Seedlings keep dying: Please help

[Emilya Green]

The problem with humidity domes is that the plants then become weak and can not stand to be suddenly thrust into normal air, so they need to be weaned away from the high humidity in the dome. It is far better to just let the seedlings come out into the environment they are going to be raised in, from the very start.

 

[shadowchaos19]

So it has come to an agreement that I am over-watering for sure! Now Im just wondering the best way to water. And my seeds have been above ground over a week besides the one thats about 5-6 days now.

What humidity do I want? Do I want to keep a dome or baggie over these still?

I heard you should always keep the top of the seedlings moist till it has a good root structure ( I dont think any of my plants do idk why )




Any Ideas about my mars tsw 2000 light ive seen five hundred different answers and trying all of them none has worked for me , my stems are weak arent even the size of a toothpick

im at 30 inches 75 percent from flower and have a new seedling in there but for the life of me cant get my cannabis to thrive..... Its been soul crushing and depressing my life to the MAX.



I know there isnt a perfect way to grow but it seems like every method I try doesnt seem to work. I see people doing 24 inches at 100 percent and 24 inches at 25 percent idk wtf to do. I've seen mars hydro NUMEROUS times post on forums that it should be on 100 percent power 24-36 inches above for germination flower yet pictures of discriptions from their website saying seedling germination 25-30 percent. Im incredibly frustrated and broken atm. Everyone tells me im killing my plants by have the light so high but thats what they recommend (SOME PLACES)


image from the mars hydro site

 

[Emilya Green]

The problem in my humble opinion, is your watering method, not your light, not your soil, not the humidity. Turn your light to 25% for the seedlings and bring it down to 24 inches. If your leaves look ok after a few hours, all is good. You need to start making some decisions for yourself. If you want to keep growing by committee, you will continue to fail. You have received several answers just on this question here that gave you incorrect and even non factual information, and you got some good information... it is up to you to decide which is which. I suggest that you look at a current grow or two of each of the people that gave you advice. Check out their methods and their results. The proof is in the pudding as they say. Do your research. Do not expect a stone tablet to appear giving you the actual and beyond dispute right answer... that will not happen on an online forum. Despite what the naysayers claim, there is in fact one best way to grow pot... it is the way that you finally figure out that works for you. Trust nothing you hear out here on the internet... verify what you can and make it your own.

 

[Buds Buddy]

Hi - I don't think that soil is good for seedlings
A proper fine potting/cutting mix or coco is best to get the roots going

Happy Frog is made for seedlings.

 

[Buds Buddy]

thanks for the welcome and help everyone! I am using photo period feminized seeds from 420.. how many ml of water am I looking at for solo cup? Or .25 gal pots ? Just a couple drops around the outside the center and not at all on the middle ?

In Solo Cups I use 25 ml. of water about every 2 days. Not much water at all. Just enough to moisten the soil... not wet it. Once the seeds sprout I feed about a shot glass worth of water every 2 days. After 2 sets of leaves I start watering more regular.

 

[Buds Buddy]

So it has come to an agreement that I am over-watering for sure! Now Im just wondering the best way to water. And my seeds have been above ground over a week besides the one thats about 5-6 days now.

What humidity do I want? Do I want to keep a dome or baggie over these still?

I heard you should always keep the top of the seedlings moist till it has a good root structure ( I dont think any of my plants do idk why )




Any Ideas about my mars tsw 2000 light ive seen five hundred different answers and trying all of them none has worked for me , my stems are weak arent even the size of a toothpick

im at 30 inches 75 percent from flower and have a new seedling in there but for the life of me cant get my cannabis to thrive..... Its been soul crushing and depressing my life to the MAX.



I know there isnt a perfect way to grow but it seems like every method I try doesnt seem to work. I see people doing 24 inches at 100 percent and 24 inches at 25 percent idk wtf to do. I've seen mars hydro NUMEROUS times post on forums that it should be on 100 percent power 24-36 inches above for germination flower yet pictures of discriptions from their website saying seedling germination 25-30 percent. Im incredibly frustrated and broken atm. Everyone tells me im killing my plants by have the light so high but thats what they recommend (SOME PLACES)


image from the mars hydro site

The TSW 2000 is a good light. A little small for a 4x4 tent though. I know it says it's for a 4x4 veg & 3x3 flower. Why light companies give veg numbers is beyond me. The only thing that counts is the flower number IMO. The TS 3000 is made for a 4x4. The TSW 2000 is for a 3x3. I've used Mars lights for a few years. They are pretty darn good lights for the price.
I agree with those saying you are overwatering. I can tell you 1st hand if you water your soil to runoff before planting the seed, & then putting the seed in the soil, you will not have to water again until the seed is above ground (I've only done this in a Solo Cup). But it stops me from overwatering.

The problem in my humble opinion, is your watering method, not your light, not your soil, not the humidity. Turn your light to 25% for the seedlings and bring it down to 24 inches. If your leaves look ok after a few hours, all is good. You need to start making some decisions for yourself. If you want to keep growing by committee, you will continue to fail. You have received several answers just on this question here that gave you incorrect and even non factual information, and you got some good information... it is up to you to decide which is which. I suggest that you look at a current grow or two of each of the people that gave you advice. Check out their methods and their results. The proof is in the pudding as they say. Do your research. Do not expect a stone tablet to appear giving you the actual and beyond dispute right answer... that will not happen on an online forum. Despite what the naysayers claim, there is in fact one best way to grow pot... it is the way that you finally figure out that works for you. Trust nothing you hear out here on the internet... verify what you can and make it your own.

But, But, I believed you with Heart & Soul when you taught me.... lol. And I still trust your advice today !

 

[shadowchaos19]

The problem in my humble opinion, is your watering method, not your light, not your soil, not the humidity. Turn your light to 25% for the seedlings and bring it down to 24 inches. If your leaves look ok after a few hours, all is good. You need to start making some decisions for yourself. If you want to keep growing by committee, you will continue to fail. You have received several answers just on this question here that gave you incorrect and even non factual information, and you got some good information... it is up to you to decide which is which. I suggest that you look at a current grow or two of each of the people that gave you advice. Check out their methods and their results. The proof is in the pudding as they say. Do your research. Do not expect a stone tablet to appear giving you the actual and beyond dispute right answer... that will not happen on an online forum. Despite what the naysayers claim, there is in fact one best way to grow pot... it is the way that you finally figure out that works for you. Trust nothing you hear out here on the internet... verify what you can and make it your own.

I just dont get how 25 percent light at 24-30 inches could be the same as 100% brightness. There has to be a factor that completes this

 

[Buds Buddy]

I just dont get how 25 percent light at 24-30 inches could be the same as 100% brightness. There has to be a factor that completes this

A seedling can only handle so much light. If you give it too much it will bend over or twist leaves to try to get away from the light. Do a read on Photosynthesis for a better explanation.

 

[Emilya Green]

I just dont get how 25 percent light at 24-30 inches could be the same as 100% brightness. There has to be a factor that completes this

it is not. what is your hangup about 100%? It is all about the PAR that is hitting the top of your plants. If you have too much, the leaves get damaged. If you don't have enough, the plant tries to stretch to get closer to the light. Your light is very efficient when turned down low and brought in very close. You can also raise it way up and try really hard to raise your power bill by running the light at full strength, and end up with the very same PAR at the top of your plants as you did down low at low power. The choice is yours.

 

[shadowchaos19]

So should I not have my light at 100 percent from 30+inches plus Im not getting this clearly as mars hydro has posted numerous times in tsw 2000 forums it should be max power at that height

 

[Buds Buddy]

I never run my light at 100%. 80 - 85% is about my max. Your light wont last long at 100% all the time. There's something called a LUX Meter if you want to get things perfect. About $30 on the bay. You increase light by the size & age of your plant for the most part.

 

[shadowchaos19]

if you can please give me some insight emilya id dearly appreciate it cause no matter the means im trying not working at all.


Do you have a mars hydro tsw 2000 in 4x4 maybe you can help me out

 

[Buds Buddy]

So should I not have my light at 100 percent from 30+inches plus Im not getting this clearly as mars hydro has posted numerous times in tsw 2000 forums it should be max power at that height

And nutrient companies tell you to feed way more than needed on their directions also. Don't believe everything from the manufacturers. They want you to use up their products so you can spend more of your money to buy more of their products.

 

[Buds Buddy]

This is what Mars Hydro TSW 2000's did for me.

 

[Emilya Green]

So should I not have my light at 100 percent from 30+inches plus Im not getting this clearly as mars hydro has posted numerous times in tsw 2000 forums it should be max power at that height

only in bloom... run max power at seedling stage and you risk disaster. Its best to start off slow and ramp up in most things. These new lights are all about efficiency and wattage used to create a certain amount of light. Seedlings are easy because they are so short.... you only have to effectively light about 6" of height to get the entire plant. Why waste energy by putting the light way up high, when each time you double the distance, you get roughly 1/4 the light?

if you can please give me some insight emilya id dearly appreciate it cause no matter the means im trying not working at all.


Do you have a mars hydro tsw 2000 in 4x4 maybe you can help me out

no, i dont have either a tent or that particular light.

Lets go back to basic science. Light follows what is called the inverse squared law. This means that the distance away from a light makes a huge difference in the amount of light actually hitting a target. Lets say you place your light at 12" away from the top of your plants and you turn it to 25% power. This is very efficient by the way, less than your typical house light bulb to power the light in this mode. At 25% power, lets say you can generate 20,000 LUX at the top of your plants, which is sufficient for most plants in veg. Now lets move the light out to twice as far away, or 24". At the same setting, 25%, the light hitting the plants now is according to the inverse square law, 4 times less than it was at 12". Instead of 20,000 LUX hitting the plants, you now have only 5,000 LUX, barely enough for a seedling.

Distance is your friend. This goes the other way too. If your light is producing 50k LUX at 30 inches at full power, and you reduce the distance to 15 inches. You are now throwing 4x the energy you once were at the plant, and the 200k LUX would certainly fry your plant to a crisp.

So go by what your plant is telling you. If you want to run full power and pay the steep light bill, go right ahead... but with that light you don't have to. Bring it in close, at low power, and see if your plants stretch or react negatively. The best thing you can do is buy a light meter so you know for sure what you are doing.

I built my own LED light sometime back and I did a study on it once it was built to see how many LUX it threw out at various distances and wattage levels. I put this on a graph that showed me how much light was needed at each stage of the grow. Study my work here, and I hope it helps you to understand your light.

LUX, Wattage & Distance Analysis: 6x CREE CXB3590 Array

This is a graph that I compiled tonight based on extensive measurements of my new COB array. I have tested the LUX hitting the table at 30", 24" 18" and 12" and I have tested it at 10w intervals from 15-245w per side, which equates to 5-81w per COB chip. The colored sections of the chart show...

www.420magazine.com

 

[Buds Buddy]

If you follow Emilya's advice you will get things going in the right direction. She's a veteran at this. Take Care & happy Growing. You'll get it. Just takes a grow or 2 & it all starts making sense.

 

[MarcoD1984]

If @Emilya gives you information....write it down three times and be thankful..

 

[SmokingWings]

first picture is what happened to my first grow and roots. Its like the materials from the soil get caught up in the roots

Looks proper. The small parts of the soil mix are exactly where they are supposed to be. The plant's root system is made up of many different sizes of roots and they have specific purposes. The big long tap root is there to anchor the plant to that particular spot in the soil. Coming off of that some large roots that radiate out and help stabilize the plant. Coming from those are feeder roots which grow through the soil. And coming from those are the small very skinny hair roots which do most of the work of absorbing the water which has the dissolved nutrients.

Those little hair roots, often as thin as a hair or even skinnier will grow into and through the pieces of organic material in the soil mix. If all goes well the hair roots get larger and start growing little hair roots of their own. The new hair roots grow even further out from the stem searching for more water and dissolved nutrients.

All is good. The Happy Frog soil is an excellent choice for for germinating seeds and the first couple of weeks of the seedling stage. It is supposed to have small pieces of partially decomposed organic material mixed in with the peat moss and the other ingredients Fox Farms uses as a soil base.

Just by chance are you gently lifting the seedlings up to check the roots?

 

[732002]

I have had better luck when switching to one part seed starter mix and one part perlite
in solo cups. Drains well, helps counter my overwatering tendencies.

 

[Sueet]

I have had better luck when switching to one part seed starter mix and one part perlite
in solo cups. Drains well, helps counter my overwatering tendencies.

I'm thinking a better solution would be to fix your overwatering tendencies - @Emilya can help you : How to Water a Potted Plant It really is a very bad habit. (speaking from experience)