First time grow, seedling problems...

[stinkyattic]

Seeds don't need light to sprout. Yours are LAYING on the soil surface, dry... won't sprout like that. They need good contact with a moist soil.

Have you read any of the FAQs or grow guide stickies on the site yet?

[Balkey]

Keep growing what you have until they die or whatever, to test your setup. I keep a really good eye on my seedlings. Going to your attic every few days might be all right later on or when you know your set up is sufficient or not but right now you need to make sure that soil stays moist to get the seeds to pop out.

I've seen 2 basic methods of keeping the soil moist which would be spraying using a spray bottle and gently watering your seed in the soil (which will allow you to have less time watering and more time smoking while waiting on the seedling). The spray method works, but the soil drys out much quicker than if you water the soil like Stinky suggests. Since it seems like you don't wanna sleep in your attic checking on the the seedling every 3 or so hours, use stinkys suggestion and gently water the seedling not spray.

I used the spray method this grow and it worked fine but I had to spray them every or so 4 hours. My grow box is quite warm so yeah. Now that I am watering normally, I don't have to check to see if they need watering maybe once a day or 2 day (although I pop in on them all the time, I love plants, well wait, I love weed).

[HiAsAKite]

Ive now noticed that some of the leaves are curling down and gone slightly pale in colour

[Rusty Trichome]

I used multi-purpose compost and grit sand to fill the pots.

Just using compost and sand? Besides what Stinky said, I'd get some real potting soil. Too much nitrogen (compost) can/will kill a seedling.

[Mr. Clandestine]

Take Stinky's advice to heart, anytime you hear it. She isn't going to steer you wrong.

Only ONE seed per pot.

Cannabis grows extensive root systems, and in fairly short periods of time. Letting them get past the seedling stage without transplanting into individual pots is almost certainly going to force you to separate the roots. Most likely damaging them, and stunting the growth of the plant.

Smaller pots.

Smaller pots need to be tended to more frequently (watered more often), but you're not as likely to overwater, which can drown young seedlings.

Finer soil.

Lots of compost, while certainly good at allowing air-pockets to form, aren't suitable for growth by itself because it's not really soil that you're using...it's composted materials, sticks and bark.

Water gently, don't spray.

Spraying the topsoil is good for temporarily moistening the topsoil, but it will dry in no time at all. Small seedlings shouldn't dry out, because it's far more difficult for them to survive than an established plant that's already retaining lots of moisture.

Seeds must be planted at a depth of 4x their diameter (in this case, no deeper than 1cm) and kept moist , not soggy, until they sprout.

Taproots, while predisposed to growing downwards due to gravity, can also have a hard time penetrating the topsoil without any weight placed over them. When sowed into the soil, the taproot reaches deeper down into the pot, and enough pressure will form to push the seedling out of the soil.

---

Read Stinky's signature, and spend lots of time reading through the extensive FAQ's, as well as previous posts archived in the forums. There's such a wealth of information here that it would take several lifetimes to be able to digest it all!