Gray spots on seedlings

[Bob32014]

I'm getting these grayish spots on my seedling leaves and especially the tips. Planted the seedlings in well-draining soil, nothing special.
Is this over watering? I've been watering every-other-day with a 1/4 strength solution of 5-1-3 fertilizer.
After reading some of the posts in here, I'm getting the feeling that I'm overdoing it and should let them really dry out before soaking them again.

Since posting, I've been looking at a problem picture gallery and gray/brown tips could be "nute-burn" but these spots are spread throughout the leaves, not just the tips. Frustrating.

 

[Blew Hiller]

Are you growing in soil? Overwatering is always a factor, but so is over-fertilizing.

 

[Bob32014]

Yes, I'm going to re pot and watch both of those things. I now have a plan, thanks.

 

[Blew Hiller]

She'll bounce back

 

[Carcass]

Looks like powdery mildew (the spots,not the tips)

 

[Bob32014]

Thanks, but they are not white and they are not powdery and they are not spreading and the new leaves are not picking them up and the tips of the leaves are affected.
But I am going to avoid spraying the leaves with water to prevent something like that, though.

 

[Emilya Green]

Instead of repotting right away, let me suggest that you learn the lift method and practice establishing a wet/dry cycle in that little container, and then once you have that figured out, uppot to a slightly larger container to repeat the process. It isnt the container that is the problem, it is the constant wetness and fertilizer that isn't needed right now.

 

[Bob32014]

OK, gotcha. I'll start weighing them when they are dry vs. wet so I can get a good cycle going. Thanks again. I would like to up pot pretty soon because right now they are in a cactus/backyard dirt mix that probably has no nutrients.

 

[Big Sparks]

I'd stop giving nutes, and stretch your waterings out a little further apart. Let them dry out , without watering, until the the cups become almost as light as a feather. Then i'd use water only with plenty of run-off, or maybe alot of run-off for an almost half-assed flush. (for lack of a better word) then continue the wet/dry cycle between waterings. After a week or two of water only (preferably RO water) start with your quarter strength nutes again every other watering.Or just up pot by then. She should bounce back though. Try not to worry too much, and just consider all that you go through, a learning experience.
Just my two cents...peace.
Sparks.

 

[Big Sparks]

OK, gotcha. I'll start weighing them when they are dry vs. wet so I can get a good cycle going. Thanks again. I would like to up pot pretty soon because right now they are in a cactus/backyard dirt mix that probably has no nutrients.

Try an organic potting soil. Or try happy frog, or malibus blend potting soil and compost. Or just start reading any organic/soil journals here to pick up as much info about soil growing as you can.
Emilya, SweetSue, Bobrown..just to mention a couple of organic soil growers.

 

[Emilya Green]

OK, gotcha. I'll start weighing them when they are dry vs. wet so I can get a good cycle going. Thanks again. I would like to up pot pretty soon because right now they are in a cactus/backyard dirt mix that probably has no nutrients.

Don't succumb to all the bad advice out there about uppotting into a large container the next time. I would suggest a solo cup filled nearly to the brim as an almost perfect first step, and from where you are at now, go no larger than 3/4 to a gallon sized container next. if you go too big you will lose all control of the wet/dry cycle.
I love the scale method, especially in these little peat cups... it is a perfect way to see the wet dry cycle. Fill one up with dry soil and weigh it, just to get a base value to shoot for.

 

[Bob32014]

Thanks Big and Emilya, that's what I'm going to do, for sure.

 

[MochaBud]

I'm getting these grayish spots on my seedling leaves and especially the tips. Planted the seedlings in well-draining soil, nothing special.
Is this over watering? I've been watering every-other-day with a 1/4 strength solution of 5-1-3 fertilizer.
After reading some of the posts in here, I'm getting the feeling that I'm overdoing it and should let them really dry out before soaking them again.

Since posting, I've been looking at a problem picture gallery and gray/brown tips could be "nute-burn" but these spots are spread throughout the leaves, not just the tips. Frustrating.

Man I have to say I keep looking at that pic on magnify and it does look like mold...what's your temps? and when you spray her, do you use a nutrient water or just mist with plain water?

 

[Bob32014]

Temp. is about 68 to 70 F. I have to say that all the new leaves that are coming out are free from those spots so I'm not going to worry about it and do as others have suggested above and cut back on watering until they need it and stop spraying the leaves with tap water. Thanks.

 

[fanleaf]

Temp. is about 68 to 70 F. I have to say that all the new leaves that are coming out are free from those spots so I'm not going to worry about it and do as others have suggested above and cut back on watering until they need it and stop spraying the leaves with tap water. Thanks.

68-70 is too cold. Bring the temp up to 75-80 and watch em go.

 

[Bob32014]

OK, I'll give it a try. I'll have to figure out a tent situation or a large box. I can't heat a whole room to 80 deg.
Thanks.