Help- My 3 inch plants are drooping badly

So I have three strains that are about a week old and in grow cups. They have very thin stems. I gave them a few days on porch with about 4 hours of sun but they looked to be stretching for light so I put them outside at my grow site. They got plenty of water two days ago that I figured they'd survive these last two hot days. They are probably only getting 6-7 hours a day of sun at the grow site.

So I come out of a bar tonight and see it's raining and find out it's been raining for an hour or two. It wasn't raining hard, but steady. So I decide to go take a look at the plants to make sure. They were way drooped over laying on the rims of the grow cups.

Could it be that:

Even though the cups were soaking wet two days ago they started to dry up?

Were the drops from the rain even though fairly light too heavy for their thin stems?

Was the Happy Frog soil too rich for the seedlings and are they burning?


Even though it rained the soil was still kind of dry deep so I watered them and moved to a spot they'll get less sun tomorrow. They are of course getting no extra nutes or anything, just filtered water.

they need 18 hours + light at this stage

are these plants being coverd in a green house or somthing or a small self made green house thats keeping moisture in ?

No, not being covered by a greenhouse and soil was kind of dry even though it was raining.. I'm thinking maybe the rain drops were a little too much for the weak stems. I hope that's what it was. I'll see them tonite again.

It could be that the stems couldn't support the weight of the plant after the top got wet, especially if they had already been stretching for light. This makes the stems small and brittle.

kieahtoka said:

It could be that the stems couldn't support the weight of the plant after the top got wet, especially if they had already been stretching for light. This makes the stems small and brittle.

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I'm hoping you're right and that they'll come back when they're dry and with no more rain for a while they'll get strong.

Something just occurred to me. They are in grow cups with Happy Frog soil but I surrounded them with a seedling starter mix that's vermiculite and peat, about one inch diameter by almost three inches deep so they get up and running before hitting the richer soil. I wonder if they're actually looking for nutrition but not finding it in that very lite sphagnum peat? Maybe they're out of gas?

Even though it rained the soil was still kind of dry deep so I watered them

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sounds like ur trying to kill ur plants...they sound extremely overwatered. if it was raining for an hour and a half, then thats more than enough water for the seedlings, theres no need for you to give them extra water than they need. you only need to water them once per week right now, then let the soil dry out completely before you water them again...since you have them outside, I wouldnt worry about watering until its time to feed nutes or until the next dry spell.

Check this chart--> Plant Abuse Chart
Unless the plants look like they are burned I wouldnt worry about the soil.

...and moved to a spot they'll get less sun tomorrow.

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they need 16+ hrs of light right now, you said you moved them into a spot to get less sun?

I would recommend U get them inside and put them under a grow light (CFL, HPS, MH, Fluoro) and get a fan on them. Monitor the moisture with a moisture meter, and let the soil dry out. Once (...or if..) they recover you could replant them outside (and try not to kill them). But from what it sounds, if you're only getting 6-7hrs maximum of sunlight then U might wanna put them outside when ur ready to flower.

do not feed Ur plants until the cotyledons turn yellow

Spittn4cash said:

sounds like ur trying to kill ur plants...they sound extremely overwatered. if it was raining for an hour and a half, then thats more than enough water for the seedlings, theres no need for you to give them extra water than they need.

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Phuck, I think you're right. They didn't need anymore water.

I mentioned they are surrounded by a seedling starter that has just sphagnum peat and vermiculite. Do they need any diluted nutes at all or will they grow through that to the Happy Frog soil? I can't tell if the combination of rain and too much water made the plants too heavy for the stems or if they're sort of in need of some nutrition too. I know they're supposed to be fed except that I just wonder if they can get all they need from the seedling starter.

Update:

So it's about to rain hard again and not nightfall yet but I had to take the risk and get to the plants to check on them and cover them up. They looked much better today and were making the attempt to stand up on their own. I tend to believe it was the water/rain just being too much for them. I will heed the advice to lay off the water.

Actually, I'm going out of town Monday and have a little worry about leaving them for a six days. They are covered right now because of the rain that's coming tonite. I'll uncover them tomorrow morning. Hopefully the rain stops and they dry out. I know if they are and I water them a little before I leave they'll have enough to last but I'm worried about the rain showers while I am gone- which is what I really think is what made them droop. But I have to take the chance I guess because I can't take them and can't leave them covered up. If it's too much for them I guess that's the way it goes.

Thanks again for all the help.