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| Some of my 4 week old plants are looking sick. What is going on? I am using 4 shop lights, started in Jiffy pellets and transplanted to Organic MG mix with temps 65-70 degrees. |
Here is a link that might be useful: SickToms
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by homegardenpa PA Zone 6 (My Page) on Thu, Apr 28, 11 at 10:30
| What potting mix are you using? Hopefully not anything with soil in it. It looks to me like the mix you have the plants is retaining too much water, but it could be a combination of things. To get a better diagnosis, please tell us what type of potting mix they are in, how much you water them, and what if any fertilizer you have given them to this point. |
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| Organic Miracle Grow Potting mix. They were retaining a lot of water at first, I am watering less now. No fertilizer. |
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| They need fertilizer. But first, do the containers have drain holes? If not, add some please. |
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| Yep they have holes in the bottom. The potting mix says it has natural slow release fertilizer in it. |
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| As someone that used plastic cups last year, I just want to suggest that you check the drainage again. I made some holes last year but they were too small to actually have water draining out of the cups. If you water and nothing is running out from the bottom of your cups, you may want to make bigger cuts on the bottom. |
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| It runs right out the bottom every time I water. |
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- Posted by homegardenpa PA Zone 6 (My Page) on Fri, Apr 29, 11 at 11:14
| Ok, since the mix seems appropriate and you haven't added any fertilizer (the mix should have enough to last at least a few weeks), I'm going to guess it's an issue of over-watering. For perspective, you should not water until the mix is almost dry. If you're unsure, hold off on watering. If the plants are starting to wilt - water them. Even if you forget to water and they are fairly wilted, they will spring right back when they get watered. |
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| Thanks, I was using the fan method for strengthening my plants (which seemed to work) but it was drying them out very unevenly, on the edges I was having to water every couple days and the ones in the middle of the group were still wet. I turned the fan off now so hopefully I can get all of them on a more regular schedule. If it is just overwatering I am relieved, I was worried about the spots though. |
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- Posted by triggerguy (My Page) on Sun, May 1, 11 at 15:35
| I have the exact same thing going on. I used organic seed starting mix and have had them under 4 shoplights since they first broke the soil. I have one tray of the poo pots that look great, and the rest are in the multi-cell inserts. The ones in the poo pots about 50% have yellowed and got spots, and all the ones in the inserts have either fallen over and died or have curled, yellowed, spotted leaves. I've been carefully watching the watering and I'm sure that's not the issue. I have also been using a fan for about 4 hours a day and rotating the trays every few days. This is my 4th year growing from seed, and I've never had this problem. One other thing, I have some white fuzz growing on the surface of the seeding mix. I've never had this before, but I thought it may be because of overwatering but I've been bottom watering and the surface of the mix seems to always stay dry. |
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| The white fuzz is mold/fungus. If the soil is dry on top and the fan actually pushes air then mold could not grow. |
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