Cal-Mag Issue?

[Jack W]

Hi - Total Newbie here:

I Noticed a bit of browning just yesterday that has increased today. Looking through the threads here seems it could be a Cal-Mag issue? I'm using bottled water; the PH is around 6. No additional nutes have been added. Before I make this diagnosis I would appreciate an experienced eye or two to take a look. If it is Cal-Mag deficiency, are there any readily available options? No grow shops in my area so I'm limited to Home Depot, True Value etc, (ordered the Ocean Forest via True Value and had it delivered to the store; took 10 days though). Thank you in advance.


The basics:
-Northern Lights Auto/Fem
- LED 12W Now 24W Grow Light TaoTronics (about 6 inches away)
- 1 square foot tent (12"x 12"x 24")
- Ocean Forest Soil
- 13 Days Since planting
- 1 Gallon Pot

 

[Papageno]

That looks to me to be a calcium but not a magnesium deficiency.

Typically that happens from a pH issue and your pH is too low if you are adding 6.0 regularly. For good Calcium absorption in soil you want it much higher. Try to stick to around 6.5 for best results.

The typical solution if you have a pH issue it so flush the pot with pH'd solution then add proper nutes that have calcium in them (as most do) at the proper pH. In soil you don't really want to go below 6.2

 

[OldMedUser]

High Jack W

If anything it looks like nute burn to me. No way you are having calmag issues in that soil with such a young plant. I've seen a lot of posts that have the same issues with Happy Frog, Ocean Forest and rich soils like them. Some strains can take it but many can't handle it.

If I did anything I'd flush it thru with water to reduce the amount of nutes some. The runoff would be great for the houseplants or add to the compost heap.

It's pretty rare that bottled water is going to be on the acidic side. Most water for human consumption is over pH7. City water often has things like calcium carbonate added to it if it's pH is below 7 as acidic water is corrosive to metal pipes and pumping equipment where water over pH7 protects the equipment. Reverse osmosis or distilled water has no real pH and takes on the pH of whatever is added to it.

L8r

 

[Jack W]

Thank you very much for the replies. I took OldMed's advice (Ocean Forest has quite a reputation for running hot) and gradually flushed with about 1/2 gallon of bottled water (all I had in house). After the first pour I tested the PH of the run-off and it was way low at 5.0 so I PH'd up the remaining water. The run-off went up to 5.5 so I have a ways to go assuming 6.0-6.5 is the target range. I'm going out to get more water (my tap is water softened via a system that uses salt so I'm not real comfortable using tap). Should I flush again tomorrow (given my flush today may not have been enough) or wait, observe and let the little lady dry out/rest a few days? Thoughts? Again, any advice is much appreciated.

 

[Papageno]

6.0 is too low and will cause more problems as the grow goes on. In soil you never go below 6.2 and even in Hydro if you have a calcium problem you run it up to at least 6.4. Calcium will not absorb at all in 6.0 soil.

Below are some pics of standard calcium deficiency that was not treated right away.

But the issue is you are way to early to have a deficiency problem. So the deficiencies you are seeing are due to a pH problem.

Best of luck.

 

[OldMedUser]

What are you using to check your pH Jack?

I find it really odd that you could be getting runoff with that low a pH. I'm pretty sure that the Ocean Forest people make sure their product is in a fairly neutral range and even if your water is 6 it shouldn't really affect the runoff pH more than a tenth of a point.

As to more flushing I'd give it a day or so and see how new growth develops and if the damage gets any worse. Take a pic in a couple days and compare it to the earlier ones.

L8r

 

[Jack W]

What are you using to check your pH Jack?

I find it really odd that you could be getting runoff with that low a pH. I'm pretty sure that the Ocean Forest people make sure their product is in a fairly neutral range and even if your water is 6 it shouldn't really affect the runoff pH more than a tenth of a point.

As to more flushing I'd give it a day or so and see how new growth develops and if the damage gets any worse. Take a pic in a couple days and compare it to the earlier ones.

L8r

:
So it's been four days since the flush. While growth had continued the leaves are still a bit brown, old and new, and they are droopy and feel dry to the touch. I'm thinking of flushing again thoughts? Also, today I moved the LED bulb up as high as it will go in my 2 foot tent thinking the closeness of the light might be drying her out? Light is now 7 inches from top of plant. Any help is much appreciated.

 

[Papageno]

This is to be expected by following the incorrect advice. You had classic signs of rust colored spots. You had a calcium deficiency from poor watering. Now you have that plus an over watering problem plus even more wrong. You need to flush that correctly to get the pH correct and the repot that into dry soil to get it to dry out fast before the roots rot. Or wait for it to dry out then pH it. Calcium deficiency wont kill the plant but over watering will.

You are now showing interveinal chlorosis and some other problems. When you have more than one nute problem the typical problem is pH...it can also be due to Fungus gnats or root rot but those are highly unlikely especially since we already know you pH is way wrong.

 

[Rifleman]

pH pH pH...calibrate your checking device, then get your future solutions where V.I. told you.

 

[Jack W]

pH pH pH...calibrate your checking device, then get your future solutions where V.I. told you.

Thank you both very much. One obvious issues is I'm using color coding that came with the PH solution to estimate PH. When I checked the runoff yesterday it looks close to 7. I need to get a more accurate device before I kill this poor plant. No grow shops near me but hopefully a garden store will have something.
So I'll give her more time to dry out then water with 6.5 PHD water. As far as proper watering moving forward. Lots of advice here all gets a bit confusing. Any particular thread or advice I should read?

 

[Rifleman]

Search writings by Emilya. She spent the most of last month teaching proper watering in the faq.