My seedling are not growing

[budsofgeorgia]

day 16 from seed

 

[budsofgeorgia]

just wish my plants would grow hardly any seeds reaching the edge of the cups

 

[Sunasun]

just wish my plants would grow hardly any seeds reaching the edge of the cups

What's your soil temperature? Below 78 for me results in progressively slower growth the further I deviate below that number.
Had to put in thermostat controlled heating mats for my seedling \ clone station for this reason.

 

[budsofgeorgia]

What's your soil temperature? Below 78 for me results in progressively slower growth the further I deviate below that number.
Had to put in thermostat controlled heating mats for my seedling \ clone station for this reason.

i do not know soil temp but i do know my temps are perfect but they are not bad either

 

[LoveGrowingIt]

I keep thinking slow growth has something to do with root growth. We understand that young plants prioritize what's happening in the soil. It's also likely true that the upper part of a plant can't grow any faster than the lower part grows. All that leads to the question of why the roots aren't developing faster. What is it about the soil environment that isn't allowing or enabling faster growth?

 

[budsofgeorgia]

i been wondering if this is that rsvd thing i been hearing about

 

[MartyMcFly42oh]

does anyone know if kelp meal goes bad ?

if it’s a dry amendment that got wet, it could have mold or fungus in it, one of the most common reasons for seedlings to stop growing is usually due to fungus in the soil, it attacks the new roots which are very sensitive at the early stages and eventually kills the seedlings. Your seedlings look healthy though. The phrase for fungus killing seedlings is called dampening off. It’s most commonly found in used soils and overwatered soils. But again I don’t think you are experiencing this.

 

[Sunasun]

i do not know soil temp but i do know my temps are perfect but they are not bad either

day 16 from seed
View attachment 2140536View attachment 2140537

I have those same plates. They make good cat feeders. Lol. Do you have a probe to take a soil temperature sample? I had this same problem even though my air temperature was fine. Humor me.

 

[MartyMcFly42oh]

I agree. That doesn't mean the soil is bad, though. It just needs amendments to increase its porosity.

A few times I have pulled slow-growing seedlings to look at the roots. Every time there was poor root growth. There wasn't only one apparent cause, though. Mostly, it looks like compacted soil, but sometimes there were dry spots in the soil. Every time I was able to put the plants in different soil and grow them to maturity. At this point in my growing experience, I'm sure that root growth is a key factor for seedlings.


I think that's both true and not true. (I know. Difficult logic there.) It's true that the soil can become depleted. But it's also true that it can be revitalized. The challenge is to figure out how to revitalize it. I don't think a general purpose 4-4-4 fertilizer is enough. Other nutrients, like Mg, Ca and other micronutrients also need to be added. The key is to know which and how much.


Agreed. Gardeners and farmers reuse soil for many years. So, soil can be reused.

I reuse soil all the time, but the one thing people forget is that soil with a plant growing in it is different entirely than soil that is dormant. The symbiotic relationship between the plants and the microorganisms in the soil such as bacteria and fungi keeps things in balance. Removing the plant and setting the soil aside changes the microbiology of the soil, it can cause the soil to die, or it can cause an imbalance of good bacteria and fungi vs bad bacteria and fungi. So if I uproot a plant or chop it down, I will keep the soil right in the container and reammend it , add fresh ewc and lay down some cover crop. This combined with a layer of dry hay for mulch will keep that soil alive and healthy ready for the next plant. Now this technique is for organic living soil, but I used it as an example to demonstrate how the microbiology of used soil can be affected.

 

[MartyMcFly42oh]

the pro mix i use it does seem to get compacted a lot and i can assure you guys i have plenty of perlite mixed in the pro mix i use is made up of coco coir and sphagnum peat moss

Root zone temperature can also greatly affect the plant’s ability to grow and uptake available nutrients in the root zone, cold soil equals slow growth.

 

[budsofgeorgia]

if it’s a dry amendment that got wet, it could have mold or fungus in it, one of the most common reasons for seedlings to stop growing is usually due to fungus in the soil, it attacks the new roots which are very sensitive at the early stages and eventually kills the seedlings. Your seedlings look healthy though. The phrase for fungus killing seedlings is called dampening off. It’s most commonly found in used soils and overwatered soils. But again I don’t think you are experiencing this.

nothing got wet like that

 

[budsofgeorgia]

I have those same plates. They make good cat feeders. Lol. Do you have a probe to take a soil temperature sample? I had this same problem even though my air temperature was fine. Humor me.

i did have them on a heating matt at first i can put them back on it but at what temp

 

[MartyMcFly42oh]

i did have them on a heating matt at first i can put them back on it but at what temp

 

[Sunasun]

i did have them on a heating matt at first i can put them back on it but at what temp

I'd go 78. Mine stays within 2 degrees of that. So max temp is 80 that way.

 

[LoveGrowingIt]

I reuse soil all the time, but the one thing people forget is that soil with a plant growing in it is different entirely than soil that is dormant. The symbiotic relationship between the plants and the microorganisms in the soil such as bacteria and fungi keeps things in balance. Removing the plant and setting the soil aside changes the microbiology of the soil, it can cause the soil to die, or it can cause an imbalance of good bacteria and fungi vs bad bacteria and fungi. So if I uproot a plant or chop it down, I will keep the soil right in the container and reammend it , add fresh ewc and lay down some cover crop. This combined with a layer of dry hay for mulch will keep that soil alive and healthy ready for the next plant. Now this technique is for organic living soil, but I used it as an example to demonstrate how the microbiology of used soil can be affected.

The main problem I've had with reusing soil involved nutrient deficiencies. The nutrients that seem most deficient are N, P & Mg. For my next grow, I'll have better notions about adding nutrients. I also have some FFOF that I could add to the mix.

 

[cannafarmer420]

The main problem I've had with reusing soil involved nutrient deficiencies. The nutrients that seem most deficient are N, P & Mg. For my next grow, I'll have better notions about adding nutrients. I also have some FFOF that I could add to the mix.

Same here, whatever the mix was light on will be mostly gone, I don't see the point unless you have a living soil bed

 

[LoveGrowingIt]

I just checked some soil temperatures. They were just about the same as the air temperature. Clones in nursery pots at the bottom of the tent were 77º and the 5-gallon pots were close to 80º. The clones are off to the side and slightly in the shade from the big pots.

 

[LoveGrowingIt]

Same here, whatever the mix was light on will be mostly gone, I don't see the point unless you have a living soil bed

Do you mean the point of reusing soil?

 

[budsofgeorgia]

well i amened my soil weeks before i use it what ever is lost is replaced , yall seem to think i just reuse the soil without doing anything to it and that is not the case outside in your yard that soil is reused for millions of years still grows your grass and trees

 

[MartyMcFly42oh]

The main problem I've had with reusing soil involved nutrient deficiencies. The nutrients that seem most deficient are N, P & Mg. For my next grow, I'll have better notions about adding nutrients. I also have some FFOF that I could add to the mix.

That’s why I’ll reammend my soils either by top dressing or completely dumping old soil into a container and remixing with fresh amendments and earth worm castings. But if people are using bottled nutrients then a neutral base or inert medium is almost preferred.