Dying at a week or so

[John'sMidnightGarden]

Hi all, I posted this in my gallery, but hoping for more visibility - delete post if not allowed. I'm after a bit of guidance after a lot of reading, bit lost right now as I've found several possible causes, tried to address each one and not seemed to crack it yet.  Seems that as soon as I've put real thought into it, it's stopped working!

My seeds pop, germ ok in Supreme soil, last a week or so and flop over.  Left alone they wither away.  Troubleshoot attempts, same result.  I'd say they get to the point of having their 1st single blade leaves, 2nd lot just tiny dots and it leans and flops.  I prop them hoping they sort it out and they die.

48w t5 lights, 24/0 high as I can and low as I dare.  Extracting via a cheap 4" fan.  Room temp water, treated with fish tank stuff. Quite hard water unsure yet of ph, but my first couple loved it and still do.

 

Temps about 26c all 24 hours. I tried spraying to keep the soil moist daily, tried letting them wait for it a bit.  No nutes, I'm not mental.  Took the (indirectly blowing) clip on fan out when I suspected it as a cause, same results.  Multiple seed companies, all trusted names, I've had seeds off them all on bodged grow attempts and they always grew well - one sprouted in my damp pocket once, so this is vexing.  I'm no stranger to gardens, allotments etc, the soil I'm chucking out each time looks good to me i.e not a boggy mess, but I get rid just to be sure.  If anything, my latest attempt is maybe a bit dry.

I've 2 plants vegging nicely, I'm trying to get a few babies ready to go in the "big tent" once they're done.  I'm in no rush but damn I never had such issues with seeds before.  I've killed 6 so

far.

 

 

 

Tempted to try the next couple on the window sill!

This bubba kush in the pic (with the roach-splint), flopped yesterday.  Laid down completely.  I propped it up, filled to the top with soil and gave a spray this morning.  I'm pleased the taller orange juice hasn't flopped yet, but we will see.  Both were planted half-filled, to allow topping up of soil after stretching.

The better looking grapefruit is a clone, my first time rooting one and happily it turned out it comes from the plant I smoked as a boy, or a clone off the same guy growing it back then at least.  Feeling a bit better on this one, but any thoughts on the seedlings dying would be welcome

 

Tweaked this a bit today for more detail, and to add that I can't be sure, but I think I see a blue-ish tinge to the green right before they melt away, but that might just be the dead look.

 

thanks for any thoughts

[Lancaster8]

What a strange issue.  Your seedling in the picture looks healthy enough.  This is a difficult question to answer.  Seedlings don't need fans at all.  I would also give them only gentle light until they get going.  Until they get going, too much light might perhaps barbecue them?  Shame there isn't a picture of one that has keeled over.  It almost smells of stem rot or root rot, yet these aren't issues normally associated with seedlings.  I can't imagine that your soil mix has any pathogens already in it, as it would have been sterilised.  I wouldn't spray them at all in case it is making them too wet.  For me, if I am growing from seed, I will just leave the seedling in a tiny pot on a little shelf for a few days under a table lamp in my lounge - just to get it going.  Then, it will be moved into the veg tent.  I have never had any issues, except in rare circumstances where a plant has been genetically wonky.  Even then, they usually grow normally eventually with perseverance.  

 

Your question is a strange one.  I hope someone else can offer you better advice than me. 

[Inspiration101]

Those bottom two I would still have in the propagation unit keeping them humid and protected from too powerful a light and heat too early in their lives - They need a real set of leaves to perspire.

[John'sMidnightGarden]

33 minutes ago, Lancaster8 said:

What a strange issue.  Your seedling in the picture looks healthy enough.  This is a difficult question to answer.  Seedlings don't need fans at all.  I would also give them only gentle light until they get going.  Until they get going, too much light might perhaps barbecue them?  Shame there isn't a picture of one that has keeled over.  It almost smells of stem rot or root rot, yet these aren't issues normally associated with seedlings.  I can't imagine that your soil mix has any pathogens already in it, as it would have been sterilised.  I wouldn't spray them at all in case it is making them too wet.  For me, if I am growing from seed, I will just leave the seedling in a tiny pot on a little shelf for a few days under a table lamp in my lounge - just to get it going.  Then, it will be moved into the veg tent.  I have never had any issues, except in rare circumstances where a plant has been genetically wonky.  Even then, they usually grow normally eventually with perseverance.  

 

Your question is a strange one.  I hope someone else can offer you better advice than me. 

no mate that helps, validates a few points for me, I felt like I'd forgot something basic and crucial so good to know I wasn't divving too hard!

 

Inspiration101 thank you too, I had bad times with humidity domes on seeds so avoided them so far.  You have me rethinking this though, so I've moved them to a fairly bright, indirectly lit windowsill and will stick a dome over them if they don't smarten up soon.

 

thanks very much for the tips both

[UKsFinest]

What's the fish tank stuff you're treating the water with for chlorine? Just plain tap water should be alright 

[John'sMidnightGarden]

36 minutes ago, UKsFinest said:

What's the fish tank stuff you're treating the water with for chlorine? Just plain tap water should be alright 

Only dechlorinator mate, nothing fancy. I'll miss it out next attempt maybe but it's old habit to dechlorinate any water I'm using, plants or fish.

[mrrichiet]

12 hours ago, LWD said:

I tried spraying to keep the soil moist daily, tried letting them wait for it a bit. 

 

  If anything, my latest attempt is maybe a bit dry.

 

My guess would be that they're drying out. Why spray the soil? That will barely touch the surface. Give them a good glug of water. As long as you're not saturating all the soil and leaving it that way it should be fine.

[John'sMidnightGarden]

On 9/15/2020 at 10:14 PM, mrrichiet said:

My guess would be that they're drying out. Why spray the soil? That will barely touch the surface. Give them a good glug of water. As long as you're not saturating all the soil and leaving it that way it should be fine.

thanks mate, bang on!  It's been years since my last attempt, only just in a position I can crack on and grow without someone turning the lights off or nicking all the leaves off veg (yeah!), all these vids I've hyped up on , plenty people using spray bottles in seedling stage.  Glugged water, witnessed life.  Thanks mate.

 

Also thanks again to the rest, seems getting them away from the t5s and onto the windowsill helped too, the Bubba Kush looked sad for a day or so but seems to have righted.  Again, million vids and posts and I couldn't wait to get my t5s going.  It done a great job on my first 2 (NL, Pineapple express) so assumed these babies would go well under it.  Apparently not.  I think window sill is the way to go till they're a bit older.

 

Oddly enough, the NL and PE I started before I sorted the grow space out - all glass conservatory, prop tent, t5s etc middle of the heatwave a couple months back.  Temps up to 44c, down to 16 at night, I thought to give up on them and they just grew a bit slower than I remembered.  They go 12/12 in about 2 weeks, looking good.  I don't understand it but enjoying the learning.  Thanks all.

[Inspiration101]