These are 3 weeks old auto flower Girl Scout Cookie seedlings that I started in water. Planted in 5 gallon pots of promix indoor 3x3 grow room using vivosun 1000 led grow light. I’ve grown several seasons outdoor and never this kind of problem. Any suggestions would be so appreciated.
Indoor and outdoor are two completely diff beats. Mother nature has a way of taking things over and improving on any ideas we can throw at her.
Care to discuss you germination/planting process? Take it from the top if so.
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Welcome to the forum.
Please tell us about how you water them after they are placed in Promix (how much water, how often,…)
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I started by putting the seeds in water. They sprouted in about 72 hours. My grow tent was ready to go. I had (5) 5 gallon grow bags. I watered the promix well prior to transplanting the seeds to the soil, planting the seeds around 1/4 inch deep with root down. After the first day I misted with water daily. At first I had the light around 2 feet from the grow bags. They emerged from the soil in 3-4 days with the seeds casing still on but didn’t progress at all. After about a 10 days I removed the seed head since it never fell off by itself. a couple more days…still nothing. After 2 weeks I thought maybe they weren’t getting enough light so I moved the 3 remaining seedlings to 1 pot and moved the light very close…(3-4 inches away). Still nothing after 3 weeks so I pulled up and thought I’d ask for help.
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This is Damping off. Im guessing your wet soil and watering was just too much.
What I do is dampen the soil so that when you squeeze it in your hands tightly is no longer drips water.
It should be damp but not soggy. Many of us start them in a well drained starting mix in a solo cup. Same thing, damp but not real wet.
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And to avoid helmet head you plant the seed with the tip down. If the root is just barely out of the husk plant it up because it naturally will curl back down like these…
The arrow points to the part that should be down. That allows the natural curl on the root to head downward like it wants to and then because the seed is split it gets caught in the soil and left behind. I have had no helmets in over a year since doing it this way.
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When I’ve done outdoor grows I’ve always started them in small pots, but since these are auto flower, I read where it might be best to go ahead and put them in big pots. I’ll go back to small pots or solo cups and make sure I plant the seed head down. So is the seed head always on the opposite end from where the sprout comes out?
Yup. Seems counterintuitive But it really works.
I agree with the dampening off assessment. I start my seeds pretty similar to you and dont water after putting tails in dirt for at least a week. Sometimes more like two. The root system is barely developed and that moisture just sits in the dirt
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The root always starts out of the pointed side. The other side has a dimple/crater. It will pop out of the pointed end and then curl back towards the crater end. Plant point up.
I soak them 24 hrs then plant them. I dont wait for a root.
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This is exactly what I do also.
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Just dont wait too long to transplant. I do two weeks. The roots are not developed enough to stress the plant when transplanted. Waiting longer and the plant adjusts to the small container and it can stall.
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My seedlings went outdoor 3-20 and it was too early.
Most looked like yours, Not healthy.
I pulled the remaining and got them indoors.
Some survived. Some I went looking for the seeds.
Ended with some live some dead.
Outdoor clones, also too early, 4-20 marked on calendar.
Learning PREMIUM seedling starter soil is important.
Outdoors could have used clear cup covers, but still too early.
Commenters said same. 4-20 better day for outdoors.
Morning Dew, RAIN (PNW) not much sunlight (PNW morning fog) too cold at 38-degree nights
Should I put the small pots all in the grow room first thing? 24/7 light? how close should it be to the seeds. I think I read in the forum that it should be 2" from the soil, but that seems awfully close to me.
What kind of light are you using?
If going outdoors, u definitely dont wanna run 24/7. 18/6 can be risky as the outdoor sun never hits 18 hours a day. You may want to try along the lines of 15/9-16/8. Just so when u go outdoors, flowering isnt triggered
I’m trying a totally indoor grow. I thought that auto flower could handle 24/7 light.
Sorry following many threads and get things mixed up at times. Yes the can grow to harvest at 24/0. But ive found plants to grow healthier faster when they get some rest. Most id run is 20/4
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Seedlings get lowest land in tent. Right tent, far right corner. Seedling mat utilized but not visible
Lights on FULL for 18-6s
Also have u tried putting a clear solo cup over the seedlings to act as a terrarium?
Just spray inside cup and tada. just a thought