CFL daylight grew fine, CFL soft light caused burning edges?

[VT420]

Greetings all,

I been growing an auto-feminized strain indoor without any extra nutes, just bottled water and fox farm soil. Was going great.

I been using three CFL Daylight 60 watt lights that have a metal cylinder thing (name?) around so it focuses the light... for the first 4-5 weeks. They were about 4-5 inches away- two on opposite sides and one above. The ones on side were kinda close to the leaves on side, 2-3 inches from nodes.

The plant grew great, no issues. Great leaves that had no bad signs. Very nice green and straight.

Well about a week and a half into flowering (white hairs) I switched out the lights to CFL 75 watt Soft Light. They are more yellowish. From box, the cfl daylights are 1500 lumens and these cfl soft light are 1200. I did not move the light distance when switching.

So about three days after switch, my leaves, mainly in the middle and on sides nearest to the side lights, starting getting partially brown. I’ve attached a pic, this is just about 6 total weeks old.

These pics were done yesterday and had just moved the lights 2-3 inches back further then they originally were with the daylights.

Are the browning caused from light burn? I didn’t think I needed to move lights any further back when switching to soft light? Also read it’s best to keep em as close as possible (without burning obv). Right now, after moving them away they sit about 6 inches from the burned(?) leaves and 6-10 inches from the main stalk.

Everything else about plant seems fine. Tho it’s my first grow.. are these symptoms from light burn or something else (I’m not and don’t plan on using nutes). Appreciate any help or tips.

 

[Bucudinkydow]

You're starving them to death! Most fox farm products are great for sustaining plants independently for about 30 days or so. After that you need to supplement nutrients. Deficiency is well advanced and may be too late for recovery. Why have you opted to use no nutes?

 

[VT420]

You're starving them to death! Most fox farm products are great for sustaining plants independently for about 30 days or so. After that you need to supplement nutrients. Deficiency is well advanced and may be too late for recovery. Why have you opted to use no nutes?

Well I didn’t realize nutes were required to grow and I’m doing this mostly as an experiment/hobby. The plant really looks that bad?

This is probably pretty unpopular belief but I believe in natural processes... and I’m a beginner with limited tools and knowledge - I figured trying to use nutes would complicate things and set me up for disaster. Perhaps next grow I’ll try to be more professional about it.

Edit- should be noted I have two friends who have same setup except outdoors and they have no issues and not using nutes.

 

[Dwight Monk]

Light burn will show up at the top or closest part to the light(s) first and goes from there.

 

[Pennywise]

Welcome VT, yes the plant is starving for nutrients. It will die if it continues without food.

 

[VT420]

Light burn will show up at the top or closest part to the light(s) first and goes from there.

So the leaves that show the brown were closest to the lights on sides. The light on top is further away.

Guess people think it’s starving nutrients. Just find it odd literally one-two days after I switched out bulbs- the browning started. If it is starving of nutrients - it’s coincidental timing. Regardless, I’ve moved the side lights a little further out. I’m not going to start adding nutes, it’s a small autostrain (1-1.5 feet) if it dies then it’s a lesson learned for next grow.

Edit- I do have a question out of curiosity, how can outdoor marijuana plants grow plentiful naturally in some areas without manual addition of any nutes if nutes are required for indoor?

Thanks all

 

[Bucudinkydow]

Natural processes are actually pretty popular here. An admirable policy to follow but can be a bit complicated for a beginner and sometimes quite costly to adhere to.

Do some research on "living organic soil" for your next grow but let's bite the bullet and simply endeavor to save your grow this go round.

You've obviously got access to fox farm products so procure some of their nutrients for flowering stage. They have some that are water soluble that will make the nutes quickly available to the plants.

Yes, they look that bad. All the yellow leaves WILL NOT recover. They're a lost cause and that's a goodly portion of your plant. Act quickly and you may have a chance.

Hopefully you can save your plants and if they do recover consider more light. My first grow was very respectable with the use of CFL's but what you're using is a bit anemic. While I probably won't get many "amens", I see nothing wrong with CFL's or screw in type LED's for a budget grow but you've got to use a sufficient amount. I used 4)23w (actual draw) CFL's per plant. Im about to start a new experiment with some screw in LED's and plan to use 24)10.5w bulbs in a 2X4 grow box.

Don't despair. Often failures are more important to the learning process than successes. We can only set parameters of success by first finding the boundaries of failure. Irrelevant of how your first grow turns out, consider it a success simply by virtue of what you've learned!!

Welcome and good luck.
BCDD

 

[Pennywise]

I'm sure your next run will be a success, it's really a learning process but you can shorten the curve here at 420 Magazine.

 

[Dwight Monk]

Edit- I do have a question out of curiosity, how can outdoor marijuana plants grow plentiful naturally in some areas without manual addition of any nutes if nutes are required for indoor?

Outdoors (in the ground anyway) the roots can go search for water/nutrients (plus water moves it from other areas), indoors you limited to size of pot. Can vary a lot on the Strain also, some plants want/need a lot and others a little goes a long ways and too much causes other issues.

 

[VT420]

Alright well thanks all. And I thought plant looked decent overall despite a few leaves, guess not

I also heard that auto-strains shouldn’t use nutes- but I think that maybe only at the vegetative stage.

Cheers

 

[Pennywise]

All plants need nutrients to carry out normal biological functions. Cannabis varies widely as far as what individual strains need. Indoor growing and outdoor growing are 2 entirely different processes.

 

[VT420]

All plants need nutrients to carry out normal biological functions. Cannabis varies widely as far as what individual strains need. Indoor growing and outdoor growing are 2 entirely different processes.

So decided to do some recovery experiments since most think this plants long gone. I did have some nutes packed away... However.

First I repotted into much bigger pot (I know it’s late in grow cycle, not smart to move but it’s an experiment plant now). Bigger pot, more fresh soil. I was as careful as could be. Trimmed two main nodes(?) off that were most yellow and brown- I noticed flowering buds beneath and wanted them to get most light.

It’s held up well last couple days all things considered, the flowering buds look nice to me- my friend has an outdoor one same strain and I have way more dense but many flowering buds. His is much taller.

I’m new but I added a tspspoon of each nute (recommends 2,2,3 at this time but going slow for now)- tiger bloom, grow big, big bloom.. in my water then into soil .

We’ll see- anything comes of it I’m happy it’s a learning experience.

 

[Pennywise]

Hey she may come back for you.

 

[VT420]

Hey she may come back for you.

It didn’t grow to be a beast but I’m still happy with it being my first- getting cold and so had to harvest lil early. I think with these quick growing autoflowers- having a big enough pot with lots of soil is key- I used too small too long. After re-potting into one thats 3-4x bigger with fresh soil, and backing off lights slightly- it made a pretty nice comeback.

Live and learn. Final pics attached.

 

[Pennywise]

Always start your autos in their finally pot. I used 10 gallon pot for the Brookies and I was impressed with the bigger pot.

 

[Bucudinkydow]

It didn’t grow to be a beast but I’m still happy with it being my first- getting cold and so had to harvest lil early. I think with these quick growing autoflowers- having a big enough pot with lots of soil is key- I used too small too long. After re-potting into one thats 3-4x bigger with fresh soil, and backing off lights slightly- it made a pretty nice comeback.

Live and learn. Final pics attached.

Congrats on the recovery. You now have some great experience upon which to build!