Young Plant Problems, Please Help!!! (PICS INCLUDED)

thanks badfrog0221.....yea im in NY and its been same way, I mean i could barley stand outside without wanting to burn or run inside......Those lights i have now are just temp...I will use them for my new seedlings probably and then want to invest into the best kind of light which is better the Metal Halide or HPS grow lamps, and what watt and all that should they be....I have at least 4 seeds I will be planting today....thank you
 

grinonmygrill420

Well-Known Member
the perlite is a good idea. Another would be to make sure that your plants roots are in the condition they want to be in. make sure when you water them that the soil is good enough for complete water drainage so you cant over water. Also if those bugs create webs and start popping up all over you may want to start cleaning your plants every 3 days to keep it under control.
 
Yes I have great drainage...I also water around the perimeter to promote the roots to spread out for the water......i shake out any excess water and smush the pot a bit to losen up the the soil for air.....concerning pests...idk if you saw my light set up but I just went in there today after setting it up yest afternoon to get my plant out for today's sun, and noticed a black fly with clear wings on one of the leaves, then i saw a white moth in my soil....That shed I put them in temporarily is extremely old, wood is damp in some places and is really dirty, I know its a terrible place, breeding ground for molds and pests I would believe?

I hit the soil and plant with a some Natria (insect, disease and mite control) just in case......I have not seen any webs or anything like that with any of my growing attempts.....Im not thinking its a great idea to use my shed anymore for my new seedlings, what do you guys think?
 
I just wanted to add that I put 30% perlite into my soil for extra drainage.........i dont want anyone thinking the white moth i saw was a "white fly" this was a regular moth like inchs size and the fly was big like a regular fly but clear wings......What do you guys think about the shed my lights are in? its prob not ok is my gut feeling because its extremely dirty like i said before, and also was built with no foundation. Built right on the ground and the whole shed is warped due to this......im not really planning on using those lights for long......I really want to get the correct lighting down..but I have to decide where my grow room will be. I have another shed that is in great condition and clean but does not have power...I can always run a extension cord.......its hard doing this when you live with your mother! ahhaha but she is ok with it becuase i tell her its my little experiment, but once she see's the lights and the plants grow big things might change....How much does your electric bill increase usually from running good grow lights, like ones we talked about earlier
 
I just checked my paper towel and see 9 seeds that have just started to germinate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I will be planting these seeds this afternoon, any comments suggestions or opinions

I bought a bag of seed starting soil from the grocery store, which i will be using, in either a keg cup or small 8 oz clear cup.... prob clear cup....Very excited! I do not want any of my past problems to happen again but I believe I know some of the issues. one was deff my soil previously, and second I believe the heat and humidity conditions....After I planted my germinated seeds in the past I would just leave the cup outside in the scorching sun..
 

baddfrog0221

Active Member
It sounds like you got germination figured out with is really important. Starting from seeds will always take about a month or two longer since you have to spend time growing them in the plants vegetative state, which is also known as growing in any lighting longer then a 12/12 lighting cycle. With fluorescent lights you wont see a huge increase in your electric bill, I would say maybe 10 - 15 bucks, a number pretty low considering all the air conditioning we have to run.

Moving on let me answer some more of your questions.

thanks badfrog0221.....yea im in NY and its been same way, I mean i could barley stand outside without wanting to burn or run inside......Those lights i have now are just temp...I will use them for my new seedlings probably and then want to invest into the best kind of light which is better the Metal Halide or HPS grow lamps, and what watt and all that should they be....I have at least 4 seeds I will be planting today....thank you
I have a 400W switchable ballast. That means you can switch between MH and HPS grow lamps.
Metal Halide lights will not be sufficient by themselves for flowering. They are very effective for vegetative growth. They can be used in combination with other lights and burn much hotter then fluorescent you will have to raise them at least 12-18 inches above the plants canopy depending on the wattage you may have to raise them more.
High Pressure Sodium lamps work for vegetative and flowering. You can use an HPS light throughout a grow by itself and produce a decent harvest. You can just use them for flowering or in combination with other lights. The put off the most lumens per watt of any of the lighting choices out there.
A 400W light option will raise you electric bill. It hit me for about 25-30 extra bucks a month, but you also have to figure in the fan, dehumidifier, and anything else you have set up in the grow room.

Here's a link to the local grow shop where I got my supplies. They have some competitive prices to compare to so you can make a good choice.

Harry's Hydro


Yes I have great drainage...I also water around the perimeter to promote the roots to spread out for the water......i shake out any excess water and smush the pot a bit to losen up the the soil for air.....concerning pests...idk if you saw my light set up but I just went in there today after setting it up yest afternoon to get my plant out for today's sun, and noticed a black fly with clear wings on one of the leaves, then i saw a white moth in my soil....That shed I put them in temporarily is extremely old, wood is damp in some places and is really dirty, I know its a terrible place, breeding ground for molds and pests I would believe?

I hit the soil and plant with a some Natria (insect, disease and mite control) just in case......I have not seen any webs or anything like that with any of my growing attempts.....Im not thinking its a great idea to use my shed anymore for my new seedlings, what do you guys think?
I don't know what pushing the soil down means... If your soil feels wet wait for it to dry completely before you water again. for smaller plants such as seedlings in party cups, you will rarely have to water more then once every two weeks. It will depend on the conditions though. Water until it starts to drip out of the bottom and then let the plants do there thing. Try holding them before and after you water to get an idea of how it feels when it is dry versus full of water.

It's not a good idea to move them back and fourth ESPECIALLY if you see bugs! There will always be a bug problem outside it's just a fact of life. When you expose your plants to the bugs they become carriers. Then when you bring them back into a sterile grow room the infestation can begin. Once you get bugs it;s much harder to get rid of them. Be careful what products you use to get rid of the bugs and try reclaiming the shed. Perhaps put some poison around the outside of it and then clean out the inside and seal it up.

I had a gnat problem with my last grow. I did it all indoors except I also grew some vegetable which I took outside. When I brought them back in the were transporting gnats. They got into my buckets and majorly affected the output of two of my plants. Gnats are pretty small scale there are uglier bugs out there that would love to eat your plants.

I just wanted to add that I put 30% perlite into my soil for extra drainage.........i dont want anyone thinking the white moth i saw was a "white fly" this was a regular moth like inchs size and the fly was big like a regular fly but clear wings......What do you guys think about the shed my lights are in? its prob not ok is my gut feeling because its extremely dirty like i said before, and also was built with no foundation. Built right on the ground and the whole shed is warped due to this......im not really planning on using those lights for long......I really want to get the correct lighting down..but I have to decide where my grow room will be. I have another shed that is in great condition and clean but does not have power...I can always run a extension cord.......its hard doing this when you live with your mother! ahhaha but she is ok with it becuase i tell her its my little experiment, but once she see's the lights and the plants grow big things might change....How much does your electric bill increase usually from running good grow lights, like ones we talked about earlier
Think I hit this. Gotta toke :joint::joint::joint::joint::joint::joint::joint::joint::joint::joint::joint::joint::joint::joint::joint:

I just checked my paper towel and see 9 seeds that have just started to germinate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I will be planting these seeds this afternoon, any comments suggestions or opinions

I bought a bag of seed starting soil from the grocery store, which i will be using, in either a keg cup or small 8 oz clear cup.... prob clear cup....Very excited! I do not want any of my past problems to happen again but I believe I know some of the issues. one was deff my soil previously, and second I believe the heat and humidity conditions....After I planted my germinated seeds in the past I would just leave the cup outside in the scorching sun..
Yea sounds like your getting some good knowledge keep growing strong. The seedlings don't demand light like the big ladies do. Try to get extra lighting in there ASAP. More fluorescent bulbs will help until you can invest in some bigger lighting. You may get away with sunlight from a window, but again beware of the heat factor. It can come blazing in and hurt the plant.

Try to stay away from clear cups. Wrapping it in duct tape will do the trick. The roots will not grow where there is light. So they will hit the side of the cup and stop even if only a little light is penetrating. If you make the cups light proof the roots can wrap around inside the cup no problem.

Good luck and happy growing.
 
When can i plant my germinated seedlings? as soon as i see the sprout appear? or do should I let the little sprout elongate more, they are coming out the side of the seeds, usually i see them coming out the tip.....

Once I plant the seeds in my keg cup, when should i transplant them to a larger container? once I see the leaves hit the 3 node mark? and when I do should I put them into the Nutrient soil I am using?
 

baddfrog0221

Active Member
it's best to start them in their final pot. Since your in cups let them grow out a bit first I would say three true nodes remember not to count the first node of two leaves. Try to prevent stretching by adding more light. When you transplant you can bury the stem up to the leaves. Any buried stem will produce roots and convert cells into root cells.

With fluorescent I would say you should wait 3-4 weeks before transplanting, that should be enough time to develop the leaves somewhat. You will need more lights to meet that deadline. With only the 2 tubes you wont make it, and it will take much longer. Try to get at least 800 Watts of fluorescent bulbs running. It wont cost much more and you will see better progress.

Good luck
 

baddfrog0221

Active Member
yea, plant it just keep the soil moist and warm. Once they come out don't water it until it drys. Should take 3-4 days to come out of the soil.
 
:leaf:just planted these,i covered with renolds wrap for high humidification and put holes in it....still have MORE seeds in the paper towel...I planted in keg cup with 4" worth of soil and 1/4 inch into the soil...

They are just sitting outside right now on my patio, once light goes down i will put under my fluro's

check the pics:leaf:
 

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windytodai

Active Member
I think you got some nutrient deficiencies. I recommend you flush and reset your nutrients. If it were from the sun it would be an overall burn. The center of your leaves is in an arrowhead color and burning which is described under a magnesium and potassium deficiency. One of your plants is diseased. The wilting and light green colors are from either too much water or a zinc deficiency.
 
Yes thank you, if you read threw the whole thread two out of 3 of those plants died...even after flushing.......I changed soil and have one plant left there are pics in the thread.......the soil i started with had no nutrients it was my own mix of mostly peat moss, verm, perlite and lime....i switched to a soil that has some time released nutes and micro-nutrients in it and the plant seems to be getting better, at least no signs of it getting worse.......as you can see I just planted a bunch of germinated seeds a couple hours ago in a light seed starter soil, I will then transplant them to my new soil when they are ready...which is? i heard when it hits its 3 node leaf...or?
 
OK I KNOW EVERYONE SAYS 20-20-20 FOR VEG BUT BEFORE YOU USE ANY FERTILIZER YOU MUST FIRST KNOW YOUR OWN SOIL, your soil may already contain high amounts of any ingredient wether by natural composition produced by plant and wildlife around it but also based on the man made ingredients in store bought soils, so first take ph readings and know your soil!
 
ok let me put it this way.....i have a mosserlee soil test kit......i test all my soils for ph and npk.......the first plants u see in this post are dead besides one, which i transplanted to soil with 20-10-10. that plant seems to be correcting itself now.......i believe it was combination of the heat, elements, and the "first" soil.....i am not worried about those anymore as you can see I have 6 germinated seeds i just planted in another diff soil which is for seed starting (pics are a couple posts above on this page), more seeds are currently germinating so I will have more...once they sprout through the soil I will post more pics....what I want to know is, when should i transplant the seedlings into my NEW soil that has nutes and micro-nutes in it.....Is it when it gets to its 3-node leaf or is there a length of time i should keep them in the keg cups? what im trying to ask technically when does the VEG stage start exactly?
 
I think the best thing would be a switchable ballast HPS+MH, but how many watts......I believe I calculate that by my grow area?

can I get some information about selecting the correct watts, I might have ten plants by the time I buy the light system, im sure you calculate the square footage of ?
the plants, containers? what

thank you
 
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