Please tell me what to do.....

[Biggbudzlova]

Hey guys, I’ve trying to get some seedlings to take on and grow. I’ve tried just miracle gro soil, they’d get so far then die. I’ve tried fox farm happy frog, same out come. I’ve tried starting just a seed in rockwoo, I got one to take root and grow. It’s about 2 Inches big, but now showing signs of death. See pic. This little guy is in some soil I mixed up. 25%ff ocean forest, 35% ultimate soil, 15% worm castings 10%perlite, 10%miracle gro potting soil, 2%DTE bat guano7-3-1, 2%DTE 3-3-3 Starter and 1% mycorrhiza......

At first I’m thinking my soil mix is too strong for the little seedlings. Or I think I was over watering, so I only water when the soil is dry down to my middle knuckle (pointer finger). I’m at a total lost for words. I’ve got 4 more sprouted seeds in the same mix, and only one has started growing. Also have 3 sprouted seeds in just soil. And only one of them have broke soil. But that’s all they’re doing. Then they get to the size in the picture and die....... HELP..... I’ve killed at least 15-20 seeds now. That ain’t cheap either.

 

[NoWaistedSpace]

Grab you one of these and you can keep your moisture levels in check.

 

[ChronicWonders]

Try starting them in a smaller planter/container until you get a better handle on watering.

Stick with these you have going and lightly water a few inches out from the stem.

 

[M48]

I'm far from a pro but I've found seedlings need almost no amendment at all and burn really easy also starting in a small container and letting the roots fill then uppotting periodically will give a way better root system than starting in a big container

 

[Old ST1R]

Try starting them in a smaller planter/container until you get a better handle on watering.

Stick with these you have going and lightly water a few inches out from the stem.

This. Put your new seeds in solo cups in a very light soil. They won’t need any food for at least a week or two after they show leaves.

Try not to water them much. Go drier rather than wetter.

What kind of light are they under?

 

[H.A.F.]

What @Old ST1R said. I'm not gonna sell specific products but go with a 'seed starter' soil in a small container. There's a reason solo cups are popular, they (or something similar) work.

Look through several of the grow journals on here and get some ideas. I don't feed them anything or even soak the cup they are in until about week 2. They get squirts of ph'd water from a spray bottle every 2-3 days for the first two weeks, but only when they are dry again. They gradually get more each time.

 

[Old ST1R]

Make sure that whatever small vessel you choose, it has drainage holes.

Just to give you an idea of how/when you should up pot, leave the plants in solos until they have 5 good sets of leaves. At this point, up pot to a one gallon. It’ll stay in there only about ten to 14 days. Then go to your final pot. 3 gallons for a typical indoor grow is plenty, unless you’ve got tons of headroom or you’re planning on a scrogging a 4x4 or 5x5.

 

[Evergreengardener]

I'm far from a pro but I've found seedlings need almost no amendment at all and burn really easy also starting in a small container and letting the roots fill then uppotting periodically will give a way better root system than starting in a big container

This. Put your new seeds in solo cups in a very light soil. They won’t need any food for at least a week or two after they show leaves.

Try not to water them much. Go drier rather than wetter.

What kind of light are they under?

What @Old ST1R said. I'm not gonna sell specific products but go with a 'seed starter' soil in a small container. There's a reason solo cups are popular, they (or something similar) work.

Look through several of the grow journals on here and get some ideas. I don't feed them anything or even soak the cup they are in until about week 2. They get squirts of ph'd water from a spray bottle every 2-3 days for the first two weeks, but only when they are dry again. They gradually get more each time.

I agree this will get your seeds up, but at the same time its not the soil mix killing the seed, better chance it’s from over watering, I pop all my seeds in my soil mix I don’t use a seed starting mix or jiffy’s or rooters for seed just a 4 inch pot in the same soil they get any other time in their life

 

[H.A.F.]

its not the soil mix killing the seed,

We disagree. The seedlings need none of the ammendments or full-on weed soil at that stage, and when watered they are gonna eat what's available even if it kills them.

A good seed starter soil has food, but not much. Some also have beneficial microbes and bacteria that promote root growth.

 

[Evergreengardener]

We disagree. The seedlings at that stage need none of the ammendments or full-on weed soild at that stage, and when watered they are gonnat what's available even if it kills them.

A good seed starter soil has food, but not much. Some also have beneficial microbes and bacteria that promote root growth.

Agree to disagree then my man. I plant my seeds directly into my soil mix I grow in a water only Soil it has all the plant needs for life. Every seed I plant goes into this mix and they do just fine

 

[treefarmercharlie]

We disagree. The seedlings at that stage need none of the ammendments or full-on weed soild at that stage, and when watered they are gonnat what's available even if it kills them.

A good seed starter soil has food, but not much. Some also have beneficial microbes and bacteria that promote root growth.

I think the over watering is the bigger issue here. I agree that hot soil will cause issues but OP is having the same issue in different mediums. I've popped seeds in pretty hot soil before and it usually slows down the growth, and burns the first set of real leaves, but rarely causes them to shrivel up and die like he's experiencing unless they've been over watered.

 

[treefarmercharlie]

Agree to disagree then my man. I plant my seeds directly into my soil mix I grow in a water only Soil it has all the plant needs for life. Every seed I plant goes into this mix and they do just fine

I plant mine straight into my ammended soil, too. Sometimes I'll put a small pocket of peat in there, to give them a small buffer when they first start out, but I forget to do that a lot.

 

[H.A.F.]

Agree to disagree then my man. I plant my seeds directly into my soil mix I grow in a water only Soil it has all the plant needs for life. Every seed I plant goes into this mix and they do just fine

But does your soil have (for example) a bunch of already ammended soils, with extra stuff added???

25%ff ocean forest, 35% ultimate soil, 15% worm castings 10%perlite, 10%miracle gro potting soil, 2%DTE bat guano7-3-1, 2%DTE 3-3-3 Starter and 1% mycorrhiza......

That just sounds hot.

 

[H.A.F.]

Most home-mix soils start with a blank slate dirt mix with almost nothing in it. Peat, perlite, coco, whatever - then add what they want.

 

[Evergreengardener]

But does your soil have (for example) a bunch of already ammended soils, with extra stuff added???

That just sounds hot.

That does sound hot but if you see where the OP said the same thing happens in happy frog and rockwool and the other ways they have tried?
you can grow in a hot mix from seed it just takes more experience the more water you give the more nutes are avail, but if you only give that seedling a little water and high humidity for a few days they take off fine

 

[NoWaistedSpace]

Most home-mix soils start with a blank slate dirt mix with almost nothing in it. Peat, perlite, coco, whatever - then add what they want.

i've been using Pro-Mix with Mycorriza for 40 years to start and grow my plants in.
Your soils get hot when you first mix them up. You are suppose to let the mix set for 3 to 6 months. But if you buy a premix soil, it should already have "smoothed and richened up by then.
I'll give my seedlings and early stage veg Miracle Grow All Purpose. I try and water mostly from the bottom and just keep the top moistened. Best if you lay some type of top cover so the microbes aren't getting hit with direct light. Then switch up with Megacrop, then ween them off of that when the Grow Kashi starts kickin' it.
Looks like overwatered a little bit and killed most of the root hairs off the roots. Plants are stunted now and will take longer to get to growing good.
I'd throw a few more seeds in the ground, just in case, lucky if these double in size in a couple weeks.
Rot and root damage = small leaves and slow growth.

 

[H.A.F.]

i've been using Pro-Mix with Mycorriza for 40 years to start and grow my plants in.
Your soils get hot when you first mix them up. You are suppose to let the mix set for 3 to 6 months. But if you buy a premix soil, it should already have "smoothed and richened up by then.

I have settled on the FF Happy Frog over the ocean forest. I did a slurry test on the two and it was similar, but side by side the younger plants didn't like the FFOF. After a while they were fine, but I'll stick with 'good from the start' any day of the week if I know how to do it.

I think the main difference between that and the Pro-Mix is cost though, similar lighty nuted soil that you are expected to feed plants in. Not some 'miracle' soil where you just add water the whole grow.

 

[Biggbudzlova]

This. Put your new seeds in solo cups in a very light soil. They won’t need any food for at least a week or two after they show leaves.

Try not to water them much. Go drier rather than wetter.

What kind of light are they under?

Maxsisun pb 2000 about 18-20 inch about the seedlings. It’s dimmable, but I run them full strength.

 

[Biggbudzlova]

WOW!!!! That’s a lot to take in, but I’m very grateful for all of the knowledge. THANK YOU ALL!!!!! I’ll keep y’all posted..... THANKS again

 

[Old ST1R]

Maxsisun pb 2000 about 18-20 inch about the seedlings. It’s dimmable, but I run them full strength.

I’d raise that up to at least 24” above seedlings or dim it down about 25%.