LED Pineapple Express Redux

[driftme]

Hey guys. First grow I messed up by drowning my seedlings. Learned, and round 2 is going well. Lets pick up where my first grow left off..

General Hydroponics PowerGrower Eco (modified to add 3 airstone feeder lines)
3 5" aquarium airstones
2 pumps (1 small pump to feed the drip ring, and a larger one for the 3 air lines)
UFO LED grow light 90w
Black grow tent
General Hydroponics FloraGro, FloraMicro, FloraBloom
General Organics BioRoot
Rockwool cubes
G13 Labs Pineapple Express

That's what I'm working with. I also am only growing one plant this time instead of two. The plant is still a seedling, so for now its just hanging out in the rockwool, but still in the tent and under the light. I'm waiting to see some roots poking out before I put it in the hydroton and get the drip going. Being extra cautious this time about overwatering.

Anyway, here are some pics:

 

[Mark Green]

Sub'd and I think I'm first!

 

[driftme]

haha quick on the draw =]

oh by the way, the two bottom-most leaves are yellowed and dead/dying.. its because i almost made the same mistake of overwatering. I didnt realize how little water they actually need. This plant started really taking off when i started letting the rockwool get almost completely dry before watering again.

 

[Mr. Krip]

Are you done, now, with your previous journal??? Is it OK to unsubscribe to that one?

 

[driftme]

yea, i won't be updating that one anymore. its officially dead =[ heh

 

[driftme]

yes by all means subscribe, join in watching the progress, and offer any tips you might have =]

 

[NateRamrod]

Sub'd and I think I'm first!

Fourth!

Haha

 

[driftme]

So many more leaves. There aren't any roots busting out of the rockwool yet though.. should it normally take so long? Its been quite a while. I don't remember the exact day this seed sprouted, but I think a month is accurate.

The new leaves look healthy, but they start turning yellow/brown on the ends and then curl up as new leaves sprout. Is this maybe because of an underdeveloped root system?

The temperature in the tent stays around 75 degrees, and about 50% humidity. The water I'm feeding it is 10ml each of FloraGro, FloraBloom, and FloraMicro. Ph is around 5.5-5.75.

 

[Mr. Krip]

Yeah...it looks like you're girl is stunted. When I first looked at it, I thought it was a freshly cut clone (thick stalk!) and not a seed that had sprouted a month ago!

You may be able to save her, but it will take some time and patience, so if you have more seeds, I'd go ahead and plant one now and then work on the sick seedling for some experience.

If I had to guess, I'm thinking you've been over watering (although, it's possible there's some other issue, including just a bad seed) and may have some root rot going on.

If there were ANY roots coming from the cube, it would be easier to tell, but I'd start by soaking the cube in a mixture of 50% water and 50% H2O2 (3%) for about 15 minutes, then give it a flush of plain PH'd water (no nutes), shake the excess water (gently) from the cube, and allow it to get somewhat dry. DO NOT LET IT TOTALLY DRY OUT!

You want the roots to have to start searching for the water/nutes, and if the cube stays "drenched", they have no reason to look any further!

Try to keep the cube moist, but not soaked, and it's OK to repeat the H2O2 flush a couple times per week, until you see some roots, but you don't want to overdo the H2O2, either, since we don't know for sure that there's pythium and the H2O2 can burn delicate roots.

Once you see some roots, if they look nice & white, discontinue the H2O2 flushes and go back to light nutes. If the roots look brownish, I'd continue the H2O2 flushes and/or provide alternate treatments for the pythium.

 

[driftme]

thanks so much for the detailed response =] soil is so much easier to start! i'm definitely learning though, and excited to either get this one back on track or to do it right next time. i'm not one to give up, and i learn fast so... keepin at it.

 

[Mr. Krip]

thanks so much for the detailed response =] soil is so much easier to start! i'm definitely learning though, and excited to either get this one back on track or to do it right next time. i'm not one to give up, and i learn fast so... keepin at it.

That's the right attitude, Bro!

Don't stress over it, just learn from it.

I still hold the record for killing seedlings - just checkout my first journal, which is nothing but me killing seedlings - and all EXPENSIVE seeds!

Once you get it dialed in, it will all come easy!

 

[driftme]

sorry i just want to clarify.. i'm following your directions now, but i have some questions.

i'm doing the h202 right now, and in about 10 minutes will flush with ph'd water. also soaking a new rockwool cube in ph'd water for the new seed. (going to try a white siberan instead of the pineapple express.. maybe itll catch up to this one and i'll have one of each).

so my question is:
after i flush.. should i continue with nutes, or just with ph'd water? i ask because you mention going back to light nutes once i can see roots poking out.

it really is crazy how little water the seedlings need to survive. i didnt think i was overwatering, but last night i didnt water it (because that was my last guess) even though it was not fully moist but just a little damp. this morning the cube was very dry (probably too dry), but i watered it lightly until i saw water come out the bottom of the cube. the plant looks much stronger now, even more than that picture this morning.

 

[Mr. Krip]

sorry i just want to clarify.. i'm following your directions now, but i have some questions.

i'm doing the h202 right now, and in about 10 minutes will flush with ph'd water. also soaking a new rockwool cube in ph'd water for the new seed. (going to try a white siberan instead of the pineapple express.. maybe itll catch up to this one and i'll have one of each).

so my question is:
after i flush.. should i continue with nutes, or just with ph'd water? i ask because you mention going back to light nutes once i can see roots poking out.

it really is crazy how little water the seedlings need to survive. i didnt think i was overwatering, but last night i didnt water it (because that was my last guess) even though it was not fully moist but just a little damp. this morning the cube was very dry (probably too dry), but i watered it lightly until i saw water come out the bottom of the cube. the plant looks much stronger now, even more than that picture this morning.

I would try NO nutes in the water for at least a few days...

The seedling doesn't need much for nutes, and there's trace amounts of nutes in regular tap water. I'm hoping you'll start seeing some roots before she needs more nutes, but we'll know in 4-5 days, I'm sure!

BTW...as long as the cube is damp, you're fine. You can give it a soak, but then let it dry out quite a bit before you soak it again. Definately do NOT keep it soaked! Just don't let the roots dry out completely.

 

[driftme]

ok cool. i think my problem initially was i was probably overwatering it slightly, but mistook that for needing more nutes. i stepped up the nutes slightly but kept the same watering habits.

thanks again for your help.. without having my buddy here to help out, this is gonna be a lifesaver i can tell!

and for your viewing enjoyment:
(you can see the plant is much perkier now than this morning. yay.)

the new and the recovering!

 

[driftme]

ok one last post for the night.. i've settled on the 2nd seed i'm starting tonight. Dinafem White Siberian.

I've chosen this strain because of its similar time-to-flower compared to g13's pineapple express (56 days vs 58 days). I'm also intrigued by the White Widow in the genotype.. i love that stuff =]

looking forward to being back up to 2 plants, and with every mistake and every tip, i can see the plants getting stronger.

Will report again once I see a change in either the White Siberian or the Pineapple Express.

 

[driftme]

update time. that plant didnt recover... and upon conducting an autopsy its clear to see why. it looks like it started a really baller root system, and then i killed it with too much water (im guessing from what you guys have said). looks like maybe some rot because of it?

the roots that are there are so dense that i can't really figure out what's rockwool and whats root. but it clearly isn't enough to support a growing plant. damn! well.. it looks like i'm slowly getting better. i'm hoping that starting them is harder than keeping them alive. i'd hate to kill a bushy plant!

anyway, i added a 2nd new seed to some rockwool the other day. it's a lucky seed from a tasty nug i had recently. i can't remember the variety, but i know all the weed i've smoked recently has been pretty nice.

so the current roster is:
dinafem white siberian
?????

will keep you posted.

 

[Bennyweed1]

Ya I agress, you over water for sure. I really dis like rockwool but I have usd it with great success. I rarely watered it. The stuff holds waters like a sponge, or worse IMO. I probably water mine once to twice a week.

Marijuana love oxygen at the root zone....she absolutely loves it. Finding the proper air to water ratio in different mediums as the hard part.

I would recommend COCO to you if rockwool isnt a only option.

Thats just me though, I really dislike rockwool. When used not as a stand alone medium it is nice but as a stand alone I dont like it.

 

[driftme]

yea, after opening up the dead one, i noticed how incredibly moist it was on the inside compared to the outside of the rockwool. definitely opened up my eyes.. i was watering based on the outside feel, and it was once a day, more when i had fans going on it. its so much different than soil! i feel like i'm learning though, and i'm not gonna stop til my first successful harvest. and then i'm not really gonna stop either =]

 

[driftme]

got any links to a good supplier for coco? do i need special nutrients?

 

[Bennyweed1]

got any links to a good supplier for coco? do i need special nutrients?

Home Depot now carries Coco bricks that you have to add water too expand it. They are cheap too, otherwise a hydro store, but I hate those places.