10 Days Into First Grow. Wilting / Browning Leaves

[MMJ Intern]

While building a permanent grow area, I placed my five little seedlings (3 Purple Haze & 2 unknowns) into my mylar-lined closet with a 4ft shop light with one cool bulb and one warm bulb. I noticed that the leaves on some of my babies are wilting and dying. I hope it is because I left them in 24 hrs of light for the last 10 days. So I switched them to a 18/6 light schedule today, added a fan to move hot air out of the closet (fresh air is from keeping the closet door open, room ceiling fan on high) and added a thermometer w/ humidity indicator which indicates it is 81 with 37% humidity. I am using all purpose potting soil from Family Dollar and have been watering them with Dansani bottled water. I plan on using r/o water tomorrow. How can I revive my plants that seem to be dying?

 

I also noticed that some of the roots have reached the bottom of the 20 Oz bottles the plants are in. What would be the best way to transfer them to a larger container?

 

Thanks all

 

[Kingdiamond]

First problom i see is the clear containers roots need to be protected from light i only use red or blue solo beer cups nothing transparent .

[HarveyWallbanger]

good pots that drain well make sure water can drain out, also its good to spray leaves on young plants and also hit with some mite and mild fert. neem oil 1tsp. and 3drops of dish soap. I like collecting rain water and put on small plants.

[LongHairBri]

clear cups and the start of a deficiency are the problems I see

[MMJ Intern]

Thanks for the responses. I'm switching them out of the 20 oz bottles now, Very gently

[rockinlespaul]

Wait till the soil is nice and dry. It will all transfer much easier.

 

Looking again, they look pretty dry...

 

Thats what chemo does to me...

[MMJ Intern]

Wait till the soil is nice and dry. It will all transfer much easier.

 

Looking again, they look pretty dry...

 

Thats what chemo does to me...

 

 

Thanks for the response Rockinlespaul. They were pretty dry and I lost perhaps 30% - 50% of the roots during the transplant but they are in their own pots and hopefully on their way back to becoming big mamas

 

[purklize]

Looks like a nitrogen deficiency to me.

 

http://www.google.com/search?q=nitrogen+deficiency&tbm=isch

[wingnut]

Get that Humidity up to 60% and even go 70% or more, I like 75% in veg and 50% in flower. If you use R/O water supplement with Cal-mag. It looks like you will be OK,

with them in there new home.

[rockinlespaul]

Thanks for the response Rockinlespaul. They were pretty dry and I lost perhaps 30% - 50% of the roots during the transplant but they are in their own pots and hopefully on their way back to becoming big mamas

 

 

They'll be fine. Let em veg good and you'll be ok. I wouldn't get too high with the humidity unless you want more problems(spider mites, etc., etc). 40-60% is fine.

[cristinew]

them are too big of pots for the size of the plants, small plants need small pots. to easy ot over water them little buggers in a large pot, pluss when you transplant them bring the soil up to about one inch below the leaves, looks like they may fall over

[Green-Nubie]

Ohhh... I remember the good ole days.. Wow blast from the past..

 

Welcome to the club and enjoy your trip.. and as always take notes..

 

 

lets start with the for mentioned pots..

 

I'd just source 5 gal buckets drill 5-7 holes in THE SIDES OF THE BUCKET RIGHT AT THE BOTTOM. 3/8'' in size. fill buckets with hydroton clay balls about 4-6'' deep. link

 

SOIL- fox farms happy frog, works well.. link. its very neutrally balanced. fill buckets with this

then leave room for 3" of hytroton on the top of the soil. (to prevent wash outs and slime and algae)

 

Fert-- any soluble 2 part fert works well for beginners..part a part b

 

Something to be said about added bacteria or special teas but ill let u figure that one out.

 

And as always growing is a combination of things to make it go right.. water --light ---co2...

[rockinlespaul]

them are too big of pots for the size of the plants, small plants need small pots. to easy ot over water them little buggers in a large pot, pluss when you transplant them bring the soil up to about one inch below the leaves, looks like they may fall over

 

One less transplant he has to do. Seems sensible to me.

[cristinew]

It is very easy to over water a small plant in a large pot. i use a solo cup for a plant that size then go to a 2 quart pot when they are around 6 inches tall. then a week before flower into 3 gallon bags to flower them. fresh dirt into the flower room does wonders. transplanting doesnt hurt a plant, they love the fresh soil to expand the roots.

 

Here is a Photo of a plant that has had too much water looks kinda like what yours do

 

http://forum.grasscity.com/sick-plants-problems/551840-symptom-overwatering-what-problem.html

[Nix]

Over watering is the biggest mistake beginning growers make. You should only have to water them twice a week or so. Water until the soil is saturated and then let them dry out until the soil is COMPLETELY dry. If you stick your finger in and detect moisture then do not water. Check em every day. And remember that this is the most fragile time in your plants life you have to be very careful with them.

[cristinew]

Your right Nix and it would be very hard for a 5 gallon pot to dry out is a few days with a plant that small, roots need to air too... they cant swim

[I*M*Lady*Zandra]

Hey hun-- with the type of lights you are using, 24 hour light is the norm... you usually only use 18/6 with HID's due to floro's lack of intensity.... but you can still leave em 24/0 under HID's...

 

Looks like not only what everyone has already said about the planters, but that you may have fertilized or used soil wit ferts already in it?

 

Rule of thumb is to use un-fertilized soil and don't feed your plants until their 3rd set of leaves are totally open...

 

Do you check the pH of your water & the runoff from the planters? if not-- that could be your problem! pH is very important with these babies...it is what determines whether or not they can use the nutrients available to them.

They like it around 6.5-7.0 in soil... test everything you water/feed them (once mixed!) and the runoff to see what their actual pH is.. you can correct it if too high or too low.

 

Don't want to be argumentative or anything, but I do not agree that the pots are too big... We always do ours in big planters... when they grow in nature they have unlimited room to grow a root mass... you need to make your conditions as close to nature as you can to optimize your grow.

 

Good Luck! They are Still looking pretty darned good!

[Sinsemillaplease]

Hey hun-- with the type of lights you are using, 24 hour light is the norm... you usually only use 18/6 with HID's due to floro's lack of intensity.... but you can still leave em 24/0 under HID's...

 

Looks like not only what everyone has already said about the planters, but that you may have fertilized or used soil wit ferts already in it?

 

Rule of thumb is to use un-fertilized soil and don't feed your plants until their 3rd set of leaves are totally open...

 

Do you check the pH of your water & the runoff from the planters? if not-- that could be your problem! pH is very important with these babies...it is what determines whether or not they can use the nutrients available to them.

They like it around 6.5-7.0 in soil... test everything you water/feed them (once mixed!) and the runoff to see what their actual pH is.. you can correct it if too high or too low.

 

Don't want to be argumentative or anything, but I do not agree that the pots are too big... We always do ours in big planters... when they grow in nature they have unlimited room to grow a root mass... you need to make your conditions as close to nature as you can to optimize your grow.

 

Good Luck! They are Still looking pretty darned good!

 

Nature can't mimic the near-perfect conditions we try to create in our gardens. Limiting yourself to what nature provides is a bad move.

[Green-Nubie]

Your right Nix and it would be very hard for a 5 gallon pot to dry out is a few days with a plant that small, roots need to air too... they cant swim

ya a 5 gallon bucket with 6 inches of hydroton at the bottom wont dry out at all....lol..

[I*M*Lady*Zandra]

Not saying to limit it to nature-- or we wouldn't have switched to hydro & a/c! I AM saying that, when certain things IN nature help reduce the stressors to the plants, to follow her lead!

 

Copying the changes in light color & intensity thru the grow, wind (airflow) and room to root-well IMO are worth copying for optimum harvests.

[MMJ Intern]

Thank you everyone for all the responses. The day after my last post I transplanted my babies (Unknown strain 1 & Purple Haze 1, 2, & 3) into Fox Farm original potting soil, added a humidifier which increased the humidity from 32% to 50%, and began misting the leaves with r/o water. I also added a second 4 ft shoplight with one cool bulb and one warm bulb and added another small box fan to push air around. They have been growing but the wilting/browning leaves is still continuing from the bottom up. I went out today and bought a soil pH test kit, a water pH kit, and a General Organics Go Box. The go box has 16oz BioThrive Grow, 16oz BioThrive Bloom, 8oz CaMg+, 8oz BioRoot, 8oz BioWeed, 8oz BioBud, 8oz BioMarine, & 8oz Diamond Black. Within the next week, my room in the basement will be ready & I plan on ordering a 600w HPS light from Growco and all the fixins (fans, ducting, carbon filter).

 

I wanted to check with this knowledgable group of growers what I should do first. With the extreme heat today, my grow space was 88 degrees with 55% humidity I pulled my babies out of the veg room and sat them in natural light for the last hour and have been misting them as soon as the leaves absorb the r/o water (which has been between 10 mins and 20 mins) and they seem a bit perkier. I checked the soil and 2 still have moist soil and the another two are ready to be watered. Should I water them all until I receive water run-off and check the pH or only water the two that need it?

 

I also was wondering if I should pull the lowest leaves that are dying and add more soil to provide stem support?

 

Thank you again Grow Room Gang

Unknown 1

 

 

Purple Haze 1

 

Purple Haze 2

 

Purple Haze 3

[MMJ Intern]

bump.

[cristinew]

give the dry ones about 6 oz water ph around 6.5 or so i would let the others use up what they already have, there still small plants dont want to over water them , the brown leaves will not turn back to green, but the new growth should,, best tip dont over water,, and always use correct ph , with plain water or with ferts, another this is do you have another planter the same size as the one your plants are in? if so fill that planter with the same ammount of dry soil, then lift it feel how much it weights, then go to your plants and lift them if they feel very much heaver then they do not need water, if they weight close to the dry one they they need water, that is how i taught a new grower how not to oever water his plants,

[cristinew]

you can add some soil around the stems, just dont water near the stem of a small plant, it could cause rot,

[cristinew]

a great read here for you, http://www.thcfarmer.com/forums/f57/complete-guide-sick-plants-ph-pest-troubles-999/