Overwatered seedlings..need help to restore vigor

Sick Plants & Problems
#1

Hello,

Three week old seedlings that are over-watered. I originally had the seedlings in a 16 ounce red solo cups. I was watering every 3 to 4 days however, the soil was not draining/drying quickly enough.

From what I’ve been able to research, the plants appear to be over-watered so I transplanted the seedlings into new cups with more drainage holes and less soil. The bottom leaves did not recover, still yellow. For the past week I have been feeding the plants 1/3 strength of Neptune’s Harvest Fish/Seaweed blend.

I am using old fluorescent grow lights(6 years old) for current vegetation. Is is possible the lights are not power enough?

I need some advice on how to get the seedling to recover faster and get them back on track.

Week 2 pictures

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Week 4 pics

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I am new to growing cannabis but I have years of experience growing vegetables from seeds. I am aware of the basics of growing seedlings. I am thinking about foliar feeding the seedling twice a week to see if that would place the seedlings back on track.

I would appreciate some help/guidance if possible.

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#2

It looks like MAYBE underwatered! When I have seedlings in keg cups, I usually DON’T EVER LET THE TOP OF THE SOIL GET THAT DRY!

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#3

I use the 1cup of water per cup method when theyre in cups this small! Its a delicate balance but you NEVER want those tiny roots drying out

#4

Double cupping will help as well. They definitely look like they could use some water

edit
Had missed part of it I guess better way to explain is very light watering, don’t starve em but don’t drown them either. When their still small seedlings i generally water as lightly as possible to help promote the rooting. I’m horrible at trying to explain things. Maybe throw in some LITFA as well

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#5

Sorry, jjust read more of ur OP. Ok, i personally think you don’t need ANY nutes when theyre this little! I know our bourgeois consumerism attitude dictates otherwise, (sorry politics!) But even though I think the Neptune stuff is pretty good nutes, if you have a decent soil, they little seedlings dont need anything else for a bit! I know i see dudes or dudettes’s making their plants GO by pumping nutes when theyre young but I HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO GET THAT PROGRAM RIGHT so if youre new, LIKE ME, i think its best for the KIS method, KEEP IT SIMPLE!

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#6

Agree on the double cupping too!

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#7

or since the pandemic started and schools started to doing the home lunch programs been using the milk cartons as well

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#8

If you had been giving them nutes and they haven’t been draining well I’m inclined to say it’s nute burn.

With the soil that dry looking it’s very possible you got a salt buildup. I’d give those 2 yellow ones a good flush of plain water

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#9

Before I transplanted them into the red solo cups(more drainage holes and 1/3 size) The soil and roots were very moist in the middle of the cup. They were getting too much water.

They’re in less soil now and the plants have not be watered in 3 to 4 days to allow the soil to dry out.

The planting soil does not have nutrients(Espoma Organic seed starter). I started feeding 1/3 strength after leaves started to droop and leaves started yellowing.

I’ll flush the plants with distilled ph balanced water tonight.

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#10

Ok, I think I understand. I would still STOP any nutes and just give them good old pHed water, if you cant then just plain old tap water. But in the cups they are in JUST GIVE THEM LIKE A CUP OF WATER per party cup and do that for a few waterings. Give up on any leaves already yellowed much, and just LITFA them with those every other day cup of water feedings. If ya dont know what LITFA is just say and one of us will tell ya, but u prolly already kno that expression

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#11

Sorry, like YOU said! I speak before i think sometimes! No offense! :grin::+1:

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#12

Personally I feel the weight of my cups, I have a dry cup of substrate for reference and I water about a finger or two of a cup of water, generally though when the top looks dry then it’s time to water.

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#13

water them until the cups are heavy, then leave them alone until the cups are light. Don’t just wet the top of the soil when watering.

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#14

Looks like it could be the media… what are you running looks to me their could be more aeration in the mix

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#15

Sorry didn’t see this earlier not familiar with it but to me it just looks like peat and a scant amount of perlite.

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#16

bump because I’m having the exact same issue. Grow buddy over watered the seedlings and now they’re yellowing, browning, and drooping.

Besides stopping the water, letting them dry out, and hoping for the best is there anything I can do to help them bounce back?

#17

Can you post a pic?

#18

my babies look exactly like OP’s week 4 pics. Some of mine are a little better off, some of them a little worse but most look the same

#19

Be sure temp and rh are in check. My garden was screwing around until I added a heater.

#20

it’s definitely cold…they’re in a garage with no plans to be moved inside or given a heater beyond lights. I do plan on finishing a diy panda poly tent to put them in to see if that helps. They’re under t5 bulbs right now and that’s warming them a little

I plan to get an inkbird temp controller and a fire suppression ball, and then I’m going to hang a 315w CMH light that I’m hoping will take care of temperature needs

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