** Sick Plants - Detailed Description - Pictures **

I am really clueless now what to do or where I should head now. Here is all the information I can think of to provide help on my problem. Thanks in advance and any other information I can provide please let me know.

Growing: Indoors. Micro grow with 3, 100watt CFLS

Number of Plants: 2 (Planted: 1-16 and 1-21)

Water Schedule: Using finger to check the first inch or so of soil... If dry, then watering is required. (Usually about every 2-3 days)

Growing Medium: Soil. At first the plants were in Premium Seed Starting Jiffy-Mix soil and my leaves were starting to point straight up, yellow, and then twist. I figured my soil was not good since it wasn't providing the best drainage. I went got new soil which was Schultz All Purpose Potting Mix Natural Organic. I don't think this was the absolute best soil, BUT the only thing that was inside at all the stores I went to was the same stuff I had already purchased or Miracle Grow. I didn't want to get MG, I just have heard more bad then good so I stuck away from it. I also got Schlutz Perlite and Peat Moss. I mixed the soil with 1 part of each in a gallon ziploc and then attempted a transplant. I broke a few roots trying to free excess dirt, but most stayed in tact.

Growth Stage: Vegetation (Around the 2nd week)

Problem: My first problem was that my plant from the bottom up was yellowing a tad. I had been using pH balanced water so I knew it wasn't any watering problem unless I was over watering, but I don't think this was an issue as I was waiting a couple days in between, could have been under watering, but my soil was moist, until the time I watered. So I thought that it was possibly bad drainage. Purchased my new soil transplanted and made with better drainage.
I read that the twisting of the leaves could have been due to magnesium deficiency. So I purchased some Epsom salt... was a HUGE bitch to find, local supermarket didn't have it nor did any gardening store I went to. Finally found it at a organic food food place by bath oils and such, forgot that it could also be used for a swelling treatment.
I put a very small amount (looked around and found about how much to add to the water) and watered my plants. Over the next few days I didn't really see any improvement and if anything my plants were both just getting worse.
I started to notice around the edges of the older leaves that they were graying/purpling so I thought about nute burn. But still my pant is horribly stunted. Both plants started out great, shot right out of the ground after germinating and planting. I got advice to flush them so I did a pretty large flush last night. They both don't look any different though.

Pictures:
First two are from the plant planted on 1-16
Third is a leaf from 1-16 that fell off (first set of leaves)
Fourth and fifth are from the plant planted on 1-21

I think your fucking around with them too much man. The first month you really shouldn't have to do anything other then water them every couple days.. Those are way to small for nutes. People get so worried about their plants in the early stages, it's natural. You just have to let it take it's process. It was a good idea to get better drainage. What are the room conditions like.. temp..humidity..??

Leaf edges curling like that could be heat stress. 3 100w cfl could be too much if they're very close. How far away? Flourescent is cool compared to HID but they still get warm up close, very young plants don't like heat on they're leaves.

Im sure I am messing around with them more then I should, but I try not to do anything. I usually just check on them twice a day once in the morning and once at night to see the soil and if they improved at all. I have not watered with anything but water, so the reason I was wondering about nute burn was because of the soil, if it had it in it. I got organic because I figured it wouldn't have any nutes added, so it would be safe.

Temperature: 77 with one fan on the bottom blowing air in and one on top blowing air out.
Humidity: A little bit over 30%

How often are you watering??... Those pics they look pretty soaked.. Do you have drainage on those containers?

also like herbose asked how far away do you have the cfls?

Herbose: You make a point with them being to close. Its really hard for me to measure, but I attempted to and I think its about 2cm. Too close I think haha

But I think the reason I moved them a little closer and ignored the fact that they could be too close was because of the older plant had all of its leaves shooting straight up, confused me and figured it was stretching and trying to get light, which I may have been wrong and cold have just been growing.

Heres some more pictures of how it looks a little inside

I mean your temps, humidity, and ventilation sound spot on. You haven't added nutes. They seem a little shocked.

Smokingbot: I cut a couple holes in the bottom of the cups and drainage is much better then it was before. Water runs out

As for watering they look wet still from me trying to flush them yesterday. I did end up watering about 2 solo cups in to each, which i normally do about half of one each.

Your going to want the lights about 3-5 inches away when they are that young.. You are definitely going to want to let them dry up a little. Did you flush them the same day you transplanted them? Before you flushed how often have you been watering.. every day?.. every other?

Edit: it also looks like the bulbs you have over the plants are either warm white / soft white ( which people say are better for the flowering stage, cause of the red spectrum).. The middle one looks like a cool white or day light (people say day light are better for the veg state.. cause of the blue spectrum )...

Ok wow, that is something very new to me... Having them that far away. I figured that would cause stretching.

Off my memory I believe I transplanted them on the 29th or the 30th, dont remember exactly and I gave them a watering to make sure all the soil was moist. Then two days later I gave them a normal watering. Then I have not watered since the flushing which was yesterday.

It usually ends up being around 2-3 days before I water


EDIT: Well you can call me a complete dumbass. I must have mixed up the two when I putting them in.

I'd say throw the lights 3 inches away, and start watering every 3-4 days. Eventually they are going to start craving more light, and pretty soon. Give them a couple days to gain back some strength they seem like they have gone through a lot.

Ok, I put them away form the light.

How will I know when they need the light. I want to cause minimal amount of stretching due to limitations on space (being a pc grow).

You'll be able to tell, 3 inches is still pretty damn close. Your stems look healthy right now, if you see signs of them thinning out and getting longer you could always move them a little closer.. I had a plant about an 3/4 inch - 1 inch away.. You'll wake up one day with a burn spot and be like god damn lol..

Ok cool. Thank you very much for all of your help.

Should I be taking any notice to the graying/purpling of the edges?

2cm is WAY to close for new plants like that. If you have the right wavelenths of light they won't stretch (I think.). Wait til they develope good root systems, then they can take up enough water to deal with the heat.

it could be nitrogen deficiencie!and overwatering,the flushing and costant watering is not good for them!suffercates the roots and stresses them and the stress will slow down there recovery.

The plants are now 3 inches away.

As for over watering, I really dont think that is the case, but I could be wrong since Im not an experienced grower, just reader, haha. Since I flushed them I wont water for a couple more days still, so if my problem persists with all the guidelines I have been given, I will be back asking for more help.

For treating a nitrogen deficiency, what would I do for that. And would it be too early to treat that? I would assume that would need some sort of nute to do and maybe cause burning?

I know its only been about three days since I posted this thread but I have not seen any improvement whatsoever... If anything the old leafs look as if they are continuing to yellow and die.

Should I be giving this more time to recover from the transplant and everything else?

I can post more pictures if it will help judgment. Thanks

ya man you got to give it time, as much as those little things have been through they will take a while to shape up, like everyone said keep them away from the lights right now and let them dry out, if i was you i would slow down a little on watering i have learned its better to underwater a little then over water a had a beatiful plant in flower that just started budding and i over watered it and it might be gone now very sad lol

if i was you i'd start over lol sorry but that's just me, those seem way too small and way too many problems for them to continue to be an effort, that's just me though... if I was you i'd start over and get some good pots, good nutes, good soil before beginning again IMHO