Lighting 2nd Grow (Soil/LED/PC Case) - SS Russian Rocket Fuel

[TokinNuggs]

Haven't posted in a while due to life's distractions, and have been practicing sprouting seeds in Rapid Rooters, in order to transplant them into my little basic DWC 1 gallon system.

It's a PC case grow fitted with a UFO 100W LED (Blackstar), two intake and one outtake fans.

Below is the RRF auto fem 3 days from sprout, this is the stage I screw up every time, but this is the strongest seedling I've grown in just 2-3 days.

I'll leave her to dry out for a day at this point, as that's what the leaves are telling me I think, but the RR plug gets fairly dry in 5+ hours under any close light.

Is the UFO LED too much for a seedling at this stage?

This is where I am wondering if auto's differ, given their short cycle.

Oh - I used GH's advice on their page about soaking the plug in water with some very light bloom nutes (using Flora series), kept it in the dark on a heating mat and under a cheap plastic dome and tray until sprout. Have been misting the plug as it dries with the same mix of ph'd spring water (6.2-6.3) with the dab of bloom nutes added. I was thinking of changing out my water also, but do like the idea of very light vitamin/potassium-like additions at this stage being kept in the mix.

 

[TokinNuggs]

*sigh* No change today and noticed some mold/fungus on the bottom of the RR plug I think, so I immediately transplanted her into a clay pot with OF and a poor mix of HF Starting fert and some perlite near the top.

I can't control my environment closely enough to deal with the seedlings early life, they sprout just fine then die due to damping or moisture/temp issues I just can't seem to control no matter what. Plus my boxes are just plain hot - around 80 F in the summer/spring here, all I can do is keep up some good airflow to buffer the heat.

I'll try one more time to germinate another RRF in a Coco Pellet, no light, heating mat and lid, and see if the coco pellet provides a more consistent environment, and meanwhile see if I can get the current seedling going in soil, as I can't keep messing around and need to get something going.

So I still, badly, want to do a DWC grow and learn, I have my formula all worked out I think with some hydro peroxide and FloraKleen and have tested the ph over a week's time etc..., just need to actually get the thing into the DWC!!

If anyone has any suggestions on what I might alter or try - please let me know.

 

[The Squid]

80F is just fine man, great for seedlings. As long as you have good enough air flow and enough air pulling out then low to mid 80s is just fine, and as long as your humidity isn't too high, which should in turn be fine if your ventilation is good.

 

[TokinNuggs]

80F is just fine man, great for seedlings. As long as you have good enough air flow and enough air pulling out then low to mid 80s is just fine, and as long as your humidity isn't too high, which should in turn be fine if your ventilation is good.

Thanks Squid. My problem seems to be raising seedlings on their own to the point I can get them in the DWC when the roots start showing through the RR plug. Trying to pinpoint what I am doing wrong still there.

Will have to transplant the RRF in the ceramic pot eventually as that thing will suffocate the roots I think, but for now want to see if it turns around, first leaves are still curled downwards, but everything is green at least. I figure it'll take more than just a day to see if it turns around obviously.

 

[TokinNuggs]

This has changed to a soil grow, just going to stick with what I know for now, can't edit the thread title I don't think, but oh well.

Actually transplanted her twice already, from a ceramic pot to a bigger plastic pot I'm used to, with a better soil mix (OF, HF starter ferts, perlite).

While she's grown out a bit, and her leaves look a tad better today (less curled downward) and her 2nd set have gotten a tad bigger in a day or two, I'm not confident she'll recover and grow out of it yet. At least she's green. Nothing but light doses of plain 6.8 PH'd spring water so far.

I'm assuming the heat was an issue with the LED, so I put her close to a little 13W CFL for now. I misted her just a little bit, but don't think over-watering has been an issue.

Gonna give her a few more days and see what happens I guess, but have another seedling in my 2nd box that I'm trying to sprout as a back-up. I've definitely lost a few days with this one.

I've had nothing but problems with heat and the seedlings since April here, even with CFL's, ridiculous. Gonna keep at it.

 

[The Squid]

You should be fine. And yes, keep at it. This hobby takes some patience that is for sure.

You can change your thread title. Go to your first original post, then go to edit and then go advanced. Under that will be the original box that you put the title in, edit away.

 

[TokinNuggs]

Cool thanks Squid. I like your confidence. I've been really struggling with the seedling stage for about a month now it seems, ever since the temps went up here (hot spring), I'll flip on the Blackstar UFO when/if she gets big enough to handle it, keeping a close eye on temps, no nutes for at least a couple of weeks. (will use GH Flora series this time I think)

 

[TokinNuggs]

The Russian Rocket Fuel Auto Fem is still growing, a little more quickly since yesterday, but, she's still stunted, with leaves curling under/downwards, and you can see some of the light green veinage on the older leaves. New leaves are looking a bit better though I guess.

I can't seem to find a straight answer for what is causing this, so I'm still just crossing fingers and letting her grow in soil and watching temps.

Should be interesting to see what she looks like in 2-3 weeks.

 

[The Squid]

Hey there Tokin. You should drop that ph down to 6.5 for soil, sorry I didn't see that before. OF and HF are too hot for seedlings, so that and the multiple transplants have stunted her. Just make sure you're getting good airflow and getting good wet and dry cycles. Are you testing your runoff?

 

[The Squid]

Anytime man, sounds like you're on top of it. Let me know if you need anything.

Oh by the way, those thc%s you see all the time are to be taken lightly IMHO. Those tests are done under optimum conditions by great growers. So that isn't always what the average Joe is gonna get like us. Just wanted to put that out there. I wouldn't go by those so much, go for otherwise quality and smell/taste, yield and size that you're looking for.