Please help my little Matilda!

[Lightnindog]

How's it going fellas. I am looking for some help diagnosing an issue(first time grower). The issue started just a few days ago but only seems to be getting worse faster and faster. I'm using a light cycle of around 10-4-6-4 and was watering whenever I specifically noticed soil was dried(once or twice a day). I directly planted the seed into the pot it's in after it was germinated and for the first 4-5 days it looked healthy as a clam. But I woke up one morning and checked on her and she had some brown/tan appearing on the edges of a couple of the leaves. I thought this may be heat damage even though i'm only using a 60 Watt bulb and kept the bulb 3 inches or so above the plant whenever lit.
My next thought was maybe overwatering so I have given her water twice since I first noticed the issue(3ish days ago) and it doesn't seem to be helping. I have not tested the ph levels yet so i'm sorry for lack of info but growing her was a bit spur of the moment so I will have to get a pH test kit if someone can't help without it (can update tomorrow). After pulling the light back another inch or so and her not getting better I think that she may not be getting enough light so i've increased her light exposure to more of a 16-8 cycle and going to see if that works. Also one of the leaves turned a cream white and seems to be dead.
Another possible problem I was considering is I live in a state with a lot of oil drilling/fracking and it's likely that our water is someone mineral rich or possibly even dangerous. I didn't feel like signs would show so early of a mineral deficiency but it's possible. The soil i'm using is "Jiffy Organic Seed Starting Mix"
I have provided photos and will continue trying to diagnose and fix the issue but help is highly appreciated! High-ly, heehee; but in all seriousness help is appreciated and I would love for my first grow to be a success. I plan on transplanting her into a smaller container tomorrow because I am trying to keep her small and bushy rather than tall and christmas tree'd. Thanks for reading guys!

 

[CO Finest]

Over watering. Once ever other day. Now if you get any nutes on the leaf's you will burn them with light on them. I do kelp one day a week then water every other day from there. Just make sure your soil is dry before water. Two knuckle deep dry and pick pot up to see if it is dry by weight.

 

[CO Finest]

Ph water very important as well. 6.5-6.8

 

[CO Finest]

Making her small and bushy. Keep in big pot. Fim top and tie her down to get her short and bushy. She to small to be transplanting like that. You are going to put to much stress on her.

 

[Lightnindog]

Over watering. Once ever other day. Now if you get any nutes on the leaf's you will burn them with light on them. I do kelp one day a week then water every other day from there. Just make sure your soil is dry before water. Two knuckle deep dry and pick pot up to see if it is dry by weight.

Thanks for the input man i'll change the watering right away. I'm a bit surprised about keeping her in a bigger pot while trying to keep her small. After the 4th or 5th node appears I was planning on either pinching or FIMing her down and i'm going to use bread bag ties to tie her down to the sides of the pot but I thought this one may be a bit to large for her branches to reach the side without stretching to much. I'll update in a couple days with how she's doing. Also is there a certain height I should keep the bulb at above her so I can avoid light stress just in case?

 

[TanR]

Hi Lightnindog.

Let me start by welcoming you to 420 Magazine and the community of members that gathers here.


I have to agree with CO Finest that, that it looks and sounds as though the primary suspect causing the issue is overwatering. My general rule of thumb is to wait one full day past when I think my plants could probably use some water. Plants will uptake water very quickly (hour or two) if over dry, but will struggle for a long time if overwatered.

I have to confess that this first plant is really looking pretty rough. You can ignore the cotyledons (the little rounded leaves that first opened) as they are in the process of dying as soon as their initial purpose is completed. However, from the photo's those primary leaves appear pretty washed out toward the ends. The pics arent' the clearest, so I'll ask; Are you seeing any new growth from in between those two primary leaves? If not, we may not get this one to make it. Sorry, but I thought it right to mention the possibility. I do hope this little one pulls through!

You mentioned a 60 watt bulb - is that a 60 watt equivalent CFL that actually uses maybe 13 watts?

One thought I'd like to offer is that changes with even the youngest of plants takes time. I find it helpful to remember that, in soil particularly, what ever change you witnessing today is most likely the result of actions several days or a week ago.

Be well, happy growing, and again

 

[Lightnindog]

Hi Lightnindog.

Let me start by welcoming you to 420 Magazine and the community of members that gathers here.


I have to agree with CO Finest that, that it looks and sounds as though the primary suspect causing the issue is overwatering. My general rule of thumb is to wait one full day past when I think my plants could probably use some water. Plants will uptake water very quickly (hour or two) if over dry, but will struggle for a long time if overwatered.

I have to confess that this first plant is really looking pretty rough. You can ignore the cotyledons (the little rounded leaves that first opened) as they are in the process of dying as soon as their initial purpose is completed. However, from the photo's those primary leaves appear pretty washed out toward the ends. The pics arent' the clearest, so I'll ask; Are you seeing any new growth from in between those two primary leaves? If not, we may not get this one to make it. Sorry, but I thought it right to mention the possibility. I do hope this little one pulls through!

You mentioned a 60 watt bulb - is that a 60 watt equivalent CFL that actually uses maybe 13 watts?

One thought I'd like to offer is that changes with even the youngest of plants takes time. I find it helpful to remember that, in soil particularly, what ever change you witnessing today is most likely the result of actions several days or a week ago.

Be well, happy growing, and again

Thanks! I already feel welcomed! Also there are new growth nodes appearing in between the two primary cotlyedons. Today I noticed the parts of the leaves that aren't browning are starting to look more healthy so not watering so much may be starting to have an effect. I also trimmed off the browned parts of the leaves. Sorry for the fuzzy photos but my phone is horrible at focusing close up.
I checked the bulb for sure and the lamp says to use a max 60 watt type A bulb or equivalent 13 Watt CFL but after checking I am using a 47W Type A bulb for the lamp and i've moved it back to be around 6 inches from the plant.
Thank you for the input and I hope she can make it through this! I don't want to take a life because of my inexperience !

 

[Dresney]

Hi, Lightningdog

I checked the bulb for sure and the lamp says to use a max 60 watt type A bulb or equivalent 13 Watt CFL but after checking I am using a 47W Type A bulb for the lamp and i've moved it back to be around 6 inches from the plant.

Are you using the common household, pear-shaped incandescent bulb or is it a compact fluorescent bulb?

If you're using an incandescent bulb you will want to switch to a CFL (something as close to the 6500K end of the spectrum as possible). Incandescent bulbs actually put out very little plant-usable light while putting out tremendous amounts of heat, which is why they're so inefficient energy-wise. (They're more like little heaters that put out a little light as a by-product.)

Your plant looks like it has been cooked to me, which would be plausible if you're using an incandescent bulb. A 60-watt equivalent CFL (13 actual watts) you could put 2-3 inches away from your plant with no heat issues.

The incandescent bulb would also explain why your soil is drying out so quickly... those bulbs are hot!

Hope you get her turned around!

 

[Lightnindog]

Hi Dresney! Before I say anything I want to congratulate you on how insanely well your grow is going!!(Just creeped out the thread) The plants are beautiful so props to you!

To answer your question yes it is the incandescent and it sounds like i'll be needing to make a run to home depot tomorrow! The lamp says to use the equivalent 13W CFL bulb so is that the best that you would recommend? In regards to cooking the plants I'm not sure if maybe the lamp isn't super strong or what it may be because i can put my hands virtually and inch or two away from the bulb and feel little to no heat and she's been kept around double that the whole time. But it could also mean that she isn't getting enough usable light then so it may be hurting her.
An update on how she's doing- The new nodes coming in are getting better and she's still staying fairly green especially on the new nodes. I can post pictures tomorrow but I just got off work and have class in the A.M. so that's for tomorrow! There is still one cotlyedon still fairly intact with no visible damage and the 2 true leaves have stopped browning except for just a little on the edges. Sorry for the unprepared grow, I feel bad bringing her into the world and hurting her so early on. In my state Marijuana is quite the punishment(basically the most strict in U.S.) so I don't have as much freedom of keeping her out in the open. I'm working on getting a fan for ventilation and working on finding a little more spacey and open area for her so i'll keep updating as I go! Thanks again for the advice! Happy Smoking!

 

[Dresney]

Thanks for the compliment! I love my little ladies

I would get the largest 6500K CFL they have unless it's more than 60 actual watts (the max your lamp allows). My local Home Depot's largest is 26watts (they have larger bulbs in other colors of the spectrum, but not 6500K). You can also get a socket splitter (about $2) to allow you to put two bulbs in your lamp.

If you plan to flower with CFLs you'll want to change your bulbs to 2700K down the road.


Happy shopping tomorrow