Grow five, same problem every grow

[Ancient Green]

Soil Fox Farm Coco Loco
Light 100 watts LED 16 inches (SF-1000)
Dyna Grow Foliage Pro, Bloom, Protekt, Cal Mag
PH in around 6.5 out around 6.5
Feeding at around 350 PPM's every watering.
Temps 72 RH 50
Watering to 20% runoff RO water, every 2-3 days. (heavy watering, wait for pot to feel light before watering again) Measuring PPMs of runoff around 300, PH around 6.5


Hi all, I'm many grows in now and make it to harvest, but I have the same problem every grow mid to late flower. It starts with a few spots and moves very fast taking almost all of my fan leaves in the end. My buds make it to harvest, but I know they arent all they should be ! Any ideas what deficiency this is? Maybe I'm not feeding enough in flower? I know it looks a little like nutrient burn, but P and K deficiencies look similar? Calcium deficencies also look a lot like this, but all the diagnostic pictures I look at are similar...

Week 5 flower, Northern Lights. In a few days, this will look a lot worse, I know. Been here, done this too many times !

For now, Ive raised the lights and powered down to 80% power. The problem started on middle fan leaf edges and is progressing to the tips, a brown rust color. Lower leaves show slight brown, and a few of the sugar leaves are starting to brown as well, mainly middle fan leafs though.

 

[zigzagman1960]

Your temp is too low. With LEDs you should be at 84f during lights on.

 

[Roy Growin]

Just look hungry to me, have you given any kind of booster? Often needed a couple weeks into flower [P,K, Micros]

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results

 

[Ancient Green]

Your temp is too low. With LEDs you should be at 84f during lights on.

Not much I can do about this, the SF-1000 runs cool. Thats about as warm as it will get, full power.

 

[Ancient Green]

Just look hungry to me, have you given any kind of booster? Often needed a couple weeks into flower [P,K, Micros]

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results

Thanks much for the reply, I was hoping someone would say this. I'm thinking my feeding less strategy isnt working well. I'm trying to avoid salt buildup.

Yes, I have all the boosters, but for this grow have been feeding mainly 3-1-2 without bloom nutrients. All of my grows have had problems mid to late flower following standard feed schedules. This grow, I've been feeding mainly Veg nutrients to see if it would help... NOPE ! I did just give a feeding with 1/2 veg and 1/2 bloom last night, maybe its a P or K deficiency? I cant tell.

Long story on the Veg nutrient feed during flower, wont bore everyone to death....I'm done fooling with that though.

 

[zigzagman1960]

Not much I can do about this, the SF-1000 runs cool. Thats about as warm as it will get, full power.
Plenty you can do about it—ya gotta be smarter than the equipment you’re working with.

 

[Phytoplankton]

Soil Fox Farm Coco Loco
Light 100 watts LED 16 inches (SF-1000)
Dyna Grow Foliage Pro, Bloom, Protekt, Cal Mag
PH in around 6.5 out around 6.5
Feeding at around 350 PPM's every watering.
Temps 72 RH 50
Watering to 20% runoff RO water, every 2-3 days. (heavy watering, wait for pot to feel light before watering again) Measuring PPMs of runoff around 300, PH around 6.5


Hi all, I'm many grows in now and make it to harvest, but I have the same problem every grow mid to late flower. It starts with a few spots and moves very fast taking almost all of my fan leaves in the end. My buds make it to harvest, but I know they arent all they should be ! Any ideas what deficiency this is? Maybe I'm not feeding enough in flower? I know it looks a little like nutrient burn, but P and K deficiencies look similar? Calcium deficencies also look a lot like this, but all the diagnostic pictures I look at are similar...

Week 5 flower, Northern Lights. In a few days, this will look a lot worse, I know. Been here, done this too many times !

For now, Ive raised the lights and powered down to 80% power. The problem started on middle fan leaf edges and is progressing to the tips, a brown rust color. Lower leaves show slight brown, and a few of the sugar leaves are starting to brown as well, mainly middle fan leafs though.

Iffnn I was you, I’d start by dropping the ph to around 6-6.2, coco loco is kinda a hybrid soil, up the temp, if you can. Also up the feeding, 350 ppm’s is very low, I’d also consider upping the calmag a hair. Always add the calmag first, mix, let it sit 15 minutes add add the other nutes, then ph.

 

[Ancient Green]

Iffnn I was you, I’d start by dropping the ph to around 6-6.2, coco loco is kinda a hybrid soil, up the temp, if you can.

Thanks, Ive been in the 6.5 PH range in varying a bit over many feeds. PH out is around 6.3-6.5 or so, I adjust PH in depending on PH out. I'll see about adding a heater, (i have a few). Thanks, Ive read cold temps can effect nutrient intake, this could be a big part of the problem.

Also up the feeding, 350 ppm’s is very low, I’d also consider upping the calmag a hair. Always add the calmag first, mix, let it sit 15 minutes add add the other nutes, then ph.

Yep, Gottcha on the adding Cal Mag first, I always add Protekt (silicon) and cal mag before adding nutrients. I havent been using much cal mag though, just last watering I added 1/4 tsp per gallon.

Thanks ! This mid to late flower thing is really bringing me down. Its tough as a new grower to know if your feeding too much or too little. I think I'm learning that the plant gets very hungry during flower, much more so than Veg. This is my forstr grow using a PPM meter.

Thanks on the 350 PPM tip, I figured since I'm feeding every watering, I dont want to full dose it, but I'll crank it up a bit. Tonights feed goes in at 540 with Foliage Pro/ Bloom and a little Mag Pro.. I added a good dose of Cal-Mag last watering, but I'm starting to think my plant is just plain hungry ! I'll feed her and see if she catches up....

 

[Ancient Green]

Hate doing this but I might have too. Its a little sad though, I'm only using 100 watts of light. Those heaters will throw my energy conservation attempts out the window...Those things take some seroius electricity !

I'll see if I can find a small heater with a thermostat... My lights out temps can dip into the low 60's. Thanks for the tip

 

[Keffka]

Hate doing this but I might have too. Its a little sad though, I'm only using 100 watts of light. Those heaters will throw my energy conservation attempts out the window...Those things take some seroius electricity !

I'll see if I can find a small heater with a thermostat... My lights out temps can dip into the low 60's. Thanks for the tip

Week 4 flower before the deficiencies popped up.--colas not as fat as Ive seen in previous grows. Around 5 weeks to go if I can make her healthy.

An oil filled radiator is very cheap to run and won’t drastically reduce your humidity like electric forced air heaters.

 

[Phytoplankton]

Thanks, Ive been in the 6.5 PH range in varying a bit over many feeds. PH out is around 6.3-6.5 or so, I adjust PH in depending on PH out. I'll see about adding a heater, (i have a few). Thanks, Ive read cold temps can effect nutrient intake, this could be a big part of the problem.


Yep, Gottcha on the adding Cal Mag first, I always add Protekt (silicon) and cal mag before adding nutrients. I havent been using much cal mag though, just last watering I added 1/4 tsp per gallon.

Thanks ! This mid to late flower thing is really bringing me down. Its tough as a new grower to know if your feeding too much or too little. I think I'm learning that the plant gets very hungry during flower, much more so than Veg. This is my forstr grow using a PPM meter.

Thanks on the 350 PPM tip, I figured since I'm feeding every watering, I dont want to full dose it, but I'll crank it up a bit. Tonights feed goes in at 540 with Foliage Pro/ Bloom and a little Mag Pro.. I added a good dose of Cal-Mag last watering, but I'm starting to think my plant is just plain hungry ! I'll feed her and see if she catches up....

The only other thing I’ll add is, don’t chase soil runoff! In Coco loco and most other commercial soils, the ph is fine for growing cannabis.

 

[Ancient Green]

The only other thing I’ll add is, don’t chase soil runoff! In Coco loco and most other commercial soils, the ph is fine for growing cannabis.

Thanks, I dont obsess over the runoff readings, I'm just looking for anything "way off" if that makes sense. I had one grow that went in PH 7 and came out around 5.0. I'm just looking for any clues I can find. At the moment, PH looks to be perfect both in and out. Around 6.0-6.5

I'm also watching the runoff for PH and PPM's to make sure salt isnt accumilating. Its a bit odd though, I can water at 400 PPM's and the Coco filters it down to 200 coming out. So, it seems that salts are being held by my soil. I water to heavy runoff to stop salt from accumilating, but I'm not sure its working. It might be having an opposite effect !

 

[JiggiLotus]

Can I ask? What do you mean by salt? Forgive my ignorance.

 

[Phytoplankton]

I'm also watching the runoff for PH and PPM's to make sure salt isnt accumilating. It’s a bit odd though, I can water at 400 PPM's and the Coco filters it down to 200 coming out. So, it seems that salts are being held by my soil. I water to heavy runoff to stop salt from accumilating, but I'm not sure it’s working. It might be having an opposite effect

Can I ask? What do you mean by salt? Forgive my ignorance.

When you use synthetic nutrients they are chelated (bonded to another molecule, usually a salt, not table salt). When mixed with water the salt and the nutrient disassociate, leaving the nute immediately available to the plant and the salt ends up in the soil. After a while the salts can build up and start causing absorption issues. You can try and limit/monitor the salts, and if necessary you flush your media with water, three times the volume of the pot to clear the salts out. Sorry probably more than you wanted to know.

 

[Wastei]

Thanks, I dont obsess over the runoff readings, I'm just looking for anything "way off" if that makes sense. I had one grow that went in PH 7 and came out around 5.0. I'm just looking for any clues I can find. At the moment, PH looks to be perfect both in and out. Around 6.0-6.5

I'm also watching the runoff for PH and PPM's to make sure salt isnt accumilating. Its a bit odd though, I can water at 400 PPM's and the Coco filters it down to 200 coming out. So, it seems that salts are being held by my soil. I water to heavy runoff to stop salt from accumilating, but I'm not sure its working. It might be having an opposite effect !

Your coir has not been treated and buffered properly. Increase your feeding frequency til you reach 0.3 EC above your input on your runoff water. It will eventually settle but needs time to settle if it hasn't been treated before use.

Your biggest problem is you're treating a hydro/coir grown plant like a soil grown plant. Currently you're creating a medium that goes from having correct pH and EC to crash within 48 hours. Coir and hydro needs constant replenishment and needs to be fed several times a day to flourish.

Hope that helps, Cheers!

 

[JiggiLotus]

When you use synthetic nutrients they are chelated (bonded to another molecule, usually a salt, not table salt). When mixed with water the salt and the nutrient disassociate, leaving the nute immediately available to the plant and the salt ends up in the soil. After a while the salts can build up and start causing absorption issues. You can try and limit/monitor the salts, and if necessary you flush your media with water, three times the volume of the pot to clear the salts out. Sorry probably more than you wanted to know.

Thank you for clarifying
I actually appreciate the details.
This allows me to understand so I can learn, so if this happens I can apply what you've just taught me.

 

[bluter]

ph might be catching up to you. coco is generally fed on hydro rules at 5.8

 

[KingJohnC]

Just look hungry to me, have you given any kind of booster? Often needed a couple weeks into flower [P,K, Micros]

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results

mood disorder

 

[KingJohnC]

room temperature

 

[Keffka]

Can I ask? What do you mean by salt? Forgive my ignorance.

You can see it in fabric pots used by synthetic growers. The sides and bottom of the container become crusted with a white/off white layer that looks like a salt has dried and sucked all the moisture out of the area