First time grower, droopy leaves

[IndicaDeadHead]

They are in rapid rooters. right when they popped I put them in their final pots(everyone was saying with autos that I don't want to transplant). So no I didn't see any roots. When I grow photos I plan to go from rapid rooter, to solo cup, to final pot. So I will lay off watering for today, and start tomorrow with way less water than I was giving them until they get a little bigger. And I'm gonna start learning wet/dry grow bag weights. Thanks for your help.

 

[Thundercat]

Ok based on that I'm posative your over watering them. Those rapid rooters hold water well. Thats what i use too. You might want to go 48 hours. Just poke the top of the rapid rooter and see if it feels damp. The root system at this point is tiny and that seedling only needs a very small amount of water at this point.

 

[Jimdamick]

on a 20/4 cycle

Use 18/6, it will save you money and do no damage to your plants.

 

[Jimdamick]

Thanks for input mo. I definitely may be overwatering. I give about 2 gallons, between three(plants) - 5 gallon grow bags. Everyday. All 50/50 coco Perlite mix. That's the only way I can get 20% run off. Seedlings are 9 days old. I have heard its very hard to over water coco/Perlite, but will tone it down for next few days and just water around the plants, instead of saturating whole pot.

Seedlings don't need much water. Watering everyday, especially with 5 gallon pots is way overkill. Maybe once a week until they get big enough.

 

[Jimdamick]

By doing that and letting the coco/perlite dry out, I won't be causing any problems or anything will I?

Never let it dry out. it will suck all the moisture from your plant, and then it will die rapidly.
All you have to do is keep the root system moist, definitely not wet or you will drown the plant.
In your case with 5 gallon pots, water once a week(maybe not even then) with 1000 ppm/6.3ph water until bloom (4/5weeks).
Once your plant is in bloom, then it will require more moisture and will have to be watered more often.

 

[IndicaDeadHead]

Thanks a lot for the help guys! Really appreciate it. I was def over watering. But once a week?? They would for sure get bone dry if I only watered once a week. I'm not in soil, I'm in 50/50 coco Perlite, with maybe even a little more Perlite. Water goes right through the pot like a siv. Maybe every other day? Or 3 days maybe when they are this young? And instead of saturating the whole pot I will water around the plant(10 day old seedling). Thanks again for the suggestions.

 

[Thundercat]

Just FYI once that plant gets big and starts really growing and flowering you might have to water it everyday since you have such good drainage. It's just a problem now because the plant can't drink it all.

 

[JSheeze]

They are just barely out of soil. Don't trip, they will grow, nothing's wrong.

When my pots look HUGE compared to the seedling, I just dump a lil water around the base of the seedling. I don't flood the whole pot till run off. Ill water em a couple times a day till they drop roots into the bucket (I do DWC) and fill out my net pot, and then I don't have to worry about watering anymore.

Watering to 20% run off is not necessary at seedling stage. I'd recommend just watering a little at the base of the seedling if you happen to check em and they are dry (I check twice a day). Thats how I do my seedlings (in coco and perlite too) and mine are in net pots. I'd imagine growbags will hold in moisture better than net pots.

It'll take a couple weeks (~16 days) from seed before you can start to water them more like a plant and not like a seedling.

18 days from seed, not very big..


Dry...

Just watered around base..


These could grow faster if I watered more often (not too often to drown, but more often) but I'm lazy and they'll still double in size in the next 2 weeks especially after they drops roots into the bucket. I normally plant straight into the final container/pot but these I started out in little pots and transplanted. Their roots will take longer to find the bucket nutes because they have to grow out through the net pot first. If I planted them in the net pot in the first place (what I normally do) they would have baby roots coming out of the bottom of the net pot already.

 

[IndicaDeadHead]

Awesome guys! Great info... They are looking better already! Gonna wait until tomorrow and water just a little around the plants for a week or so. Then add a little more water, as they will be 17 days old at that point. When they are big I will probably have to water daily(to 10-20% run off), as my mix is very well drained, but ill do it gradually and not until they are large enough, and I know my plants better. Almost no more drooping already! Thanks again

 

[IndicaDeadHead]

Ok guys. Now my leaves(middle of plant) on one of my plants is yellowing a bit. Its by far my biggest plant and it is still growing everyday. And I have one plant that is nice and green, but doesn't seem to be growing much. And funny enough, the third seedling that I dropped and shocked, seems to be the most normal. All 3 have been watered and fed the same. All 3 are same strain(afghani autoflower). The consensus was that I over watered. I have only given a tiny bit of water to each in the last 2 days. I'm obviously not watering tonight at all.

Anyway, do you think the yellowing in the middle of the biggest plant, is do to me over watering from before? Does it take a few days to turn yellow in the middle(ends of leaves have no yellowing). It is growing the fastest for some reason. And my second question is, is the other seedling that doesn't seem to be growing much, but is normal green, ok? It is noticeably smaller than the others.

Good news is no more droopy leaves! But bad news is 1 is yellowing, and 1 is stunted maybe? Here are some pics of the 2 I was talking about. I can send pics of the third if you like, just let me know. Thanks for the help guys, don't mean to bother, but I want to succeed!

 

[IndicaDeadHead]

Also, I only watered a little bit in the last 48 hours, and when I stick my whole pointer finger in the substrate, it is just a little moist, not wet at all. But a tiny bit moist. By me not watering, or feeding, for lets say about another 24 hours or more(only watered a tiny bit last 48 hours), I won't be causing any damage to the plants right? They will be fine only getting that little bit of water for a few days? Also moved my LED's down to 32 inches from the substrate... Hopefully this is just a over watering problem(most likely) and not a nute or lighting problem. If I don't water and they turn green,(will they turn back dark green?) ill know exactly what it was! Thanks

 

[JSheeze]

Ok guys. Now my leaves(middle of plant) on one of my plants is yellowing a bit. Its by far my biggest plant and it is still growing everyday. And I have one plant that is nice and green, but doesn't seem to be growing much. And funny enough, the third seedling that I dropped and shocked, seems to be the most normal. All 3 have been watered and fed the same. All 3 are same strain(afghani autoflower). The consensus was that I over watered. I have only given a tiny bit of water to each in the last 2 days. I'm obviously not watering tonight at all.

Anyway, do you think the yellowing in the middle of the biggest plant, is do to me over watering from before? Does it take a few days to turn yellow in the middle(ends of leaves have no yellowing). It is growing the fastest for some reason. And my second question is, is the other seedling that doesn't seem to be growing much, but is normal green, ok? It is noticeably smaller than the others.

Good news is no more droopy leaves! But bad news is 1 is yellowing, and 1 is stunted maybe? Here are some pics of the 2 I was talking about. I can send pics of the third if you like, just let me know. Thanks for the help guys, don't mean to bother, but I want to succeed!

They look good man, no worries..

You can pretty much water it with diesel in veg and they'll still grow lol (it's a weed after all) it's in flower that they get real picky.

New growth is lighter green in color and might look like its defecient but it's just forming at the center and lighter green.

I would just water (about 3-4oz per seedling is all I'd use) when you wake up and when you go to bed, a lil around the base till it grows in a bit. It seems like it takes forever but they'll get bigger by the week, just be patient. Your seedlings look good and I wouldn't worry.

Use an equal ratio fert (1-1-1, 2-2-2, 3-3-3, 4-4-4, 5-5-5, ect) @ 550-675ppm, pH it to (6.0 - 6.5) and water when you see it dry, NOT when you see it wet, about 2 or 3 times a day.

Mix nutes FIRST, then pH. Lots of coco guys use additional Cal-Mg due to the absorption nature of coco, but let's hold off on that for a min and see if your pant asks for it or not. A lot of the nute companies put enough Cal-Mg in the nutes already.

 

[JSheeze]

Also, I only watered a little bit in the last 48 hours, and when I stick my whole pointer finger in the substrate, it is just a little moist, not wet at all. But a tiny bit moist. By me not watering, or feeding, for lets say about another 24 hours or more(only watered a tiny bit last 48 hours), I won't be causing any damage to the plants right? They will be fine only getting that little bit of water for a few days? Also moved my LED's down to 32 inches from the substrate... Hopefully this is just a over watering problem(most likely) and not a nute or lighting problem. If I don't water and they turn green,(will they turn back dark green?) ill know exactly what it was! Thanks

Yea you'll be fine waiting to water. Those pots are huge and hold onto quite a bit of moisture. If it's moist then you're A-OK.

What you don't want is stale, un-arrearted water sitting in pots. Your seedlings roots are just baby roots and are still at the top of the pot, so if you water till run-off and your roots are only at the top there's a whole ton of water just sitting and standing in the middle and bottom that can be a breeding ground for fungus gnat or mold etc..

You've been watering till run off in big pots but your plants are babies so by waiting a lil longer you're doing yourself favors letting the old water get a chance to dry up. Then just water around the base till it gets bigger and can actually utilize the entire pots amount of water.

If you're afraid its too dry give it a shot glass worth of water to put your mind at ease.

 

[IndicaDeadHead]

Great news! Thanks a lot. I do use calmagic. I'm using general hydro nutes- just micro and bloom. My ppm has been around 300 so far(ro water). I was planning to bump that up in the coming days. I was also going to add silica(just came in today, armor si) Would that be a good idea to strengthen up my seedlings? And ill hold off from anything tonight and water a few ounces, a couple times a day starting tomorrow. Thanks man feeling much better!

 

[JSheeze]

Great news! Thanks a lot. I do use calmagic. I'm using general hydro nutes- just micro and bloom. My ppm has been around 300 so far(ro water). I was planning to bump that up in the coming days. I was also going to add silica(just came in today, armor si) Would that be a good idea to strengthen up my seedlings? And ill hold off from anything tonight and water a few ounces, a couple times a day starting tomorrow. Thanks man feeling much better!

I use the GH 3-part too. I also use the Armor SI (and CaliMagic as needed, I have hard tap water). None of the nutes or additives are going to really have an effect till the plant gets bigger. I use about half the dosage of what GH recommends on their bottles.

I would recommend getting some Southern Ag fungicide (D747). Its the same thing as Hydroguard and will help prevent root rot. I mix 10ml into 32oz of water and then use that dilution (6ml of dilution per 5gal nute water) to treat my nute water. Its super concentrated (2000× more than hydroguard) so that's why I make a dilution to use instead of using it straight.

I know everybody hates on the GH grow (green bottle) but I use the exact recipe they give (including the green bottle) just about at half strength of all bottles. If you use Armor SI mix it first. Before CaliMagic, before GH micro. Mix it first. I use it at about 3ml per 5gals. I notice it seriously keeps the stems like silicone. Kind of stretchy and super soft and bendable. They say that it helps against bugs too which makes sense from my observations.

I'd get some DE to top dress your coco as a bug prevention, and next time I'd recommend blending in a little neem seed meal in with your coco/perlite mix (1/4 cup per ft3 or around there). That's what I do and I dont have any bugs. Neem is a natural insecticide but is high in N and so I wouldn't recommend top dressing with neem right now as it will taint the nute ratio as the water soaks passed it and into the coco and could burn your seedlings.

 

[IndicaDeadHead]

Thanks man you have been really helpful! I have the grow so I might as well use it. I have studied the order, so I should be good there but thanks for the heads up. The fungicide I have not heard and I will def be picking some up! Especially in the spring/summer! And I was planning on top dressing, just didn't know what to use(Perlite, clay stones, sand),but going to check out DE now. Thanks for the neem idea, I will use it on my next grow!

 

[IndicaDeadHead]

Garden friendly fungicide or the liquid copper fungicide? Both made by southern agricultural... I think the garden friendly. And when should I mix that in my nutes(order) and at what point in the grow? Thanks

 

[IndicaDeadHead]

And about the DE... Is it the powder form? And would it be a good idea and safe to top dress my seedlings with it now? And as for the neem seed, I shouldn't worry about that for this grow right? Thanks again man

 

[Koheleth]

If you plant seedlings in new, quality soil, you shouldn't have to water but every 2-3 days at first. If you're unsure, spritz em with a spray bottle every now and again. Personally, I wouldn't even think about feeding an auto for several weeks, and not too much then. My last harvest, I grew in Fox Farm Ocean Forest and I used almost no fertilizer. I feed them 2-3 times at like quarter strength, and it turned out better than most of the weed I've ever smoked. Oh, and I didn't check the PH even once.

 

[IndicaDeadHead]

Thanks koheleth. I've read its a little different in coco as there are no nutrients at all in it(so you have to feed a little after the first week). And ph is very important for us coco growers because it doesn't maintain ph like soil. Coco/Perlite also doesn't hold water like soil does. If I end up having too much trouble I may try soil, but for now I'm gonna finish out this grow. Thanks for the reply!