Slow growth and odd downward leaf curl - N tox or overwatering?

[sl48]

My first grow and this is one of my 2 plants. 12 days old, in fox farms ocean amended with perlite, organic garden soil and mushroom compost under 300w full spectrum led light 36 inches above. I have watered sparingly but the soil seems to hold water for a good length. Was my soil mix too rich in nutrients for a seedling? i haven't fed them at all.

 

[Weaselcracker]

Ocean Forest is a bit too rich for seedlings. But not so much that they don't grow past it once they gain size. Sounds like you added more nutrients on top of the OF. The plant looks like it will be fine though it may just struggle a bit at first.

 

[sl48]

day 9 it had a normal shape.

 

[Weaselcracker]

It's easy to avoid overwatering. Just judge by lifting the pot to check the weight. Leave it till it's dry and starting to wilt just slightly and you'll know the weight you need to get close to next time.

 

[sl48]

thanks dubya

 

[sl48]

weasel, should I flush a lot of water through on the next watering to remove some of the nutrients? I see other 14 day old plant images and mine look like 8 day old plants. I'm bummed out

 

[Weaselcracker]

I think you'll do more harm than good because of the overwatering issue. Roots explode when they are in quite dry conditions. I never soak down a seedling. It's always a bit touchy with them in the first few weeks. I plant them into moist soil/medium with a little bit of nutrient, and they usually need little or no watering after that for the first couple weeks.
Overwatering is the number one killer of seedlings and sprouts, and about the only way to outright kill a young plant.
She doesn't look bad though. I think you'll find that growth takes off when the pot is light. As long as it's not an auto, you have plenty of time to catch up.

 

[sl48]

phew. thanks again.

 

[sl48]

is there any reason to repot it in new soil with better drainage. I just don't know how long it should be before I see some improvement. It looks even worse with the 2nd set of leaves drooping but maybe they look that way because they have grown. I poked some holes in the soil last night so well see how it's doing when I get home later today. it's the plant on the right

 

[sl48]

the good thing is that it is still growing. so that's at least some good news. the pot still has moisture so that soil really holds water. 4 days after watering.

 

[Weaselcracker]

It's a very small plant and probably most of the soil water loss will be from evaporation at this point, not transpiration. It's normal to not need to water much in the early days. It would be better not to transplant right now. Because what you would have to do (to make a difference) would be to reduce the size of its existing pot full of soil by breaking or scraping away the outsides of the soil lump (if it is a lump) before transplanting into fluffier soil- and doing this will almost certainly damage roots. When you transplant it's best to get the whole soil mass/rootball out intact and plunk it undisturbed into a space within a larger potfull of soil. I would leave them till they are very light feeling and dry. Then water by doing touch ups - dribbling around the edges, and/or sitting in a container of water very briefly to soak up some from below. Keep them just on the dry side and the roots will start to grow well. Transplant when its rootbound enough that you can lift the whole football out as a clump.

 

[sl48]

Thanks for the solid advice. it's hard not to mess with them to help them along.

the water is evaporating and they are perking up. day to day growth is visible.

 

[Theodorick]

I'm about 2 weeks ahead of you on my first grow. Had some similar issues. I think I over watered. I think the temp was too cool, winter here. So I backed off the water. Plants don't look like the little runts now, but still short. That's probably OK.

So it's hard to relax when it's the first time grow!!! Thanks for posting.

 

[sl48]

cool. post up a photo. im in the northeast so I'm in the same situation. tent is 74 during the day and 64 at night.

 

[Theodorick]

My tent was down to 55 dark. Now about 60 with a heat mat cycling on of in dark only. About 75 with the light on. Seems better. Still trying to figure out the picture posting thing

 

[sl48]

the soil was really dry today and the plants just started to show signs of wilting so I watered with 2/3 cup of water and Fox farm big bloom which contains no N but P&K to improve root growth. I weighed them dry and the after the wateringto get a sense of when to water.

 

[sl48]

and just like that they wilt hours after watering. the soil is crap so I mixed up some new soil with more perlite and sand. I had to pull them out of their pots, knock of as much soil as I could without damaging them and repot in the new stuff.

 

[Theodorick]

Notice some shorter plants. Very bushy.

cool. post up a photo. im in the northeast so I'm in the same situation. tent is 74 during the day and 64 at night.

 

[Theodorick]

Ok, I figured out the posting thing. You see some downward curl on mine, but not bad. Some are very stocky. 4 T5 bulbs. Temps 73-76 with light on. Trying to get my dark temps up. Using a heat mat in a 2x4 tent during dark.

 

[sl48]

day 31 and things are much improved. It's hitting a stride now that its in 1 gal pots with roots organic. I topped on the 27th down to the 5th and they are recovering well. lots of branching going on. I started another grow and the new blueberry seedling is 2-3 days ahead of the old on in growth. So day 10 of the new seedling is that same size of day 13 of the old seedling when comparing photos. Another interesting thing is that the new seedling has it's leaves bend just like the first one like clockwork. I think its a genetics thing.