Scrawny/Sickly seedling (Pics)

abbike18

Active Member
hey guys,
im a newbie grower and ive got three seedlings goin. Two of them look healthy (i think) but one of them looks very sick (see the pictures).

Conditions are:
72-80 deg F
40-55% Rel Humidity
fan going 24/7
2 20W 2 foot fluorescents - Ott lite (850 lumens ea)
2 20W 2 foot fluorescents - Philips warm white (1350 lumens ea - added these two days ago)
Soil - 5 parts Miracle grow organic to 1 part pearlite


Any idea what the problem could be? Im really not sure because the other two seedlings look good. This is day 16 after sprouting. They are a bit behind because it took me a while to get the grow spot conditions right, which i think set them back. Also - yesterday I added about an inch of soil to the top of the pots to give them some more support. I think one of the plants (Blue Sky - after the allman bros song) looks over watered...how much water do seedlings usually need?

Thanks for the help

Alex
 

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atavistic

Well-Known Member
I wouldn't panic much. Some seedlings just don't make it (genetics, etc.). I don't see any stretching, so I'd guess the lights are close enough. They shouldn't need much/any ferts quite yet. Check pH to make sure no lockup problems. If you don't have tester, most water departments (in the US, maybe Canada) publish monthly/quarterly details about what's in the water, and they tell you the average pH. Not as good as testing at home, but a start. Many municipal water systems pump out 8+ pH water, which is deadly to MJ, especially seedlings.

Cervantes says, and I agree, seedlings have enough stored energy with the micronutrients in normal tap water to get them through the first 2 - 3 weeks of life with nothing extra. In your case, the soil adds that much more room for error.

Worst case, you lose one - germ a replacement.
 

abbike18

Active Member
the plants are 16 days in....is it too late to plant another seed, or would it be ok to have one plant being two weeks younger? These arent feminized seeds so i dont really want to only flower two plants, cause that would suck if it was double male.

Thanks
 

atavistic

Well-Known Member
It's never too late to plant. Statistically, (if one lose one) you have 25% of 2 F, 50% of 1 M/1 F, and a 25% of 2 M.

Do you want to find out in a month that you only have males, and be back where you were 16 days ago, or would like to have a spare or 2 a couple of weeks behind or few more plants to stack the odds in your favor?

If you're going to vege, then flower in same room, with a backup or 2, you can maybe go a week longer into vege, and the johnny-come-lately can be flowered a week or so earlier than normal. With 3 plants, chances of all male go to 12%, 4 plants they drop to 6%.

Once you have a known good female - CLONE! and eliminate the future headache. Your clones can survive in any out the way place with minimal light while you flower.

Anyway, do you feel good about water pH?
 

AfrikGanj

Active Member
They mite look weak now,they dont look lik they bout to die,some times wen the seed is to too deep in the soil it strains to break through and that can cause it to be weak, it may take longer for the weaker ones to reach a sure state,always plant many,about half a finger nail deep and mist the soil and plant til it has two leaf layers.
add1tspn salt to1litre water desolve and this wil cure ph
 

abbike18

Active Member
awesome...well ive got a seed germinating right now. Are you saying that once i start flowering and find a female, i can clone it and then keep the clones say in the window of my bedroom and i can keep it there until my plants are done flowering, and then take the clones and put them back in the grow space?

i dont have a pH tester yet...been using bottled water to water the plants. I was thinking about getting a soil ph reader, and figured i could also dip this thing into my water before i feed. How does this sound? What substance do i use to increase pH and what do i use to lower pH?

Thanks for all the help
 
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