criddopher
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seedling trouble (pics) coco
- Thread starter criddopher
- Start date
fuzzymuffin
Active member
Are these the only two showing this? Are these closest to the lights vs. the other plants? Are they from the same area of the grow space?
I'm trying to narrow down environmental factors from genetics and feeding issues.
I'm trying to narrow down environmental factors from genetics and feeding issues.
dgr
Member
Can you clarify this?
"I have a water softener that uses potassium chloride"
Did you use that softened water to water your seedlings? I would water them with distilled water. I'd drop the "dripclean (0-24-8) and a local nute that is just enzymes and bateria." Your seedlings have zero need for nutrients. That's what the cotyledons are for. I understand the calmag to offset the potassium. I also fertilize my seedlings right away and maintain green cotyledons. However, if I had any problems, I'd go to distilled water until I sorted it out.
Can you recheck the EC of the coco? If you have some left over from the transplanting, put it in a cup, put in enough water to float it just a bit, wait 10 minutes and put your EC meter in it. That won't give an exact EC but it will tell if you're dealing with salt.
Coco initially has excess potassium in it. That's why we treat it with cal-mag. We're using the coco like your water softener and replacing the K+ with Ca++ and Mg++. Your softened water could very well be exacerbating that problem. Although I haven't thought too hard on it, would suspect there would be an excess of chloride in the water following a regeneration cycle with the softener.
"I have a water softener that uses potassium chloride"
Did you use that softened water to water your seedlings? I would water them with distilled water. I'd drop the "dripclean (0-24-8) and a local nute that is just enzymes and bateria." Your seedlings have zero need for nutrients. That's what the cotyledons are for. I understand the calmag to offset the potassium. I also fertilize my seedlings right away and maintain green cotyledons. However, if I had any problems, I'd go to distilled water until I sorted it out.
Can you recheck the EC of the coco? If you have some left over from the transplanting, put it in a cup, put in enough water to float it just a bit, wait 10 minutes and put your EC meter in it. That won't give an exact EC but it will tell if you're dealing with salt.
Coco initially has excess potassium in it. That's why we treat it with cal-mag. We're using the coco like your water softener and replacing the K+ with Ca++ and Mg++. Your softened water could very well be exacerbating that problem. Although I haven't thought too hard on it, would suspect there would be an excess of chloride in the water following a regeneration cycle with the softener.
Looks to me your mix could use some perlite. imho
criddopher
Member
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criddopher
Member
I just checked my water from before the filter and softener. It is clear now, smells a bit of a sulfur and has a ppm of 130... same as my faucet. Although the softener would be making it potassium chloride instead of cal/mag id imagine.
alot of these guys that look bad were looking like this when they were in the rapid rooters. its just continueing onto the coco cup, perhaps that shows that it is indeed the potassium from the softener causing me trouble?
alot of these guys that look bad were looking like this when they were in the rapid rooters. its just continueing onto the coco cup, perhaps that shows that it is indeed the potassium from the softener causing me trouble?
dgr
Member
criddopher,
I caught that you weren't using Na+. In addition to the potassium, my concern was, right when your softener recharges, the bed is full of chloride ions. I have never read any recommendation to use softened water over tap water for watering plants.
I would really recommend either trying the straight tap water or, preferably, distilled to get your seedlings started. They're kinda wimpy things and you could very well be hitting them with too many salts when they are just getting started. A couple gallons of distilled water will get you plenty of seedlings started and it'll save you on ph down, too. The cotyledons are there to provide food while the plant builds it's root and solar array. So, starting with no ferts (either in the water or added to it) shouldn't be a cause for concern. Once you get your seedlings to develop leaves with no deficiencies while they are living off of the cotyledons, you can try adding ferts sooner to the next seedlings.
I don't believe that excessive iron is commonly a cause of plant problems compared to the NPK ions. Besides, rust colored water is insoluble iron which I don't believe would do much to a plant. BUT, I'm no water guy.
My coco seedlings are sprouted in rinsed coco precharged with cal mag and tap water. They always exhibit a little twist to the leaves but seem to pull through just fine.
That's just my take on it, FWIW. Best of luck. It's so frustrating to try and figure out how we're killing our seedlings. They just don't give us much to work with.
I caught that you weren't using Na+. In addition to the potassium, my concern was, right when your softener recharges, the bed is full of chloride ions. I have never read any recommendation to use softened water over tap water for watering plants.
I would really recommend either trying the straight tap water or, preferably, distilled to get your seedlings started. They're kinda wimpy things and you could very well be hitting them with too many salts when they are just getting started. A couple gallons of distilled water will get you plenty of seedlings started and it'll save you on ph down, too. The cotyledons are there to provide food while the plant builds it's root and solar array. So, starting with no ferts (either in the water or added to it) shouldn't be a cause for concern. Once you get your seedlings to develop leaves with no deficiencies while they are living off of the cotyledons, you can try adding ferts sooner to the next seedlings.
I don't believe that excessive iron is commonly a cause of plant problems compared to the NPK ions. Besides, rust colored water is insoluble iron which I don't believe would do much to a plant. BUT, I'm no water guy.
My coco seedlings are sprouted in rinsed coco precharged with cal mag and tap water. They always exhibit a little twist to the leaves but seem to pull through just fine.
That's just my take on it, FWIW. Best of luck. It's so frustrating to try and figure out how we're killing our seedlings. They just don't give us much to work with.
criddopher
Member
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criddopher
Member
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criddopher
Member
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Nice to see success, there are a lot of people who take the time to help folks out and sharing knowledge furthers us all along the green path...Rinse that coco when you plant the first time by watering liberally, even though you flushed it IMHO it helps...NS
