Week Old Seedling Problems (with pics)

My seedling is about a week old and I noticed the tips and edges of the first pair of leaves have started to turn black/brown. It hasn't been growing much the last couple days either. The seedling is in a peat cup filled with a cactus mix of soil (peat moss, sand, compost, vermiculite, & perlite) with extra perlite and I have been waiting a couple days in between watering. The PH of water drained through the soil is ~7.6.

The picture shows the lamp after I discovered this problem. It was about an inch and a half above the plant before. The lamp directly above the plant is a 150 W Cool White CFL, I also have a 75 W Soft White CFL off to the side and a 100 W Cool White over another seedling in the bigger pot. I have a oscilating fan going (in the 2nd picture) that does not blow directly on the seedlings, but above them into the corner creating a breeze (you can see the tall one shake a tiny bit when the fan blows toward it). The temp measured under the lights is ~80 F constantly, as the lights are on 24/7.

What do you think is wrong with my plant? I suspect its heat stress, so I moved it another inch or so away. The seedling stretched a lot when it sprouted so I may have overcompensated and put the light a bit too close.

Another possible issue may be PH. I just got a water meter and measured the filtered tap water I've been using and it was ~8.2. Could this also contribute to this discoloring? Could it be overwatering? I was misting everyday before a few days ago when I soaked it and have been letting it dry since. I've prepared water with a PH of ~6.7 (with lemon juice) for its next watering, and I'm waiting til tomorrow maybe for it to dry out some.

dont worry about it yet dude... this happens to alot of my seedlings as long as it keeps growing youll be fine

What strain are you growing?

Kenny's Mix from the Vancouver Seed Bank. It seeds like the second set of leaves are starting to bud in the middle, but it hasn't really grown for a day or two. Then again, I'm also really impatient.

looking good to me! Damn that's a lot of desk lamps haha

Ya, I've backed them all off, esp. the soft white one. Do you think it needs more direct airflow? Usually the room feels a little chilly but under the lights its usually ~80 F. Also, what are your thoughts on PH? Could the high PH of the water have caused this?

Here's an updated pic from this morning"

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Without getting into details and without the benefit of seeing exactly what it is you are doing, it sounds to me like you might want to simplify things. 1) Change your soil. Use a 50/50 mixture of Perlite and any brand of potting soil. 2) Put your pH meter in a safe place and vow to never use it again. 3) Your lighting system sounds fine for flowering and bud production but the Kelvin temperature of your lamps is too low and will not promote or sustain vegetative growth. I would go 150 watt 6500K CFL bulbs. I would also recommend foliar feeding until the plants are healthy. I can't really recommend a specific type of food to give them as I use my own concoction of ingredients which provide nutrients, micro-nutrients and oxygen.

Thanks for the advice.

1) The soil is a potting soil, but a cactus potting soil which I mixed about 1/3 with perlite (b/c it already has some + vermiculite + sand).
2) Are you saying my meter is not accurate or that it simply isn't important to moniter water/soil pH?
3) I noticed my strongest bulb is a 200 W 4100K CFL bulb (cool white). What type of bulb has even higher Kelvin output? The ones I have are the best ones that I have found at most hardware stores. I also have a 150 W HPS light but have been saving it for when the plants are a bigger.
4) The plant is only a week and a half old, are you sure I should be fertilizing it? Since you can't recommend a certain type, what do you typically use for your own plants?

Another thing, this plant and was about an inch tall 8 days ago. Is this growth typical or is it growing slow?

I guess, my trying to keep it simple didn't quite make it. My main point concerning the soil is that the soil should be discarded and that you should start over. The type of soil that you use is not critical but it should have nutrients in it before you plant your seedlings. Foliar feeding is the safe way of providing nutrients until the roots are established. A healthy plant will adapt to the pH of the soil in which is finds itself. The danger of using a pH meter presents when the grower acts on what the meter is showing. Sudden changes in the pH can severely affect the plant's ability to take in nutrients via the roots. Foliar feeding is independent of the root system's ability to take in nutrients.

Regarding the bulbs, Sylvania makes a 150 watt 6500K (Daylight) 3-way bulb. Because it is a 3-way bulb, it will not work in a regular socket. For it to work, a wire connecting the two circular + poles at the bottom of the bulb will need to be soldered into place. The outer negative pole, which is the screw part of the bulb, must not come into contact with the soldered bridge wire. I am not recommending that you or anyone else do this. It is what I do. I do recommend that you consult an electrician and follow his advice on the subject.

The concoction that I employ is a combination of Water Soluable Miracle-Gro Tomato Plant Food, a multivitamin and peroxide.

Running a double blind study of cloned plants is the only way to accurately assess a particular plant's growth rate. I will say that for plants be at their best, they must have the right amount and type of light at the various stages of their development. Both the roots and leaves must receive the proper amounts of oxygen both day and night. The leaves need the right amount of carbon dioxide during the day. A flow of air along with the proper amount and type of water is essential. As you can see, the list of items that have to be addressed in order for your plants to be lust and healthy is long.

I see. Thanks for the advice about the pH, I think I'm getting the idea. As far as lights go, I took a look at a chain hardware store and the best daylight bulbs I found were 18 W (equivalent to 75 W incandescent) 6400K bulbs (which fit in lamps), so I bought two and put them about 3-4 inches away to prevent any more burning. As far as the soil goes, I may just keep it and see what happens; it does have some nutrients in it so it should be fine for at least the first weeks. If it doesn't improve in the next couple days I may start feeding it. One question though: if you're spraying nutrients on the leaves, will this increase heat stress? Should you move it away from the lights while the leaves have moisture on them?

aguro, everything looks ok to me. I grew these mother plants with a 150w hps. I started with flouresent, but after a few wks I used the hps. Just keep it a good distance away. When they stretch for the light you can move it closer. 150w doesn't get too hot. After a month or so I had it to within 6" of the plants.
Good luck
NSB
I wouldn't worry too much about the cfl's burning. They really dont get too hot. Just keep the plants futher away from the light when you spray if your concerned.

You can find Sylvania 150 watt 6500K CFL bulbs at Lowe’s. I can place them as close as 2 inches to a plant without worrying about burning it. I have had these bulbs as close as 1 inch but that interfered with the distribution of light.

I have never had a problem with heat or any other kind of stress from foliar feeding. For a sick plant, it might be the only means of saving it. If you mist the leaves, you should have no problem related to the light's proximity. Droplets on the other hand could act as little magnifying lenses and therefore present a hazard.

I have my plants under five 150w CFLs and five 75w CFLs all about 4-6 inches away. I've never had a problem with burns from foliar feeding, not even droplets. Maybe if my room we hotter they might be a problems, but the cooler the room the less dangerous it is to foliar feed.

Also, rob is right. I foliar feed my seedlings from a young age to get them healthy and established, and they do adjust to almost any PH that they are in - as far as soil goes that is. Changing that PH later on by mistake or on purpose can severely stunt or give a plant deficiencies, so I just let nature take it's coarse. Must be careful when taking clones from a plant like that though.

Could I ask what Kelvin output your CFLs are? And what type of food do you use to foliar feed (and at what concentration)?

Here's an update from this morning:

Hi Aguro,

Sorry, that it took me so long to get back with you but putting something like this together takes
more than just a notion.

Cannabis is the most hybridized plant in the world, generally with one paramount goal in mind. As
with any plant, hybridization to expand a single feature in a plant often results in a diminished ability
of that plant to thrive.

As a result of hybridization, every cannabis plant has it’s own set of minimal nutritional requirements.
What may work great for one plant may not work at all for another plant and may even be harmful.

With that in mind, here is my recipe for foliar feeding. This particular formula is not for root feeding.
It is meant to correct nutritional deficiencies in young, old or regenerated plants.


Ingredients:

1) 1 gallon of distilled water
2) 1 tsp Miracle-Gro ( Water Soluble ) Tomato Plant Food
3) 2 GNC Mega Men vitamin pills
4) 1 tsp Epson salts
5) ¼ tsp lime
6) ¼ tsp baking soda
7) 8 drops of Ultra Sunlight dishwashing liquid

Preparation:

1) Soak the vitamins pills in a cup of water for a few seconds to
dissolve their coating. You can then rub the remainder of the
coating off of the pills under running water with your fingers.
When you are done, drop them into the bottom of a blender.

2) Now add the remaining items but not the dishwashing liquid.
Then pour 1 cup of water over the mixture and cap the blender.
Set the blender as high as it will go and run for about it for 1
minute total time but go 20 seconds on and 20 seconds off, so
that you don’t burn up your blender.

Remember not to rest your hand on the lid. That’s another good
way to ruin a blender.

3) After everything is blended to a creamy consistency, you can then
pour the mixture into the gallon of distilled water.

4) Now add the 8 drops of dishwashing liquid, recap the container
and shake well. The mixture will look like orange juice, so label it
and do not leave it where a child or someone might mistake it for
orange juice and drink it.

5) Use any pump type of sprayer to deliver a fine mist to the top
and bottom of the leaves and stems.

I would start off by spraying both sides of one or two branches on one plant and wait a day.
If the things haven’t gotten worse, then spray the entire plant the next day. Then wait another
day and spray all of the leaves again. You can then spray every 2-5 days or until you see an
improvement. Some deficiencies may take three days to improve, some make take 5-7 days.

Foliar feeding should not replace root feeding but is can get your plants out of trouble. If foliar
feeding improves the state of your plants then look for the problem to be with the soil, your fertilizer,
your watering regimen or a combination thereof. I’ll send you some before and after pictures, after I
sort them out.

Good luck,

rob