Seedlings taking a turn for the worse in coco

[TattedSkull]

Hello all .I have 4 seedlings, 2 AK 48 and 2 Raspberry Cough. Started in red Solo cups with Canna bag Coco mixed at 70 30 with perlite. They are in a 36 by 36 grow tent under a 400w metal halide Cool Tube ventilated with a 6-inch ventilation fan hanging 24" from top of seedlings. I'm almost 100% certain I have great ventilation so I will rule that out. They started off fine when they sprouted about two days later I started off with 75 PPM of Dyna Gro grow. Also added with that another 50 PPM of Cal Mag plus by botanicare. After about 9 to 10 days their green started fading and are now almost yellow with dead spots on the leaves. I am pH'n my solution to 5. 8 pH. runoff always stays about the same as what I put in nothing too extreme. Not sure what's going on but it's happening to all four. This is my first run in Coco and my first grow in 12 years I never had this kind of problem when I was growing in promix in rockwool cubes on an ebb and flow table . I got talked into using Coco at the grow shop against my better judgement and now I'm stuck needing to finish these out so I can restart in promix. Temps and humidity in the grow tent range from 71 degrees to 80 degrees humidity usually stays around 50 to 52%. I did not precharge my Coco nor didnor did I rinse it. They get fed almost daily unless cups are still heavy. I believe they may need a shot of Cal mag but do not want to murder them with something they may not need. I know very little about Coco but have been reading tons of forums and they all seem to vary a million miles apart each. Someone with more Coco knowledge may be able to tell me what's going on with these please thanks. If there's any more information you need from me to help me out hit me up thanks again .

 

[JohnDee]

TS,
What made you think seedlings need any nutrients? That's what the cotyledons are there for.

And coco is the worst medium for seedlings on the planet.

Wash the coco off and put them in a proper seed starting mix...or watch them die. Your choice.
JD

PS Sorry to be harsh...bad mood

 

[Mr.Goodtimes]

They look hungry to me.

Also ditch the red solo cups. Or put a shit load more holes in it, the cups can cause the coco to hold extra water and that can fuck with their root zones a bit. At least in my experience.

Honestly if it was me I would transplant to a pot, flush with ph’ed water, then feed at 200-300ppm 5.8-6.1pH. Feed/water every day or two. See if it gets better. I bet they would turn around.

Coco is fine for seedlings but you gotta feed em. Treat it the exact same as hydro.

 

[JohnDee]

Coco is fine for seedlings but you gotta feed em. Treat it the exact same as hydro.

Coco is OK if you are absolutely sure it doesn't contain too much salt. I was around during the early coco days and saw many dead seedlings. Apparently the suppliers are flushing better...

And I could be wrong...so I vote for ignoring me and follow Mr Goodtimes suggestion.
JD

 

[TattedSkull]

They look hungry to me.

Also ditch the red solo cups. Or put a shit load more holes in it, the cups can cause the coco to hold extra water and that can fuck with their root zones a bit. At least in my experience.

Honestly if it was me I would transplant to a pot, flush with ph’ed water, then feed at 200-300ppm 5.8-6.1pH. Feed/water every day or two. See if it gets better. I bet they would turn around.

Coco is fine for seedlings but you gotta feed em. Treat it the exact same as hydro.

They look hungry to me.

Also ditch the red solo cups. Or put a shit load more holes in it, the cups can cause the coco to hold extra water and that can fuck with their root zones a bit. At least in my experience.

Honestly if it was me I would transplant to a pot, flush with ph’ed water, then feed at 200-300ppm 5.8-6.1pH. Feed/water every day or two. See if it gets better. I bet they would turn around.

Coco is fine for seedlings but you gotta feed em. Treat it the exact same as hydro.

I am ditching the cups today. I also upped the ppm of feed last night and got up this morning they looked a bit better. I think you are right.... They are hungry! Thanks for getting back to me man!

 

[TattedSkull]

Coco is OK if you are absolutely sure it doesn't contain too much salt. I was around during the early coco days and saw many dead seedlings. Apparently the suppliers are flushing better...

And I could be wrong...so I vote for ignoring me and follow Mr Goodtimes suggestion.
JD

Haha. It's ok man! I am already not fond of coco but it is not where my previous experience is at but I do think the manufacturing of some higher end coco is rinsed off salts. There is some people saying there coco is loaded with salt and some say it isn't. For that reason alone I am going back with what I know... Pro-mix! It was also crazy to me to feed my seedlings early on with a fairly good amount of nutrients but the more I give them, the more they respond.

 

[JohnDee]

TattedSkull,
Coconut palms actually live on salt water. They have that capability. So there's loads of salt in the coco from the start. Then they age it laying on the beach in salt air and waves from wild storms. So getting rid of all that salt can take lots of flushing.

When I responded to your thread...I hadn't inspected the pictures. They actually are small plants and not seedlings at that point. And they did look like they needed feeding...which is why I bowed out in favor of Mr. Goodtimes opinion.

Coco can be an excellent medium for a grower willing to follow appropriate coco protocols...such as making sure coco is prepped properly, using correct nutes. Ph more toward hydro then soil, water/nutes to 20% excess. Never give straight water. There's lots more but you get the idea. So don't give up on it yet. Just don't start seedlings in it. lol

I once took a buddy for a motorcycle ride from Gainesville out to a lake we used to go swimming in. He was totally tripping on acid and I could hear him hooting even through road noise and helmet. Later he told me he was having Grateful Dead hallucinations and was seeing painted skulls littered alongside the roadway as we drove through the hot humid air. Your username reminded me of that ride...
Cheers,
JD

 

[TattedSkull]

TattedSkull,
Coconut palms actually live on salt water. They have that capability. So there's loads of salt in the coco from the start. Then they age it laying on the beach in salt air and waves from wild storms. So getting rid of all that salt can take lots of flushing.

When I responded to your thread...I hadn't inspected the pictures. They actually are small plants and not seedlings at that point. And they did look like they needed feeding...which is why I bowed out in favor of Mr. Goodtimes opinion.

Coco can be an excellent medium for a grower willing to follow appropriate coco protocols...such as making sure coco is prepped properly, using correct nutes. Ph more toward hydro then soil, water/nutes to 20% excess. Never give straight water. There's lots more but you get the idea. So don't give up on it yet. Just don't start seedlings in it. lol

I once took a buddy for a motorcycle ride from Gainesville out to a lake we used to go swimming in. He was totally tripping on acid and I could hear him hooting even through road noise and helmet. Later he told me he was having Grateful Dead hallucinations and was seeing painted skulls littered alongside the roadway as we drove through the hot humid air. Your username reminded me of that ride...
Cheers,
JD

Ha! Sounds like fun times! User name was totally thought of spur of the moment. Glad I was able to bring back memories man!

 

[TattedSkull]

FYI... I blasted them babies with 150ppm of calmag with 200ppm of grow this morning and they are already greening up! It takes a lot of courage to hit babies with that much nutes but that's what coco is all about I guess. I have a bail of promix coming tomorrow and am going to transplant into something I know a little more about. Maybe will do coco again down the road though. Thanks to you both!

 

[JohnDee]

Thanks to you both!

Sure thing TS.
Glad your plants are greening up.
Cheers,
JD

 

[*BUDS]

You need to jack up the ppm, 50 will not cut it bro, what were you thinking?
the medium has no nutes in it so you need to feed as per instructions on the label, at least 300ppm.

 

[JohnDee]

so you need to feed as per instructions on the label, at least 300ppm.

Good morning Buds...people are always saying to never follow the label...it's always too high. Anyway he wasn't giving 50 ppm it was 150 ppm calmag and 200 of grow. And it worked.
JD

 

[TattedSkull]

Yep. Started off day three with little nutes... 100ppm total and by the end of the week they were apparently hungry. Been giving them 350ppm total now for two days and drastic turnaround .It was just insane to me hitting very small plant with that much but they are loving it now.