Also just checked the lower part of the stem before the dried out skinny part I just showed, it still has water in it bc it’s thicker than the top part.
So the middle of the stem started to dry out and lose water and wilt?
So weird… I’m at a loss for words
All seedlings have is a tap root, so it is very easy to drown them. Anything more than a couple ml of water each day is too much. Many growers don’t water seedlings at all since seedlings are so prone to damping off (root rot.) They instead place a clear Solo cup or cut pop bottle over the seedling and mist inside the dome a couple of times per day. A seedling can get all of the water it needs from the humidity inside the dome.
That last pic is clearly damping off. Your seedling is also asking for more light.
Can damping off occur that quickly?
It was doing just fine today.
The stem and leaves looked great, even grew a little.
Just tonight it took a major turn 
Yes. It can. It is by far the most common reason for seedling loss.
Thanks for the tip.
How do you personally prevent damping off from occurring?
I use a dome.
Use a clear dome or only water a couple ml of water per day. Increase watering proportionally as she grows.
Do you water the soil at all when you plant the seed? I was spraying the soil with water to give the germinated seed some moisture and then the humidity dome.
When do you take the dome off your seedlings?
When the leaf edges touch the sides of the dome.
Only a couple ml of water a day until the seed pops, then I place the dome and stop watering.
Lots of new growers think water=love, happens to most honestly. Dont let it phase you. I killed 4 and stunted 7 since I started. But Ive harvested many more then I killed and even those I stunted gave me flower. All thanks to this forum right here. Read, read and read some more, and ask ? every day if you have to.
One thing I noticed in your pics is that the soil directly beneath the sprout is very wet. In your next attempt, try and keep your watering at least 2 inches away from the outside perimiter established by the leaves. I gave this as en example to another to visualize what I mean.
Couple questions like that.
What Brand, type, wattage and distance is your light?
What Brand/makeup soil?
How often and how much did you water? This will be good to know so your next attempt you know how much is too much.
And please ask as many questions as you can think of, you will get the help you are needing to successfully bring a plant to harvest.
Take some soil from the outside and gently just put it around her like a volcano until shes upright. Should be just fine.
I have extra seeds and decided to see how long a seedling can go without being watered.
I know everyone’s setup is different and this is by no means a definitive experiment. Just following my system I wondered how long can a seedling go after it sprouts under normal conditions before it dies.
So I prepped the soil, which was FFOF. I was out of Happy Frog so I just used Ocean Forest.
Soaked with RO water
Squeezed out as much as possible
Placed in solo cup.
Thank you so much, thank you everyone.
Unfortunately, the plant had died.
But I will take into account all of what you guys mentioned for my next run.
I’m not giving up just yet even though it’s discouraging.
Lights: I have been using just plain windowcil light.
I have direct morning sun hitting the plants for a couple hours in the morning, then I move them to the other window downstairs to get the rest of the day’s light.
So unfortunately I don’t have a grow light or tent or anything to keep a controlled environment.
I’ve been giving them sunlight in the window because they’d eventually go outside.
But it’s so hot for them as seedlings to go out right now,
Maybe once they’re bigger and can handle it.
So in total the plants are getting a good 7-8 hours of direct sunlight. And I know this isn’t enough for cannabis, as they typically enjoy 12 hours of light a day.
So I do need to invest in a grow light and tent.
Just trying to do it the more natural way and see where it goes.
My growing zone is 7b.
I’m 5,712 ft in elevation in Prescott Az.
So I have a dry and hot climate.
Humidity outside is pretty low, lately being in the 20’s.
I’ve been using a humidity dome over the plants daily, they’ve got holes poked in the bags for oxygen to get through.
Soil is Fox farms ocean forest.
I will say that I have spray watered around the stem. But I guess that’s a big no no.
Been only using a spray bottle to water.
Any reccomendations for cheap grow lights and tent?
On a budget here.
Although I’m not happy that you’ve had plants die and stunted. It does make me feel a little better knowing I’m not the only one who’s accidentally made mistakes.
I just wanna grow my plants somewhere where I don’t gotta worry about nutrients for a while ( which is why I bought Fox farms ocean forest)
Where I don’t gotta where about humidity and high temps.
I just need me a grow tent where I can have that setup.
I’m going to try the method you mentioned with the watering. As far as keeping the seed hydrated until it sprouts and then using a humidity dome. Because correct me if im wrong, but until the plant starts putting on their leaves, they drink from the humidity in the atmosphere and not the root zone correct?
The root may still drink too but mainly just establishing ground.
Oh I forgot to mention, I did have an osalating fan not blowing directly on it, but osalating around it to give it a little rustle.
Thank you all for the help and info.
You know, I had no clue that touching the stem can cause damping off.
I did touch the stem to help support it the other day while I packed soil around it.
It worked for a couple days but then it just fell over again and from the pics I posted last night,
The stem was dying off.
I read with damping off, this is a symptom, the stem stops transporting water through out it, and it dies quickly.
This isnt gonna work out. She needs alot more sun then the window will allow through.
Thats not gonna cut it.
Actually they enjoy about 14-16 hrs of light during the begining of grow season down to 12 hrs during harvest season. Photo period plants are triggered to flower as days get shorter.
Yes!
Nope, even the pros snap a stem or overfeed on occasion.
Correct. You dont really need to water a seedling for the first week its outta the ground. I do 60ml around seed hole till sprout then I toss a humidifier in my tent, but humidity dome work the same. Spray a cple mists inside the dome every day. I used to put the dome ON, THEN spray like 20 times the surface of the pot to keep soil moist
Wait to fan until she is outta germ and seedling phases. 2-3 weeks.
Marshydro has some pretty cheap 2x2 setups. Im gonna be honest with ya…cheap isnt the way to go here. I spent a cple hundred on a mh 2x2 with light…got it setup and by the time veg was over I spent another 500 or so on a 3x3 setup. 2x2 can only do one plant and a 100 watt light is gonna leave you with partially airy buds. I just harvested this 2 weeks ago from my 2x2 setup. She is smallish and the buds arent solid like I wanted em, still excellent though.
If it was me in your described situation, I would get a 100watt cfl or a tube fluorescent light for seedling. You can put it almost ontop of the plant without screwing it up and it will get you to the hardening for the outside part.
You can use a bathroom with exhaust fan to start em in, bathrooms can be dirty so clean it first but getting and keeping a humid environment is easy in a bathroom where it is usually wet and warm.
Im in Chandler, AZ but I dont grow outside, @plumbdand is an AZ outdoor grower he might be able to help you figure out how to get to where you wanna go. His outdoor grows make me drool some.
FYI, add perlite to increase this soils aeration. I mix 3 scoops FFOF soil to one scoop perlite. Try to find med size perlite too, the miracle grow/scotts brand is soooo tiny.
I and others are here to help if we can. Wanna get someones attn do an @ and their name (ie @Docnraq to tag them. Happy to help, sorry for your loss. You will get the next one.
This helps so much. Thank you.
You’re right, I don’t want to go cheap, I’m trying to just make die with what I have.
Thank you for tagging Az grower! I use to live in the valley and it’s way hotter than my climate here now up north.
I’ll definitely check his grows out.
Also, the pics you posted, photoperiod or auto?
They looks great, stock is nice and thick.
Man when they say seedling stage is the most difficult they weren’t lying.
Im in chandler, not sure where plumbdad is specificly. North maybe?? I dunno.
Autoflower. They are all Ive grown so far. I gotta couple journals here on ILGM if you wanna chaeck em out, Ill tag you in em. My first and 2nd journals are very thurough.
Agreed!
Yes please! I would love to check out your grow journal. Thank you so much.
This is going to be the story of this grow. Invest for success.
Me neither.
