Starting over, could use some advice.

[Zenogears]

I've gotten it so that my 4ft by 2ft grow tent is 85 with lights on and only gets down to 65 with lights off, and the humidity fluctuates between 70 and 50 percent.

Starting with a t5 floro lamp for the seedlings.

It seems as if the environment is pretty good... but all of my seedlings are yellow and have dark spots that looks like nute burn... but I haven't given them any.

I'm just using regular coconut coir and perlite mix. 5 parts coco per 3 parts perlite. I was using distilled water until i talked so some folks on here and they said that might be the problem. The best I can do is fill a tote with my tap water and put a bubbler at the bottom and let it set for a few days, that's what i'm doing right now. I also have ph up and down so I can adjust the ph of my water when I water them.

I am going to order some new seeds because i doubt the ones I have are going to make it.

Does anyone have any advice for me? Something to add to my mix? Anything at all?

I would very much appreciate any feedback. Thanks guys.

 

[Tone5500]

Pics?? Ventaltion?

 

[warble]

That's a lot of perlite. I use 4 parts coco and 1 part perlite. Shouldn't be a problem if you're supplementing Cal-mag.

 

[Zenogears]

I have fresh air going in the tent all the time, but I don't have a fan in there to move the air back outside of the tent. But airflow doesn't seem to me like it would be making my seedlings die off like this.

 

[Zenogears]

That's a lot of perlite. I use 4 parts coco and 1 part perlite. Shouldn't be a problem if you're supplementing Cal-mag.

How do I go about doing that?

 

[undercovergrow]

welcome to RIU! it looks like they are over-watered; how often do you water and how much are you giving them at a time? your setup looks great!

ETA: and they look hungry too. how long have they been growing in the coco? there isn't any nutrients in that (i don't use it, so this is from memory) so i would think you would have to start feeding them sooner than say someone growing in soil.

 

[yktind]

Well I'd say they are starving. Are you feeding them anything? Perlite and coco have zero nutrients. I understand that these are seedlings but the way they look to me is hungry. Pale and yellow.

Personally, I use to use RO water and have switched to tap water. I don't even let it sit out over night half the time. My plants have been happier (no need for CalMag with city water) and my wallet a little heavier. My other question would be what are you going to do with all of those babies? Will you be flowering in that tent as well?

 

[Zenogears]

Thanks guys, I wait until the cups are very light to water... 1 cup of water per plant. I'm ordering new seeds in a couple days, while i wait i have some bagseed i am going to experiment on that are germing right now. I think you are right about the feeding... should i start with 1/4th the dose next watering? I'll be useing jacks classic 20/20/20.

The plants in the middle are feminized purple kush, was going to keep 9 of them in there for flowering, and just use the others (bagseed) as experimental and throw them out when there isn't any more room in the tent.

 

[yktind]

Thanks guys, I wait until the cups are very light to water... 1 cup of water per plant. I'm ordering new seeds in a couple days, while i wait i have some bagseed i am going to experiment on that are germing right now. I think you are right about the feeding... should i start with 1/4th the dose next watering? I'll be useing jacks classic 20/20/20.

The plants in the middle are feminized purple kush, was going to keep 9 of them in there for flowering, and just use the others (bagseed) as experimental and throw them out when there isn't any more room in the tent.

I have never used that formula. But to give you an idea of what I do with Hempys...
I pour a 20 gallon res and then mix my nutes (GH Series plus some other stuff like silca) in @ the recommened dose for 5 gallons. They have been in hempys about a week and I think that mix was a little strong for some of them. Edges are showing a little bit of yellow/ burn. So 25% or less.

In aero I do like 10% to start because they are constantly being fed and it recirculates.

Both of these are for the first week. IMO it is better to under feed than to over feed. You can always bumb up the ratio. It is harder to take away burn. Just gotta play with it. It may take a couple of screws ups but then you'll know exactly what went wrong.

 

[purplehays1]

Id run some water through your coco and make sure the PH and EC are where they should be. Those seeds shouldnt need anything but water and light and i bet your coco had some starter nutes or something in it and burned the shit out of them.

 

[Zenogears]

This is what i bought.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003MOD2HY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Zenogears]

Should i try a different medium? Like fox farm, or another premade mix? I just have a lot of that coco and perlite, would hate to waste it. Maybe i can start with a premade mix for my seedlings and when i transplant add the extra medium as coco and perlite mix? idk

 

[yktind]

Id run some water through your coco and make sure the PH and EC are where they should be. Those seeds shouldnt need anything but water and light and i bet your coco had some starter nutes or something in it and burned the shit out of them.

Not sure about the burn but I agree the PH could be outta whack

This is what i bought.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003MOD2HY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Looks like normal coco

 

[yktind]

Should i try a different medium? Like fox farm, or another premade mix? I just have a lot of that coco and perlite, would hate to waste it. Maybe i can start with a premade mix for my seedlings and when i transplant add the extra medium as coco and perlite mix? idk

Screw Fox Farm. That stufdf turns into mud. What are your goals? Do you want to be in coco? Do you want soil or hyrdo? Simple or complicated? lol <--- That is kind of a wierd question since simple things can become complicated when growing for some reason

 

[THE KONASSURE]

some coco`s arent washed very well and have salts that can cause nute lock ups

It`s why I normally try to pre-mix my coco and let it sit with some beneficial bacteria or fungus or both mixed in sometimes add some carbs too that way I know the salts will get broken down

Tap water or add buffers to distilled water its great for germinating seeds but ro/distilled water can have massive ph swings fast as its got no buffers in it

@yktind What ghe stuff are you using ? a lot of their stuff has silica in it already I know for sure the flora micro range does?

Funny how silica can kill many microbes in hydro but helps the thrive in coco huh ?

 

[panhead]

I'll never understand coco for seedlings,it just makes no sense to me , youd be much better off using a moderately priced soil such as roots organic to start the seedlings off in,then if your dead set on using coco transplanting to coco once you've got an established root system & a few nodes on the plants , coco is void of all nutrients which forces feeding seedlings & very small plants which are super easy to over fertilize , with starting the plant in soil there's enough nutrients in the soil allready for the plant's 1st month of life.

Another benifit of soil is the ph factor,soil acts as a ph buffer to a point where as long as your city water is drinkable with no bad taste there is no need to ph seedlings or very small plants , when i grow soil or with mother plants i never ph until i start fertilizing the plants.

Also if your new to growing soil is going to be way easier for you to master a technique vs coco , watering is easier in soil,ph'ing is easier in soil ,fertilizing is alot easier in soil , ive never been able to see any benifit to using coco vs soil in a standard grow op.

There is also quality issues with some coco , over the years ive seen quite a few growers complain about their coco quality.

If i may ask what steered you twords using coco as your medium vs soil ?

I just noticed where you asked about Fox Farm , you should avoid fox farm products at all costs , their fertilizers are way overpriced for their performance , the soils made by Fox Farm are way overpriced too & most are full of nutrients which makes feeding a bitch , your better off using a soil without any additives .

 

[purplehays1]

Fox Farms Ocean Forest is GREAT stuff, i have used it for like 10 years, not sure why everyone bad mouths it. I use ocean forest for veg. I start the seeds in rockwool cubes that i soak in TAP WATER. Once the tap root shows out of the cubes i move them into plastic cups of ocean forest. Ocean forest is a perfect veg soil for cannabis. They will need nothing but water for at least a month maybe 2 depending on the strain. Once i am ready to flower i transplant them into bigger containers of sunshine #4 (peet soil-less mix very similar to coco).

 

[warble]

Should i try a different medium? Like fox farm, or another premade mix? I just have a lot of that coco and perlite, would hate to waste it. Maybe i can start with a premade mix for my seedlings and when i transplant add the extra medium as coco and perlite mix? idk

Your media shouldn't be a problem if you address the calcium. Do you have drainage holes in those solo cups?

 

[purplehays1]

I'll never understand coco for seedlings,it just makes no sense to me , yo

Not sure about the burn but I agree the PH could be outta whack



Looks like normal coco

"Absolute Garbage!! The runoff on this stuff was testing over 3000ppm. spend the extra $5 and get somthing better. I will next time."

That's a quote from one of the reviews of that coco. That is exactly what i am afraid has happened to you.

 

[yktind]

some coco`s arent washed very well and have salts that can cause nute lock ups

It`s why I normally try to pre-mix my coco and let it sit with some beneficial bacteria or fungus or both mixed in sometimes add some carbs too that way I know the salts will get broken down

Tap water or add buffers to distilled water its great for germinating seeds but ro/distilled water can have massive ph swings fast as its got no buffers in it

@yktind What ghe stuff are you using ? a lot of their stuff has silica in it already I know for sure the flora micro range does?

Funny how silica can kill many microbes in hydro but helps the thrive in coco huh ?

Shit if that is true the hydro guy got one over on me. I am in the process of switching all the way to hempys so I have two different setups right now.
For Hempy in Veg:
Gh Series, Gro, Micro, Bloom, Diamond Nectar, Superthrive, Dutch Masters Zone and Silica. Usually will throw in Zone and or Orca depending on how everything looks.

For Aero in Flower:
Gh Series, Gro, Micro, Bloom, Diamond Nectar until week 3, Silica until week 3, Zone if needed, Floralicous Plus, Flora Nectar, Kool Bloom and Cyrstal Burst.

This is the first full round of using silica. Can't really say i notice a difference but the girls in flower look awesome to me. Maybe a bit more stretched out. But I blame my old bulb and lack of getting a new one. Will try and grab a fresh bulb this week but the stretch is already over. At leaset it will help with the stacking of flowers.