Major issue with seedling and rooting

FruitSpirit

Active Member
Hey guys,

I have a 2 week old seedling ( lemon skunk ) which was transplanted inside a jiffy cube to a small pot. I used biobizz light mix for the growing medium and followed the usual steps in regard to watering etc. When it was first put in the jiffy cube, i pointed the tap root downwards. A few days later it had a similar if not same issue as just now, in that the root started pushing the plant out of the soil.

So now the same is happening in the bigger pot even though the jiffy cube was buried an inch under the soil in the pot. I have attached a picture so you can see, i have a upside down U shaped root poking through the soil and a small seedling which is lying on its side and wilting due to this root/roots pushing the little stem and leaves upwards out the soil. It doesnt seem to be anchoring itself if you know what i mean.

Has anyone else had a similar issue, and most importantly to the future of this little lemon skunk, what do i need to do to help it?

34eaaa65-9310-4e17-a6d4-a293af3658cc.jpg
 

vostok

Well-Known Member
I go from rapid rooter to a 3 usgallon with ease

so avoid potting up so much

ensure you have a quality 'local' potting mix add 30% perlite or clean river sand

transplant to a 3 usg pot, water well and observe

you may insert a stick to hold her upright

good luck
 

FruitSpirit

Active Member
I put the seed in a jiffy until it grew its first set of leaves but even then the same issue was coming up, the root doing a U turn and pushing the whole plant out the soil, then it was put in a pot . So its only been transplanted once, with minimal stress as it was still in the jiffy and the jiffy was put in with biobizz light mix soil. My all mix has perlite in it, but i was led to believe it is best to use a lighter soil with less pre fertilister for young seedlings. It could well be the soil, it may be too fine and is offering little resistance to the force of the root trying to dig deeper and instead just pushing the top up. Not sure.

Will do as you suggest and transplant into a larger pot and give it a good watering and see if nature can sort her out.

Thanks
 

jafro daweedhound

Well-Known Member
Something that will help is when you transplant into a new countainer, leave at least an inch or more between the top of your soil and the top of the container. This will give you room for water not to run off when your feeding and if you need to back fill around the stem for stability as well. The pic shows the soil is settling under your plant. I have never used biobizz light mix for the growing medium and wonder how "light" it is, in other words is it providing sufficient support ? At the bottom of the stem it is bent 90 degrees sort of.
If it is tipping over small support (stick) will help as the roots grow. backfill some soil around its base....

Hope that is of some help
 
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