what would cause this?

[durka_durka420]

ok all my plants are growing slow as hell...there 4 weeks old and only about 3-4inches tall. im using an assortment of strains but every plant is like this..using a gl60 tent cooltubed 250w hps with ac ducted in to get doen to 75-82f lights on temps, using soil mix of compost,peat and perlite....my only guess is that me using city water is killing off microbal growth or i am not ferting it enough..i did have a leaf yellowing problem but i corrected this with miracle grow houseplant(waiting on my real ferts to come in had to use something) this stuff is 8-9-6 iirc just need some common problems that would cause this...oh ad ph is about 6-7 judging by using paper ph testing strips... thanks guys...

 

[moonie]

Very well could be cuz you're already giving em ferts. Plants dont want or need nutes when their very young and it sounds like you've been feeding them for a little bit, which would completly stump their growth. I say completly flush the soil that they are in and dont give them any nutes, maybe watch the tap water, but thats probably fine.

 

[Zygomatic Major]

It's not that plants don't need ferts when they're young it's that soil/compost already has enough food in it to last a few weeks. If you're potting up regularly you shouldn't need to feed until flowering.

 

[Zendo]

Could be both..

Are you letting your tap water sit out for 24hrs before using? Have you called your local muni to get info on their water tests?

High amounts of chlorine will kill them. You can speed that up by adding a fish tank air pump/air stone, and will get rid of chlorine in a few hours.

Also, most people wait until the cotyledon leaves start to yellow before feeding, as they hold all the seedling needs for the first couple of weeks. That miracle grow is WAY too much for a seedling IMO.

All that said, we don't know what kind of compost you are using, what went into it or how 'hot' it is..Could be your soil mix is too 'hot' for a seedling as well..could be a few things playing against each other.

HTH

 

[ibjamming]

Pictures...need pictures...

 

[Mr. Greengenes]

No pics yet, but 4" tall plants in MG soil do not need food yet, that's for sure. In many cases the pots are too large for the plants so the roots are starved for O2, and 'beer' is brewing from the extra ferts.

 

[durka_durka420]

who said i used MG soil im using a compost mix soil....all it says on the bag is compost,peat,perlite.....and i waited utill the cotydons yellowed before i added ferts thing is 2 plants are doing fine in the new soil nice and green when they was yellowish....i started them out in peat pellets then moved to a mix of coir,peat,sandy ass outdoor soil.then to this mix of compost,perlite,peat soil alone has very low npk something like 0.1-0.1-0.1...ill take pics later as lights are out right now...i really need to put up pics...i know its alot easier

 

[frankborelli]

Don't overwater. You want to allow the soil to dry out a bit for gas exchange and oxygen in the root zone. This is crucial. Too much water will slow growth. Pay close attention to growth rates and waterings, but do not water too often. Look but don't touch... Always start with less nutrients and AIR FLOW..... Don't let heat build up. Also they can take some time from seed to start doing their thing. First they like to establish a good root structure.... That will take alot longer if soil if soaking wet.

Added pearlite?

 

[durka_durka420]

ok i took some pics the bigger plants are deff growing at a decent speed was barely through the screen yesterday..smaller plants was a lime green almost yellow yesterday added some epsom salt to the watering bottle for those...and there starting to pick up speed..probly didnt help that i topped em so young and its been so long since i have grown i dont remember the growth rate of them... first pic is of purple maroc in round container,great white shark in square container and in the 2nd pic purple maroc upfront cheese in the back..

 

[NoRest]

They dont look Mg deficient much in those shots. I agree they're a little small to be topped. Some air movement ie fan on low can actually strengthen the main stalk and allow more nutrient uptake.

I like to give them a root enhancer like House and Garden root excelerator and some T.Herz when they dont seem to be preforming in early Veg