I've been lucky.

NanoGadget · Nov 5, 2018

Sup people? As the title states, I've been a lucky guy. My very first grow was back in '93 and I've been doing it on and off ever since. I have never had spider mites, thrips, WPM, rust fungus... none of it.
Now I'm worried my lucky streak is over.

Started two seedlings in light warrior a few days ago. Temps and RH are on point. All they're getting is 6.7 pH water. One is as it should be. The other is getting rusty spots and I am concerned about rust fungus or some other pest. I have literally never had a problem with a seedling before and I am garbage at diagnosing plant problems that involve pests because i have never had them so i wanted to bring some other eyes to the party. @GroErr @Dr. Who @Roger A. Shrubber

GroErr · Nov 5, 2018

Hmm, it does look distressed, I'm another lucky guy so not the greatest at identifying bugs, worst thing I've had was pythium that took out a good chunk of my clones a couple of years back. That was simply being lazy and not changing the cloner water enough. Any recent changes in medium or water source? Your ph seems high for soil, not sure if that's your normal ph or something's changed.

Roger A. Shrubber · Nov 5, 2018

i think maybe the roots are lagging a little, maybe there were a few too many little nute beads a little to close to the main root mass? so now it's acting like it's been overwatered.
i'd let it dry out good, then water it with a little h2o2, not because i think you have pythium, but just to add a little more oxygen to the root zone, and get rid of any unhealthy roots. then water lightly for a few times, to let them catch up to the top of the plant.

NanoGadget · Nov 5, 2018

Thanks guys. I'll let it dry out and try a little h2o2 as suggested ( 3% ? How mich per gallon?). Mainly i just want to determine if it's fungus/mold/bugs asap so i can set it on fire, cover it in bleach, and launch it into space before it infects the good seedling. The unaffected seedling is from stock that is essentially irreplaceable to me so I want to take zero chances. I got my scope out just now and haven't see eggs or bugs yet...
Also, 6.7 is just what the water I'm using sits at... not my soil pH.

Roger A. Shrubber · Nov 5, 2018

about 10 ml per gallon of 3%. you can go up to 20 once for a shock treatment then down to 12 if you actually have pythium, but for general maintenance, i'd go 10 ml per gallon, every third or fourth watering. that will kill any harmful pathogens and help dissolve any dead root material

NanoGadget · Nov 5, 2018

Thats probably going to firebomb the microbiome in my soil, huh?

TacoMac · Nov 5, 2018

This is why I never, ever, ever grow in cups. No matter the drainage, the sides of the cup being above the plant keep it drenched in humidity and just begs for problems.

If you're doing soil, plant the seed in the pot you're growing in. I drop my germinated seed in the middle of a 5 gallon pot and go from there. I've never had an issue...and never stressed a plant by having to re-pot it either.

Roger A. Shrubber · Nov 5, 2018

ahhh...well, yes, if you're running benes, that would be a bad thing....it looks like you have them in solo cups, though. you can use it right now, to get things under control, and then transplant into your final container with fresh benes when it's stabilized.
or you could get some hydroguard, and use it instead of the h2o2. it's an organism that inhabits your medium and out competes harmful pathogens. i think it's intended for hydro reservoirs, but i don't see why it wouldn't work in soil

NanoGadget · Nov 5, 2018

TacoMac said:
This is why I never, ever, ever grow in cups. No matter the drainage, the sides of the cup being above the plant keep it drenched in humidity and just begs for problems.

If you're doing soil, plant the seed in the pot you're growing in. I drop my germinated seed in the middle of a 5 gallon pot and go from there. I've never had an issue...and never stressed a plant by having to re-pot it either.

So you are guessing it is indeed something fungal? The rH in the space has never fluctuated more than a couple % (all my environmental variables are controlled by AC and a dehuey) and i don't over water or foliar feed.

NanoGadget · Nov 5, 2018

Roger A. Shrubber said:
ahhh...well, yes, if you're running benes, that would be a bad thing....it looks like you have them in solo cups, though. you can use it right now, to get things under control, and then transplant into your final container with fresh benes when it's stabilized.
or you could get some hydroguard, and use it instead of the h2o2. it's an organism that inhabits your medium and out competes harmful pathogens. i think it's intended for hydro reservoirs, but i don't see why it wouldn't work in soil

I think i still have some great white from my last hydro run... probably run the H2O2 anyway while its in the solo and hit it hard with beneficials at transplant. I usually suppliment my beneficials when i run 'super soil' anyway.

TacoMac · Nov 5, 2018

NanoGadget said:
So you are guessing it is indeed something fungal?

Unless you've fed it something you're not telling us, it certainly looks that way. Even if the soil drains, the water evaporates from the top of the soil and unless there's some circulation going on, it's probably around 90% RH where those leaves presently are. If it's even decently warm, it's like ringing the dinner bell for mold, fungus, what-have-you.

Roger A. Shrubber · Nov 5, 2018

that doesn't look like any kind of fungus to me, looks like nute problems. probably caused by something (a pathogen or those little nute pods) damaging the roots. now you just have to give it a little time to catch up, and it should be fine.....
don't invent any problems......

Roger A. Shrubber · Nov 5, 2018

TacoMac said:
Unless you've fed it something you're not telling us, it certainly looks that way. Even if the soil drains, the water evaporates from the top of the soil and unless there's some circulation going on, it's probably around 90% RH where those leaves presently are. If it's even decently warm, it's like ringing the dinner bell for mold, fungus, what-have-you.

not trying to directly contradict you, you may be right, but that's really what it looks like to me

Dr. Who · Nov 5, 2018

Roger's answer is pretty dang good...Little O2 to the roots is good at this point ....

I might add that your stressing over the single starter leaves.....The next set look to be getting over your concern's...for the most part...Not a biggie, UNLESS it continued.

The roots are lagging a bit. I always water with a kelp extract added for the first set of real leaves.....That kelp will help root set... The plant is actually setting the soil's pH as it roots that cup...Another part of what "I" see going on...

As far as the opinion on rooting direct into 5 gallon pots..... You actually do better up-potting to reach that final pot size as a goal... At that last up-potting. You do your up pot, and water with a weak bloom feed and some Kelp extract. 8 to 10 days to start root set and flip it....

edit time: NOT a fungus or mold......Hmmm, gotta pause to wonder what all that damp soil in a 5 gallon pot can do??? Bet he don't water the whole pot, at least I would hope so.....

Peace

NanoGadget · Nov 5, 2018

TacoMac said:
Unless you've fed it something you're not telling us, it certainly looks that way. Even if the soil drains, the water evaporates from the top of the soil and unless there's some circulation going on, it's probably around 90% RH where those leaves presently are. If it's even decently warm, it's like ringing the dinner bell for mold, fungus, what-have-you.

Ahhhh... like a little microclimate betwen the top of the soil and the top of the cup? Never really considered that as I've never had a problem starting in solos.

TacoMac · Nov 5, 2018

Roger A. Shrubber said:
not trying to directly contradict you, you may be right, but that's really what it looks like to me

Looks like burn to me too, but his stating he hasn't fed it anything negates that possibility, hence my answer. As droopy as the leaves still are is sort of why I'm leaning towards fungus as well. I think he simply drowned the damn thing.

NanoGadget · Nov 5, 2018

TacoMac said:
Looks like burn to me too, but his stating he hasn't fed it anything negates that possibility, hence my answer. As droopy as the leaves still are is sort of why I'm leaning towards fungus as well. I think he simply drowned the damn thing.

Always appreciate feedback! Haven't been drowning them. As the original post states, been doing this for 25 years. If nothing else, i do know how to water a seedling.

However.. what you said about high humidity in the zone between the top of the soil and the top of the cup has me thinking that fungus may still be a possibility.

Roger A. Shrubber · Nov 5, 2018

TacoMac said:
Looks like burn to me too, but his stating he hasn't fed it anything negates that possibility, hence my answer. As droopy as the leaves still are is sort of why I'm leaning towards fungus as well. I think he simply drowned the damn thing.

look at the soil in the cup, it's got those little "bubbles" of nutes. i was hypothesizing that several of those happened to be in contact with the roots at the same time, and that's where the burn came from.....which is one reason i hate those things...

NanoGadget · Nov 5, 2018

Dr. Who said:
Roger's answer is pretty dang good...Little O2 to the roots is good at this point ....

I might add that your stressing over the single starter leaves.....The next set look to be getting over your concern's...for the most part...Not a biggie, UNLESS it continued.

The roots are lagging a bit. I always water with a kelp extract added for the first set of real leaves.....That kelp will help root set... The plant is actually setting the soil's pH as it roots that cup...Another part of what "I" see going on...

As far as the opinion on rooting direct into 5 gallon pots..... You actually do better up-potting to reach that final pot size as a goal... At that last up-potting. You do your up pot, and water with a weak bloom feed and some Kelp extract. 8 to 10 days to start root set and flip it....

edit time: NOT a fungus or mold......Hmmm, gotta pause to wonder what all that damp soil in a 5 gallon pot can do??? Bet he don't water the whole pot, at least I would hope so.....

Peace

Sage advice as always. Literally the only reason i am concerned about the plant at such an early stage is that it is sharing space with a seedling that i CANNOT replace.

Dr. Who · Nov 5, 2018

Looked real hard again....

I still say it's just setting her pH to the soil.....some minor blocking as the plant and her roots grow into, and set the soil pH...keep an eye on the new growth.....Bet the "problem" just go's away on it's own..

I see that same thing in some strains as they go from rapid rooters to setting roots and the soil pH in being moved to Solo's.

I've been lucky.

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