Sickly plants

[bigsby]

Hey if you're using rapid rooters then my advice is null and void. I have not experience with them. It is possible, perhaps likely that they need different care than a seedling mix.

[gigimarga]

Unfortunately I didn't take the advice of using two rooters and checking the dryness on the second because I thought it was too late to do it since I already had the seed sprouting in it.

That was a BAD decision. I should have just had the second as a relative dryness indicator. Also, since the top of the rapid rooter tray was was off due to the early stretching, and with the fan blowing around, it speed dried the rooter, killing the plant in the process.

Now I got a taller lid for the tray and with lower lights, will attempt it again. Also the water level in the tray had to be above the ridges not just below.

[bigsby]

Turn the fan off. You won't need it until they are healthy seedlings heading into veg stage. Let them gain some confidence first! Keep at it. You'll get it right and be off the the races. It just takes a little practice. Payoff only comes with work. You're almost there!

[gigimarga]

My hydro bucket works great. It started growing rice just from being plugged in. In room daylight.

[gigimarga]

At a week in the dixie cup and the seedling looks good. Only misting once a day now as it dries very quickly.

One more change I did was add a couple of 23W 6500K CFLs. Definitely more blue now.


How soon should I transplant? Should I transplant directly into ocean forest or a mix?

How much should I water the pot I'm transplanting into before and after the transplant?

What's the best procedure for transplanting so I don't injure the stem or the roots?

[bigsby]

There are lots of tutorials on transplanting. Read the stickies in the basic grow forum. You can transplant once they have their first set of true leaves, the ones that are serrated. I wait for two sets but my starter pots are a little bigger than dixie cups. You can sink them directly into the FFOF. As for watering, again you need to read up but generally, water them in after transplant and then water once every 3 - 5 days. You will get a feel for what they need. Also, their needs will increase as they get bigger and again once you flip to flower.