Boron, light burn, over watering?

[GeologicalResearch]

Hey everyone,
I have been searching and searching and keep ending up with different answers. I’m not one to come into a forum and start posting pictures expecting answers but I just don’t know if I trust my judgment on this one.

Tent is a small 2x2 over the winter time for some fun. I stocked it full with 8 seed junky genetics in probably 1 gal pots for a smaller SOG grow. Everything was going good and I was getting great growth so I switched over to flowering a week or 2 ago. I noticed before switching that there were these brown spots more or less filling in the middle of my leaves while just leaving a trim of regular leaf color (if that makes sense). I figured it was water burn from dropping water on them while watering. I’ve since started using a flexible pipe to water them with minimal mess. The spots seem to be showing more and I can’t figure out if it’s light burn or maybe lockout from overwatering? Some kind of nutrient problem? Or because of small pots and super soil is it hungry for more food? If they are hungry I can feed with some super soil and unsulfured black molasses in a gallon of water but I don’t want to set anything off if feeding isn’t the issue. I was watering every other day as they were fairly dry on top and almost pulling away from the pot, but with still a little moister left using the finger test. Was watering each plant about 16oz worth. Here’s some pics as well as a quick rundown of the grow. Thanks everybody!

2x2x4
DNC super soil
1 vipar 600
1 vipar 450
Water from faucet
PH test kit on the way, as well as ph down and up. I realize I should test ph right away and I will on Thursday when the stuff gets here. Once the ph kit gets here I will start watering with ph corrected water.

 

[Emilya Green]

Looks like a calcium deficiency because it is in the upper leaves, indicating that it is a non mobile deficiency.

So you are using tap water with your DNC Supersoil. Tap water has chlorine and/or chloramine in it, specifically there to kill microbes. Over time, tap water can and will kill your living soil. RO water is strongly recommended for SuperSoil grows.

Next, check the DNC website for their suggestions on how to make compost teas. These add back the microbes that you are killing off with your tap water. You can also go with products like RealGrower's Recharge, to add the microbes weekly in a very easy to use form.

Without microbes, which actually feed your plants using the minerals cooked into that supersoil, your organic feeding cycle will stop. Calcium is one of the macronutrients... a lot is used... and it makes sense that as the microbe population begins to dwindle, it will be the first deficiency to show.

 

[013]

Hi Geo,

Welcome to 420....! Plants look great minus the obvious deficiency. I get the SOG concept but no matter which variety.... a gallon of soil will only go so far, they will need ongoing nutritional support

 

[GeologicalResearch]

Okay thanks for the quick responses! @Emilya that makes the world of sense. I knew tap water was garbage but never truly had issues until this. But when you start to break it down in terms of microbes getting killed off. Yikes. I’m wasting my money in super soil then lol. I will do what I can to get RO water. Thank you again. I am familiar with compost teas so I’ll get on that! Would a top dressing of super soil be recommended before doing a compost tea? I’ve also done tums tablets for the outdoor veggie garden, I can throw that into the mix as well.

@013 thanks! I know it’s a little silly slamming all those girls together but it was a fun project till the bigger tent gets here. Do you think feeding as a mentioned is alright? Maybe a top dress too?

 

[Emilya Green]

top dress won't hurt, but the problem is the dwindling microbes. Fixing that will help more than anything else.

 

[GeologicalResearch]

@Emilya compost tea coming up

top dress won't hurt, but the problem is the dwindling microbes. Fixing that will help more than anything else.

recharge just ordered. Thanks a lot. RO water figured out also. Here’s to hoping!

 

[013]

If this was a nute fed grow in coco, hempy or a soilless medium then you would be fine, but a gallon of supersoil doesn’t have the longevity needed. Yes you can top dress with more soil and add molasses however I believe you will need to “hit the bottle” which is the opposite direction of supersoil but that’s ok too. The new organic top dress fert from Geo Flora might be an option

 

[GeologicalResearch]

If this was a nute fed grow in coco, hempy or a soilless medium then you would be fine, but a gallon of supersoil doesn’t have the longevity needed. Yes you can top dress with more soil and add molasses however I believe you will need to “hit the bottle” which is the opposite direction of supersoil but that’s ok too. The new organic top dress fert from Geo Flora might be an option

Anything you have in mind along the organic route? I don’t mind feeding from the bottle with super soil, I just want to make sure I do it proper. Thanks!

 

[013]

I have not tried it personally but I’ve been hearing a lot of good about that Geo Flora dry mix above and it’s organic so that plus the real growers recharge should see you thru. Hate to see you invest in supersoil strategy and then switch to bottled nutes too. Guess that would depend on your future growing plans

 

[GeologicalResearch]

Thank you again! Future growing plans will probably be less plants with larger pots. Looking to do a mother in this tent and working with a new 4x2 and 2 hlg quantum boards I have. Not overfilling the tent for sure. I have to admit, thinking about the soil running out of food in a 1 gal was for sure over looked. Thanks for the lesson!

 

[Stoneface Jack]

This has been bothering me for a while, so I just asked my neighbour about chlorinated water and microbe populations in organic soils. He's a doctor of chemistry, and worked at the National Water Reasearch Institute, run by Environment Canada.
You would have to have tap water "running through the pot for days at a time" for the chlorine levels to kill off any significant number of microbes. "It might harm a few at the surface, but only temporarily."
Apparently the organic matter in the soil "consumes" the chlorine. I'm not sure exactly what he means by that. He said there's a demand for it.
Whatever, he was very clear that any concerns over the tap water harming your microherd are misplaced.

 

[013]

No worries I just meant direction as far as media choices that’s all. You’ve got this but we are here to jump in should you need a hand

 

[GeologicalResearch]

I think the plan is to add some super soil to some RO water, as well as some molasses, calcium tablets, and the appropriate amount of recharge. I’ll water with that and see how they turn out. I will buy the geoflora in the meantime as a back up but I’m leaning towards them being out of food due to the 1 gals. If the super soil water doesn’t do it I’ll start feeding with that. Should I chop those affected leaves?

 

[GeologicalResearch]

No worries I just meant direction as far as media choices that’s all. You’ve got this but we are here to jump in should you need a hand

Appreciate it! I honestly grow in all super soil. There’s a local farmer here that produces a very very good product and have grown some chunkers in 5 gals. Just those damn 1 gallons. Lol Some SJG grown outdoors with super soil.