Why's my seedling dying?

Connoisseurus Rex

Well-Known Member
Alright so I'll stop the distilled water. Is it still good to soak seeds in the stuff.
What about feeding? I usually leave the seedling til the cotyledon begins to shrivel
You can still soak them in it. That's fine.

I start to feed when they look hungry. Watch new growth for signs. Just go easy on the feed at first til it recovers.
 
So distilled water would be why I lost my two Durban Poison seedlings a couple months back. They were just a few weeks old n there was no CFL involvement there.
Only ever used 24 hour standing tap water in previous years grows.
Fuck it!!!
 

curious2garden

Well-Known Mod
Staff member
Listen to Jimdamick and Whitebb, switch to tap water (that carries Ca and Mg which the plant needs, distilled has none). A pH of 7 is neutral on the scale of 0-14, but best nutrient uptake for pot occurs around 5.8-6 in soilless. Good luck I hope you rescue it.

I wouldn't take this stressed seedling out of a sleep cycle (more stress). I'd keep it on 18/6.

I run soilless hydro and unless I have a large number of seedlings I just use plain unphed tap water and never had a problem. As soon as my actual leaves lighten up (not the cotyledons), I'll start feedling them a seedling mix. But my tap runs a TDS of 150 to 250 so most of seedling stage for me is fine until they hit veg.
 

Connoisseurus Rex

Well-Known Member
Put it in a solo cup with some holes at the bottom. Water like you were. Check the runoff that comes out the bottom. Then check it 24hrs later again. Then one more time. Watch your ph fluctuations. That'll tell you everything you need to know.
 
Listen to Jimdamick and Whitebb, switch to tap water (that carries Ca and Mg which the plant needs, distilled has none). A pH of 7 is neutral on the scale of 0-14, but best nutrient uptake for pot occurs around 5.8-6 in soilless. Good luck I hope you rescue it.

I wouldn't take this stressed seedling out of a sleep cycle (more stress). I'd keep it on 18/6.

I run soilless hydro and unless I have a large number of seedlings I just use plain unphed tap water and never had a problem. As soon as my actual leaves lighten up (not the cotyledons), I'll start feedling them a seedling mix. But my tap runs a TDS of 150 to 250 so most of seedling stage for me is fine until they hit veg.
Sometimes we can read too much info. I'm in Melbourne with some of the best tap water in the world. Never had PH issues with previous grows. Should've stuck with what works.
Grrr
 

daloudpack

Well-Known Member
i see..... my soil has those plus dolomite lime and peat moss..... i know for sure lime is but i thought it all was
 

Connoisseurus Rex

Well-Known Member
nope. They are totally neutral, hold no nutes and are used simply to loosen and aerate soil
Perlite, I've never had a problem but still don't use it anymore. Vermiculite, not always. Try a couple different brands with just ph'd water. Test the runoff. You'll be surprised. That might not be ALL vermiculite in that bag. It happens. I've had ph fluctuations of almost a full point.
 

curious2garden

Well-Known Mod
Staff member
Magnificent C2G.
Thank you! Pot is amazingly gorgeous isn't it? My happiest place on earth, in winter, is sitting under the 1000 HPS with my girls and yes I have burned one down in there. I am a very bad girl ha ha

PS for seeds I put mine in a cup with soilless, water in well, put in the dark in a shoe box on top of my flourescents. I rarely get damp off (infection from handling). Also those seedlings you are seeing are all volunteers left over from an open pollination run of 5 Kosher Kush girls and 6 Kosher Kush boys. I am very excited about them.
 

Jimdamick

Well-Known Member
i see..... my soil has those plus dolomite lime and peat moss..... i know for sure lime is but i thought it all was
What I would do is kill a couple of birds with one stone.
1- Get a larger pot, like if your planning on growing this outdoors for a full season, get a 5 gallon (1 gallon per month of grow)
2- get some top quality potting soil (you can mix what you got into the pot, because you have the lime (good boy)
3-Make sure you put some pebbles in the bottom of the pot for GOOD drainage (I do at least)
4-Transplant
5-support the plant, feed lightly (800-900 PPM for the 1st 4 weeks) and maintain a 6.3-6.5 PH in your feed water which is fine.
6- keep doing that for around 9 weeks, dry the cut for 2 weeks, cure for 2 more, and then light that bitch up, and enjoy the fruits of your labor.
Does that sound like a plan?
Good, do it, and all will be fine.
 

curious2garden

Well-Known Mod
Staff member
What I would do is kill a couple of birds with one stone.
1- Get a larger pot, like if your planning on growing this outdoors for a full season, get a 5 gallon (1 gallon per month of grow)
2- get some top quality potting soil (you can mix what you got into the pot, because you have the lime (good boy)
3-Make sure you put some pebbles in the bottom of the pot for GOOD drainage (I do at least)
4-Transplant
5-support the plant, feed lightly (800-900 PPM for the 1st 4 weeks) and maintain a 6.3-6.5 PH in your feed water which is fine.
6- keep doing that for around 9 weeks, dry the cut for 2 weeks, cure for 2 more, and then light that bitch up, and enjoy the fruits of your labor.
Does that sound like a plan?
Good, do it, and all will be fine.
I read that and go OMG OMG OMG I would so fuck that up! I keep thinking of trying soil one day but I am scared shitless! I have killed every soil plant I have ever had (except orchids those unnatural things). That's ANOTHER thing I love about pot, no one right way to grow it. A million amazing ways and so many of them work wonderfully! I could spend (ok I will spend), the rest of my life doing this and not get bored.
 

Jimdamick

Well-Known Member
I read that and go OMG OMG OMG I would so fuck that up! I keep thinking of trying soil one day but I am scared shitless! I have killed every soil plant I have ever had (except orchids those unnatural things). That's ANOTHER thing I love about pot, no one right way to grow it. A million amazing ways and so many of them work wonderfully! I could spend (ok I will spend), the rest of my life doing this and not get bored.
What do you grow in? I grew in dirt for years indoors, I do a drip now, and will NEVER go back to soil. Some people say soil is easier, I don't think so because soil, unless you go organic which is another pain in the ass, holds all the salts which fuck with your N uptake big time, at the least.
My feed solution is always fresh, PH and PPM balls on, and my plants are happy MF's.
I do have to adjust everyday, but who doesn't want to fondle those sexy girls with the big tits (oops, i meant buds) everyday. So, no prob for me to adjust. I LOVE IT!!!!!!
 

curious2garden

Well-Known Mod
Staff member
What do you grow in? I grew in dirt for years indoors, I do a drip now, and will NEVER go back to soil. Some people say soil is easier, I don't think so because soil, unless you go organic which is another pain in the ass, holds all the salts which fuck with your N uptake big time, at the least.
My feed solution is always fresh, PH and PPM balls on, and my plants are happy MF's.
I do have to adjust everyday, but who doesn't want to fondle those sexy girls with the big tits (oops, i meant buds) everyday. So, no prob for me to adjust. I LOVE IT!!!!!!
I grow in soilless and right now that's a mix of Canna Coco and very large Perlite. I started off soilless in Advanced Sunshine Mix #4 (but got rid of that when I found out they STILL used Peat grrr). Currently the Coco and Perlite are rocking it. Oh and prior to the soilless I ran in a homemade rail system.
 

Jimdamick

Well-Known Member
I grow in soilless and right now that's a mix of Canna Coco and very large Perlite. I started off soilless in Advanced Sunshine Mix #4 (but got rid of that when I found out they STILL used Peat grrr). Currently the Coco and Perlite are rocking it. Oh and prior to the soilless I ran in a homemade rail system.
Hey, as the saying goes, if it works well, don't fuck with it.
It took me years to develope my present method and I am basically done fucking with it.( I do maintain test plants like a couple of mainliners going on). Sooo, why change, considering the time and cost to shift?
 
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