Do These Sprouts Look Normal?

[SeaBow]

First time “real” grow for me here. The other was a test to learn about the system and grow space/ issues.

I have a quick question about the usual initial strength or virility of my strains.
I’ve germinated Nirvana’s White Widow and Swiss Cheese in rockwool and the sprouts look SOOO little compared to my test grow of bag seed. I mean to say these guys all look like little runts. I wouldn't know the traits of high end breeder seeds. I've only seen results from pot luck bag seeds. The shipped seeds I received from Nirvana were awfully little but had nice color. Is this usual for these strains?

Germinated 2/17/2012 - Paper towel - 28 ppm fitlered water pH 6.0 small amount H2O2

Cracked 2/18 - moved into presoaked rockwool before taproot showing to avoid any damage

Above Surface 2/21 - WW trying to get out of the rockwool so now in closet under flo lamps. SC looking bad

Still trying 2/22 - Both SC are above the rockwool but look pretty weak. Not even standing up and opened yet.

Today 2/23 - and look at how tiny they are!

 

[nibec]

they're not even open yet, give them some time.

anyways, i personally hate rockwool... HATE it.

but, lots of people have success, so each his own i guess.

im going to say, one looks kinda weird, but, give them a couple days and they should be open and get their first set of true leaves poking out.

you made sure you soaked and flushed the rockwool really really well right?

 

[SeaBow]

Yes nibec,
I soaked the rockwool then squeezed out some water so they weren't dripping saturated. I've ordered some Rapid Rooters on a slow boat from China. I may germ 2 more seeds to seed if they will run right past these 4.
My question remains..... Is this normal for these strains and breeder seeds?
By the way, thats a toothpic holding the labels. The SC1 leaf set isn't hardly as big

 

[SeaBow]

2-27 – (9 day after pop)
Same, not much noticeably different. WW2 looks like it’s the healthiest and might be growing. Really can’t tell on all the other. If I had to pick another it would be SC2 with initial leaf growth like WW2. The others look like they’ll either struggle or not make it.

They've not been over watered or dried out. I've used filtered water at 28ppm and 6.0 pH under 3 15w flos at about 10" above. I've seen journals with 10 day old sprouts raging with secondary leaves already growing.

My reason for starting this thread was to ask if anyone else has experience with these strains as they may be slow starters picking up after being established. Should I start weak nutes, move them under HID lights???

I don't see much input with over 400 looks on this thread but I would like your opinion.

 

[mattware90]

Just let things play out man! i just started my first "real grow" as well, and i am around 3-4 weeks ahead of you. I was also surprised at the size of the seeds (c99 hybrid) because they were much smaller than normal bagseed. They ended up growing pretty well though, MUCH faster than any bag seed i have seen. I wouldnt worry too much about the yellowing of those cotyledons, i had some similar problems and it has not affected the overall growth of the plant.

 

[SeaBow]

started my first "real grow" as well, and i am around 3-4 weeks ahead of you.

First, Welcome to the 420 I'm very noob, as well.

Being that you're a few weeks ahead of me maybe you could start a journal and I will follow you footsteps and subscribe. I'd love to see some before and after pics of your young plants to get inspiration back under my wings. And thanks for the encouragement.

My main push is to get something into flowering before the Cuban heat comes on in May/ June. My temp got up to around 90' to 95' last test grow.

 

[redskunk420]

They look good to me run with it .

 

[SeaBow]

They look good to me run with it .

They just stopped growing. They look the same now at day 13.

They're under small flos. Should I mve them to my HID and give them light nutes?

I put both #1's outside in the sun. They are super tiny, no bigger than a pencil eraser. If they die they die.

 

[nibec]

i think its the rockwool..

i had the same experience when i tried rockwool..

they took about 2 weeks to get to where a second set of true leaves was popping out, then started to die, when i ripped apart the wool, i found the tap root didnt even go more than 1/2'' ...

next time i tried rapid rooters, with the same seeds, and 3 days after breaking the surface, i had roots galore shooting from the rooters, and by day 5, almost doubled how big/many leaves i had in the rockwool..

my suggestion to you, is... get rapid rooters... they are great for soil, hydro, anything.

maybe sacrifice one, and see if your roots are growing.. if not.. then its probably the same issue i had.


on a side note, i took one of the ones from my rockwool before it died, and put it in a rapid rooter... 1 week later it was still alive.. and 2 weeks later resumed growth as usual.. i had to start nutes earlier on it however, as it used all of its up just surviving.

 

[SeaBow]

Yeah nibec,

My feelings, as well.

I ordered Rapid Rooters and started 1 of each strain in them 2 days ago. We'll see if it's the rockwool or the seeds. I'm taking a hit here at 8,00 USD each. I've lost 2 weeks now getting into the warmer Cuban Spring.

1 Swiss Cheese never had a chance and I trashed it. The White Widow was so short rooted it barely fit into the cloner plug showing roots out the bottom so it's just floating in the plug on top of the cloner bubbles. The stronger 2 are barely growing at all in the rockwool.

I appreciate your comments. I hope to have your same results soon.

 

[Dee House]

I'd move the lights closer ....couple inches away .... When 2nd left sets appear up nutes to around 150 ppm

 

[SeaBow]

.... When 2nd left sets appear up nutes to around 150 ppm

I have them about 2" away. They have microscopic secondary leaves and have for a few days now. They're just not growing. I've been reading other threads and feel like putting these 2 survivors under HID (400w M/H) tomorrow and see if it's a case of not enough light energy. I'd have to keep a round the clock eye on them to ensure they don't dry out. I'd like to get them on a scheduled watering and nute regimen asap.

 

[nibec]

It's not the light... You can keep seedlings under a 13w light and they will grow bigger than that..

Like I said, I had the exact same experience with rockwool, then changed nothing but the rockwool, changed it with the rooters, and problems solved.
Never had that issue in soil, or coco, or even Pete pucks. Just rockwool.

Either way, try what you want, and if it works , it works. I hope it works... But IMO I don't think it will :-(

Best of luck

Cheers

 

[SeaBow]

nibec
I just sat down and found your last post. I was checking the babes in the nursery. The rapid rooters are showing the taps and beginnings of growth down in the hole already. You and the rooters are changing the way I think, and I hope anyone following this. (reason for continuing this thread)

As I said I chucked Swiss Cheese 1 and stuck WW1 into a plug and floated it in the bubbler. I hope she can swim.

I'm considering putting WW2 and SC2 into the bubbler, as well. I haven't used it yet since I put it together. It's a simple 6 litre tote with a two port air pump and 2" netpots. Anyone have suggestions on this?

ps. by the way that's not the root under the plug. it's the tubing

 

[nibec]

with the rapid rooters, im assuming you are covering those holes right? you dont want light in there.

anyways

yep, drop the water level down, so only the bubbles hit it, not the water. you can drown them easy that way. they look way too wet.

and also, spray the tub black, you want zero light getting in there. light will cause slime, and also harm the roots. they dont like light.

other than that. im positive you will love the Rapid rooters.

im by no means an expert, but i have done a LOT of trial and errors(in dirt mind you..), and i know first hand what doesnt work lol. i purposely try different things, and deviate off of what is thought to be right, to learn for myself how they react..

well, i used to, not so much anymore as im limited on seeds. used to have hundreds of hermie seeds to play with. but alas i used them all up. (they were my experimental seeds that i played with, as i would rather use proper genetics for producing bud)

and now im having my hand at hydro.. and have learnt a tremendous amount... its almost like starting over again.. but i have a great mentor who keeps me sane, and my babies alive. so.. if you want any tips... hit me up. im more than willing to share my failures and successes

 

[SeaBow]

You're on.... What do you think about ripping the rockwool open and putting ww and sc 2 into the bubbler?

 

[nibec]

thats what i did with mine. like i said, it worked, took them a couple weeks to start really doing anything. but, if you do it before they start to die, i think you will be ok

 

[Dee House]

Whatever you do I'd cover the clear Rez u don't want algea

 

[nibec]

and use h202 if you arent using organics.

 

[SeaBow]

Rapid Rooters - Day 5

What more needs to be said?