Yellowing droopy leaves burnt tips 5 of the plants lost all of their leaves

[carsgrow]

HYDRO GROW

Strain - Sativa - Amnesia Lemon - 5 - 2/5 live
- Indica - ayahuasca Purple - 15 - 12 sprouted - 11/12 barely live
- Indica 80/20 - Pineapple Chunk - 5 - 2 sprouted - 1/2 live
- white widow -5- 3 sprouted - 3/3 faiding fast
- Indica 55/45 -Jack Herer- 5- 2 sprouted - 1/2 live
# of Plants - 30
Grow Type - Hydro
Grow Stage - veg? 21 days from sprout
Setup - drip
Light - 1000 Watt MH + 400w HPS
Nutrients - Fox Farms Grow big and big bloom at 3/4 tablespoon/ gallon
Medium - Peat starter plugs in expanded clay

PPM - 4194 was 1500 yesterday... i added diluted sulfuric acid and 9 tablespoons of grow big hydro approximately 24 hours ago

PH - unknown less than 7 only have strips to test adjusted yesterday with...... sulfuric acid... 4oz of diluted 93% virgin acid 1 1/2 cups in 1 gallon distilled water added to 15 gallon reservoir at return line

RH - unknown room air around 40% possibly higher in cabinet
Room Temperature - 81-85
Solution Temperature 73
Room Square Footage 173
Pests - None Known

Problem: I'm having a yellowing of my leaves also the tips are burnt some of the leaves have died after these symptoms occurred one plant seems to be doing more or less ok but the older leaves on it are beginning to die my highest hope at this point is to keep them alive until next Friday the 27th when my digital pH meter will arrive, any input suggestions or criticism is welcome and appreciated thank you for your time.

 

[carsgrow]

 

[olesmokey34]

Why in the h*** would u add sulfuric acid that's ur problem. I bet it dissolved ur roots.

Sent from my XT907 using 420

 

[carsgrow]

Had a peek at the roots they look ok they are a little browner than yesterday probably from the nutrients in the water look pretty good otherwise, another note the water is much clearer today than it was yesterday.

 

[olesmokey34]

But why add sulfuric acid? Roots should be a very nice white not brown. U may have poisoned ur plants and are now slowly dying. What does acid do for plants? Hell acid eats things.

Sent from my XT907 using 420

 

[carsgrow]

To lower the pH which had fluxed to 8.0. UPDATE: I added two gallons of untreated tap water at 7.0. I added water because i had no returns I thought i was seeing signs of evaporation so i added water it then occurred to me that my return line could be plugged it was. New ppm 3242 temp 69.8 ph 6.0 or less 6.0 is the lowest color on test strip

 

[Dwight Monk]

Don't think you want to use Sulfuric Acid to adjust PH, my guess that much dropped it below a 4.0 (just a guess, but based on working with Paper Pulp). Not sure dilution we used where I used to work but it didn't take very long on the timer to drop PH of 1500 lb Paper Pulp in a Wet Beater from a 9.0 to a 4.0 (fibers break down faster above 8 and reform better under a 5, plant I worked at made Flower Pots from Recycled Paper so we messed with PH a lot in the process......and treating water takes less chemicals to change PH than a solid/semi solid). If that PPM number is right that is astronomical from what I have read (I'm in soil so I don't mess around with that as of yet).

 

[Fuzzy Duck]

Their was some stuff about sulfuric acid for PH adjustment a couple of years ago not that i've seen any hydroponic store/online sell it for growing at the moment ?

Most of the time it is nitric or phosphoric acid, there are a couple of others tho but can not remember names at the mo.


PPM is way to high tho peeps don't even use levels like that for flowering let alone young plants no wonder ya got a little nutrient burn on some of them !

So ye PPM 3242 is way off... some thing is not right here !

 

[carsgrow]

Thanks for sharing your experience with Sulfuric Acid UrbanMonk.

 

[carsgrow]

Their was some stuff about sulfuric acid for PH adjustment a couple of years ago not that i've seen any hydroponic store/online sell it for growing at the moment ?

Most of the time it is nitric or phosphoric acid, there are a couple of others tho but can not remember names at the mo.


PPM is way to high tho peeps don't even use levels like that for flowering let alone young plants no wonder ya got a little nutrient burn on some of them !

So ye PPM 3242 is way off... some thing is not right here !

indeed something is off but i don't understand the swing in ppm as not much more was added and my ppm doubled. UPDATE: PPM 2888 Temp 69.8

 

[Fuzzy Duck]

Mmm not sure why your PPM is way off the charts at the moment we may have to break this down & do some testing.

1. Test PPM of tap water most peeps leave this to stand for 24 hours to allow chlorine & other stuff to move on, you can test before & after if ya like to see any difference.

2. Add nutrients test PPM again.

3. Add or adjust PH with that sulfuric stuff & test again.

Hopefully that will see any jump between stages of PPM when mixing nutrients up or in less ya got your measurements well mixed up ?

Most peeps around that stage of growth will be aiming around 600 PPM you may need to do further research upon this tho

 

[Rifleman]

30 plants ? Do you expect to flower them all in that single tote, or do you have another hydro set up ? Be sure to follow the instructions on the pH pen, and calibrate it at least monthly.

 

[Micheals2016]

1400 watts for those little things is extremly over doing it.

 

[XobeMan]

I would not smoke that stuff now.

A Licenced Medicinal Cannabis User

 

[Weaselcracker]

Sulphuric acid is completely, 100% fine to use as ph down. The fact that you're using it is not your issue.


For plants that size I feed them at about 150 ppm. For my heaviest feeding indica strains I max out at around 1200 ppm at the height of flowering. Sativas max out at 750 ppm and even that will give mild nute burn to some. For my drain to waste hydro plants I max out at about 650 ppm (daily feedings).

I don't know if I even trust your EC meter's readings. Those numbers are completely off the scale.

Bottom line is that for hydro you need a good PH meter. You can get by without an EC meter if you're very careful (or quite experienced) with measuring your ml/gallon nutrient amounts.

 

[Weaselcracker]

Since I'm here... we might as well try and clear up the H2SO4 issue to get it over with. Scuze the long post.

DIY Sulphuric acid ph down-

HOW TO MAKE IT:

Buy sulfuric acid at the auto parts store for 7 dollars. Just ask them for battery acid. Get the 33% kind (that means its already partially diluted)

Get a gallon of distilled water, pour out 2 cups.

Put 1 cup of battery acid in your gallon jug of water. Wait a minute or two. Put top back on. Lightly agitate to mix.

Thats it, you have just made a gallon of PH down for a maybe a dollar or so.

SAFETY:

Never pour water into an acid. Always pour acid into water. Wear gloves. Wear safety glasses. If you get it on you, wash it off. Don't drink it.

BENEFITS:

Availability: You can buy sulfuric acid anywhere in the world no questions asked.

Cost: Sulfuric acid is many times cheaper than ph down from the store.

Stealth: Sulfuric acid is used in batteries, and people will assume you are using
it for batteries. If you buy hydroponic ph down they assume you are
growing something hydroponically.

Ease of use
for large
growers: If you have a large res you can use battery acid straight into the
remote res, you wont have to dump cups of ph down into it any
longer, as a small amount of sulfuric acid undiluted(33% is undiluted)
does the same thing.

MYTHS AND FACTS:

Sulfuric acid has Lead in it - FALSE: There is no lead in battery acid, there is lead in batteries. No one is saying to drain batteries and use the acid from it.

Sulfuric acid is Very Dangerous and you will die a horrible death and your hand will melt off and your penis will shrivel - FALSE(mostly): We aren't dealing with pure sulfuric acid, if it was 100% sulfuric acid it would be bad, but you aren't going to find 100% acid anywhere. Haven't any of you ever had battery acid on you? Ive had car batteries explode on me, and I get my homemade battery acid ph down on my skin all the time. Its not like its going to eat you alive, it just itches. If you get it in your eyes, it will be bad, so wear eye protection. Sulfuric acid you will buy at the auto parts store is most likely 33%, which means its already diluted, so you end up with a 3.3%. Household bleach in your eyes sucks too. Are you afraid of bleach? When I get it on my hands when concentrated(33%), I just wash my hands. Unconcentrated, I just rinse it off with water. Ask any mechanic, you wont see them wearing safety glasses while changing batteries or filling them with acid unless their boss makes them simply because it isn't that big of a deal. You don't dress up in a space suit to pour chlorine or shock into your swimming pool do you? You will die, but probably from cheeseburgers and sodas (sodas contain phosphoric acid lol)

Phosphoric is much safer than Sulfuric - FALSE In diluted form the difference is minor. Either one will make your skin itchy. They use Phosphoric acid in tile cleaners, rust removers, and things of that nature. Phosphoric acid is made from Sulfuric acid. They put rocks high in phosphate into sulfuric acid to make it.

Fact: Many people use sulfuric acid as a ph down. Not just marijuana growers, also berry growers, people who run orchards. They also use sulfur, which breaks down into sulfuric acid in the ground. This is a naturally occurring acid in the ground. Its not like you are pouring antifreeze into your res.

Fact: Most people who say using sulfuric acid for PH down doesn't work have never used it, don't understand what ph down does, and don't know why they are using it. They only know what someone else told them or they are reacting to the term 'battery acid'

~ thanks Carthoris for the original post of this ~

 

[carsgrow]

30 plants ? Do you expect to flower them all in that single tote, or do you have another hydro set up ? Be sure to follow the instructions on the pH pen, and calibrate it at least monthly.

There is a separate setup being planned but i can't decide which way to go with it. It is to be a 10'x10' ish room with at least 8ft high ceiling I've settled on most the building materials but can't decide if i'm gonna go nft, or ebb and flow.

on an NFT i was thinking either 4'' drain pipe with drilled 3 inch holes powered by a reservoir and a pump running almost 24/7, the draft looks good but what i'm not sure of is if the inch netted cups will hold the weight of the plant i intend to grow.

thank you for your input.

 

[carsgrow]

Micheals2016 Thank you I thought it was, but i didn't want to have to little light any recommendations on a more cost effective light a flourecent perhaps and when should I add more light?

 

[carsgrow]

Thank you everyone for your input, I settled on saving as many as possible with my allotted space giving that they were fading fast I decided to pull them from the hydro system. I repotted them in peat pots with about 30% pre-soaked clay at the bottom 70% soil from my local garden center with zero nutes. Once my pH meter arrives I"ll retry the hydro system, but i'll have to start over sense i was in panic mode i used parts of the hydro system namely the tote as a tray to catch water I didn't have anything else handy. Also i really did not understand how you could run a drip all day and not be over-watering. I've decided i'll build a small ebb & flow for my cabinet this concept makes more sense to me. any pictures ideas or product recommendations would be most appreciated. Again thanks for your input and help.

 

[carsgrow]

Mmm not sure why your PPM is way off the charts at the moment we may have to break this down & do some testing.

1. Test PPM of tap water most peeps leave this to stand for 24 hours to allow chlorine & other stuff to move on, you can test before & after if ya like to see any difference.

2. Add nutrients test PPM again.

3. Add or adjust PH with that sulfuric stuff & test again.

Hopefully that will see any jump between stages of PPM when mixing nutrients up or in less ya got your measurements well mixed up ?

Most peeps around that stage of growth will be aiming around 600 PPM you may need to do further research upon this tho

Ok so 24 hours later the ppm of my tap water dropped, but it was still over 600 my tap water is apparently really really terrible I didn't proceed with the experiment as I now know my tap water is not viable for this project.