1st grower needs help. A friend of mine started four strawberry cough feminized seeds approximately one month ago in 3 gallon pots. After five days all seedlings were 1 1/2 inches tall and healthy.
A month later three of the plants were still only one and a half (1 1/2) inch, and the older leaves are turning yellow and brown. Serious growth stunt. My babies are sick!
What gets me is that the older outer leaves are dying but the young smaller fresh looking leaves look healthy and green.
One plant grew vigorously compared to the other four, but still has problems I cannot diagnos. The strong plant has leaves turning yellow, brown, and even white at the edges. They are also curling up at the edges. It's not only top leaves but even the lowest leaves closest to the soil have dis-coloration.
I have read a couple of books and spent hours in forums for my buddy, but this is his first grow. I'm trying to help him but the wealth of information seems very subjective depending on the numerous opinions by various growers and what seems like millions different factors.
Factors:
1.) Lights and heat
- Facts
One 400 HPS and one 250 MH. To get the seedlings to sprout after germination the 400HPS and 250MH were both placed 18 inches from the tops of the soil/seedlings.
They sprouted in 5 days and looks healthy and on the way. We kept both the lights the same distance from the young seedlings, which was a product of ignorance, and this is when the problems began. The soil dryed up almost instantly and fearing the newbie mistake of overwatering, we actually under-watered. More in the watering section.
- Research
Did more research and raised the both lights to 36 inches. This changed nothing. So... dropped light to only 250 MH at 2' or 24 inches, and still no change. Then, we raised the 250 MH to 36 inches about two days ago. The strong plant seemed to recover a little, but the three 1 1/2 inch seedlings don't change at all.
We thought the light and/or heat was burning them at first. Then I read that light burn only occurs on the top leaves or leaves closest to the light? However, my strong plant which is ~ 10 inches tall has yellow, brown, and golden leaves at the base of the plant, not only the leaves with the most light. Also the edges of the higher leaves are white.
- Theory
Thoght is was burning the plants so did the hand test and no burn on the hand. Also, people claim if its burn then only the top leaves will burn. Not the case in my operation, as the lower leaves are yellowing and curling.
2.) Soil and nutrients
Used Miracle Grow garden soil w/ fertilizer that feeds up to three months. (I know not the best medium, but many people have used this successfully.) Many of the symptoms of our plants look similar to nutrient deficiency or too many nutes. With seedlings however, there shouldn't be a deficiency b/c research says that seedlings don't need nutes and it shouldn't be overfertilization b/c many growers use the same soil.
3.) Ventilation
The four containers measure 2 1/2' X 2 1/2', but the room is 7' X 8' X 7 1/2. We installed a 70 CFM vent fan with two box fans in the room for ventilation. The room stays around 70 degrees - 85 degress (albiet it may be hotter under the HPS). I know i'll need to upgread to a larger vent fan, but do seedlings need as much circulation as vegetative or flowering plants?
4.) Watering
As stated earlier, I underwatered at first, but corrected the problem timely. I have watering down now, but again, the stunted plants won't grow. They don't die but don't grow. I read the chorine in tap water could burn plants, so this may be a factor I will look into.
I can't seem to get picks up, but will have them up shortly. They are too large to upload. I'm going to try to upload one below as a test. If not, I will have pics in up asap.
A month later three of the plants were still only one and a half (1 1/2) inch, and the older leaves are turning yellow and brown. Serious growth stunt. My babies are sick!
What gets me is that the older outer leaves are dying but the young smaller fresh looking leaves look healthy and green. One plant grew vigorously compared to the other four, but still has problems I cannot diagnos. The strong plant has leaves turning yellow, brown, and even white at the edges. They are also curling up at the edges. It's not only top leaves but even the lowest leaves closest to the soil have dis-coloration.
I have read a couple of books and spent hours in forums for my buddy, but this is his first grow. I'm trying to help him but the wealth of information seems very subjective depending on the numerous opinions by various growers and what seems like millions different factors.
Factors:
1.) Lights and heat
- Facts
One 400 HPS and one 250 MH. To get the seedlings to sprout after germination the 400HPS and 250MH were both placed 18 inches from the tops of the soil/seedlings.
They sprouted in 5 days and looks healthy and on the way. We kept both the lights the same distance from the young seedlings, which was a product of ignorance, and this is when the problems began. The soil dryed up almost instantly and fearing the newbie mistake of overwatering, we actually under-watered. More in the watering section.
- Research
Did more research and raised the both lights to 36 inches. This changed nothing. So... dropped light to only 250 MH at 2' or 24 inches, and still no change. Then, we raised the 250 MH to 36 inches about two days ago. The strong plant seemed to recover a little, but the three 1 1/2 inch seedlings don't change at all.
We thought the light and/or heat was burning them at first. Then I read that light burn only occurs on the top leaves or leaves closest to the light? However, my strong plant which is ~ 10 inches tall has yellow, brown, and golden leaves at the base of the plant, not only the leaves with the most light. Also the edges of the higher leaves are white.
- Theory
Thoght is was burning the plants so did the hand test and no burn on the hand. Also, people claim if its burn then only the top leaves will burn. Not the case in my operation, as the lower leaves are yellowing and curling.
2.) Soil and nutrients
Used Miracle Grow garden soil w/ fertilizer that feeds up to three months. (I know not the best medium, but many people have used this successfully.) Many of the symptoms of our plants look similar to nutrient deficiency or too many nutes. With seedlings however, there shouldn't be a deficiency b/c research says that seedlings don't need nutes and it shouldn't be overfertilization b/c many growers use the same soil.
3.) Ventilation
The four containers measure 2 1/2' X 2 1/2', but the room is 7' X 8' X 7 1/2. We installed a 70 CFM vent fan with two box fans in the room for ventilation. The room stays around 70 degrees - 85 degress (albiet it may be hotter under the HPS). I know i'll need to upgread to a larger vent fan, but do seedlings need as much circulation as vegetative or flowering plants?
4.) Watering
As stated earlier, I underwatered at first, but corrected the problem timely. I have watering down now, but again, the stunted plants won't grow. They don't die but don't grow. I read the chorine in tap water could burn plants, so this may be a factor I will look into.
I can't seem to get picks up, but will have them up shortly. They are too large to upload. I'm going to try to upload one below as a test. If not, I will have pics in up asap.
