Hunched Over Seedlings. THEY ARE TOO YOUNG TO DIE!

Ok everybody so this is my first attempt at growing and I'm already screwing it up somehow. Its day 5 and I'm using a highoutput t5 FLs and I got them as close as i can get them to the light for uninterrupted 24hrs of light. I have fans blowing around for circulation with a vent emitting fresh air, keeping in mind this in a closet 6x5. Besides the vent bringing in fresh air everything else is sealed up tight, assuming it would stink further down the line. The only thing I think I might be doing wrong is something with the watering. I'm using organic fox farm soil and its supposed to have all the good stuff in there (i.e. bat guano, worm castings,etc.) But there some mistakes I knew I made after the fact they happened.
1) planted seed rootside down in soil that was made moist after planting.
2) didn't pre moist soil prior to planting. (planted in a panic)
3) made minute contact with seedling itself (not sure if its a sanitary issue)

Ive looked and looked and cant really find anything written regarding problems this early on. I dont know if the little guys are saying water me or help me im drowning. After reading all the horror stories of overwatering I think I might be giving the little guys too much credit in regards to needing little water. So they were fine yesterday morning and by this morning one of them had slumped completely over. Wasnt sure what to do so I gave them a misting b/c they looked kinda dry. Its 82F and 40% humidity. The one that was slumping over had yellow tinting going on the leaves and the roundish set starting turning dark....and now they are all slumped over. What should I do? how wet these fuckers gotta be? PLEASE HELP ME!

Don't panic, nothing is wrong.

You do realise in that picture that the seed is just weighing it down which is perfectly normal and it will be pushed off by the growing leaves, the only reason for the leaves being yellow are because the seed has been covering them, thats what is meant to happen and it encourages the leaves to grow more and force the seed casing off and eventually the stems will grow towards the light. It's just because they were planted above soil but as far as I can see from that picture everything is normal. The same thing happened to myne.

Don't do anything stupid like overwater them. The only thing you could really do to help is pull the seed casing off very carefully. Once the seed casing is off the stem should spring up now that the leaves will have contact with the light.

As long as the stem stays purple or green, and the leaves show green then it's doing fine.

Alright mang.....I am freaking the hell out tho. That photo doesn't do justice...It just seemed so coincidental that they all did it within the same time span bout 10 of em. Plus, I have 2 that are going slower than the rest which havent emerged that pair of smooth edged leaves and they are hunching over. Plus Plus, amongst those other 8 some of them had already shed the shell casing prior to falling over with no added weight. Thats why I am concerned...I prolly should of been more clear before. The leaves look like they are getting darker almost muddy looking ( the bottom of the smooth edged ones). I mean is the soil to stay moist or does the plant only need to absorb so much to sustain its self at this point? Havent really found a clear answer on that.... i know it varies. Those lil cups are only 2.5x2.5in. I dont know where common ground is...

I feel stupid asking but how do I know when they are too dry. Physical symptoms include..? Thanks alot Ultra

In my experience that is typical of underwatering. Just try to keep that soil a little more moist. They will spring back to life, may need a little support after the trauma.

pure gonzo said:

I feel stupid asking but how do I know when they are too dry. Physical symptoms include..? Thanks alot Ultra

Click to expand...

1.) The plants are toppling over like that either because the seed casting is making it to heavy for the main stem to hold upright or because the main stem is young and still too weak to hold up its first set of leaves.(solution: transplant into a deeper pot and fill up with soil so the leaves are only inches off the top of your grow medium. if it happens again use toothpick and twist ties to prop up or brace the plants. Also run a fan at low speeds on your plant after it has been braced by the toothpicks, this will encourage the plants main stem to strengthen which will be needed down the road in flowering when a strong thick stem is needed to hold up all the buds!)

2.) To tell if your plants leaves are getting too dry there are 2 things you will need to do. First go to your local Walmart or Home Improvement store and pick up an Indoor Thermometer & Hygrometer for about $3. When this is placed in your grow room the level of humidity will be able to be known. Mary Jane likes a humidity level between 40% - 50%. Humidity levels lower than 40% will dry up your leaves, levels above 50% can increase your odds of getting bugs(since they like moist climates) or mold if you're in the flowering cycle. The other thing you will need to do in order to know whether the plants leaves are too dry is to gently feel the leaves on your plants. If they feel dry to the touch then get a spray bottle($1.98 at Walmart), fill with pH balanced water(6.3 - 6.8 ) and hand spray the leaves. The leaves will droop after spraying but its normal for this to happen but will also help to encourage strong growth for the main stem!