Please stop and help!.., before I MURDER my skunk!

[Cesar Chavez]

Howdy! Beginner grower here with some leaf problems. From seed I am growing a Skunk#1 in soil; 1/3(LW) 2/3(FFOF), in a 12oz. plastic cup, with an inch or so of hydroton clay, and 3 drainage holes. The seed was scarified, pre-soaked, and then planted in a rapid rooter for germination purposes only. 11 days after initially planting seed in rapid rooter, the seedling was transplanted into its current 12oz. cup home. Fast forward to today; the 27th day, the leaves are curling upwards, and yellowing/browning from the outside in. The seedling measures 2 1/4" from soil to top, with 4 sets of true leaves, and a fifth set of leaves reaching for the light. The first and second nodes are the most troubled leaves, but the third node is slightly begining to show early brownish/rust colored spots. The stem is green from soil until first node begins, where it then becomes reddish. All the stem leaves are a little reddish from this point on. It has been watered regularly only with 6.0 distilled ph water, under an 4' 8-bulb T5 system, and temperatures from 70-80(night,day). Can someone please help me diagnose my problem.? Thanks in advance for any and all information you may provide.

 

[tcbud]

Dont freak out ....
OceanForest by Fox Farms is so good, it is sometimes toooooo good for seedlings. It is so packed with natural nutes that it sometimes will over nute your baby. So....dont kill her! She will pull out of it. By the time you transplant the plant she will be pulling out of it and able to take that much good nute rich soil.
Good luck to You.

 

[jmansweed]

I'm w/ Tcbud, don't kill them. They look okay. I'll admit that foxfarm can be strong. However, I've rooted clones directly in it before - that's not to say I didn't have a weeker batch. I'd keep a close eye for the next few days. You mentioned it's been almost a month since seed germination. I find stronger pre-fertilized soil tends to make things dark green prior to nute burn issues. Typically ph fluctuations are associated with defeciencies and it sounds like you've been aware of your numbers. It almost looks like they need food to me - with the wise addition of LW to your FFOF the nutes could have been used up already with vigorous root growth. I'd keep an eye on them and if you continue to see problems I think I'd feed them w/ a mild fert mix. No matter the issue they appear to be healthy enough to pull through. Best of luck........

 

[BuddyLuv]

Looks like a Magnesium def. due to pH fluctuation.

 

[HippyInEngland]

PH should be 6.5

It also now needs a bigger pot.

eace:

 

[Cesar Chavez]

Thanks tcbud and jmansweed for the words of encouragement; I need it to pull through, it is the lone survivor. Although I am just a beginner, I do not think it is 'over-fertilized' at this stage, but, more on the lines of jmansweed, 'looks like they need food to me'. I will try feeding it a light dose later today when regular watering was scheduled. .. A Magnesium defeciency Buddyluv? How would I correct it.? Flushing the seedling with pH balanced water? I will be using DutchMaster nutrients BTW; it's what my other plants are running on..

 

[Cesar Chavez]

Repotting it in a bigger pot does make sense HippyInEngland, thanks. I believe I have a 1 gallon container laying around somewhere, should be perfect for it for a month or so. 6.5pH.? Will do, thanks again!

 

[BuddyLuv]

If your pH is too low you will get a mag. or calcium def. I suggest what Hippy said and get your pH correct. I always get the same thing when dealing with seeds when they first start. I experiment with minor corrections in pH until I find the level the plant likes. All strains are different and you may even see differences in pH prefrence among the same strain in different plants. Once they get large enough they can take the flucuation with more ease. It will be just fine, it just may need a little babying until she starts taking off.

 

[2Dog]

maybe you are trying to hard. I use ocean forrest and I dont fertilize them in the beginning. here is my northern lights which is the same age as yours the leaf isnt bent the wind is blowing. why germinate in special stuff when a wet paper towel in a warm room works? lol special stuff I am so stoned. definitely a bigger pot.....

 

[Cesar Chavez]

Nice plants 2Dog! Yea.., my little skunk is a runt compared to yours.

 

[2Dog]

every strain grows differently something I keep learning. I hope this northern turns out great I havent had that smoke since HS. Good luck on your baby I am sure it will be fine rememebr its a weed