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Rookie experiencing rookie problems

M

matteson83

I have a variety of pepper seedlings/adolescent plants growing in Fox Farm Light Warrior Seed Starter medium within 12 oz disposable paper coffee cups.  I planted the first set on 3/20 and the second 4/6.  They receive 12 hrs of light from (2) 150w 6500k CFL bulbs about 4" above the tallest plant, along with 4-5 hrs of wind from a fan per day.  I was watering 2 times a week and have cut back to once a week after realizing the peppers did not need water until showing signs.  Every 3rd week I feed them Neptunes Harvest Fish and Seaweed diluted as suggested.  
 
http://www.neptunesharvest.com/fs-136.html

I have noticed reoccurring problems with plants started on both dates.  Some leaves are curling up and in from the sides while others are curling up from the tips.  Some leaves are light green on both old  and new growth, and a few leaves have a dark substance on the top and bottom.  
 
I have provided pictures that show each of the problems I have described above. 
 
http://imgur.com/DAIWJIk
http://imgur.com/oa0ppya
 
Thank you to everyone that responds, and I am happy to provide any further information.

Dave
 
I don't like using potting soils with built in ferts...you are relying on somebody else to have done their job, and hopefully mixed in just the right amount.

I use Sunshine #4 for sedlings. I also give them 24x7 light for about 6 weeks.

Looks like your leaf curl might also bee some kind of bugs. Look closely.

Make sure the water can drain from the cups. Soggy soil will kill your young seedlings.

Make some of your own compost tea and feed those plants. It is great for baby seedlings.

Once mine are that size I have already added in Mycorrhizae spores. Usually one teaspoon per plant. It will make the roots grow faster, better, and in turn healthier plant. I added it to the top and water in with ferts, and coconut sugar (FloraNectar).
Here are some of my plants from mid February 2014 sprouting...

Tabasco Plant. Huge leaves.



Here is my TMS yellow plant. Same sprouting period mid Febuary 2014.



Once I inoculated them with Mycorrhizae spores, they took off.
 
I have had the same problem with no ferts.  In MY case, I flushed with water and in the older plants (6 sets of true leaves) a dose of magnesium sulfate worked well. I emphasize "in my case" because I am also a new grower and thus far from being in a position to recommend.
 
McGuiver - great plants! Could you explain Mycorrhizae spores a little more? First time I'm reading about this.
 
my experience with light warrior is that its good for seed starting, and only seed starting. not so much for adolescents imo it stays,
to wet or to dry not in the mid that peppers like.
i would transplant. but thats just me.
 
Thanks for the suggestions and those plants look amazing. Can you provide more info on Mycorrhizae spores and suggest a decent product?

I have been debating transplanting to an intermediate container might have to do so. Was hoping to jump into the final resting place.

Delta -- any suggestion on magnesium sulfate?
 
Simple epsom salt is what I use, non scented however by the pics you posted, I think it might be a bit early for magnesium sulfate.
 
You need to get the opinions of seasoned growers.
 
"Was hoping to jump into the final resting place." - Just remember that it is easier to control the moisture in a small container. You might want to wait until you have a little more experience before skipping vital steps. I find that when it comes to growing hot peppers, patience is rewarded. But that's me.
 
I have used LW seedling starter a few years back and it worked great for seedlings.... but not only is it light in weight, it is also light in NUTES. You need to transplant into a new soil for more nitrogen. If you like FoxFarm products like I do, try out FF Happy Frog or Ocean Forest. Both are great soils that provide a good amount of organic nitrogen.
 
Not to be a hater on supplements like calmag or epsom salts, but I have found that new growers throw in way too much of the extra chemicals and salts and end up with even bigger problems. A good base soil is going to go far in terms of providing micro/macro nutrients and beneficial microbes. You should only need to add fertilizer every now and again to get good results. YMMV
 
Oh and in case you wanted to see my RSB and YF pepper plants for this year :P this was taken a couple weeks ago:
 
photo_zpsc5364796.jpg
 
Delta said:
I have had the same problem with no ferts.  In MY case, I flushed with water and in the older plants (6 sets of true leaves) a dose of magnesium sulfate worked well. I emphasize "in my case" because I am also a new grower and thus far from being in a position to recommend.
 
McGuiver - great plants! Could you explain Mycorrhizae spores a little more? First time I'm reading about this.
Click to expand...
I have a book I have been reading...forget the name at the moment...it talks about the microbiology of the soil, and how it makes or breaks a healthy plant. I will remember the name when I'm not so tired.

Here is a some more info on the info I was talking about. I'll get a pic of the product I'm using in the morning.
http://www.agbio-inc.com/mycorrhizae-faq.html

I love eating yogurt. It is good for your digestive system. One hydro guys explained it to me like that. Mycorrhizae spores do the same thing for the plants. I was skeptical, until I found the same reference in the book I was reading. I went and bought some. Seeing is believing. My plants are much healthier, even when attacked by bugs.

Thanks for the kudos on my plants. I'm not trying for a lot of plants, just one of each pepper. I have 14 unique plant right now. I only keep one of each. The other 5 or 6 I give away to friends. My goal is to have a good healthy plants to get cuttings from for clones. The clones seem to grow faster then from seed. Less stressful on me too.

Once I replant my grass from seed I will make sure it gets mycorrhizae spores. I have used it on my Avocado, and Apple tree seedlings too. When you replant your seedlings and see fuzzy white hair on the roots, that is mycorrhizae fungus. It is a good thing.
 
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