All plants dying..Overwatering or underwatering?

I have lost probably around 30 plants recently. They appear to be overwatered. Barely water them and it is only damp deep down. I am using Fox Farm Ocean Forrest Added Perlite. Fabric Pots.

Mars Hydro Sp3000
Temp 75 humid 60
Exhaust fan and oscillating 12 inch room fan

I simply don’t understand. No matter if I give them water or let them sit they just get worse. These are my biggest ones this year and sure enough they’re dying now too. I have planted and lost nearly 30 seeds this year from ILGM and not one has survived. What in the !!! Is going on. I am losing my $ patience, and will not have medicine. The first few deaths was like ok fine but I have done just about everything I can think of to troubleshoot and have provided them great parameters. Media, etc please help






Do you ever soak your plants? Like a whole lot?

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I haven’t. Only as seedlings and I lost those before they got big. Thought it was soil compaction and have transplanted several times and I don’t think it’s compact. The tops few inches is completely dry and whole root ball seems disconnected but when I go to water It freaks out. I let these sit to air out incase water is pooling to bottom without aeration. I honestly can’t tell difference visually between underwater or overwater droop in plants.

It is almost impossible to overwater in fabric pots. So here’s the schedule I follow. I water (slowly) with about a cup and half of water per gallon of medium. (3gal pot gets 4 and half cups) I do this every other day or so. Once a week or so I soak the plant completely. Getting a good runoff. That’s it…

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They look overheated and dry to me. Are the perked up after the dark period? I would water the crap out of them every few days when I first put on the lights. If you have lost that many plants you are doing something wrong. I don’t know what you have for lights but I am guessing it might be a little hotter than you think.

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Yeah that looks like a little tiny desert

I would give a good soaking, let it rehydrate, then start over with a wet / dry cycle

Yeah @WesternMass420 is right, how is that heat from the lamp? That could certainly be a contributing factor

30 plants is a lot😱. I’m two for two and I’m just winging it with the advice here on the forum

Yup underwatering. Where you planning to lst? Those girls are awfully way too close the side of the pot even for that. A good portion of the root structure that is required would end up getting pruned away by the fabric pot. That’s your real problem here. They can’t create a sustainable root ball under such dry and harsh conditions of being within a couple inches of the side. Would be fine in a plastic pot. Not at all in fabric.

Keep in mind dry peat tends to repel the water initially, so go slowly until it seems like it is soaking it up.
Overwater/Underwater - sucks they look the same…poke your finger down the side of the pot opposite the plant, full finger deep, If wet dirt sticks to your fingertip, good. If she comes out dry, you have the problem.

“Transplanted several times”
How many times is several?

Transplanting is quite stressful and if not done carefully and can cause damage, as I am sure you are aware. Transplanting is one of the tasks that worried me the most. For me and my girls, I will start in a 16oz solo and Transplant once into 5 gallon buckets.

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Stress, dry and hott.

Stress: Try not to transplant again. This causes ‘alot’ of stress and the entire plant. We try to put seeds into 4inch pots. I let them grow than transplant to the 50 gallon grow bags. Less is best!

H2o: Fabric pots are very hard to overwater. If your soil is correct and dose kot reataim to much. Take some fresh water and soak the soil. A few gallkos worth. Not every watering but about one per week.

Heat: Do you have good air flow? Looks like it is getting to hott and not enough fresh oxygen. Kinda hard to tell. May just be a lot of H2o.

Happy growing…

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