Hey all, I just started my first grow in a Rubbermaid. 38Gal Six 23W CFL's or 138W They are about three weeks after germination and they are now on a 18 light/6 dark cycle. But three of the four are wilting away and I'm freaking. One possible mistake I made was plant them using MiracleGro Soil Mix which I now know has fertilizer. Could it also be that there is only 138 watts? I read that I should use 150w for 2x2 of growing area so I thought 138 was enought. Anyways, any help is appreciated everyone.
138 is enough right now and prob for a few more weeks. i would look into more when u get 6-7 inches tall. some seeds take longer to sprout then others i would just transplant each plant to a new cup wit better soil as soon as u can. good luck
Thats fert burn alright.Better get them in a neutral soil and fast.If all you can get is MG then look for the organic.I did this same thing to 10 seedlings.I had to remove them gently hose the dirt from the roots and replant in new cups.6 survived,of 6 ,2 stunted, of the 4 cat demolished 2.(Well, not totally demolished but she ate 1 and a half foot tall plants..the half is relaxing and doing well in the outdoor rehab clinic) so of 10 i have 4 left under my lights.
Thanks man. From reading threads I had an idea that it might be fertilizer related and it helps to hear it from someone knowledgable.
now would be a good time to transplant to a bigger pot any way. most of the soil in those cups will just fall away from the root ball (such as there is at this point). I would not try rinsing the soil from the roots, or even disturbing the dirt that the roots are wrapped around. Just put it in some good ol soil and water it in well. The cups actually look a little dry, I think that is the main cause of the plants wilting like that. The burn on the leaf could be fertilzer burn, but I'm not certain of that. Six 23 watt CFLs are a gracious plenty...here is one of my plants that are growing under two 23W and four 27W CFLs. This is a clone that has been growing for 5 weeks in the box.
The day I took the pictures is when I watered, that's why they were out of the box. Before that it was about three to four days prior to that. The top soil was dry but when I stuck my finger in about the second nuckle it was just a little moist.
Nice plants OldSkool. Shoot I just took one of my little guys and completely removed all the MG soil, watered it under warm water for a minute and placed it in some new seedling soil in a new cup, I'll post the name brand when I get home. I did this before reading your post.
I hope that works out for you. I tend to be cautious when it comes to messing with roots. If you're careful you shouldn't have any probs.