Is this a Calcium Deficiency?

[Northern Boxer]

My plants are in their second week of flower and all appeared well until 3 days ago when I observed brownish spots and yellowing of leaves. From my research it appeared to be a calcium deficiency so last night I cal mag 'd all 4 plants. I have also inspected with a 60x scope and can not see any traces of insect infestation. Based on my pics am I on the right track and is there's any hope of recovery at this stage? Thanks

 

[MrSauga]

I almost want to lean towards a pH problem. What type of medium are you in? What are you pHing your water at?

 

[Northern Boxer]

I almost want to lean towards a pH problem. What type of medium are you in? What are you pHing your water at?

I,m using an organic mix of Pro-Mix, worm castings, bokashi, Gaia Green amendments with fish/ bone mealrock phosphate, kelp meal, bat guano, etc. I ph my water to 6.5 and the runoff is about the same or slightly lower to 6.2

 

[MrSauga]

OK well your run off is good, however you can adjust the ph slightly lower to 6.3 to help that Ca get absorbed. Since you are in flowering it's quite possible it's a Ca def, so watch your new growth since you just added Calmag and see what happens.
Are you feeding any nutes at all?

 

[MrSauga]

I love pulling in @Pennywise after I make a diagnosis since he'll know more than I and it's always good to have another opinion. The fact you noticed it as soon as you went to flower could be another def that the plant is looking for at that stage.

 

[Emilya Green]

The overall yellowing especially in the new growth tells me that these are hungry plants. You have not mentioned nutes... and now you are having problems just going into flower when the nitrogen needs that were being supplied by the soil is no longer important... the plants need phosphorus and potassium and calcium now in large amounts. If you are not feeding, start. If you are feeding just a percentage of the recommended amounts, increase to the full amount.

 

[Emilya Green]

I,m using an organic mix of Pro-Mix, worm castings, bokashi, Gaia Green amendments with fish/ bone mealrock phosphate, kelp meal, bat guano, etc. I ph my water to 6.5 and the runoff is about the same or slightly lower to 6.2

I am curious about this... are you adding these raw elements, rock phosphate, kelp meal, guano etc, to the soil without breaking them down via an AACT? Have you yet used an AACT to increase the microlife in your rhizosphere to the point that the organisms can break down these raw minerals into a form that the plants can use? Many of these supplements you have mentioned will take months to break down in an organic soil, and it really isn't doing a lot for this current grow to add them in this raw form. Even bubbling these materials in an actively aerated compost tea AACT, a lot more of the goodness (at least the water soluble part) will be released, but short of that I can see why the plants are hungry at this point.

 

[Northern Boxer]

I took the approach of mixing a fairly hot organic mix at the last transplant (6 weeks ago) and have folia fed with kelp and have prepped an organic mix for Top Dressing at the next watering as I just Cal Mag'd yesterday. Top Dressing consists of worm castings, Gaia 4-8-4, and Boakashi.
This is my first organic grow.

 

[Northern Boxer]

I cooked the original mix for 6 weeks before I used it. The raw elements are in the form of a pre- mixed Gaia Green 4-4-4 for veg and the top dress that I prepped including the Gaia Green 4-8-2.

 

[Emilya Green]

Please let me recommend a book to you so you can get this organic thing dialed in. In the meantime, get some organic nutrients (General Organics) for bloom so you can save these plants. A lot of the things you are trying are correct, but just not in the proper form to be immediately available and I see nothing that you are doing to enhance the microlife. In organic growing, your goal is to feed the microlife, not the plants. The microlife feeds the plants and it is your job to keep them happy and well populated. Cutting them out of the process will not work very well and is not really organic growing in its full aspect... what you are doing may be natural and organic, but it is not living.
The book that helped me turn the corner and start understanding true living soil organic growing is by The Rev. The title of the book is True Living Organics, The Ultimate Guide to Growing All-Natural Marijuana Indoors.

 

[Northern Boxer]

Please let me recommend a book to you so you can get this organic thing dialed in. In the meantime, get some organic nutrients (General Organics) for bloom so you can save these plants. A lot of the things you are trying are correct, but just not in the proper form to be immediately available and I see nothing that you are doing to enhance the microlife. In organic growing, your goal is to feed the microlife, not the plants. The microlife feeds the plants and it is your job to keep them happy and well populated. Cutting them out of the process will not work very well and is not really organic growing in its full aspect... what you are doing may be natural and organic, but it is not living.
The book that helped me turn the corner and start understanding true living soil organic growing is by The Rev. The title of the book is True Living Organics, The Ultimate Guide to Growing All-Natural Marijuana Indoors.

Thanks very much for your responses. I need to understand the soil science. I will take your suggestion and go with bottled notes to save them as suggested. I did feed the soil twice throughout the grow with brix molasses and prepped this Top Dressing for the past few months which has a fungi growth which a grow buddy suggested was a good sign of microbial activity and should apply as planned. The mix has been in a pail with a sealed lid, What is your thought based on the attached pic? Thanks again.

 

[Northern Boxer]

BTW Emily's , just ordered the book.

 

[Emilya Green]

lol, not sure if that is beneficial or not, but as well meaning as your buddy is, we are talking only about one class of microorganism. Fungi of many kinds as well as many different types of amoeba, protozoa, spirolina and other names I cant remember, all have their special duties in a living soil. Some specialize in breaking down iron, some phosphorus, etc... and without all of them working together, all of the needed nutrients simply can not be supplied to the plant. Feed the microbeasties and they feed the roots the broken down materials, and then the roots feed the microlife some more of the things that they need. It is a symbiotic relationship, but not one you can make happen without supplying a well balanced microlife brew (AACT) at least several times during the grow.

 

[NOOOBIENOT]

how do you feel about great white mycorrhiza for him ?

 

[Emilya Green]

how do you feel about great white mycorrhiza for him ?

definitely a large group of beneficial fungi and part of the overall package of microlife needed in the rhizosphere, but again highly specialized to a certain function. Myco fungi can not break down phosphorus or any other nutrients, but they do form a very beneficial symbiotic relationship with the roots and the microlife to make them able to absorb raw nutrients more readily.

 

[Northern Boxer]

lol, not sure if that is beneficial or not, but as well meaning as your buddy is, we are talking only about one class of microorganism. Fungi of many kinds as well as many different types of amoeba, protozoa, spirolina and other names I cant remember, all have their special duties in a living soil. Some specialize in breaking down iron, some phosphorus, etc... and without all of them working together, all of the needed nutrients simply can not be supplied to the plant. Feed the microbeasties and they feed the roots the broken down materials, and then the roots feed the microlife some more of the things that they need. It is a symbiotic relationship, but not one you can make happen without supplying a well balanced microlife brew (AACT) at least several times during the grow.

Lol, not something that I'm confident in feeding my plants by the looks of it! I will try to bring them around with bottled nutes and improve my knowledge as the difference between the quality of organic and chemical nutes is dramatic in my opinion. The True Living Organics will be here tomorrow and appreciate all feedback. Northern Boxer.

 

[Emilya Green]

Emmie's 6 Plant, True Living Organic, LED Grow Journal
I invite you to check out my current grow journal where I am employing these techniques that we are discussing here. You may also be interested in some of my tutorials where I show how to make natural nutrients out of backyard dandelions and how to make calmag+ that is even better than the commercial product, out of eggshells... as well as many other truly natural and living projects for the organic garden.
One thing you are going to want to order is an air pump so you can make actively aerated compost teas. You will need a good pump, not just a typical aquarium pump... and spending $35 or so can get you a pretty good 570gph pump that will allow you to grow the correct bacteria from the kelp meal and other stuff you have been trying to use. After reading the Rev's book you will have a list of other raw materials you will need to get too. TLO is a lot more hands on than any other type of indoor growing, but the rewards are worth all the extra work.
45 days in veg... just about ready to go to flower.

 

[Northern Boxer]

I will certainly review your journal this evening and apply these practices to my future grows. Your meaningful response is appreciated as I'm not willing to go back to chemical nutes. Best Regards...NB

 

[Emilya Green]

I call it being a pawn of the commercial nutrient companies. Once you go full living organic and taste the difference in the product, few will ever go back. Good luck and jump in with questions and results of your work anytime! Great to meet you Northern Boxer and welcome to the TLO world!

 

[NOOOBIENOT]

Well I love a good organic weed as much as anyone but for me on a indoor grow it's give me my coco and some r.o.water and some gh nutes , this making teas ,composting, making worm casting, mixing soils etc , I prefer to let mother nature do all that heavy lifting for me so I grow organic in the summer outside and salt nutes in winter in my tent , some times the juice just isn't worth the squeeze .