Seedling troubles

[AutoIndi]

Hi everyone. I think I'm in some desperate need of help. The last few seeds I've germinated have all slowed or stopped growth after barely developing their first set of leaves after the cotyledons. I've seen this happen before with a bag seed I grew, and let it keep growing. The characteristics of all these plants is slow growth, short spacing between leaf sets and dark green, almost wavy leaves. I don't have pictures of my bag seed plant from months back that was most developed, but I put in some pictures of my most recent ones (DP automazar and Dinafem Blue Amnesia XXL). Since I know it's not the genetics, it must be something I'm doing but I'm not doing anything differently from my others that have survived. Does anyone have any insight into this? Has anyone seen this before?

 

[Grim Reefer]

Hi AutoIndi,

Can you give me the following information:

• Plants growing Medium?
• PH of Medium?
• Plant Nutrients?
  
• PH of Feed?
• PH of Water?
• Environment Temperatures?
• Relative Humidity?
  
• Light cycle?
  
• How old are the seeds?

If you answer these questions ii will make it easier for me to diagnose the problem, thanks.

 

[AutoIndi]

Growing in pro-mix premium organic vegetable and herb mix.
Not sure of medium's pH, I only have the litmus test strips.
Only nutrients from the medium mix.
pH of water has been 6-7. Runoff from the mix at this pH has been about the same as it went in.
Temps have been about 78-80 during the 'night' and 82-84 during the 'day'
Humidity has been above 50 consistently.
They've been on 12 hours under mars reflector 96 and about 8 hours under CFL
I got the seeds from the Lift Expo (approx May 30) and germed them a few weeks ago. I forget the exact date, but I know they're wicked far behind for their age.
Sorry I don't have all my info precise, I know it sort of fudges things for you. It's super weird though how some seeds will be effected and others wont, but right now I seem to be on a roll with them all just slowing growth once they pop out and spread their cotyledons. It's not fungus gnats since the mix theyre in is clean. I've been reading that it's possibly because of the pot being too big (3 gallon) but that shouldn't apply to autos, should it?

 

[Gatorbackbob]

If you're watering too frequently, the roots won't go deep in search of it, therefore the plant technically will grow according to your root mass, the tap doesn't take long to hit the bottom of a 3 gallon, but you want those dry spells to allow oxygen to get to the roots, if your medium is water logged they would be my guess as to why it's not bigger, how far away is your light?

 

[AutoIndi]

If you're watering too frequently, the roots won't go deep in search of it, therefore the plant technically will grow according to your root mass, the tap doesn't take long to hit the bottom of a 3 gallon, but you want those dry spells to allow oxygen to get to the roots, if your medium is water logged they would be my guess as to why it's not bigger, how far away is your light?

Hey man, thanks for the input. I haven't overwatered them, I've been careful to only give them small amounts of water around the rootzone to prevent overwatering and fungus gnats. Each of the pots are light so I know they aren't waterlogged.
My LED light is about 3 feet above them while my cfl are directly above them, just a few inches away.

 

[Gatorbackbob]

Maybe try to bring the light down to 24" some autos are stunted before they're even out of the seed, but yours looks healthy besides of how old it is, just severely stunted.

 

[AutoIndi]

Thanks man, I'll try raising the pots up. But just to give you an idea of how stunted she is, I believe I germinated one of my blue amnesia xxls around the same time and she is about 1.5 ft tall now, many sets of leaves. I almost want to keep it going just because she is still alive and I'm curious how it'll pan out, but at the same time I'm super disappointed and want to be able to grow real sized plants.

 

[Starbreaker]

I've had mix that had larvae in it and I didn't even know until they started eating my roots! I hope this gets sorted.

Thanks man, I'll try raising the pots up. But just to give you an idea of how stunted she is, I believe I germinated one of my blue amnesia xxls around the same time and she is about 1.5 ft tall now, many sets of leaves. I almost want to keep it going just because she is still alive and I'm curious how it'll pan out, but at the same time I'm super disappointed and want to be able to grow real sized plants.

 

[AutoIndi]

I've had mix that had larvae in it and I didn't even know until they started eating my roots! I hope this gets sorted.

I don't think it's fungus gnats. I haven't seen any gnats on the surface of the gnatnix, and my other plants (same genetic) have survived gnat infestation from the get-go without any noticeable holdups, let alone the most miniscule growth imaginable. I'm goofing up somewhere, but not sure where and unfortunately this doesn't seem to be a common issue with seedlings, or atleast it isn't reported on often enough.

 

[Starbreaker]

I don't think it's fungus gnats. I haven't seen any gnats on the surface of the gnatnix, and my other plants (same genetic) have survived gnat infestation from the get-go without any noticeable holdups, let alone the most miniscule growth imaginable. I'm goofing up somewhere, but not sure where and unfortunately this doesn't seem to be a common issue with seedlings, or atleast it isn't reported on often enough.

They could have already been in the soil. That's what happened to me and it stunted my plants that I put in that soil. It could be something else, but you're conditions sound good and the only time it happened to me is from that situation.