how do you guys do it??

how do you folks get your plants up to 4th set of adult leaves in seedling soil? (example is stinkys donkeydick grow log) Do you really use no nutes? I ask because my seedlings have looked the same for the last week, i have them in C-I-L seedling mix and all they are up to is thier first set of true leaves and the very beginning of thier second set (they are maybe 3 mm) and they have been looking exactly the same for a week now. I am watering with tap water which was left to sit for 24 hours and ph'd at 6.0. I usually grow my plants in seedling soil until harvest my providing nutes with every watering. When i have had this problem in the past i have given them a tiny bit of foxfarm grow big and they usually get on thier way but not this time. I tried and i burned one seedling but the rest still look perfectly fine but just not growing. This needs to be fixed as it has been plagueing me now and then since my very first grow.

some stuff i forgot, i am growing under a 400 watt hps and the plants are fem. PPP from nirvana

the hps light could be afeecting their growth, too much red spectrum not enough blue, get a MH Conversion bulb or start em under and cfl or shop light( 4ft flouro tubes)

Not sure if this will help or not but if you leave your water out to sit for 24 hours before giving to plants are you not starting the distilling process for water? Always thought the longer water sat out the more O2 would be lost from water. Like I said not sure if it means anything just a thought

i leave the water out for 24 hours to evaporate the chlorine out of it. Damn i keep reading that you can put seedlings straight under hps, but this is probably the reason for my seedlings not growing as this is my first time under the 400 watter, last time i had em under cfls, grew fine. thank you +rep

I'd raise the ph to between 6.5 and 6.8 for soil. 6.0 is wayyyy too low. :thumbsup:

I use a 400w MH for veg. No need to reconfigure your growroom with CFL's unless you really want to. You just have to raise it a foot or so higher till seedlings are hardened-up a bit. But then again, I also keep clone mothers and clones in there at the same time.

4th set of leaves is a guideline, but not a rule. I start my seedlings on quarter-strength nute solution after third set is open, not including the cotelydons. (those round baby leaves)

im using 6.0 because the seedling soil is actually soilless because it has no nutritional value. please correct me if this is not what a soilless medium is because i have been a little confused over what soilless actually is but i think i know.

hey rusty please let me know before you go offline because i need to water soon. thank you

or anyone else

Anything with a peat moss base will tend to bring ph down, especially after time. If using garden soil, (from your garden) you have pathogens, bacteria, uncomposted dog crap and other stuff to worry about. Soilless mixes are sterilized:

Why Not Start Seeds in Soil from the Garden?
You certainly could use soil right from your garden, to start seedlings indoors. However garden soil comes with 2 major disadvantages.
You Donâ??t Know Whatâ??s Coming in With It - Disease spores, bacteria, plant eating insects, weed seeds and assorted other unwanteds can easily hitch a ride with your garden soil There are all kinds of natural predators and weather phenomenon outdoors that help keep these things in check. To use this soil indoors, youâ??d need to sterilize it first, with some sort of heat treatment.

Lack of Drainage - Garden soil tends to be somewhat heavy and without tilling, either by you, earthworms or other insects, it begins to compact after several waterings. This compaction is especially hard on the tender roots of young seedlings just getting established.

Why go with a Soilless Mix?
A soilless mix gives you more control. Besides being free of disease and other contaminates, you can blend ingredients for preferred drainage, water retention and air space. It is also lighter in weight, which youâ??ll appreciate when you have to move the pots outdoors.

Whatâ??s in the Soilless Potting Mix?
Most soilless mixes are predominantly sphagnum peat moss. Sphagnum peat is lightweight, inexpensive and in certain areas, renewable. Just as importantly, itâ??s well draining yet water retentive. Granted, until you get the peat thoroughly moistened, the particles can be very unpleasant to work with. Peat is also on the acidic side and most seed starting mixes have a soil pH around 5.8, which is fine for starting most seeds.
There are also amendments added to the peat, which can include:

Bark: Bark is added to improve drainage and air space within the mix. This means it will also decrease the water retention slightly. Bark mixes are better for use with mature plants that need to dry between waterings than for starting seeds. (large chunks in small pots...likely not good for cannabis)

Coir: Coir is a coconut fiber by-product and works similar to peat in providing good drainage while also retaining water. Itâ??s often used as a substitute in areas where peat is hard to come by.

Perlite: Perlite is that stuff that looks like pebbly Styrofoam. Itâ??s a volcanic mineral, although it does not affect the nutrient quality or the pH of the mix. It does add in drainage and in air and water retention, that magical balance. In fact, it is sometimes used in outdoor gardens to prevent sandy soil from leaching nutrients.

Vermiculite: Vermiculite is those silvery-gray flecks you see in potting soil. Itâ??s a mica-type material that is heated up and expanded, to increase itâ??s water holding capacity. The particles soak up water and nutrients and hold them in the mix until the plants are ready to access them. Perlite is also good as a soil covering for seeds that need to remain consistently moist to germinate. Careful...retains moisture almost too well.

You may see vermiculite for sale at home improvement stores, for use in insulation or plaster. This grade vermiculite is not really suitable for potting mixes since it does not absorb water easily.

Some soilless mixes will also include fertilizer and/or trace elements or a wetting agents.

Seeds donâ??t require fertilizer for germination, so it is somewhat wasted if you are using it for seed starting. By the time the seedlings have grown true leaves and require supplemental food, what ever was in the mix has begun to dissipate.

Wetting agents (non-anitbacterial dishsoap, for instance) are polymers added to the water to improve water absorption into the soil mix. I donâ??t know of any certified organic wetting agents, perhaps because by nature, a soil wetting canâ??t be quickly bio-degradable or theyâ??d be useless. I usually do fine without a wetting agent by making sure my mix is well moistened before I put it into pots and then, not letting it completely dry out. A tricky balance when growing cannabis.

You may also see pH adjusting amendments such as limestone, phosphoric acid or gypsum. Mixes will vary by manufacturer and region. Occasionally a particular plant will favor certain amendments over others, but for seed starting a basic mix is generally sufficient. These will be labeled for seed starting or as a starter or germination mix.

Hope this helps.

Soilless Potting Mixes