my past experience was all blueberry clones, boy was that easy growing...now I am starting some fem mazar from seed. They sprouted (6 of 7) nicely enough in two days, but then seemed kind of spindly and few days later two have fallen over, but not died, in fact the leaves still seem to fill out.

They are in promix bx in 16 oz cups with drainage holes. There temp varies a little but about 75 celcius. ph is about 6.4, there is very low fert of fish emulsion and kelp extract. They are directly under a 125w "blue" cfl about 6 inches. I had heating pad under them but removed it after thay all sprouted. The soil may have been warmer then the ambient temperature for some time.

two other seedlings have clumped up true leaves past the seedling leaves. the plants are about 1 week old right now.

There is ventaltion and a fan for air circulation. Though I didn't start the fan right away. I know I should have.

Sorry no pics to post - I know that would help

What do you think? did I just over-water, could it be that simple....can they be saved?

yo its natural for seedlings to strentch to the point of falling over...bury up the stem so its upright an lower the light/s a lil..peace az

It might just be over watering.... can you get pictures of them? I thought mine were droopy early in their lives but then they grew their true leaves and perked right up....

Is the stem what's fallen over? pics would help....

what 2stoned said... if you don't have enough wattage they'll stretch like mad and can fall... put them into bigger pots and bury them up to those first seedling leaves...

Thanks for getting back to me...much appreciation...

I don't have pics to post unfortunately, yes its the stem with a long bend not a break...

I was worried that additional soil would cause some sort of rot if I went past the natural level between the soil and the stem...I you saying I can safely just build up the soil to the where the firt baby leaves are?

yup... and then when you transplant into a bigger pot later it will put the original root place right around the center.... I'll draw something up so it makes more sense....

imo i wouldn't transplant yet..just top off your containers with more soil..an lower the lights..peace az

Exactly, 2stoned... here's the picture I sketched up in like 2 minutes... lol

And what's up with the tags? lol

basically the black is the original rootball... then you just add soil on top.... and then when you transplant it ends up near the middle of the pot....

for some reason i cant post with out making a tag...pissing me off really..peace az

You need more light(s)!

i have had seedling strech even under a 1k light...it was just very far away..im not sure about his lights..but mabee lower em ...peace az

Is it a 125 watt equivalent light? if so that's nowhere near enough light....

sounds like that's the case because I only have 81 watts of true light (equivalent to 300 watts incandescent) and my stretch hasn't been too bad at all...

edit: and make sure you move the light closer... about 2/3 inches away will keep them from stretching but then you just have to be checking on them so that they don't reach up and touch those bulbs...

its not equivalent watts, it is an actual 125w cfl (i read the cfl tutorial on GP carefully)

These CFL grow lights are available in 125 watt models. The 2700k bulb provides increased output in the red spectrum which promotes flowering and budding in plants. The 6400k bulb is full spectrum bulb which promotes overall plant growth. 125 watt bulbs are 9,500 lumens. Average life span is 10,000 hours.

I used a mh hps combo in the past but that was a room...I thought with the small space 2x3 I could get good result for four plants w/ about 20000 lumens...I may add another 125w

I moved the light to just a few inches above the seedlings. I also added more promix to prop them up. I had heard (but never experienced) that covering the stems with soil would cause the stems to rot (that may have been actual trees I heard about)

So I hope this all works out 'cause the seeds are about 17 bucks a pop.

Thanks for the speedy/logical advice so far and the pic...you guys/gals are great...

Putting the plant deeper and having soil further up the stem will stimulate root growth on the covered stem. You can even bend/train it over, once it's tall enough, and have a portion of the plant in contact with moist soil and it will produce roots at the point of contact. The plant can then be cut and you have 2 plants.

is your fan blowing right on the seedlings cuase if it is not then that is why you got spindly growth which fell over to correct this get you a few paper clips straighten them out then at one end bend it at about an inch 1/2 then again at about 1/4" and 3/4" the first bend will put it in an L shape the second 2 bends should be bent out to the side of the way you bent the first bend after you do the 3 bends you just kind of guess where the plant was growing before it fell over. so once you got the clip pushed a lil way into the soil just go far enough into the soil it don't fall over the clip that is once the clip is in place. you stand your seedling up into the lil bends you bent out to the side of the L shaped bend. then you push the clip down into the soil till 1/3 of your seedling is above the bend. to keep this from happening again make sure your fan is blowing on the seedling with the wind from the fan and the paper clip holding it up will streangth the stem up.

to keep your next batch of seedlings from streaching like this have a fan blowing on the seedling from the second they pop above ground. or you could do like the greenhouses around here do to trees shake them every single day. what both of these does is put some of the same stresses mother nature put them through. this cuases the cell walls of the plant to be weakened for an instant which the plant then starts repairing the damage . which cuases the plants stem to become strudier each time this happen.

i keep a 10 box fan blowing on my seedling with-in a few hours of popping above ground. and i've noticed stems that are twice as thick as they use to be and the nodes are alot closer togather. i use to have just the oscilating fan covering the whole room. now only place i use the oscilating fan is in the flowering room cuase the clones and seedlings spent there time growing evan stronger stems. hope this helps

Why are you giving seedlings any type of ferts? No ferts until a month old. and then start off at 1/4 the recommended strength and slowly work up to full strength.

What is the humidity?

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Thanks everyone for the help...a few days later and all is well,

built up some promix around the seedlings...lowered the lights...kept the fan on....and watered (without the 1/4 strength ferts)...they are growing again but strong stems this time...amazing how quick they can get back on track

if it happens again try this http://www.greenpassion.org/advanced...html#post32803

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Glad to hear they're coming around.