Plant snaps spontaneously (pix included)

Some of my plants just spontaneously fold over and break. One did so because of the fan blowing too strong. The other however did so for no particular reason.

This is what it looks like:



Its extremely thin in the circled area and just folds over.

This is what my setup looks like. The plants are merely 3 weeks old.

seem to have forgotten the image.

Sorry, here is the first pic of what my problem looks like:

http://img528.imageshack.us/my.php?image=plantwc2.jpg

belive its called damping off.... you can get a liquid called no-damp from most garden supply stores, cheers....

sharkfin said:

belive its called damping off.... you can get a liquid called no-damp from most garden supply stores, cheers....

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The pics were not exactly high-def so it is hard to say for sure so you may be right or at least partially right but to me it looks like a case of stretching, inadequate light causing the seedlings to stretch to far/to tall to fast and the stems not growing thick and strong enough to support them so they bend and fold.

What wattage lights are being used and what type of lights are being used and how far away from the plants are they?

Brick Top said:

The pics were not exactly high-def so it is hard to say for sure so you may be right or at least partially right but to me it looks like a case of stretching, inadequate light causing the seedlings to stretch to far/to tall to fast and the stems not growing thick and strong enough to support them so they bend and fold.

What wattage lights are being used and what type of lights are being used and how far away from the plants are they?

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It might have really been a mixture of both. I did not have adequate light until I redesigned everything. All I had were 3 soft white fluorescent lights. I didn't know how to distinguish between the different spectrums until I actually read a guide and redesigned my growing space.

Now I have 2 day light floros (6500K) and 3 soft white floros + a 40W floro tube.

All the CFLs (5 total) are 23-26W.

The first two pics are from my 2 plants that survived.

The third pic was my old setup which was completely inadequate using 3x 23W CFLs (soft white).

The last two pics are my new setup, the last pic showing the 4 CFLs in in the basket which I obtained illegally from Lowe's after they tried to screw me over once.

There is also a 40W floro tube.

I read that I can sprinkle some ground cinnamon over the soil to reduce the chance of the plants damping off. Is that correct? What would you suggest?

Thanks! Everyone gets a rep from me.


PS: It's on average 78 degrees in there but it tends to reach 80 degrees every now and then. Is that too hot to deal with?

Also, I tend to water the plants every other day 3-4 times a week and fertilize every Friday. I did add some ground cinnamon to the soil hoping that it will change something.

mpdegn said:

Also, I tend to water the plants every other day 3-4 times a week and fertilize every Friday. I did add some ground cinnamon to the soil hoping that it will change something.

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Stop throwing random shit in your soil!
Your plants look healthy but tiny for 3 weeks old, you need more light and you need to move the lights closer. Water only when the soil is dry and don't fertilize yet, they're too small.

they are too young for fert, cover the stem in soil, water when they ask for it, the top 1-2 inches of the soil should be failry dry. Get rid of the fan for now, those little guys don't want to get wind burned.. In nature, seedling are naturally protected from intense wind due to they close proximity to the ground. As they get a bit bigger, then slowly add a light breeze on them, The intense wind even light wind at this stage can dry the stems out....

And why did you add a caustic spice ?

mpdegn said:

Also, I tend to water the plants every other day 3-4 times a week and fertilize every Friday. I did add some ground cinnamon to the soil hoping that it will change something.

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Your plants are, or at least at the time of the pictures, to young to fertilize them. You will burn them out feeding them so young.

I don’t know what you heard about cinnamon, what it is supposed to do or how it is supposed to help, but don’t add anything at all to your plant(s)/soil or whatever growing media you use that has not been tried and proven by many in the past and you find the information on a site like this and other members concur with its proven benefits and had the same or if it comes from some research about marijuana plants and growing them.

Do not try to think things up to help your plants or alter their flavor or color and if someone tells you something unless they can show you their grow and you see great lush plants don’t use what they said to use without checking at a place like this before using whatever it is.

You said you added; "some ground cinnamon to the soil hoping that it will change something." Well adding things like that can; "change something." It can; "change" your living plants into dead plants.

Cinnamon can cause burns to skin an mucous membranes, adding it to sensitive roots will do the same, if not worse...

the one plant your growing in the plasitc bottom id recomend you take duct tape to the sides where the soil line is. if the roots go the the clear plastic the light will actually kill the roots. if the roots die then so does the plant and its a quick fix i got some cheap tape for like $1 at canadian tire.

cheers

1. Buy it,
2. Read it,
3. Learn it,
4. Grow it,
5. Grow it better,
6. Grow it, even better.

My advise to you would be to start from step one and learn as much theory as you possibly can before you start growing. This will save you time, frustration, money, and maybe even save you from trouble with the law, your parents, or maybe even the wifey. That book is only 25 bucks and you might find it even cheaper on ebay or amazon, one of the best 25 bux I ever spent. There is also a video if you are more of a visual learner and I believe it is on Youtube for free in a bunch of little video sections. This website is also a good source of info, there are many experienced growers in here that are more than willing to help with your questions. Good luck.

Ground cinnamon kills the fungus that causes the plants to damp off in their early stages of growth. Garlic would have helped as well.

I usually fertilize the taller plant once a week and only use half a teaspoon/gallon so the plant can get used to it.

I have 5 floros and one 40w floro tube.

What else can I do against my plants damping off? And how many more lights do you recommend for now?

no fertilizers, stop giving them anything but water.

bury those stems up to the first set of leaves. that is all exposed tap root if you bury it now.

lower your lights.

that is definitely some good general information and I will lower the lights today and might upload some pictures of what it will look like after I did so. But what about the damping off? Is there anything that I can do specifically against my plants damping off?

mpdegn said:

that is definitely some good general information and I will lower the lights today and might upload some pictures of what it will look like after I did so. But what about the damping off? Is there anything that I can do specifically against my plants damping off?

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bury them up to the first set of leaves.

fdd2blk said:

bury them up to the first set of leaves.

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How is that going to stop a fungus?
Have you ever experienced a case of damping off which you managed to take care of by burying the stem in soil?

mpdegn said:

How is that going to stop a fungus?
Have you ever experienced a case of damping off which you managed to take care of by burying the stem in soil?

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fungus? what? i missed that part. i never have had a fungus. do you have a fungus?