Added FoxFarms nutrients with no success

[kill4silence]

So my plants are about three weeks into the grow, one has yet to grow "leaves", but the other looks like it's growing perfectly! The problem is last night I decided to try adding just a tad bit of FoxFarms nutrients (the trio package) and now both plants have simply fallen over. The soil when I checked this morning was completely dry though.

My pots contain FoxFarms organic soil so my questions are:

1. Do I even need nutrients?
2. Are my plants ruined now or do they have hope?
3. Why did the nutrients make them droop?

I'm depressed now, someone please help!

Edit: Forgot to add that the stems from the surface of the soil to the very tip looks very stringy, almost like they thinned out or something.

 

[Psomi]

How much did you feed them? The first time you introduce nutes it's best to use 25% strength. At least 25% on a 3 week old plant that is placed in rich soil like fox farm soil. The fox farm soil has everything a plant needs for a few weeks, then even after that it still has things in it for the plant to use. First feeding with that soil should be 25%, then slowly increase it as the plant needs. You want to cycle feelings with waterings so you don't lock out essential nutrients. Also don't forget to check you PH and adjust it after your nutes are mixed, this will allow optimal uptake. 6.5 should be a goal in soil.

 

[Emilya Green]

let's call this one crash and burn, or lesson number one... hope you have more seeds.
The nutrients probably had quite an effect ... especially if you didnt read the directions and gave the plants more than what they needed. It sounds like you had problems before that though, and it was probably related to how you watered them.

it is so simple when it is done right, and so easy to kill them when it isnt... let's review some basics.

start the next ones in a solo cup with at least 4 holes in the bottom for drainage, full to 1" of the brim with your good soil. This is good hot soil, so get them used to it right out of the seed, and plant them, one to a cup, about 1/2" down, pointy side up.

then, very lightly so as to not disturb the soil, wet down that beer cup of soil until water comes out of the bottom, slowly. Over the next 3-4 days, water the top lightly, keeping the top moist. When you seedlings pop out, stop watering every day. Lift the cup up each day instead and ask yourself if you can "feel" any of the water still in there. If you can, wait another day... the plant will be fine. Do not water until the cup feels light as a feather, and then slowly water, trying to fill up the soil with as much water as it can hold, until it comes out of the bottom. Do this over and over and the wet/dry cycle will decrease in time each time around. You should have a big plant soon... im sure we will talk more.

Good luck!

 

[kill4silence]

Thanks for the reply! I was able to grow my plant just fine in a five gallon pot. What I did was I germinated it via paper plates and water for three days. Planted it. After a week it started growing it's first leaf. Another two weeks later and it already had about three or four leaves. I had never gave any nutrients prior because I knew the soil already had plenty to start. I put 50% less than what the watering schedule recommended, but for some reason it had an extreme adverse effect on the stems. They became stringy and thin and wouldn't stand up at all. It's been two days now and still no sign of recovery.

After about 3 weeks the soil's nutrients are mostly depleted so I don't understand why this happened when I didn't even give the full dosage. I'm thinking I'll probably have to start over now -.-

 

[VladimirPutin]

5 gallon is too big, some say, for a seedling.

Best to start them out small so they build a root ball.

V

 

[Emilya Green]

I was able to grow my plant just fine in a five gallon pot.

Until now...
Successively up-potting would have avoided this problem.

 

[kill4silence]

@Emilya I'm going to try up-plotting next time to ensure proper growth, just saying somehow it worked for me starting in a five gallon pot lol. How long should I wait exactly to start giving it additional nutrients, though? I'm using the FoxFarms soil and clearly three weeks is too soon. Maybe wait until it nears the middle or end of vegetation cycle?

 

[Emilya Green]

first week of flower would be my recommendation, especially in that much fresh soil.