Something just isn't right...

[Slowlyburn]

I tried a few things different for this grow. First is my lighting. Second is my starting pots... I changed my lighting from cfl bulbs to a 600w MH. I changed my pots to dixie cups to get started.

The way I germinate is between a stack of wet paper towels in complete darkness and I plant them when the white root pops out of the seed. This is how I have done it time after time with 0 problems.

This time I only had 4 of 10 sprout out of the soil and 3 of the 4 are laying on there side and just look very stretched out and weak. I don't know what is causing this. Is it my light? Is it the heat? Is it the cups?

With the new lighting I have raised the heat in the room anywhere between 81-84 degrees. Before the lighting change I was at about 76-78. Could this be my problem?

 

[The Silver Bullet Special]

I would have gone with T5's for veg lights low heat and high lumens that you can put the light right on top of the plants pretty much. If your light isnt in an air cooled hood you might want to look into one of those. The hood I'm getting from plantlightinghydroponics.com is the sunlight yieldmaster II and they have hood insulation covers you might want to try out as well so you can stick with your MH bulb and keep it cooler. The link to those covers are posted below.

hxxp://www.plantlightinghydroponics.com/sunlight-sun-shield-covers-c-338_998.html

Make sure your dixie cups have drainage holes at the bottom.

 

[Old_SSSC_Guy]

It might be old or inviable seed.

 

[Slowlyburn]

I do run an air cooled hood with a tempered glass panel. Do you think the temps I mentioned are high enough to affect my seeds negatively?

 

[Old_SSSC_Guy]

I have germed seed in the mid to high 90's F and not had issues. Mother nature does them much worse than that and plants grow just fine.

My average temp in a 10'x12' flower room this summer has been 85-90. The plants don't seem to care much as long as they get fresh air.

 

[Slowlyburn]

OK good to know... I am germing 10 new seeds and I'm gonna go back to my 1 gal pots to start...

 

[Old_SSSC_Guy]

If a seed doesn't germ properly, it doesn't matter what size container you put it in. I leave seed in tiny peat-pellet sized containers for the first week or so. No impact on the germination and initial starting.

Just my opinion... best of luck to you!

 

[Red eyed gardener]

I think seedlings generally stretch when they are not getting enough light.I dont know at what distance your 600w MH is supposed to be from the tops but maybe you just havent find that sweet spot under the light where the plant is happiest.I wonder if a plant can get to much light.I wonder if the temp was right if one could put seedlings right under the glass.

 

[Hushpuppy]

I have had a similar experience recently. A pic would help but if the plants are coming up out of the soil then when they get about 1-2" tall, they bend at the waist and the stem turns dark, then you have something like a parasite or pathogen in the soil that is killing them. Its called damping off. If this is whats happening, you may have a problem with your soil. I have lost about $120 worth of new seeds because of this. I recently switched to starting my (popped seeds) in starter cubes that have been sterilized and I am not seeing the problem occuring so far.

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

Sounds like damping off. Damping off can be caused by different things.

From Wiki: hXXp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damping_off

 

[4u2sm0ke]

:yeahthat:

 

[bwanabud]

Everyone has their own way, that works for them ...this is how I do it with 90% success.

Put the seeds in a damp(not wet)paper towel, keep in a closet at 75deg, till they just crack & show a little white nub.

Transfer carefully into a peat pod, keep damp(not wet)in a tray with a humidity dome. Put under a 4bulb T5 lamp(6" above), keep an eye on them EVERY DAY.

Once they break the top of the surface, raise lite(24hrs of lite), when they get 4" tall transplant to larger pot, put under 8bulb T5 lite(10" above).

Depending on the strain & topping method, 30" in 7 weeks....send em into the budding room.

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

Tell us about your soil. I am thinking that your soil may have some kind of problem--a pathogen of some kind, maybe a fungus. I really think that you have something going on that has nothing at all to do with technique.

 

[Slowlyburn]

I am using MG potting soil. I buy it at walmart. It is the same soil I have always used... Maybe I should get a new bag? I bought this bag a few months ago but just opened it for this grow...

Would flushing the soil before I use it help?

 

[ozzydiodude]

most seeds do't like the nuted soil to start their life in get some seedling start mix or one of the pro-mixes for the best results

 

[Hushpuppy]

I agree completely with Ozzy. MG soil is great for flower beds and around the house but for MJ it has too much incompatibility. I definitely would never start seedlings in it as it is just too hot for them. And you can get bad problems like pathogens in new products as easy as any other. I was thinking pathogen at first look, but you definitely need to use something other than MG for seedlings, something very nutrient neutral.

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

Specifically, what kind of MG?

However if it is what you have used in the past with no problems, it is probably not the specific type of MG that is the problem. I would get a new bag of soil or try a different medium like Rapid Rooters.

 

[Slowlyburn]

Is there a soil I can buy from a greenhouse or garden center that works good for MJ? I would like to stay away from mixing my own for right now.

 

[Roddy]

Fox Farm, Advanced #4....there are a lot....do you have a hydro store nearby or maybe can buy inline?

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

I don't have a lot of choices on soil where I live and really cannot afford to have soil shipped in. I get a soil from Home Depot that I use as the base for my supersoil and have had no problems germinating in it. It is 100% organic and is called Kellogg's Patio Plus.