transDiMenTional Posted April 9, 2006 I have a bunch of 1week old Lophophora williamsii seedlings that are all a varying pink/red colour! They are under cover in indirect light and covered with a 'fogged' (not clear) plastic. I have read that seedlings will turn red if exposed to too much light but I am pretty sure that isnt the case. Could it be from the cold nights we've been having? Or because they are only hatchlings they are sensitive to even indirect light? Will they turn green with time? So many questions! Please help! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Evil Genius Posted April 9, 2006 (edited) I´ve seen some seedlings turn red when they have been stressed in general. Maybe you turn up the humidity. Cold Temperatures might be also stressing for these little babies. Not sure how cold it recently was in OZ Look for pathogens like bacteria and molds. Some of my seedlings that have been ill also changed their color to red before they died. BestRegs EG Edited April 9, 2006 by Evil Genius Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
planthelper Posted April 9, 2006 first, thats no reason for concern, they do this quite often as e_g says it has to do with stress, in your case maybe not enough water/humidety. looking at one of my pedro seedlings trays, i saw that the babies at the dried up patches were showing red coloration, whilst the one at the wet spots were all green in color. in short the dry soil stopps the lil thing from taking up nutes and as such it turns red. if it happens with well watered babies, fert with a very weak solution. you have them in a sealed (high humidety) enviroment don't you? if not just put a nice fitting ziplock bag over the pots or put the pots into a brocoli box which you seal with a sheet of glass or see thru plastic! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
transDiMenTional Posted April 9, 2006 yep theyre in high humidity... I have kept them quite moist. I will try a weak fert. I have a feeling its from the cold nites and hot days. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
transDiMenTional Posted April 11, 2006 Ok. Ive given them a dilute fish fert. + a fungaside... I have also moved them inside under a window so that they getting even less light. Any more suggestions? I hope they are ok... Theres at least a coupla hundred babies in there! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Mexicali Posted April 11, 2006 Ok. Ive given them a dilute fish fert. + a fungaside... I have also moved them inside under a window so that they getting even less light. Any more suggestions? I hope they are ok... Theres at least a coupla hundred babies in there! Yikes man...what are you doing You've ruled out sunlight... You've ruled out humidity... Then you went to fertilizers... Then you went to fungicides... Ease up cowboy!!!!! They went red because they are stressed from the weather! Fungicides are very likely to burn your seedlings, so don't get into the habit of using it on such tender young plants...if there's a fungus in your soil, you'll KNOW about it. The more you keep changing their conditions, the more stressed they become...place them indoors, use heaters and fluoros and bob's our mother's brother PS: a photo would've been helpful Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
transDiMenTional Posted April 11, 2006 (edited) Yikes man...what are you doing You've ruled out sunlight... You've ruled out humidity... Then you went to fertilizers... Then you went to fungicides... Ease up cowboy!!!!! They went red because they are stressed from the weather! Fungicides are very likely to burn your seedlings, so don't get into the habit of using it on such tender young plants...if there's a fungus in your soil, you'll KNOW about it. The more you keep changing their conditions, the more stressed they become...place them indoors, use heaters and fluoros and bob's our mother's brother PS: a photo would've been helpful Damn it i knew i shoulda went with my instinct! I had a feeling it was the weather.. Well I hope i havnt killed them!! It was a pretty weak fert and fungaside tho.. So hopefully no damage...(fingers crossed) Why o why must i start with 500 seeds! p.s Should i 'flush' them out with clean water to remove some of the fert/fungaside? Or should i just leave them and hope for the best? Edited April 11, 2006 by tribal dreamings Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
planthelper Posted April 12, 2006 what mexacali said is spot on, ease out a bit. just give them a break, however young lophs are immune against overwatering, so you could flush... however flushing removes aswell nutes and my guess still is that your lophs can't take up nutes. i don't think it's cold weather what causes this, as i have seen this symptoms in the mid summer in my place in the tropics!! however i have seen red lophs turn green very fast after giving very low givings of cacti fert. foliar feeding works aswell very good! just be save, don't try to hard to help nature doing it's thing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Evil Genius Posted April 12, 2006 Hi Tribal, Better don´t use fungicides or similar Substances that are able to destroy DNA. This stuff could also hit yours when handled without care. Never use aerosols or sprays as they could be inhaled! And please, Never eat a treated cactus. If you are able to create optimal conditions for them, your seedlings will be fine. I destroy sick plants to make sure but yours probably aren´t sick. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
transDiMenTional Posted April 13, 2006 I am very happy to say that my lil lophies are startin to turn green! Im guessing it was the cold temps outside at night that was causing them stress. I have them inside now under a window that gets plenty of indirect light.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Evil Genius Posted April 13, 2006 good news are always welcome... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Mexicali Posted April 14, 2006 I am very happy to say that my lil lophies are startin to turn green! Im guessing it was the cold temps outside at night that was causing them stress. I have them inside now under a window that gets plenty of indirect light.. Good to hear! Now just make sure you "turn" the pot they are in...windows act as magnifying glasses and tend to overheat the side of the plant facing it...turn every 1 or two days to even the exposure...we wouldn't want any further "accidents" Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
planthelper Posted April 16, 2006 Good to hear! Now just make sure you "turn" the pot they are in...windows act as magnifying glasses and tend to overheat the side of the plant facing it...turn every 1 or two days to even the exposure...we wouldn't want any further "accidents" wtf? as said before rotating pot's will cause accident's and not avaoid them. window glass isn't a magnifying glass, fullstopp. maybe heatbuildup could be the problem and as such might get diffused but, not rotating is better in this instance aswell as the roots will simply avoid the hotspots, whilst forgetting to turn the pots for a while will cause shock to roots and above ground tissue. lophs in the wild never get rotated and if your spot behind the window is not apropiate the way it is, than rotating will not make it any better. unless one has an automated rotating device, don't do it as humans forget to do things and once you move a cacti or any plant the way that the shaded side gets full light and vice versa, the cacti or plant will be hurt, the same way as humans get sunburned if not used to the sun!!! i fully understand the theory of equall overall light exposure, but don't turn pot's unless you are a loph sadist. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rev Posted April 16, 2006 IME lophs dont care about heat and sun expousre i did the unthinkable and left my lophs in full sun afternoon exposure through a glass window in sealed humid containers from sowing till now they did not die. they did not redden. they did not suburn rather they are the best loph seeding i have ever grown , not one but half a dozeb tubs of diff sources and the epithelanthas nex to them bleached, cooked and died its a mystery Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Mexicali Posted April 17, 2006 wtf? as said before rotating pot's will cause accident's and not avaoid them.window glass isn't a magnifying glass, fullstopp. maybe heatbuildup could be the problem and as such might get diffused but, not rotating is better in this instance aswell as the roots will simply avoid the hotspots, whilst forgetting to turn the pots for a while will cause shock to roots and above ground tissue. lophs in the wild never get rotated and if your spot behind the window is not apropiate the way it is, than rotating will not make it any better. unless one has an automated rotating device, don't do it as humans forget to do things and once you move a cacti or any plant the way that the shaded side gets full light and vice versa, the cacti or plant will be hurt, the same way as humans get sunburned if not used to the sun!!! i fully understand the theory of equall overall light exposure, but don't turn pot's unless you are a loph sadist. Right....window glass does not act as light enhancer...where did you study science man?!?!?! How about you place a young lophie next to the window and leave it there without turning, then get back to me in a few months. The suggestions we make here are from experience and not theory. Fact remains that plants need to be turned daily (or on a fixed interval) when placed near the window. Just because humans may forget to turn them and screw up their established regime, does not mean the plants don't need turning So far as lophs in the wild go....ahem....no they don't get rotated...but they also take forever to grow and 90% of the seedlings end up dying because of EXPOSURE (in habitat). Hence the creation of artificial deserts for the production of the plant. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
planthelper Posted April 17, 2006 window glass can't enhance lightning, on the contrary glass diminishes sunlight. windows are not lenses. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rev Posted April 17, 2006 (edited) IME - turning doesnt matter - except where light is on a severe angle and you dont want lopsided to enhance light you must be implying its a lens because it couldnt enhance it any other way and not violate laws of physics Curved glass can be a lens- like a glass bottle but can a pane of glass be a lens? Edited April 17, 2006 by Rev Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
apothecary Posted April 17, 2006 (edited) Agreed, turning loph seedlings is unnescessary, they are so small I'd bet light penetrates right through them onto the other side. Glass is not a light enhancer, pure glass is completely transparent i.e. no reflection, and impure glass refracts so there is less light I think. How about you place a young lophie next to the window and leave it there without turning, then get back to me in a few months. The suggestions we make here are from experience and not theory.I've done that, for over six months. All lophies are fine. Some have gone red but are stil very much alive. What is the problem?So far as lophs in the wild go....ahem....no they don't get rotated...but they also take forever to grow and 90% of the seedlings end up dying because of EXPOSURE (in habitat). Hence the creation of artificial deserts for the production of the plant. I imagine the reason they take forever to grow and the attrition rate is so high is largely due to much less water and much harsher conditions, rather than a lack of rotation? Edited April 17, 2006 by apothecary Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
