Please help me with a couple questions.

I'm new to growing and I'm encountering a few problems. First my stems seem very weak, they are growing crooked but have improved over the last few days in terms of width. Also my leaves are spotty, any advice on these issues would be greatly appreciated. Give me a second to post some pics so you guys can see what I'm talking about.







I started these seeds in paper towels than moved them to a germination chamber with B-1 in the water and no lights. I think this is where I went wrong, the plaints popped out very quickly maybe within a day but I didn't turn on the light for four days. So when I did finally turn on the light (24w florescent) they were an inch or two tall (I also added some grow big nuts). So when the leaves started to grow the stem could no longer support the leaves. I used tooth picks and straws to support the stems hoping they would become stronger. Four days later I moved them to my drain and fill table using B-1 and grow big nuts with 400w hps (temp 80-90 humidity 60-70). I moved ten plaints and none of them were able to support their leaves. Now, eight days later most of them are still unable to support their leaves. A few seem to have recovered but the ones that didn’t have obvious weak points at the base of their stem. I do have a fan in the room indirectly blowing on the plaints so they get barely enough of a breeze to make them move. Is there anything else I can do for this? Or have I completely missed the mark on this and there is something else going wrong?

Are the roots always in water?

Do you have an air stone in your reservoir?

are you pH ing your water?

Start seeds in ROCKWOOL CUBES and have at least a 43 watt CFL over them for 18-20 hours a day...

cheers

The roots are only in water for 15 minutes every 45 and I spray the leaves with some B-1, Grow Big, and water mixture.


Yes I have an air stone and a feeble attempt at a CO2 reactor that I am not sure if it adds any CO2 but it circulates the water.

I have not checked ph, need to find something to do that.

I used these strange spongy things seen on the pics because the guy at the hydro store recommended them over Rockwool. I guess I can try Rockwool next time and bump up the germination lamp. I had been doing 24 hours of light because I read somewhere that plaints grow faster that way. Should I actually be doing less, like you said 18-20?

I was in the hydro store picking up a Hanna Growcheck and mentioned my problems. They sold me silica blast for the stems and Cal-Mag for the spots. They decided the spots were a result of a magnesium deficiency. I guess I might be gullible but they seemed to know what they were talking about.

They also mentioned I should change my res every 7 to 10 days. I had thought 14 would be fine, is this true that fresh water and nuts needs to happen that often?

Also, a fan would help make the stems strong. Cal Mag is wonderful, if it isn't needed now it will be down the line. It's nice to have around, and works great. And Silica blast will help your plants too. But too strengthen those stems put a fan on the plants, this can be done from day 1, just use common sense...no need to go nuts with the fan speed when they are young

ive found letting the seeds germinate and sprout the tap root about a 1/4" really makes a difference in strength of the early stem compared to just letting the seed crack open and barely have a root popping out when you germinate. and placing the germinated seed into a more sturdier piece of rockwool helps me alot to, sometimes the rockwool i get kinda wants to just fall apart after its been soaked and you open it a lil to put the new seedling in it- you might already know this but i didnt kno, hope it helps man

damn, and i just noticed theres roots showing from the top of the rockwool, thats def. bad, roots light darkness!! put a lil more medium in you pots to cover the top of the rockwool, it might help with the integral strength of the stem after awhile to.