Sproutlings started very well. Not much growth after transplant. Please help!

[Joey518]

Hey everyone. First time poster, amateur cultivator. So i have 6 feminized Apple Fritter seeds. Sprouted and for about 2 weeks inside, under LED grow light. I had them in individual red solo cups, in a standard garden soil, om a heating paf, under led light, indoors. After each were about 4-5 inches tall, i transplanted them into12x30" holes, filled with same soil, outside. Now under natural light. Im approaching the 4 week mark since transplant and havent seem too much growth but theyre still alive. Most have 2nd and 3rd set of leaves but are yellowing and pointing upwards. I water once every other day unless it rains then i wait another day. Growth seems stunted. Please, all ideas welcome for what things may be causing the lack of vertical grotwh, yellowing of first leaves after the round ones, leaves pointing somewhat upwards. Ill provide pics as soon as i can but i thought id get this thread out there and started with just this info and see what you guys have to say. Thank you so much!

 

[freezeland2]

Did you harden them to the direct sunlight before planting?

 

[mysticepipedon]

What are the temperatures? What's standard garden soil? Soil from your garden?

You may be overwatering and it's also about time to start feeding. Both overwatering and nutrient deficiencies can cause your problems.

Water the plants well, then don't water again until the soil is dry when you put you finger about 2 inches into it.

 

[Joey518]

Im not sure what hardening means so id say no, i dont think i did that lol. When i say standard soil, i mean your average vegetable and flowering potting mix. Im in the northeast where you can only grow outdoors during the summer months. The season has been weird so far. 1st 1-2weeks outside it was sunny and hot upwards of 80'S. Then for like 2 weeks it was getting cooler at night. Highs 65-70, low 45 degrees

 

[Joey518]

Definitely a flux of temps

 

[Joey518]

Im also getting some purpling but mostly yellowing of first leaves

 

[freezeland2]

What are the temperatures? What's standard garden soil? Soil from your garden?

You may be overwatering and it's also about time to start feeding. Both overwatering and nutrient deficiencies can cause your problems.

Water the plants well, then don't water again until the soil is dry when you put you finger about 2 inches into it.

By hardening I mean a slow intro to sun light. Like over a few days to a week. Then plant.

 

[Joey518]

 

[Joey518]

All plants have grown less than 1" in height in last 3-4 weeks. What should I do?

 

[Joey518]

I dug out around the plants very carefully to expose some roots and I discovered there is very little root production. Just a few, thin, stringy whites popping out here and there on each one.

 

[MacroLogos]

What is the water & soil PH?

 

[Joey518]

I'm not sure.. this is the potting soil I'm using

 

[Joey518]

I'm using well water. Slight sulfur water...which I heard is actually a good thing for plants..?

 

[Joey518]

Idk what to do...are they going to produce or die before even verging?

 

[MacroLogos]

I'm not sure..

Ok. So... pH testing is a huge part of growing, and you'll need to get a pH tester if you don't have one.

Once you have one, grab a cup of tap water and let it sit out for about 1 hour... and while you wait, put a cup of that soil & 3 cups of water in a mason jar... shake it up.. and let it settle. Then test the water in both jars.

 

[Joey518]

Ok, I'm on it, thanks bro

 

[MacroLogos]

Also, and it's hard to tell from the picture, but that soil looks really dense... and so it's holding lots of water and you're over watering them.

We water 'by feel' of the weight of the pot. If it feels heavy, they don't need water yet... as long as pots are properly sized.

Small plants need small pots to start, then you repot them in larger pots. Small plants in large pots allow the soil in the bottom of the pot to get waterlogged and this can cause stunted growth and disease.

At this point, repotting would probably kill them. I'd dial my watering way back and when I watered, I'd try and guess the size of the rootball and just water enough to soak it, but not saturate the whole pot. I'd do this for about a week longer than it takes for the bottom of my pots feel lighter and a bit dry.

Then I'd start watering them by feel. Saturate the pot, wait till it feels lighter and a bit dry, repeat.

 

[MacroLogos]

Also, and it's hard to tell from the picture, but that soil looks really dense... and so it's holding lots of water and you're over watering them.

We water 'by feel' of the weight of the pot. If it feels heavy, they don't need water yet... as long as pots are properly sized.

Small plants need small pots to start, then you repot them in larger pots. Small plants in large pots allow the soil in the bottom of the pot to get waterlogged and this can cause stunted growth and disease.

At this point, repotting would probably kill them. I'd dial my watering way back and when I watered, I'd try and guess the size of the rootball and just water enough to soak it, but not saturate the whole pot. I'd do this for about a week longer than it takes for the bottom of my pots feel lighter and a bit dry.

Then I'd start watering them by feel. Saturate the pot, wait till it feels lighter and a bit dry, repeat.

Bah... you're outdoor, in soil... my bad. My post is a bit off... However, it still seems like a similar problem we have with pots.

What is the soil like that you dug your holes in? It may not have good drainage either.

 

[Joey518]

Currently waiting for ph test.. here are some pics of root base..

 

[Joey518]

The ground that the holes are dug in is the earth of the northeast lol..it's moderately rocky, gets pretty pretty dry around the area that the holes are in..it's a 15x10' plot that used to be where a chicken coop had been for many years. Tilled up 2', leveled then dug 12x30" holes and filled with the potting mix