close to tapping out. cant figure this problem out

[Chimera]

No worries DJ, were all just trying to help....

CalMg should work, but I suggest getting Epsom salt from Wallmart, cvs or your local pharmacy/grocery store. Epsom salts are much much cheaper, and supply necessary Mg and Sulfur.

-Chimera

PS- pH pens are great if calibrated properly. I keep pH drops from GH around as a backup or to check the calibration is accurate. Litmus paper really isn't accurate enough for this purpose... I really suggest taking pH 7 neutral water with low ppm and then flush through your medium, capturing the runoff for pH and ppm analysis.

A good pH pen and and bluelab truncheon meter will be the best investment you have made in your garden, bringing accuracy for years to come.

 

[wmtt]

I got epsom salts and foliar fed about an hour ago. and I am planning on getting a ph pen in the next couple weeks as well as a ppm meter. Thanks for all your advice Chimera.

 

[Chimera]

wmtt, it's all good - another successful grower is another battle waged.

I should have also mentioned to back your light off a bunch. If you are on 24 hrs per day switch to 18/6.

Intense light is a stress to a plant that can't access a full diet. Reducing the light reduces the demands on the plant, so give her a chance to recover. This is definitely a case of less is more, think of the next few weeks as intensive care with little demand on an injured lady. If it's an option switch to fluorescents for a week; you will be surprised how fast they improve under a less intense light.

 

[wmtt]

Alright. Back with a report. Initially this seemed to help! but it seems to be spreading and I am wondering if i should just start over on this plant?
I took some pictures that you can see below. I have a grape ape next to this plant that is probably 2 weeks younger and it has the same dirt same water. looks a million times better.
I will be switching to 18/6 first thing tomorrow morning. (trying to have it be lights out when it is hot here) I did add... about 70 watts worth of side lighting... so maybe those need to go.. heh..

 

[Skinny Leaf]

I would throw that plant and the soil in the compost pile. The other one that looks good, won't be, if you continue using the water your using. I'd also add the bottle of cal/mag to the compost pile.

I would suggest adding horticultural molasses to your water. Every time you water. About two tablespoons per five gallons. This will ph your water and help keep your medium stable. I would still suggest buying the ph meter. That way you will know for sure what your water ph is. Also, just get a five gallon bucket(orange or blue) and fill it with tap water and let it set. It doesn't need all that RO filtering. If it does you should move your health is in danger.

I have a ph pen. Haven't used it in 7-8 years.

I saw you mention nitrogen deficiency in your original post. You will notice a nitrogen deficiency as the yellowing of the very lowest leaves. The uppermost part of your plant would still be very much green in the earliest stages of N deficiency. Nitrogen is one of the easy elements for a plant to mobilize to other parts of the plant. Even if you just understand which elements are mobil and immobile in a plant it will go a long way to understanding plant nutrition.

Get the molasses and I'll help further. If not good luck with the epsom salts.

 

[stoney917]

No worries DJ, were all just trying to help....

CalMg should work, but I suggest getting Epsom salt from Wallmart, cvs or your local pharmacy/grocery store. Epsom salts are much much cheaper, and supply necessary Mg and Sulfur.

-Chimera

PS- pH pens are great if calibrated properly. I keep pH drops from GH around as a backup or to check the calibration is accurate. Litmus paper really isn't accurate enough for this purpose... I really suggest taking pH 7 neutral water with low ppm and then flush through your medium, capturing the runoff for pH and ppm analysis.

A good pH pen and and bluelab truncheon meter will be the best investment you have made in your garden, bringing accuracy for years to come.

I always get made fun off cuz I swear by the drops.... Have a drawer full of no good pens but I Check with drops once a wk ph pens all suck and will fuck up sooner or later.... Been there.... The piece of mind the drops give me is worth more then any ph pen could saving time...

 

[wmtt]

Stoney for whatever is worth the Mrs works in a pharmacy environment and they use both straps and ph pens.

 

[Shmavis]

...I would suggest adding horticultural molasses to your water. Every time you water. About two tablespoons per five gallons. This will ph your water and help keep your medium stable...

Is there a particular brand you’d recommend? I plan to incorporate dry molasses into my soil mix and will need to sit down to do some math to figure out how much to add per volume... but reading your suggestion has me wondering if this wouldn’t be an easier way. Would I be correct in thinking this would have the same effect as adding the dry molasses, only an easier way of doing so?

Thanks.