1st Time Grow Problems

[THCJunkie420]

So its my first grow, and Ive managed to germinate 9/10 of my seeds. Of those, 8 have broke the medium, and they all 3 are having issues with the feeder leaves (forgive me for using incorrect term Im lazy and frankly at my wits end) dying . They turn yellow at the margins of the leaf, then wilt within a few hours after. My soil PH is 6.8 and water i use is 7.0 No nutes obviously and my lighting alternates between 18/6 and 24/0 every other day. I water w/ a dropper, giving it approx 2-3 tablespoons worth of water each morning, and 1-2 tablespoons of water when I get home in the evening. my soil is Jiffy seed starting mix and i planned on making my own soil(less) mix after they were matured enough. I have watched every youtube video and scoured the internet relentlessly for answers and I'm finding conflicting solutions. PLEASE HELP ME, EVERYONE HERE KNOWS THEY ARE LIKE CHILDREN FOR US, SO LOSING 1 IS HARD. Thank you in advance and if i deserve to be bashed...feel free. kiss-ass

PS Photos will be posted once i figure out how to upload them from my phone to comp.

 

[budfever]

First stop changing your light cycle.
Second a few pics would help us give you usable info.

 

[THCJunkie420]

Thank You, Im uploading more as we speak. Whats your preferable light cycle for young seedlings? i thought perhaps it was N def. so I used very very diluted urine (I eat very clean and protein intake is 2x that of a normal person, thus having high N in my urine.) and it seemed to help alittle bit, but clearly didnt alleviate the problem. Temps here are 80' @ night and 90-100' during day with mod. wind and relative humidity is usually low.

 

[dannyboy602]

Thank You, Im uploading more as we speak. Whats your preferable light cycle for young seedlings? i thought perhaps it was N def. so I used very very diluted urine (I eat very clean and protein intake is 2x that of a normal person, thus having high N in my urine.) and it seemed to help alittle bit, but clearly didnt alleviate the problem. Temps here are 80' @ night and 90-100' during day with mod. wind and relative humidity is usually low.

Temps are pretty high for seedlings. Can u bring them down with an a/c? Anything that makes leaves wilt that quick is usually moisture related. In your case its a moisture/temperature problem. Okee dokee? Oh and don't feed so soon. I don't care how clean your piss is.

 

[THCJunkie420]

Hahahaa!! Im super paranoid and always have been a over analyzer so i was willing to try anything not to lose my babies. But thank you, I wont do that again. I will bring them indoors now, as stated earlier I have 1-55w/3800 lumens CFL bulb and a 13w-860 lumens CFl bulb as of now for lighting, they dont say full spectrum so im assuming they arent but would this combined amount of lumens suffice for the given stage theyre in? How long would you recommend leaving them indoors under artificial lighting before I move them outdoors? Im sorry for asking such repetitive and reoccuring questions, but I have read and read and read and desifering facts from BS is a costly and timely way to gain experience.

 

[dannyboy602]

Yes for now the light you're using is fine. In a few weeks introduce them to natural daylight. A few hours in the morning then more light each day till you finally plant them outside.

 

[THCJunkie420]

Yes for now the light you're using is fine. In a few weeks introduce them to natural daylight. A few hours in the morning then more light each day till you finally plant them outside.

OK great thank you for the useful info.

 

[smokinafatty]

This might seem like a dumb question but are there holes in the bottom of those cups for drainage? There probably is. If not you'll want to add them.

If leaves get wet while under strong light, like the sun, the droplets act like magnifying glasses and burn the leaves.

The ph sounds way too high. I prefer 5.5-6.3, usually around 5.8.

Even though you're using a dropper, you might be watering too often. Stick your finger in the soil up to your knuckle. If the soil is dry, then give it water. Dry soil forces the roots to grow to find water.

The last thing I can think of is the soil's nutrients are too much for the seedlings, but since you say it's for seedlings, that isn't likely.

 

[dannyboy602]

If leaves get wet while under strong light, like the sun, the droplets act like magnifying glasses and burn the leaves.

Myth.......

 

[budfever]

Bet your pots smell great nothing like 100 degree left over piss.

 

[THCJunkie420]

This might seem like a dumb question but are there holes in the bottom of those cups for drainage? There probably is. If not you'll want to add them.
Yes I made sure and put a few slits and one or two pen tipped size holes in the bottoms.

If leaves get wet while under strong light, like the sun, the droplets act like magnifying glasses and burn the leaves
I've heard this too, so I tried to water early in the morning before sunrise and at 5-6:00 pm when I leave the cotton fields.
The ph sounds way too high. I prefer 5.5-6.3, usually around 5.8
I was thinking about that actually Im going to experiment with that. Thanks
Even though you're using a dropper, you might be watering too often. Stick your finger in the soil up to your knuckle. If the soil is dry, then give it water. Dry soil forces the roots to grow to find water
good info thanks
The last thing I can think of is the soil's nutrients are too much for the seedlings, but since you say it's for seedlings, that isn't likely.[/QUOTE
This was mentioned by the Local nursery (though I don't know how knowledgeable he was, because I twice watered with a worm casting tea (dumb I know) and stopped immediately and there was no noticeable side effects. Interesting.

 

[THCJunkie420]

Bet your pots smell great nothing like 100 degree left over piss.[/QUOT

Hahaha yes musty. Since recent advice I've moved plants inside under 1 55W/3800lumen bulb and
A 13W/8hundredsomethin CFL's concentrated by hoods over lamps. Hopefully they'll gather enough strength to survive..

 

[THCJunkie420]

***UPDATE***

its been a couple days now and binging them inside for the first 24 hrs I saw little or no improvement in their health.
after scouring the Internet and using the SEARCH button I determined that my plant was having a phosphorus deficiency
causing the stems to have a purplish tint to them. I thought it was the strain I was growing (purple haze). Anyways my ph was 7.0 in both soil and water. I bought another ph tester and WOW. My water was 8.1 and soil was 7.3!!! So after confirming ph was the issue, I added a tablespoon of vinegar to a 1/2 gal of water ( 24 hrs sitting out) and have since been watering with this solution. Plants are in good health now and growth is rapidly increasing in speed. THANKS TO ALL WHO REPLIED. This is why u should buy a quality PH TESTER and test it against another ALWAYS.