Mag, Cal, Iron, Nitro ?

[Guest]

Hi, All...

Got some nute problems I'm looking for some feedback on. Hard for me to tell for sure what this is, but should be obvious to others with more experience.

Effecting the whole plant pretty evenly. New growth is stunted and yellow.

Ph is constant at about 6.3. Using PBP Grow, CalMag+, and Karma. ppm have been about 420. They are in bubblers.




Just moved them to the flower chamber, and they are in almost plain water now (ppm about 240.) Waiting to add nutes until I have a better grip of what is wrong.

Have more pics if you need to see them.
Danks...
DKF

 

[resinryder]

If you are using R/O water it could be an iron def. Get some Iron Star from Biotanicare. Add about 2-3ml per gallon to see if corrects the problem.

 

[Guest]

Thanks, Indigo.
It's hitting the whole plant, but new growth seems worse and leaves are starting to look dwarfish.





The hydro thing is new to me, so here is how I ended up here...
Healthy plants in 5 gal. buckets

Including res, the system was filled with about 15 gallons of plain RO water around 7 ph. No ppm

Added one gal of water at a time filled with 2 tbls PBP Grow, 2 tsp Karma, 1 tsp CalMag until Total water ppm was at 420 (about two gallons added.)

I continued to add fert water to keep ppm at this level. Ph staying around 6.3.

After about 4 days of looking great, they are now looking like this. Started about a day ago.

4 different plants, and they are each reacting a little different (as to be expected.) These pics are of the worst. One looks almost uneffected.

DKF

 

[Guest]

Thanks, resinryder.
I was thinking I might need to add more CalMag, it also has iron.

Indigo,
After 3 years of growing in soil/soiless, I can say this hydro thing kicks ass! The learning curve is a bitch for a dirt farmer like me, but the results are amazing! I've never had so much control over my plants. When I get it right, it's like stepping on the gas...but when I get it wrong, it's like hitting a brick wall. These are test plants from seed, I think once I get a recipe down with clones it'll be like a freight train!

Be Safe...
DKF

 

[Guest]

Indigo:
I hear you, and agree...if growing cannabis didn't make me a criminal in the eyes of the law, I would have nothing but organically grown soil plants outside under the sun...just like my vegetable garden. Compost rules! I am being as organic as possible hydro-wise.

I just got sick of all of the extra dirt (especially in the winter,) and since I'm trying to squeeze out a big harvest every 6 weeks, hydro just made more sense. Haven't had a hydro harvest yet, it will be interesting to see how the taste and smell compare to my soil grows. Anyway, I guess that's another thread...

Thanks for the advice.

 

[resinryder]

You may not be having enough food to your plants. In hydro I start clones out at EC.8(around 560ppm) and increase the EC to 1.4-1.5 during the veg cycle(980-1150ppm). When going to bloom I increase the EC to 2.0 for the first week or two(1400ppm) and raise the EC to 2.2-2.4(1540-1680ppm) to complete out the bloom cycle. When entering the 5th week I decrease the EC of my regular mix to 2.2(1540ppm) and boost the ec to 2.4(1680ppm) with a bloom enhancer such as Kool Bloom, and continue the run to completion with the afore mentioned nute mix.
Now keep in mind that this is the way I do it and it works for me. The above EC/PPM's I mentioned are the levels I use when using Tap Water. When using R/O water I reduce the EC mix by .2. Example, In tap water I run 2.4EC(1680ppm) in bloom. When using R/O water I run 2.2 EC(1540ppm) in bloom. Maybe more if I see the plants can handle it. When using the R/O water Your filters take out the "stuff" in the water, so you have to add amendments.I have to add Cal-Mag/3ml/gal, Iron Star, start with 2 ml/gal, super thrive @1 drop per gal. I keep PH at around 6.3 in veg and around 5.7-5.9 in bloom. I have used this in the Hydro farm buckets and on the ebb&flow tables with great success.
Your plants in the picture looks like its not getting enough nutrients. I would raise the PPM alittle to see if that was the problem before worring about what to add. Your PPM's listed come in at .6EC which is very low nute levels. Could just be nitrogen levels aren't high enough. Hope this helps.

 

[Guest]

Thanks, resinryder!
That's the kind of specific info I was looking for! I'll let you know what happens...

DKF

 

[Guest]

The problem is your PH is 6.3!! The PH needs to be between 5.3-5.8 ideally, over 6 or under 5 is bad. I run 5.3-5.8 in Veg and Bloom and have never had lockout issues. After changing your PH, see if your problem goes away.

Just my experience.

 

[Guest]

Do you use anything to buffer the ph?

Now that I have increased nutes, the ph seems to be holding at 5.9.
My RO water is 7, and with nutes before it ran high 6. I use Earth Juice ph Down and a little will move it a lot, but it never holds long...I can lower it to 4 and watch it slowly climb back up if I want.

I've been told with Pure Blend Pro the ph wont stay stable until there it is full strength in solution.

Thanks for the advice...could be high ph and low nutes?

DKF

 

[Guest]

I use Pure Blend Pro, Liquid Karma, and CalMag every feeding, and I use about half-strength doses for my current strain. I simply add my desired amount of nutes to the rez, then I test the pH, and then I add a bit of GH up or down and test again until I get in the middle of pH 5-6 (I use a liquid dropper pH-tester). I leave it at that and even as the days go by without a rez change or topping off the pH will hold between 5 and 6. Once I add the nutes the pH holds. I don't use full-strength.
Maybe the Earth Juice pH adjuster is actually screwing with the stabilizers in the Botanicare stuff? I ask because the only difference in our nutes is our pH adjusters? I use Botanicare products except for GH Up & Down and the pH never wonders around.

 

[immortal]

I hope you find your problem Dan K . sounds like youre getting some great advice. Good Luck

 

[junit]

I have some plants that are looking sort of like that... I am growing in organic soil... but they were in 6 inch pots for quite a while... I thought they were just bound and sucked up what little nutes they had in those small containers.... I just Transplanted them into 4-5 gallon pots with Fresh soil.... We will see hopefully they will get better.

 

[Guest]

Here is some advice for any other newbes...Don't grow 4 different plants in one system, stick to clones from the same mom!

I knew this going in, but figured I could find a decent balance. That is more difficult than I had hoped. (everything about this hydro switch has been more difficult than I had hoped.)

At least use the same stable strain...my Sour Bubbles in the veg system all look very uniform...managing to keep a good balance there...these are no normal plants though!

Pushed my ppm to about 900...I'm using a Truncheon meter here, so not sure if it reads differently than other meters, I'm new at this. Anyway, the least affected plant still looks good, better actually. The rest all have some degree of nute burn. Two not so bad, but one is quite noticable. The assumed deficency looks a little better, but not gone...not that it should be gone yet.

I diluted the Res...will wait and see.

Diciplined:
Yeah, I'm starting to think I may need a different ph adjuster. I have to add it every couple of hours to keep the ph correct. When I was using tap water, it was out of control...would shoot past 8 in a matter of hours! Going to start a thread in the hydro section to see if I can learn more.

Thanks for all of the advice.
DKF

 

[Rodriguez]

**Here is some advice for any other newbes...Don't grow 4 different plants in one system, stick to clones from the same mom! **

or..give them seperate buckets/res/, youve reminded me i need to get my clones seperated