Plants dying on first grow - Help!!!

So I'm on my first indoor grow of 3 NL5 plants from seed (in soil), and I've tried to keep everything just right... Even trying to avoid the usual first grower mistakes (watering, paying too much attention, etc).

But now, over 5 weeks in from seed, the worst is happening! All 3 plants are showing yellowing, browning, drooping and bending leaves. Initially it was just the lower leaves, but it seems to be progressing now to the middle section. Growth also appears to be severely stunted. I believe being 4 inches after 5 weeks is rather slow?

Knowledge is power, and pictures are worth a thousand words, so I'm going to try and explain my entire setup, with pictures of the poor little sick kids.

Environment and grow medium:

• Schultz Premium Potting Soil Plus (0.08-0.12-0.0 in 3Gallon pots.
• 4Hx4Wx2D mylar grow tent in closet. Air is exchanged once a day when I open tent.
• Osc. fan blows on plants, 12cm PC fan exhausting air at top of tent.
• Humidity 25%-30%, Temps 80°-85° lights on, 70°-75° lights off.

Lighting (Veg):

• 8 x CFLs 23W 6500k 1600Lumens.
• Lights suspended within 3" of tops. Raised them to 12" above a week ago to see if it would help.
• On a 20/4 automatic light cycle.

Watering & Nutes:

• Tap water filtered through a Brita filter (room temp). Bad idea...? Should I use distilled?
• Brita water pH at 7.1, too high?
• Watering 1 cup of water to each 3 gallon pot every 2nd day.
• No nutes used yet. I'm thinking I should resolve this first...? The soil apparently has "extended release food".

Does anything above stand out?

I will admit to being guilty of not checking pH until these problems started. It's possible the pH could have been too high, but being my first grow, I'm not positive given the symptoms. I just picked up some litmus paper and for the last few waterings, I've started adding lemon juice to the water, lowering pH to 6.0. I've yet to see a positive response though. Runoff water is about 6.5 now. Do the pictures indicate high pH? Nute lockout?

My second concern was how to properly water 3 gallon pots. Obviously being new, I'm afraid of overwatering. I've been adding approx 1 cup every 2nd day. The soil is typically dry at finger depth on the watering day. Could under watering be at fault?

This n00b is open to any and all advice.

That time release food is your problem. With time release foods they may be little balls of nutrients, but if those little balls of nutrients break up into smaller pieces their is more surface area exposed therefore more nutrients become introduced.

Stay away from any kind of time release nutrients they are bad news.

Does anything above stand out?

I will admit to being guilty of not checking pH until these problems started. It's possible the pH could have been too high, but being my first grow, I'm not positive given the symptoms. I just picked up some litmus paper and for the last few waterings, I've started adding lemon juice to the water, lowering pH to 6.0. I've yet to see a positive response though. Runoff water is about 6.5 now. Do the pictures indicate high pH? Nute lockout?

Ph can become extremely difficult to master in soil, I had so many problems I just moved onto Hydro much easier to monitor the ph. You dont have nute lockout they look fried to me, but too be honest I haven't had that many problems with overdosing so im not good at identifying it

My second concern was how to properly water 3 gallon pots. Obviously being new, I'm afraid of overwatering. I've been adding approx 1 cup every 2nd day. The soil is typically dry at finger depth on the watering day. Could under watering be at fault?

They aren't under watered at all, and you water and let about 10% of what you watered drain out. Lift it up remember how heave it feels, when it feels light you can water again. You will learn to immediately notice if they are light on water. Or just stick your finger in it, but why get your hands dirty.


And those brita filters dont do much. Dont feel bad though I bought them too when i first started out.

7.1 is way too high, and you are actually watering too often, you want them to dry out and then re-water it will encourage the roots to grow throughout the soil searching for water.

Toping it off is a no-no she isn't a gas tank.

Why do 20/4 when I guarantee you wont get any more growth then doing 18/6.

Save the electricity.

I'm almost a complete newb, I'm on my third grow so take what I say with a grain of salt. Your temps are too high, your pH is too high, you're watering too often, and you need a lot more ventilation.

http://www.stealthgrow.com/images/nutrient-ph-range.jpg

I can't speak to the accuracy of the chart but it gives you an idea of what happens when your pH isn't correct.

Pimpernickel said:

I'm almost a complete newb, I'm on my third grow so take what I say with a grain of salt. Your temps are too high, your pH is too high, you're watering too often, and you need a lot more ventilation.

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Did you skip right past all my post?

Yes, I did.

I looked, I don't see anything about temps or ventilation, so there's more input. The chart is helpful as well I think.

You need 40+ hours of research before you grow, is what you need. Get nutrients, adjust pH to 5.9, get some real lights, exchange air up to 100x a with a real fan, at least 150cfm.

If you don't have money, don't grow. My best advice. All you are doing is breaking your own heart.

Need to introduce fresh air. If you are venting the heat out the top, they are just getting stale air recirculated (I presume through bottom vents of tent). I also presume one cup equals 8 oz. of water? The soil isn't getting thoroughly saturated. So, roots will hover around the surface. As Jimb said, you need to see some run off. So, water more deeply, less often. Remove those lower leaves (the yellowed/dead looking ones). Decaying plant matter will encourage mold growth. At this point, I would give them some cal/mag. Can be given by foliar application or with water when watering. If feeding foliarly, don't do it while the lights are on as it will burn your leaves. I am not a big fan of foliar feeding as I have had mold problems in the past, however, it does perk them up faster... It is also a good idea to water at the beginning of a light cycle. That way any evaporation doesn't condense on lower leaves as it would at lower (night-time) temps. I am fairly new to indoor growing, however, most of my knowledge was garnered through working in the nursery industry for the past 20+ years.

Dude i hate saying this to new growers but i will any how,ditch this plant it has been through too much stress and will produce very little.Get some more seeds order from attitude and get the seed germanated then get some advanced sensi grow and bloom and in box me i talk ya through the next steps after the seedling is above the surface..............................tyke.......................................................

Haha, just re-read where they are five weeks in. Gonna have to agree with tyke on this one.

MURDERER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
He killed em,he did,he bloody killed em!!!
Overdosed the with nutes and buried them in gardening centre soil.
Lock him up!!!!!!!!!

sorry I was wrong???...i was high, lol...he was quoting op??? lol i'll hit you all with some rep soon as i can! I'm on 24 hr hold atm! but just wanted to say this!Peace

nute burn...

Indicator said:

Haha, just re-read where they are five weeks in. Gonna have to agree with tyke on this one.

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Wow, yea unfortunately its better to get a different brand of soil, and give it another shot.

RIXUK said:

MURDERER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
He killed em,he did,he bloody killed em!!!
Overdosed the with nutes and buried them in gardening centre soil.
Lock him up!!!!!!!!!

Click to expand...

Well give him a free pass through jail this time, but if it happens again were gonna lock him up. And you sentence will be to spend at least one hour a day reading through RIU.