CropReport

We are all faced with this sometimes; a seedling does not, for one reason or another, thrive. These situations usually take care of themselves when the seedling just dies on its own and "selects" itself out of the tray.

Sometimes, though, you'll get one that looks like it "might" make it, so you expend some effort and wind up getting frustrated trying to fix something that just cannot be fixed. Culling malformed or freak plants from your grow frees valuable space and resources. So if for no other reason than to be able to grow more successful plants, doing this quickly saves you time and increases your overall yields.

I grow from the same batch of seed at least two to three times each year, so I know it pretty well. I've had a chance to observe a lot of seedlings and I can spot the freaks pretty quickly. Most growers who mine the forums for knowledge only see well formed seedlings. Here's one that's not:



You can see that the second set of leaves is tri-foliate, but that the individual blades are poorly developed and there is no new green growth at the meristem. Here's why:



The meristem is malformed so all subsequent growth will be freaky as well. You'll notice that the leaf blades, aside from being malformed, lack the ridges that are usually present in this line (Blueberry). Now check this:



The tendency to wrinkle the first tri-foliate set pops up maybe one in eight times in this batch. It looks initailly like a freak, then expresses the wavy leaf margins. I've grown these types before successfully and they produce a strong wrinkled pheno when they finish. They differ from the first photo in that they have a healthy meristem and they produce new green growth. Like this:



The little growing leaf tips should look like mini-versions of mature leaves. From this you should get vigorous and symmetrical growth.



-CR

Lucky27

Hey man come on over to my freaky seedling thread.

Mine looked just like that in the beginning ..and now look at her.

I'd wait it out mate.

kush-bagseed-freakish-seedling

Also ... when watering seedlings try not to wet the leaves.

notreallyme420

I will usually give mine 3 weeks to shape up or ship out.

funk_a_fried

sometimes those freaks end up producing more potent bud, just my based off my experience.

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peace,
-funk

My Current Grows

Nebula, Bubble Gun, and Space Candy soil grow

Nebula, Bubble Gun, Space Candy, and Mazar-I-Sharif hydro grow


"There comes a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious, makes you so sick at heart, that you can't take part, you can't even passively take part. And you've got to put your bodies on the gears, and upon the wheels, upon the levers, upon all the apparatus. And make it stop." -Mario Savio (1943-1996)

Kryptonic

I saw your post and figured i would come clear a few things up that are possably the reason of this freakish mutation.....anyway it comes from a lack of Molybdenum (Mo) .........Molybdenum has proteins that help the plant take nitrogen from the air.

A Molybdenum deficiency causes leaves to have a pale, fringed and scorched look, along with weird or retarded leaf growth. Yellowing of middle leaves can occur as well as twisted younger leaves which will eventually die. Molybdenum deficiencies frequently resemble a nitrogen deficiency. A Molybdenum deficiency shows older chlorotic leaves with rolled margins and stunted growth. Looks like a nitrogen deficiency but with the red tips moving inwards to the middle of the leaves. Molybendum deficiency will usually show up in the older to middle aged leaves, then it moves to the young leaves. Generally a molybdenum deficiency occurs when sulfur and phosphorus are deficient.

Molybdenum toxicity doesn’t cause to many problems, but may cause problems when the human ingests it.Excessive molybdenum in cannabis will look like iron or copper deficiency.

Solution to fixing a Molybdenum deficiency

One way to fix a Molybdenum deficiency is to foliar spray with Molybdenum, like Miracle Grow All Purpose plant food and Miracle Grow: Tomato Plant Food. These can also be used to mix in with water as well. (Only mixing at ½ strength when using chemical nutrients, or it will cause nutrient burn!)Other nutrients that have Molybdenum in them are: I think Peters All Purpose Plant food does, as well as Greensand, Lime. Green sand and lime is slow/medium absorption, while Peters All Purpose Plant Food is fast absorption.

Well i hope i helped a little and hope i cleared a few things up.....remember i'm not saing thats this is what it is for sure, but from all my research on plant deficiency's i do have to say that this is most likely your reason for retatred growth. Also if you sprout a plant thats retarted and u can't seem to fix it then its most likely the plants genetic make up (or u don't know how to treat it). If it sprouts retarted and u can fix it then its a deficinecy......... oh and i forgot to mention that its common in sprouts, but also very common in older plants it will attack the older leaves in older plants, but can attack the sprout apon intree to the world if your soil is lacking or locking out any other nutes....... I had one that sprouted up retarted and i planted it out side in chicken shit just to see what happened and well so far so good but we will see............well anyway hope this helps all of u out there that want to try to save your retarted sprout instead of just starting another ( which you will probably have to do anyway unless u know how to use proper fert doses'.) well guys good luck to all of u and your grows i'm outty

Catch u on the flip side, Late

Allglad

IMHO if there is space I would keep it.

I did a run with Diesel Ryder that was so mutated and ugly you wouldnt belive a picture of it.

When I chopped it and smoked it I found the best taste'n candy like bud I have ever had. Awesome high.

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kookachu

Agree wit Allglad...if you got the space why not just keep it?

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Oh, yeah, they're gonna talk to you, and talk to you, and talk to you about individual freedom. But they see a free individual, it's gonna scare 'em.

My First Grow - Lemon Skunk, Gigabud, Blue Hash, Hashberry

Daddy-O

I was a bit mutated and ugly when I was little, too, and I turned out ok.

Well...sorta.

Allglad

lol Daddy-o

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Hank

i'd keep it ... i just read that Thai-based strains have mutated and weird looking leaves ... and is perfectly normal ...


i think the proof is in the smoke and we mutants aren't all bad!