Seedling help, white splotches on leaves

[Primeau]

First time grower here trying to figure out what’s wrong with this seedling. It has white spots and splotches and the leaves of the new node look pretty mangled. It’s growing next to a few other seedlings in the same conditions and none of the other seedlings have this problem (note that this one is a different strain from the others). It was planted in store bought seedling mix and has only received tap water, no nutes given intentionally although it is possible it received some trace nutes due to watering from the same container.
The seedlings are currently under a 10 watt led light strip and 150watt led (3 separate ‘arms’ of LEDs providing coverage to all the seedlings).
I’ve read that this could be spider mites but I would have expected to see some sign of them on the other plants if that was the case.
The white spots seem to be in the leaves as they don’t come off when I try to gently rub them off.
I tried to include some photos of the underside of the leaves too although they’re admittedly not the best quality.
I’ve searched the forum but haven’t come across any other seedlings that look like this. Any ideas as to what might be causing this?

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• Primeau
• May 31, 2021

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• Primeau
• May 31, 2021

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• Primeau
• May 31, 2021

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• Primeau
• May 31, 2021

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• Primeau
• May 31, 2021

 

[Sueet]

I have no direct experience with it, but it kind of looks like it might have a virus.

 

[Emilya Green]

Hi @Primeau and welcome to the forum!
I suspect that the seedling mix isn't cutting it as far as nutrients go and your plants are hungry. I also suspect that you are not drying out the containers between waterings, causing overwatering symptoms too. We need more information on how and when you water, but I think the main thing is a need for more nitrogen. You might try a tablespoon of USED coffee grounds around the base of each plant for a quick hit.

 

[Sueet]

Hi @Primeau and welcome to the forum!
I suspect that the seedling mix isn't cutting it as far as nutrients go and your plants are hungry. I also suspect that you are not drying out the containers between waterings, causing overwatering symptoms too. We need more information on how and when you water, but I think the main thing is a need for more nitrogen. You might try a tablespoon of USED coffee grounds around the base of each plant for a quick hit.

I'm super curious about this. I don't drink coffee but my mom does, can you use the 'flavored' coffee grounds? Like the little pods that come with keurig?

 

[Emilya Green]

I'm super curious about this. I don't drink coffee but my mom does, can you use the 'flavored' coffee grounds? Like the little pods that come with keurig?

I have not tried one of them but it would qualify as used coffee in my book. It is probably measured out in just the right amount too!

 

[Sueet]

I have not tried one of them but it would qualify as used coffee in my book. It is probably measured out in just the right amount too!

Thank you <3

 

[Primeau]

Thanks for the quick replies! @Emilya regarding the watering I have been trying to follow your instructions on how to water a seedling in a too big container although it’s possible I’m not doing it properly. In the first photo below the seedling on the left sprouted the same day as the sickly looking one and I’ve been treating them the same (they are different strains though). Both are Day 11 from sprout and the one on the left looks ok to me and has none of the white splotches. For reference I’ve also attached a photo of two other seedlings which are at day 21 from sprout and following your watering instructions + first Nutes a week ago today and they look pretty good to me. I will try the coffee grinds and some nutes and see if that helps the sickly one.

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• Primeau
• May 31, 2021

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• Primeau
• May 31, 2021

 

[013]

Based on pics think you are not letting the soil dry out enough between watering sessions.

Do you have a kitchen scale or try lift the pot method.

 

[Primeau]

Thanks @013, quite a few people are telling me the same thing lately so I think that despite my best intentions I’ve been struggling to stay patient and watering too frequently! I’ve filled another pot of the same size with the same soil that was leftover from the seedlings and will use that for reference to help with the lift method. Going to leave the seedlings alone now for a few days and let that soil dry out. Appreciate you and @Emilya and @Sueet taking the time to weigh in on my plants as I can use all the advice I can get!

 

[013]

It is difficult to be patient, we are thinkers and doers, and not doing anything seems wrong. Plus we want them to hurry up and grow which often translates into too much love via the water bucket. For most soil types it’s necessary to run the wet dry cycle pretty hard, now if you were in a different soil like LOS then you could water differently like every day even, but for now the wet dry cycle is a tool to build a bigger rootball.

Hey BTW’s -welcome aboard!!!

 

[Primeau]

Thanks glad to be here!
So while I patiently wait for my current seedlings to drink up all their water, I am planning to germinate 2 additional seeds of the same strains as my two most sickly seedlings. These strains are Blue Haze and Hay-Z FYI. Motivation for this is partially I’m curious to see if the strain with the white splotches does that again and partially I think that two of my seedlings have been stunted to the point new seeds if treated properly will be able to catch up and surpass they’re growth.
One thing I had not mentioned above is that I am planning to grow all these plants in pots outside. My existing plants I was hoping to get a head start indoors while there was still risk of frost in my area and I will be moving them outside within a week.
The two new seeds that I will be germinating will go directly outside as the frost risk has passed.
For these two new seedlings, I am thinking I will start them in solo cups and will use a richer, organic soil rather than the seedling potting soil I started the others in.
If you folks have any advice or could point me to any grow journals or articles which would be applicable to my outdoor grow that would be sweet!

 

[013]

Ok if autos then best to start them in large final container (3 gallons of soil minimum) without using an upcan transplant, autos can be transplanted but it can and often does stunt the crap out of them - which tanks the yields. Yes photoperiods can be transplanted multiple times without any risk. Also for the ones that will be grown outdoors go ahead and start them indoors and once they get to 4 or 5 nodes or pairs of limbs then begin the process of slowly hardening them off for outdoors.

@Kikibonds79 grows some tiny plants outdoors in a little bird cage... he, he, he! hope she won’t mind the tag!!!

 

[Primeau]

Hey 013, thanks for the quick response! Just to clarify I currently have 6 seedlings and plan to move all of them outside very soon (hardening off through slowly increasing their exposure to direct sunlight). In addition to that I’ve just last night started to germinate two new seeds, 1 each of the two strains from my existing tribe which look most sickly (for example the white splotchy plant shown above is Blue Haze so I’m germinating another Blue Haze seed and am very curious to see if it also develops the white spots). The two brand new seedlings I plan to start outside right away since the threat of frost has passed, so these two new ones will not be grown under lights at all and will instead spend their entire lives outdoors. I am toying with the idea of posting a grow journal focusing on the two new plants with a comparison to the existing ones which I rushed and nubed into their current stunted state but I think I might be a bit too green to be producing a journal of my first ever grow lol.
many concerns with placing the two newest plants directly outside? I’ve read this could be better for them to receive real sunlight right off the hop as they would in nature.