Leaves are going droopy... please help me!!!

[NorthernCloset]

Hey,

This is my first grow, I'm growing 3 pots of northern lights in coco.

I started them from seeds two weeks ago, in a 10oz plastic caps, with holes in the bottom, filled with coco mix and the bottom inch with perlite.
three days later they sprouted, and I put them under a 45w CFL lamp for each.

Five days ago I gave them there first nutrients, Platinuim's Organic grow, in the ratio of 0.5ml over a liter of water, and each pot got about 120ml of the solution, with plenty of runoff (over 30%), I guess that means they have good drainage, before adding the water I checked the PH and it was 6.5PH, the runoff water shewed 5PH.

A day later they stared to look kind of weak.

Two days after I added the nutrients I watered them again with just water, 7PH before, 5PH after (although the runoff water comes out orange so it's hard to identify the color with the drops PH kit).

about 10 hours later they looked real bad, I though that I'm watering them too much so I gave them a few days to dry.

I just checked them and they look even worst, the coco was almost completely dry, so i watered them again with 7.5PH plain water with a runoff of 6.5PH.
now I started to notice something that could be mold in the bottom of the cups.
I'm just guessing but maybe the roots don't have enough air, since the cup sits on top of the drain holes. I added a few more holes on side of the cups (on the bottom part), maybe it will let more air in.

What am I doing wrong??

Please Please help me


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[Jibblerjoe]

Too wet....

[tyler_ hobbyist]

I'm not an exspert but I think the pH flucuations the plant doesn't like it. And for the mold u dnt have enough air curculation in my option

[alltatup]

Welcome to the forum, Northern: if you see mold down there, get it out!! Like cut out the bottom of the cup if you have to and rig something up to keep the roots protected. You say you have perlite at the bottom of the cup? You should have it mixed well with your soil so that the soil is aerated and dries quickly.

I'd say that 120 ml of water for those little cups was maybe too much? The droopy leaves indicate over-watering. Otherwise, you babies look good!!!

Check out this tutorial on GWE: http://www.growweedeasy.com/coco-coir

[Xaliuz]

A trick i found on this forum when i overwatered my plants was to put chopsticks underneath, helped dry it out a bit quicker

[Flockshot]

My 2c.
Plants is shock from drastic PH change.
Clear plastic cups and wet soil is breeding ground for mold.
Grower trying to love his plants is over correcting and needs to 'dial it in' somewhat more deliberately.

You are using organic nutrients in coco, which means you must maintain a population of beneficial microbes to break down the nutrients and make them available to the plants. The nutrients will not be available to the plant until the microbes process them. After three organic nutrient grows, I am changing to General Hydroponics (and to coco) for the one I am starting now.

As far as 'what to do next' goes there will be as many opinions as there are readers of your thread. Being a rookie myself, I can only say what I would do. I would transplant to get rid of any moldy medium. Change to a immediately available nutrient brand (I choose GH trio) and get my PH to 6.

Whatever you do, I think you are going to harvest these plants and enjoy them.

[alltatup]

Excellent point about the clear plastic cups, Flockshot: we don't want roots exposed to light!!!!

[NorthernCloset]

Hey guys tnx for the replys

I'm going to transplant them in a new real (not plastic cup) pot.

alltatup the coco came premixed, should i add more perlite to the mix?

My 2c.
Plants is shock from drastic PH change.

from what I read its actually good for the plant to not stay with the same PH all the time (It should stay in the same range)

...You are using organic nutrients in coco, which means you must maintain a population of beneficial microbes to break down the nutrients and make them available to the plants. The nutrients will not be available to the plant until the microbes process them.

...Change to a immediately available nutrient brand (I choose GH trio) and get my PH to 6.
.

what those it mean to maintain a population on beneficial microbes?? how do I do this?

I heard many recommendations on this kind of organic nuts and they are especially for coco, so why do you think I need to change them?


will update after transplant

[Flockshot]

The best microbe information available will come from the Soil Organic growers,, which I am not. I am leaving organic nutrients because I no longer want to wait 10 days to see if the changes I made were correct.
I am not telling you to change your nutrients, I am simply telling you what I would do. The important thing is that you have confidence in what you are using.

[tyler_ hobbyist]

I'm not a n exspert but u want a 1/3 perlight because of the arogation and drainage from the perlight. Also something that will help is a bunch of holes under and around pots uless there fabric pots because u need oxygen to ur roots so they can breath and not drownd. Less likely to create mold because of the air movement and water drainage

[OregonTentLife]

I may have missed something you wrote but in my research for my first grow i found never to go over 6.5 on ph. Like ever! Lol.. Anywhere between 5.5 and 6.5 in coco. Soil is 7ph. Also only 20%runoff is needed or a bit less because seedlings don't need much water. Ideally damp not soaked. But none of that matters if the roots get light and you do need good airflow.. I noticed better drying drying Of my coco in any pot I've been in with a few more holes poked in. Anyways. That's my 2 cents 😀
Oh don't forget to get a calmag supplement of some kind too for coco

Plants look pretty good so far!

[tyler_ hobbyist]

When u get into flowering stage u might want to add small amounts of non sulfared mollases(usaly organic sufar) because there's lots of microbes and the natural sugar will make ur buds smoother

[NorthernCloset]

hey just updating
yesterday I transplanted the plants, everything went well, I watered after with a weak dose of nuts.

a couple hours after the transplant I notice dark spots on one of the plants, I guess it's nutrients efficiency.
I understand that organic nutrients take a while to show their effect.

should I wait a few days, keep watering and feeding it as usual, or is there something I should do right now?

the photo is from yesterday, now it looks worse

[NA420]

I suggest you wait until your soil dries out and then flush, i usually flush after a transplant or feed just plain ph'd water to help the transplant shock adjustment. She will recover just relax and breathe! Peace and positive vibes!