New Grower Totally Bummed!

[SilverHaze72]

Ok back in Jan. I made a seed order through the attitude..got my seeds 12 days later. let me just say that I am an experienced grower..just not with the autos.I ordered 3 different autos from three different seed companies..1 DP Think Different..1 G13 labs Auto AK and 1 Advanced seeds Bio Diesel Mass..
I was in the middle of a re- veg from some bag seed plants so I thought I'd wait till the re-veg was almost done to start the autos. So when the time came I decided to pop the Bio Diesel Mass in some organic seed starting soil and put it under a couple cfl's . The seed took about 5 days to germ and then pop up from the soil..it looked like a strong little seedling..but it also was starting to stretch..so I moved it only slightly closer to the lights and left for about 6 hours and the poor thing had just toppled over..tried to save it...but no go..then just this week I popped the Think Different in the same soil under cfl's ..she cam up looking strong but seemed to be stretching ..then same thing happened she just toppled over..more money and time..wasted ..not to mention heart break over the poor little babies.
Any advice or suggestions on what I'm doing wrong? Or does this just happen with some seeds? This has never happened to me before and I'm utterly confused and disappointed ..I only have one more auto to try..and I'm not sure if I should wait or just go for it..maybe make some adjustments to my grow space.

Thanks for listening to my vent..if anyone has any questions ,suggestions or advice please feel free to comment or PM me

Silverhaze

 

[namvet25]

What kind of soil are you using? Some soil mixes are to strong for seedlings and burn them. If the soil is to wet you could have damping off desease that rots the seedling stem at ground level. They just may have got top heavy and fell over and you could prop them up with somthing and they might come back. How far are your lights fro your plants?

 

[dildano]

That is weird, I also ordered from the same seed companies via attitude, being a complete noob didn't have such problems.. I agree with namvet, must be the soil (I grow with coco), or the lights. On my first grow my HPS ballast died, so I had lighting problems for my seedlings for a few days till I fixed it, one of them stretched till it tipped over, but I tied it to a toothpick and when I had the lights back it recovered nicely.

 

[beenjammin]

id say you may not be putting the seed to deep into the pot so the plant is becoming top heavy. i had the same thing happen to my outdoor photos that i started inside. i just put to chops sticks on both sides of the lil plant and tied it up so it couldnt fall over. i actually repotted it after it happened just like u maybe its not to late to save them mine were fine wiith the repotting cuz they were only 4 inchs tall. hope that helps

 

[beenjammin]

once i started using my hps instead of cfl to veg them it stopped happening. but maybe the lights are a little to far away also. cfls can be dam close

 

[TheLittleBoyWhoPointed]

Did the seedling get a thin dry stem near the base or halfway up at all?....did the stem get thin and then the whole seedling fell over?....

IF SO, what you might be experiencing is 'damping off'.....a pythium spore infection.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythium

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damping_off

Symptoms

There are various symptoms associated with damping off; these reflect the variety of different pathogenic organisms which can cause the condition. However all symptoms result in the death of at least some seedlings in any given population.[2]

Groups of seedlings may die in roughly circular patches, the seedlings sometimes having stem lesions at ground level. Stems of seedlings may also become thin and tough ("wire-stem") resulting in reduced seedling vigor. Leaf spotting sometimes accompanies other symptoms, as does a grey mold growth on stems and leaves. Roots sometimes rot completely or back to just discolored stumps.[2]

Prevention


Damping off can be prevented or controlled in several different ways. Sowing seeds in a sterilized growing medium can be effective, although fungal spores may still be introduced to the medium, either on the seeds themselves or after sowing (in water or on the wind). Maintaining drier conditions with better air circulation helps prevent the spread of the disease, although it can also prevent or slow down germination. Spraying or drenching the soil with a recommended anti-fungal treatment (such as copper oxychloride) also helps suppress the disease. Homemade solutions (including ones made from chamomile tea or garlic) are used by some gardeners for this purpose.

In the UK a copper-based fungicide called Cheshunt compound was widely used by amateur and professional gardeners against damping off, but it was withdrawn from sale in the UK in November 2010[3] (last legal use 30 Nov 2011).[4] Developed at an Agricultural Research Council Experimental Station in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, UK, it was a mixture of copper sulfate and ammonium carbonate, which could be mixed by the gardener or bought ready-prepared.[5]

LB

 

[Muddy]

I agree, could be damping off. Were the stems of the seedlings brown and thin right at the soil level?

 

[SilverHaze72]

Thanks for all the replies to my question..I took another good look at the seedling and yes I think it's damping off..even before I started this thread I tied the poor little thing up..but she's still wilting over.
I'm using Burpee brand organic seed starting soil made with coco fiber and fiber pots about 6" round.oh and I mixed in a little vermiculite too. I had it (the seedling) about 4 inches away from a 200 watt cfl..with fan for circulation
Could the spores have made their way into the soil that quickly??? And how??
Any suggestions on what I should do now??? Ditch the bag of soil I'm using now? Any info or suggestions on an organic fix/spray..one reply mentioned garlic..
I really don't want to lose another baby..it's getting a bit expensive..if you know what I mean..any help with be emensly appreciated.
Thanks again
Silver

 

[TheLittleBoyWhoPointed]

could be in the soil....or the water....or the air....or even within the seed itself....
H2O2 [hydrogen peroxide] watered into the soil might be one way to fight it.....there are also copper based vineyard products used to treat it.

LB

 

[SilverHaze72]

Or should I just start the seeds in soil..like I usually do but start them under my 400watt metal halide or hps and keep the fan on the container the seeds are in..so it's not too wet and not too cool..the wiki info said that damping off usually happens when they are cool and moist conditions ..so I'll try warm and just moist enough to promote germination.
Does that sound right?..lol

Silver :group: