Never ending seeding trouble - Please help

[Wilko747]

So its my first grow and i'm on my second batch of seedlings after the first lot died but now these ones don't seem to be doing well either and are following suite, showing the same symptoms as the previous batch.

The fan leaves have curled together and upwards almost closing and growth has stopped completely, they're about 5-6 days old and are under 2 20w cfl's until big enough to take on the HID...I really just don't know what the problem is and have seen too many conflicting opinions while researching to be confident enough to settle on a solution

The bigger one is doing ok but has started showing signs of dryness as well, is it humidity? heat?

They're in cocopeat which has nutes in it so obviously there has been no feeding as of yet. I did have a small desk fan blowing on them but I thought that could be contributing to drying them out like that so turned it off yesterday afternoon.
How should I tackle this? anyone know what they need in order to start growing like normal again?

Any help or solutions will go a long way right now, really wanna be able to save them

 

[Vydle]

Did you just water them then take the picture? The soil looks very soggy. Seedlings want high humidity and higher than average temps (mid-high 70's) for the first week or until they grow their second set of leaves. Also how long do you keep them in those seedling containers? I ask because you run into problems if the roots outgrow those pods. When you transfer make sure your medium has plenty perlite for drainage and better oxygen for the roots.

 

[Wilko747]

Yeah I had just watered as the medium had gotten a bit dry overnight, the temps have been reasonably high between 24-29 degrees celcius for sure as its been hot where I live, I'm picking up a humidifier today to try take some dryness out of their environment, would u recommend I do this? I don't wanna add insult to injury if humidity is not likely to be the problem...I don't want the plants to get overly big so I'll keep them in there until they need a bigger pot, probably when they're big enough to go under the hid is when i'll transplant. Thanks for the feedback, anything I should try in terms of a solution to get them happy again?

 

[MrkingT]

i would suggest if your a first time grower (like my self) and you have some money buy a premade soil with feed n chart (like Biobizz) you shouldnt run into many problems unless you have other issues

 

[Wilko747]

I don't think my medium is the issue though otherwise the leaves would show signs of nute burn or deficiency, hopefully with increased humidity i'll see a positive change. Thanks for the feedback, if any other experienced growers have a perspective on this, please don't be shy to add you're 2 cents.

Peace out and an abundance of healthy harvests to all

 

[JohnDee]

Wilko...
Search the internet "dying seedlings coco" It may not convince you...but at least you won't feel so lonesome. Mitch90 has a current thread with his second batch of seedlings dying in coco. The answer is easy...use a proper seed starting mix.
JD

 

[AimAim]

Pic #1 looks like it has the stem running across the soil. Add some potting soil to cover it as best you can.

Actually I think the look OK for 5 days old. I'd repot as soon as they were big enough and get in some good soil, assuming you were going to grow in soil.

 

[JCull]

So its my first grow and i'm on my second batch of seedlings after the first lot died but now these ones don't seem to be doing well either and are following suite, showing the same symptoms as the previous batch.

The fan leaves have curled together and upwards almost closing and growth has stopped completely, they're about 5-6 days old and are under 2 20w cfl's until big enough to take on the HID...I really just don't know what the problem is and have seen too many conflicting opinions while researching to be confident enough to settle on a solution

The bigger one is doing ok but has started showing signs of dryness as well, is it humidity? heat?

They're in cocopeat which has nutes in it so obviously there has been no feeding as of yet. I did have a small desk fan blowing on them but I thought that could be contributing to drying them out like that so turned it off yesterday afternoon.
How should I tackle this? anyone know what they need in order to start growing like normal again?

Any help or solutions will go a long way right now, really wanna be able to save them

View attachment 2901011View attachment 2901009View attachment 2901010

Hi Wilko. If I were you I would let your medium dry out a little and then water little and often. High humidity is not vital for seedlings as some people insist. My seedlings are doing very well and at times the humidity has been as low as 45% but most of the time is around 55%. all I can suggest is getting your lights as close to the plants as possible, with them being low wattage an inch to an inch and a half should be fine. Also try watering around the edges of the pot to make the roots stretch for water and get them in some bigger pots as soon as you can. Do you have anything to test PH? it should be around 7. Sorry I cant help more.

 

[Wilko747]

Shit well that's disconcerting about the cocopeat, can you shed any light as to why its not suitable? I was actually planning on using this medium for my entire grow as it has nutrients in it and even says on the packaging that feeding should not occur until the first 3-4 weeks which is what made me get it :/ plus it also says on the packaging that its a 'cocopeat potting soil' so after reading that I thought it would be more than fine to use in my grows.

With regards to the leaves curling and drying is it safe to say its high heat and/or low humidity? I needa get to the bottom of that issue as its currently my only obstacle, will tackle any other problems as they arise

Thanks JCull i'll definitely give that a shot, the humidity here as been very low i'd say definitely under 40% which is what probably hurt them, I have bigger pots waiting for them I just heard that one should't transplant until the plant has a proper root ball or something along those lines which is why i've been waiting.

Thanks for all the insight guys, knowledge is definitely power when it comes to growing

 

[JCull]

24-29 degrees should be fine. Maybe just try and keep it between 24-27. Do you have a humidity reader?

 

[JohnDee]

Shit well that's disconcerting about the cocopeat, can you shed any light as to why its not suitable?

With regards to the leaves curling and drying is it safe to say its high heat and/or low humidity?

Hi Wilko...did you search? It's amazing, thread after thread of seedlings dying in coco. I'm an old fart and was around when ganja growers first started using the stuff. The current coco products are much better then 10 years ago. Used to be mostly excess Na+ issues. With your product, I suspect it could be the added nutrients may be too strong for your seedling. Coco is a useful grow media but you really need to understand it...and mostly I'm referring to it's nutrient characteristics. Cation exchange and all that. Get out the books and read.

Second question is no...most likely it's some nutrient problem that's causing the dry brittle leaves. IMHO
Good luck,
JD

Edit: And 7 is not the correct ph. NorthofEngland is the only one who thinks his advice is good. Coco requires an even lower PH then dirt...somehow locks out Ca++ easily. Go below 6...maybe 5.6 or thereabouts.

 

[Wilko747]

Yes I did, was quite frightening - So If u were me where would u go from here? do u think I should just go get new medium? if so would that miracle grow be the best bet for a novice such as myself?

 

[JohnDee]

Wilko,
I can't make that call for you. Besides I'm mostly a hydro guy. All I'm saying is to start your seedlings in something different and wait till they have some growth under their belt before sticking them in the coco.

For a coco grow, you could use almost anything else... a nice mild starter mix would be good. Rockwool is what I used...but there are some issues with that stuff too. Just let them get to at least 2 nodes and my preference would be 4 or 5 nodes before going into a nute added coco product.
JD

 

[Wilko747]

Ok awesome thanks a million, will go see what I can get tomorrow and transplant asap and hope they recover.. thanks a lot for the guidance, saved me a lot of money and frustration

 

[JohnDee]

You bet Wilko,
And just in case you do switch to nute-added soil...same advice applies.

When you transpant...be very careful and gentle. You don't need to get all the coco off. Submerging in warm water can help wash it off with less risk of trauma. I hope they respond well.
Cheers,
JD