Beginner in need of help!

[Hashmaster4]

Hello folks! This is my first grow and I am continously learning on the fly. I planted these ladies about 12 days ago and I'm not sure if I'm overwatering or if they're getting nitrogen toxicity. I think I've made my first mistake by using fox farm happy frog mix. I'm constantly doing research and I'm seeing a lot of people say it's too hot. I noticed they were pretty dark green and some leaf curling both up on the edges and down on the tips. I have been giving them a cup of tap water every 2 days with a little root stimulant. I was worried the PH is off so I sprinkled dolomite lime on the soil surface yesterday and watered. Thoughts or opinions please?!

 

[Hashmaster4]

 

[Emilya Green]

Hello folks! This is my first grow and I am continously learning on the fly. I planted these ladies about 12 days ago and I'm not sure if I'm overwatering or if they're getting nitrogen toxicity. I think I've made my first mistake by using fox farm happy frog mix. I'm constantly doing research and I'm seeing a lot of people say it's too hot. I noticed they were pretty dark green and some leaf curling both up on the edges and down on the tips. I have been giving them a cup of tap water every 2 days with a little root stimulant. I was worried the PH is off so I sprinkled dolomite lime on the soil surface yesterday and watered. Thoughts or opinions please?!

Hi @Hashmaster4 and welcome to the forum!
Good on you for diving right in there to learn as you go... but lets quickly get you going in the right direction. There is so much bad information out here on the internet, that you really need to choose your mentors carefully. You asked for opinions... I am good at giving mine. Here we go.

First your soil. Happy Frog was made years ago specifically for young starting plants. It was made to develop strong root growth and it certainly is not "too hot" for your plants. Whoever told you that is spewing bad information... take them off of your list of advisers... they did not tell you the truth. That soil was designed to be used in your small starter containers, but it was not designed to be the final soil that you bloom in. You have made a mistake, just not the one you thought.

Next, the pH. The base pH of that soil was carefully engineered so that you didn't have to worry about this. We adjust pH so that nutrients are within a range that the plant can have access to them. Right now, you are not giving nutrients that need to be adjusted for and all your plant really needs is the Nitrogen that is available in that soil, and it is available across such a wide pH range that you should have no worries about needing to adjust anything, the plants can easily use what is there. Sprinkling lime on top of that soil was a huge mistake. Here is my opinion: who ever it was that advised this move needs not only to be taken off of your list of advisers but they also need a quick kick in the shins. By doing this you have now slightly changed the nature of your soil and adjusted its base pH upwards. With proper watering practices and pH adjustment in the future this should not be a permanent problem, but please don't do that again. There is already the correct amount of dolomite in that soil.

Lastly, the biggest problem... it has to do with how you are watering. Why a cup of water? Who decided this amount? Why a 2 day interval? Where did that number come from?

It is best to let the plant decide these things, not you or a calendar. I can't tell how large your containers are, but I am going to guess 3 gallon. It is going to be difficult to establish a wet/dry cycle in these large containers, but it can be done. I would like you to read a piece that I recently wrote on how to water a small plant in a large container... and I think the ideas presented there are the key to making your plants happy; and I invite you to read it. You are dealing with 2 sets of roots with these plants, and what you are doing is not making either very happy, and you are starting to see the results of this in your leaves. You are having a root problem, not a pH or nutritional problem. It is all about the watering.

 

[Hashmaster4]

Thanks for the reply. I am using 5 gallon pots where I planted my seed because I read not to transplant autoflowers. I will give yours a read for sure. So you're saying it's probably overwatering eh? I'll wait a few days and let it dry out and then water with 6.5 ph and hope for the best. I'm getting all my info from the internet and as you know there's a ton of different opinions. Because I'm not supposed to transplant autos should I just ride it out in the happy frog soil and start to add nutrients in a couple weeks? Or do you think I'm completely doomed. Thanks again

 

[Emilya Green]

again, personal opinion, but I think this advice to not transplant autos is a bunch of hogwash. I realize the amount of pressure that is out there convincing people that they are supposed to start in their final container, but that doesn't make it good advice. And as long as you are adjusting your pH, also be advised that 6.5 is not the best advice either. 6.3 pH is mathematically the point where the most nutrients are the most mobile, but as I said earlier, there is no real need to adjust pH right now unless you just want to practice doing so for later when you have to run some real nutrients through there.

So no, you are not doomed, but you are going to be completely dependent on the nutrient line you decide to go with, because that soil is not going to be able to provide all the needs of your hungry plants. You do need to read my piece on watering in a big container though... you still have lots of work to do to gain control of that watering.

 

[HermanMonster]

Emilya that’s why I try to read everything you post. Thanks.

 

[AdaminCO]

You’re definitely in good hands my friend.

 

[JC Grow]

Hi @Hashmaster4 and welcome to the forum!
Good on you for diving right in there to learn as you go... but lets quickly get you going in the right direction. There is so much bad information out here on the internet, that you really need to choose your mentors carefully. You asked for opinions... I am good at giving mine. Here we go.

First your soil. Happy Frog was made years ago specifically for young starting plants. It was made to develop strong root growth and it certainly is not "too hot" for your plants. Whoever told you that is spewing bad information... take them off of your list of advisers... they did not tell you the truth. That soil was designed to be used in your small starter containers, but it was not designed to be the final soil that you bloom in. You have made a mistake, just not the one you thought.

Next, the pH. The base pH of that soil was carefully engineered so that you didn't have to worry about this. We adjust pH so that nutrients are within a range that the plant can have access to them. Right now, you are not giving nutrients that need to be adjusted for and all your plant really needs is the Nitrogen that is available in that soil, and it is available across such a wide pH range that you should have no worries about needing to adjust anything, the plants can easily use what is there. Sprinkling lime on top of that soil was a huge mistake. Here is my opinion: who ever it was that advised this move needs not only to be taken off of your list of advisers but they also need a quick kick in the shins. By doing this you have now slightly changed the nature of your soil and adjusted its base pH upwards. With proper watering practices and pH adjustment in the future this should not be a permanent problem, but please don't do that again. There is already the correct amount of dolomite in that soil.

Lastly, the biggest problem... it has to do with how you are watering. Why a cup of water? Who decided this amount? Why a 2 day interval? Where did that number come from?

It is best to let the plant decide these things, not you or a calendar. I can't tell how large your containers are, but I am going to guess 3 gallon. It is going to be difficult to establish a wet/dry cycle in these large containers, but it can be done. I would like you to read a piece that I recently wrote on how to water a small plant in a large container... and I think the ideas presented there are the key to making your plants happy; and I invite you to read it. You are dealing with 2 sets of roots with these plants, and what you are doing is not making either very happy, and you are starting to see the results of this in your leaves. You are having a root problem, not a pH or nutritional problem. It is all about the watering.

My experience with planting seedlings from wet paper towel into FFO it was two hot.Tens days my two were going nowhere(maybe an inch and turning brown).Transplanted to regular seedling soil and they recovered nicely.