High Quality Dutch Passion Seedlings Taking Turn for the Worse

First time grower; growing organically.

Soil Mix:
1 Part Organic Mushroom Compost
1 Part Organic Soil
1 Part Peat
3 Parts Peat Moss Sphagnum
1 Part Perlite

Organic Tea:
RO Water with Minerals Added
Worm Poop
Bat Guano
SPT & BHO
Molasses

I bubbled the tea for a few days, and then added it to the soil mixture and let it soak for a week.

I germinated the seedlings in paper towels, all germinated well and I planted them in the still moist soil in those brown/thatch planters about the size of those large red plastic cups. I put the seeds root down, using a tweezers, about 1 inch down.

I have the seedlings under 400W ceramic metal halide lamp (more spectrum than HPS and much cooler; all the rave at International Cannagraphic). Since this puts out much less heat, I had the lamp about a 10" away from the seedlings.

The seedlings were doing well this morning, but upon checking this evening, nearly all have fallen over and look quite pale. Longest seedling is about 1".

I think I am overwatering, as I water twice a day and give it a good soaking. When I do water, I do make sure the top inch of the soil is dry.

I am also concerned over the soil mixture... maybe I don't have enough soil and too much peat moss?

I have pictures posted of the seedlings. My wife took a look at them and thought they were underwaterd, so I just gave it a good thorough watering (the top 2" of soil was dry). From reading, I wonder if that wasn't a good idea. I am watering with plain room temp RO water with minerals added.

Any ideas on what's happening to my seedlings? These are top quality Dutch Passion seeds. Room temp is typically 75-85F. RH is 40%. This is in a pretty cold cellar, so I have a space heater about a foot away from the seedlings, pointed away from the seedlings. If I didn't have this room temps would drop to 55 or below with lights off.

I just turned on the CO2 to give them all the help they can get.

Edit: I will post the pics tomorrow AM.

perhaps one more duplicate thread would work better

Dupe? I only posted this once.

You are giving your seedling far too much attention. Don't give them anything accept the basics until they get their first real leaves.

And watering them twice a day will surely kill them! You should only water them when the soil is a bit dry. Pot is not a plant that can live in a swamp.

And don't feed your seedlings! I'll give you the advice I give to all new growers. Don't love your plants to death!

Let your plants dry out for a few days and take that time to do a bit of research on how to properly care for them. Or you'll be singing the dead weed blues.

Good luck.

Yeah listen to Lil Czr.. whats high quality Dutch passion? if your light runs so cool why keep it 10 inches above? I keep my 400 mega close all the time and get fat little bushes/.... like Lil Czr says, you are loving them to death.

I'm sure I'm loving them to death... I just want to get a consensus on if they will come back to life!

I read to keep an HPS light 2' away from seedlings, so I figured 10" for seedlings was pretty darn close... am I wrong? I have since moved the light to 2.5' away.

Would I be better off keeping the light on for 24hrs straight instead of 18/6 in order to better dry out the soil?

Here are the pics:

Some of them may pull through, but one or two of those pics did not look good. HID for seedlings is a little overkill. You would do better to put seedlings under cfl's for a week or so at the beginning, and then put them under your HPS after they have established themselves a bit.

I'm not a big fan of the 24 hrs of light method. I figure that if nature thinks that plants need a dark period then who am I to disagree. But as soggy as that soil looks, it might not be a bad idea.

I think they will be fine. Let them dry. If your light is that cool Id keep it closer. I have a 400 with an aircooled hood and I keep it right on top of them. Some people say to use weaker lights on seedlings but then they post pics and they are these tall lanky Charlie Brown seedlings.. I keep them right over them. If you put your hand right on top of plants and light doesnt burn your hand you should be fine. Just ease up on the care for them. Let them dry, I keep my light on 24/7 for veg time. Basically this is an easy plant to grow, you are thinking about it too much. I did the same thing. Just ease up... Monitor them and check them but do not keep watering. I am a basement grower too! PERFECT PLACE! Get an ocillating fan in there too, not on high but that will strengthen their stems and also provide more air circulation which I learned is superimportant! Good Luck Bro!

I moved the light back to a closer proximity and the soil is drying out a bit.

After doing some more research, I'm fairly confident that the poor ones became susceptible to a condition called damping-off and it is caused by a fungus due to overwatering.

Prevention notes:
Don't over-water
Good air circulation
Don't plant the seeds too deep
Sprinkle powdered cinnamon on the surface of the soil

I think I overwatered and planted the seeds too deep I just added a small circulating fan today. I sprinkled some cinnamon on all the pots so as to prevent other seedlings from becoming susceptible.

I think the (2) poor ones are goners. I will give them another day, but they are looking worse and are rock hard.

definitely let them dry some. and think about the 24 hour light. good luck with the grow.
great advice czr

Well (3) officially kicked the bucket =(

The other three... I have hope and I have my doubts. They are not falling over like the rest, but they are not growing at all. I think this is a multi-tiered problem, and I'm looking at the soil as the culprit here; I think I mixed too much peat moss within the mix. I just made a new soil mix for the new seeds that I just started germinating last night and I think I will have more success with that.

Really a bummer though... I lost my Blueberry and my Strawberry Cough as I only had (1) seed of each of those.

Well, hang in there and dont give up!