Hi this is my 5th attempt at my seedlings, they have died every time after 3 days after spouting. The always seem to fall over and leaves start to droop. I have a hydro set up. Soaked and rinsed my rapid rooters in ph water 6 Temp 22c Humidity 40% No nutrients Cfl light Has anyone got any idea what I'm doing wrong? Maybe should I be using rockwool instead of rapid rooters?
I've never had a problem with rapid rooters, , maybe the light is too far away and they're stretching too much...and are you sure they're getting enough air. A pic of the set up might help..
A few thoughts. Quite low humidity for seedlings. Temporary humidity dome? Or, Are the rapid rooters staying so waterlogged that initial roots get drowned before it can grow out? Are they growing so tall they fall over because the CFLs are too far? Dubious bagseed, or did you pay for them all? Any chance your pH is lower than you thought, once it is thoroughly mixed?
Usually, I drop my seeds in the plug, fill the res add a little nutes and the forget about it for a week or two. Then by the time I check on them, they're ready to be topped and start lst. Honestly I only check on my plants maybe once a week, if they need water. Other than that I don't mess with them.
I keep them in a dome but never get above 50%. Also use a heat mat. Rapid rooters not water logged as I water them once dry(seedling already looks like its dying by this time) Cfl could be closer but would this effect the leaves?
So the seeds are not in a res? You should put them in a tote bucket and still get the air bubbles going. It will help.
Let me guess, there is this "pinched-looking" spot where they fall over. It's called "damping off" and it is a common fungal disease of plants. There is no cure for it, but there is prevention. Now I grow in soil, but I seldom have any problems with "damping off". I start the seeds using the paper towel method (damp paper towel, ceramic saucer slipped into a baggie) and wait until the roots are 1/4 to 1/2 inch long to put them in soil. Now here is where I do something weird, I microwave the soil and get it steaming hot! After letting it cool completely, the sprouts go into the soil, about 3/4 inch deep. Microwaving kills the spores of damping off! (It also kills all the beneficial "micro-herd", so you should add some mycorrhyzae - run a search online, some places even specialize in species that cannabis likes) Having a small fan on your plants will also help. Moist, stale air helps the fungus grow- the fan stirs things up. This also makes their stems stronger. And your CFLs should be a only few inches above your plants. CLFs need to be close for creating healthy leaves, but will burn your leaves if they touch the spiral. You should have your CFLs set up so they are easy to raise to keep up with your plant's growth. Hope that helps! Granny