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danh_2008

Help plz my lettuce stopped growing

danh_2008
15 years ago

i germinated bibb lettuce seeds and transfered them to an nft stytem with perlite. It stopped growing. Why?

Comments (6)

  • tclynx
    15 years ago

    How big were they when transplanted?
    How long since you transplanted them?
    What is the strength of nutrient?
    What is the Lighting Like (is it bright enough)?
    How is the temperature?
    Did they grow at all after transplant and then stop or just nothing new since transplant?

    I've seemed to notice that many seedlings of many types of plants seem to stall for a while after getting their first few true leaves. It seems like well they were growing fine for a while and I've noticced almost nothing new in a while. Then after a while the growth gets explosive. During the slow time, they were probably working on their roots and those aren't as noticeable unless one is dealing with clogged troughs.

    Are there any signs of other problems with the plants or are they just kinda idle?

  • danh_2008
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    They just died right now :(

    they were only 1 inch high
    the nutrients okay
    I think it is the lighting

    I'll start a new one for my project.
    when i use the paper towel method, how big does it have to be before i transplant it and does the bag need to be sealed up entirely or open for air. If sealed do i need a bubble of air in it or not? How should I transplant them to an NFT system with perlite?

    Plz reply quick

  • danh_2008
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    oh ya sorry about this but can i germinate the seeds directly in perlite? just asking

  • danh_2008
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Sorry for all the questions, I am very new to this and i need this for a school project.

    Does the tip of the wick have to be in the water or most of it? I have fox farm grow big nutrients. How much is required for each gallon of water to make it dilute? Another problem of mine is that perlite keeps falling out the net pots. Is there anyway to fix this without harming the roots? When i use lights, how high should it be off from the pot and how long should it be on a day? I am using regular long flourescent lights. I will be doing this indoors and what does the temperature has to be in in both celsius and farenheit.

    Thanks for your help.

  • danh_2008
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Srry but i have 5 inch net pots and how much wicks should i use each and where?

  • hydrotomato
    15 years ago

    Lettuce seeds are very easy to germinate. For my NFT system I found that oasis cubes work great and so does rapid rooters (you can Google both media types). The problem I have had in the past with perlite (if you are not using netpots) is that it ends up in the reservoir and may get stuck in the irrigation system.

    Keep a close eye on water temperature, if your root zone is kept at 65-70 for germination and seedling development, after which, you then transplant these seedlings into a system that has a water temperature less than that (even if the air temp is good) your plants will stop growing (check water temps both day and night). If this has happened your plants will need a few days upto 2 weeks to aclimatise. This is a common problem at this time of year especially if the seedlings are started indoors and then moved outdoors.

    If you suspect that water temperature is the problem then I suggest you purchase a titanium water heater (a 100w type with a temperature thermostat control - $30). This will allow you the ablility to accurately set your desired water temperature.

    Hope this helps.

    PS - water temperature changes will be greater and will occur at a faster rate with smaller reservoirs.