Seedlings need help

I am new to growing. First time planted 5 seeds in the Rapid Rooter plugs. I use the Super Sprouter Premium Propagation Kit w/ T5 Light. The seeds sprouted and the seedlings rapidly stretched. Then today I saw that the tips of the leaves are damaged. I am not sure if they burnt or dried and then rotted from the water mist that I spray them with. If you know, please advise. The pictures are attached.

Thank you!

Your Rapid rooters are too wet and the roots will rot. stop spraying , let em dry and transplant them..

^^ doesn't look like nut burn(hopefully you haven't started adding much if any at all), this early on just try to water less and go from there...good chance their growth will be stunted for a few days, but you should be okay.

also...you said your seedlings "rapidly stretched". If you used the term how I think you did, then this means your light is not close enough to the plants and they are "stretching" to reach the light. If you meant they grew rapidly then disregard this part >.<

Budbob Spliffpants said:

^^ doesn't look like nut burn(hopefully you haven't started adding much if any at all), this early on just try to water less and go from there...good chance their growth will be stunted for a few days, but you should be okay.

also...you said your seedlings "rapidly stretched". If you used the term how I think you did, then this means your light is not close enough to the plants and they are "stretching" to reach the light. If you meant they grew rapidly then disregard this part >.<

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Hi Bob, Hydrodan

Thank you for your responses.

Bob: I read different sources and watched videos and I saw recommendations to create a very mild feeding solution.
I made a solution to feed them at about 180 ppm (a low dose of the mix of General Hydroponics Flora Series, flower/gro/micro in equal proportions).
I found today that my PH of the feed was 5.9. I lowered it. So, yes I was concerned it could have been a nute burn. I watered with plain water today.
The plants seemed too tall to me after the first 2 days of growth. I figured, the light was too high. The humidity dome is at 9". As I am using a Gro-Smart Tray, I used risers to lift it up. The plant were closer to the light this time than before. This was one of the reasons I suspected that the damaged tips of the leaves might be a light burn (though I have never seen one in person).
The leaves look like they dried/burned and then rotted a little from water in the humidity dome.


HydroDan: I do not believe they are overwatered. Yesterday when I came to check them they were too dry. I had to dip them in the feeding solution because watering with a dropper was not enough.
Before I left for the night, I watered them and for the first time I left the openings of the humidity dome open. I read I have to harden them before transplanting, so I started to reduce humidity.
This noon when I came to check on them again, the Rapid Rooters were not as dry as yesterday but they were "dry-ish".
Do you have any other ideas as to what it may be? I stopped misting them too.

a tad confused so let me ask some clarifying questions....Can you send a view of how tall they are and how close the light is? You say these sprouts are two days old as of now? what is the ph, you said you lowered it from 5.9(I hope not)? what has your watering schedule been and how many waterings have been with nuts?

Budbob Spliffpants said:

a tad confused so let me ask some clarifying questions....Can you send a view of how tall they are and how close the light is? You say these sprouts are two days old as of now? what is the ph, you said you lowered it from 5.9(I hope not)? what has your watering schedule been and how many waterings have been with nuts?

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I planted the seeds last Tuesday night. They sprouted in 2 days. Came out of the Rapid Rooter approximately by the end of the day on Thursday. So, counting from Thursday, it is 3 days yesterday. 4th day today. Those are the days the seedlings grew as plants (if I make any sense)

1. I lowered the ph from 5.9 to 5.5 PH.

2. I was panicking today so I took the plants in the humidity dome outside and put the propagator under some sun. After a few hours I opened the lid and made the picture below. All the dew on the leaves dried up. The plants seem happy. However the tips of the leaves on 3 plants are brown/gray and curled.

3. Below are 2 pictures, one on top of another. The top picture is of the dome with the light on.
The second picture I tried to capture the distance between the top of the plant and the light. Can barely see it, but the light is now 3" above the tops. This is when the tray NOT raised. Yesterday, when I lifted the tray the light was 2" above the tops.

Take em out of the dome.. get the light closer.. and don't add anymore nutes.. I remove the dome when they sprout and never feed until they need it.. when you transplant you can bury the long stems...

I wouldn't be leaving em in that dome bro now they are up my 2 cents..helps cause damp off and ive had a few die before if I had the dome on for to long after sprouting

I would transplant them into cups or something slightly larger now at that height in the plugs...

I agree ^^^^^ take the dome off and don't feed till after the little leaves turn yellow . Transplant to a cup and use a lite mix should be great in a week or less .

Good luck

Thank you for your responses.
When I take them out of humidity dome, how low should I keep the T5 lights?
I bought a massive 4 ft long Hydroplanet fixture with 8 T5 lamps in it. I can select how many to run.
Say, I run 1 or 2 lamps at first, but how close to the plant?
I am planning to transplant into a 6x6 rockwool Grodan cubes. Cannot really bury the stem. I hope they survive and become viable mother plants.
Thank you for your advice.

Meridith said:

Thank you for your responses.
When I take them out of humidity dome, how low should I keep the T5 lights?
I bought a massive 4 ft long Hydroplanet fixture with 8 T5 lamps in it. I can select how many to run.
Say, I run 1 or 2 lamps at first, but how close to the plant?
I am planning to transplant into a 6x6 rockwool Grodan cubes. Cannot really bury the stem. I hope they survive and become viable mother plants.
Thank you for your advice.

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I'm with everyone else, they look good to be taken out of the dome. I'd keep the light 5-6 inches away, a trick I do is hold the back of my hand the same distance away from the light...if it doesn't feel too hot after a few seconds then it is probably a safe distance.