Having some possible nutrient problems

[PeaceFrog777]

Hi everybody! I just started growing and I'm having some trouble with my little sprouts. First, I'm using Miracle Gro Seed Starting mix. That's bad I know lol. It was all I could find at my local Walmart. It has been three weeks since the first plant sprouted. The cotyledons started turning yellow and eventually died a few days ago. Then, the first set of true leaves started showing signs of what looked like nutrient burn. I flushed both the plants with distilled water because I figured the soil might be too hot. They both perked up for a couple days after that, but yesterday the leaves started drooping and looking burnt or crispy at the ends. I tried moving the lights a little further back to see if that helped, but it didn't make a difference. I haven't been using any other nutrients. This weekend I'm getting a couple flower pots and transplanting these guys, so should I use a different soil? I'm new so I can't really diagnose these little gals very well lol I could use some pro tips! 😊


In the second picture you can see the yellowish brown tips on the bottom leaves. These made me think maybe nutrient burn. After flushing, the yellowing seemed to have stopped, but then the next set of leaves up turned that black color and looked twisted and burned.

[NebulaHaze]

Have you been checking the pH of the water you've been using? The pH at the roots being too high or too low is the number one cause of nutrient deficiencies.

Miracle Gro Seed Starting mix may not be the best kind of soil but I looked at it and it doesn't actually seem too bad because it doesn't have a lot of Miracle-Gro nutrients amended in the soil itself. The main problem with Miracle-Gro soil is if it's been amended with "slow release" nutrients it has too much Nitrogen for the flowering stage (which can suppress bud growth). But honestly it's not terrible for vegetative plants. When you replant to bigger pots you can use better soil that time and your plants will be just fine.

Since this seedling starter mix doesn't have a lot of extra nutrients like regular soil, you actually may want to consider giving it nutrients soon if you're not going to transplant right away into soil that does have a good source of nutrients. When it comes to solo cups you want to transplant them into something bigger by the time the leaves have reached the width of the solo cup.

My only other suggestion is to be careful of how often you're watering the plants. Does water drain freely and quickly out the bottom? The reason I ask is the soil looks a little wet, and the plants seem a little droopy, which usually means they've had "wet feet" for a little while. This can keep them from growing as fast as they could. Here's a few more tips about avoiding common seedling problems and here's information about what kind of soil works great for growing cannabis, I hope it helps!

[PeaceFrog777]

Hi, thanks for the reply! I haven't been checking the pH I've just been using tap water straight from the well. I flushed them on Sunday and haven't watered since.

I'm definitely going to be transplanting this weekend. I'm on a budget, and Walmart doesn't have the greatest selection here lol. If I can't find Fox Farm brand, then will anything labeled organic work okay?

[Gelato]

When you flush, you should have at least 1/4 of the nutrients you would normally use (at least for hydro system) . If you don't have any local hydro store, you can always go online and buy off there. They are usually pretty good with keeping the products decreet.

[SiriusFourside]

Getting your nutrients online is the best way to go if you don't have a hydro shop in your area. You can get a lot of the major brands of nutrients (including Fox Farms) on Amazon and like Gelato said, it'll usually come in discreet packaging. On a side note, I only know the difference between 'discreet' and 'discrete' because I spelled it wrong on the website and got a (very friendly) English lesson from a reader

[NebulaHaze]

Hi, thanks for the reply! I haven't been checking the pH I've just been using tap water straight from the well. I flushed them on Sunday and haven't watered since.

I'm definitely going to be transplanting this weekend. I'm on a budget, and Walmart doesn't have the greatest selection here lol. If I can't find Fox Farm brand, then will anything labeled organic work okay?

Here's a link to some Fox Farms Ocean Forest soil on Amazon, but any soil you find locally that's labeled as an "organic potting mix" will get the job done. Just don't get anything that says "slow release" or "long-lasting nutrients" or "moisture control" or anything like that and it'll be fine.

If you get decent soil and a container that holds at least a few gallons, it should have enough nutrients to last your plant for a few weeks!

[PeaceFrog777]

Alright, I found some organic soil at Walmart! I got the plants transplanted into their pots, and they are looking a litte more perky so far.

The damaged leaves look pretty bad, but both plants still have new green growth that looks healthy. Hopefully they keep getting stronger!

[PeaceFrog777]

[Flockshot]

I am a rookie at this, but in 3 grows most of my 'nutrient' problems early in veg were related to environment. Temps and humidity.