Seedlings Looking Bad

In root Riot. Few drops of water every few hours per foot riot. Not overwatering or underwatering I don't think. Never had an issue with Seedlings in Root Riot Cubes prior. Some look decent. All the same strain PSF. Almost all seeds were viable. But now they decide to die. Please help! Some look ok some look shitty. Distilled water. Under 600w metal halide but a couple feet away not directly under the light. Room temp stays at 70-84 degrees. Humidity some stays on top. If I take it off they shrivel up. Humidity here in the desert is between 10-30% max. So vegging is a pain.

You feeding them anything?

Get the dome off. Once seedlings are up a dome with warm temps can cause damping off/stem rot which will kill them dead fast. The stem at the base will go dark and mushy and then the seedling falls over dead.

If your humidity like mine is chronically low then always feed at lower levels to prevent nute burn as your plants will use a lot more water than if the humidity was correct for the temp and slow down their drinking. They pull up more nutes than they should with all the extra water they drink in dry air.

I'd transplant into soil ASAP. I start my seeds in soil so they don't have to try to survive in weird places like root riots or rockwool.

Good luck!

In which picture are you saying they're dying, cuz I don't see it?

Agree get rid of the dome. ASAP.

OldMedUser said:

You feeding them anything?

Get the dome off. Once seedlings are up a dome with warm temps can cause damping off/stem rot which will kill them dead fast. The stem at the base will go dark and mushy and then the seedling falls over dead.

If your humidity like mine is chronically low then always feed at lower levels to prevent nute burn as your plants will use a lot more water than if the humidity was correct for the temp and slow down their drinking. They pull up more nutes than they should with all the extra water they drink in dry air.

I'd transplant into soil ASAP. I start my seeds in soil so they don't have to try to survive in weird places like root riots or rockwool.

Good luck!

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I got rid of the dome and they freaked out prior. But I'll try it again. Thank you so much for the help! Not dead but some are right on the verge of death. Not feeding them anything but distilled water for now. Will switch over to tap a few days after I transplant into coco coir and perlite.

Thor-Maximus-Andrews said:

I got rid of the dome and they freaked out prior. But I'll try it again. Thank you so much for the help! Not dead but some are right on the verge of death. Not feeding them anything but distilled water for now. Will switch over to tap a few days after I transplant into coco coir and perlite.

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They should have something to eat right away. Don't be one of those misinformed that believe a sprout doesn't need to be fed for 2 weeks.

In a rich soil that is true but in a medium devoid of nutrients they are starving right away. I liked giving them some seaweed ferts or 1/8th strength hydro nutes right with the water I use to wet the soilless mix I was sprouting them in.

I'm starting a bunch of seeds in 3" square pots that are a 50:50 mix of ProMix HP, which has no nutes and ProMix Veg and Herb that has quite a bit of organic nutes that vegs plants fine all on it's own. Too hot to use straight up with sprouts tho.

Plants the make it to larger pots go in straight HP with hydro nutes for feed.

Top off. 10 drops rapid start to a gallon distilled water. Current pH is 5.9 but premise will raise to 6 once some of the rapid start notes are used. Will check ppm later. Distilled water so can't be high at all.

Yellowing like that is due to them being too wet. Remove the dome and reduce watering, allow the plugs to dry more between waterings.

Also i think the 600w mh is over kill at this stage.

Ive used 1000w since the 70s for veg.

If you were at the equator the seedlings would be getting over 12,000w Sq/ft.

Agreed they need food, and take off the hood.

I use a 10% solution when I feed seedlings.

*BUDS said:

Also i think the 600w mh is over kill at this stage.

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As I said, they are way out of the way of direct light. So no, not overkill by any means.