Seedlings drooping, what could be the cause?

Long time lurker, first time posting.

The 3 in 3 gallon pots are Florida Pie (Jungle Brothers) seedlings started in root riots. The fourth Florida Pie was started in the solo cup. The pots contain char-coir coco mixed with perlite and 15% worm castings. They drain really well. The solo cup contains straight coco, but will go into the same mix as the other three once the roots have developed.

All have been given .3 EC of the RO/Soft base of Veg+Bloom. The light is a 315w CMH which is running a 3100K Phillips bulb and is positioned 30 inches from the canopy. Leaf temperatures are running around 74-76F.

I have been lightly misting each of them twice per day with a chapin sprayer. No more than 250ml.

The seedling in the solo cup seems to be doing well, nice green stem and no droops. The others are very droopy however, and the newer grow shoots are purpling.

I let them all dry out two days ago and that seemed to make it worse. Watering perked them back up but they still droop. Any ideas? Should I be watering differently until the roots develop better? Though that wouldn't explain how the solo cup is doing so well. Any help/feedback is appreciated.

I had problems when using the larger pots with seedlings, waited until they developed new growth then upped to 1’s followed by the threes

I never feed babies
Larger pots also slow early development

From here on out I'll be going from the root riots to solos to 1's then 3's. While I dislike all that transplanting, if it's necessary, which appears to be the case, I'll do it.

For now however, what should be my next move? Transplant them to solo cups and wait for the roots to develop?

technics702 said:

From here on out I'll be going from the root riots to solos to 1's then 3's. While I dislike all that transplanting, if it's necessary, which appears to be the case, I'll do it.

For now however, what should be my next move? Transplant them to solo cups and wait for the roots to develop?

Click to expand...

I wouldn't transplant. It looks like over water. Try to water away from the plants, like near the edge of th pot.

I go from 16oz solo to 15 gallon bags, but there is a trick. When the sprout is a few inches tall fill bag with your growing soil and "plant" a one gal pot like it's a flower and pack the soil a little. Pull the pot out and fill the hole with a milder soil in which you plant the solo cup with the plant. Keep the bag a little damp but water the plant normally. When the plant is ready just lift the solo out of the soil an there is a perfect hole to drop your plant in.

I've been this for a while and it make everything easier for me. A way to get them moving a little faster is besides a few holes in the bottom of the cup make 3 or 4 1/2" raisor cuts near the bottom on the side. That should let a very small amount of nutes in. I don't know that it does anything but I do it.

By doing it this way everything is acclimated to each other.

Don’t transplant
Patience and it will come around

Thanks for all the help!! I'll try and have some patience with them.