Hi, I have grow lights, started some seeds well over a month ago and some recently. They are taking their time with true leaves - oddly enough though, the last time I watered (I pull them out and water from underneath in a pan) I noticed a lot of root growth only. How much growing can these little fellas do? I figure if they are establishing a good root system, the rest will take off when it's ready. I've grown from seed for over 10 years in all types of environments, winter sowing, indoors, direct. Many of my plants don't really take off until april. Then they go like gangbusters. Patience is truly a virtue - just keep in mind some of the growth we can't always see - especially the roots. Do your babies look green and healthy? That's what I'm looking for right now. Cheers, McPeg

I have not been over watering...planted them up in 3 inch peat pots. I bottom water them until the peat pot is wet and then don't water them again until the soil and pot is bone dry and some of the seedlings start to wilt just a little. I know you don't think you are over watering but you are or the leaves wouldn't be yellowing. And the peat pots are contributing to the problem which is why many of us won't use them - ever. The peat pots wick water up too quickly and then wick it away from the soil and the plant roots thus forcing you to water more frequently. When you water until the pot is wet it is too much water for the roots and the leaves yellow. Then the pot dries quickly and begins to pull the water out of the soil drying it out and making you think you need to water again. If you cannot get rid of the peat pots and move the plants into plastic cups which is the recommended solution, then you will have to water them from the top using a small watering can so that only the soil itself is watered until it is only slightly moist. Make sure the pot gets little of it. The check the deeper soil moisture level, not the pot condition, before watering again. Going from real wet to bone dry should be avoided at all costs. You want a consistent LOW level of moisture in the soil. Hope this helps. Dave PS: lots of discussions about the many problems with peat pots here you might want to read for future reference. And do be sure to strip it all off the plants before transplanting them.

Could be cyclamen mites - I've had the same problem on a few different plants incl. an S. Divinorum, pretty bad, actually, and very similar to the pics posted. Well, curled leaves to me is the first sign of someone nesting underneath, so I looked. And saw nothing. Then looked again. And a tincy-wincy whitish thing appeared to move across. Well, out came the microscope, and yep, it's a cyclamen mite, positive ID on a few female species from different plants. Now, saying they're small means understating things by a few orders of magnitude: you need a 100x microscope to count legs, so you get the idea. At this magnification a pin tip looks like a sphere, and you still couldn't read what's tattooed on the mite's butt. Interestingly enough, they manifest themselves sort of differently on mango plants that have heavy, waxy leaves, but the idea is still the same - browning (like in case of a bad burn) and crookedness of the young leaves. At any rate, I've searched the web and those mites seem to be fairly common and - bad news - fairly hard to get rid of, the last resort measure being soaking them in 100-110F water for half an hour, something I am trying literally as we speak (just put plants in pots into a bathtub full of hot water). I'll see how it goes, but I've seen those mites dying in a drop of water under the microscope in about a minute, so it might work. I'm hoping I won't kill the plants. Makes me think - I've read on some funny sites that those symptoms are very common to S. Divinorum, but "it's a bit of a mystery" - nobody's certain, most authors contradict one another and the best advice I've seen was to try changing every variable one by one to see what works. Now, given that they are all derived from a small progenitor stock and the number of places you can get cuttings from is limited - could it be that they are all infested with mites? It's hardly surprising that mites haven't been notices in the past: as I said, it takes some looking. Thinking about the spread of infestation across my plants and its apparent chronology, I can only suggest that mites were brought on the cutting I planted, there are no other possible sources like other plants or soil. If you want to check your plants, get a really good magnifying glass and check the undersides of the leaves for tiny, 0.1mm or less, bugs. Some are moving fast. And BTW, it appears to be highly contagious, so as most sites suggest, step one is isolating the infested plants.

I guess I'm not sure why you think they are dying then or why your thread title? If these are just germinated sprouts, only now showing the sign of developing first true leaves, it could be perfectly normal growth. The cotyledons normally begin to bend/arch downward from the pressure of new growth developing in the center of the stem. That happens with each branch as new growth develops above it. How did they look before that makes you think something is wrong now? Can you post a picture of them? I do agree that over-watering is far too common but you mentioned this was the first time you had watered them I think, right? I also agree that special teas and other such mixes aren't needed UNLESS one chronically over-waters and has an actual problem. It is the excess watering and lack of proper air circulation that cause damp-off and other fungus to begin in the first place. And that watering from the bottom is usually best but not if you are treating a soil fungus problem that is on top of the soil. Bottom line - your plants may be perfectly normal. Can't say without seeing them. Otherwise it is all just guesses. Dave