur rich. Foolishly I trusted him. 2 days later I ventured into my attic and found myself thinking of lawyers and divorce courts....he'd left them in the dark. Result:-8 seedlings with spindly stems I've now banned him from even looking at them and they are under a flourescent light at the moment, although I have got both MH and HPS bulbs for the next stages should they reach that far. 1 week on and they look worse every time I look. The only thing I've done so far (apart from huff at himself) is put an oscillating fan near them in the faint hope the stems will strengthen. Hopefully I've managed to attach a pic of one of the seedlings out of situ in the vain hope that someone; anyone, can save my potential crop from being a mere pipe(rs) dream, and help me like my husband again.

 

I'm pretty sure I'm going for a role reversal.
Thanks for the welcome, I guess I might be a regular round here, hopefully in a different forum though

 

Himself told me to transplant them but after he mistook them for mushrooms there was no way I was listening to him alone. I was worried about the stems rotting but you've covered that for me.

I cheated slightly, the plant I photographed was one of the 3 hubby is looking after (not that I'm in any way shape or form competative) and only the top part is soil, underneath he's using vermeculite, for what reason I'm unsure. ​

Thanks for the voice of way more experience and if this lot survive I'll certainly let you know, if not, well lesson number 1 learnt and my next attempt will hopefully not be quite as painful. As for the lousy father, I'll let you know whose babe produces the better and healthier crop

 

Maybe. I might even have been told to lower the lights some. OK, I don't understand why I shouldn't be feeding them. I'm growing mine hydroponically so would that make a difference? I knew I'd read too much for my plants well-being. I had read that they should be fed with phosphur to promote healthy roots. Ha ha I certainly haven't promoted healthy stems.
So it's mostly because I had the light too far away and not because they were left in the dark for 2 days? I'm ashamed.

 

You've scared me because you've just shown me how ignorant I am. I've realised I can read as much about it as I like but experience teaches way more than reading can. I never knew the seedling provides for itself in the first set of leaves for a start. I'm scared the stems won't be able to support what leaves it has now never mind it growing anymore. I'm also scared that I'm too inexperienced to even have attempted to use different methods when I haven't even mastered 1 method. I can see this attempt going up in smoke and certainly not the way I'd like. I'm going to learn to walk first next time instead of reading about different methods and imagining that my first crop will be near perfect. I've appreciated all the replies and hopefully with all the advice I've been given from everyone I'll be able to post a pic of a much recovered plant in a few weeks

 

I personally have 1 plant growing in soil which I mixed with vermeculite. I also have 3 growing in a 4-1 mix of clay pebbles and vermeculite and 1 which I've started of in plain vermeculite which I now have no idea what I'm going to do with when it comes time to transplant it because I'm obviously way too inexperienced and should have started out with them all in soil.
When the seedlings sprouted I asked my other half to sort them because I was busy that day and he sorted them but never turned the light on which I didn't discover for 2 days. I instantly assumed it was because they were growing in the dark and never considered it was because the light was too far away.
No way am I going to upset their photoperiod again (if they survive) and have bought myself a timer to make sure I don't.
I think I might have to visit a seed shop and start at the beginning next time.