First Grow Guidance: 400w MH/600w HPS & Soil

[Harry Red]

I'm using 5 gallon buckets. I know I'm pushing it but I really didn't expect 6 footers this soon. Next time I'll switch to 12/12 sooner. I'm thinking maybe around 15-16 inches.

I did pick up some epsom salt today from the drug store. Looks like the plant will need watering tomorrow.

I'm also getting a good bit of yellowing around the bottom leaves. Here's some pics.

I have a PH and nutes test kit and I was planning on using that tomorrow to see if there was something way out of kilter.

I wonder if a flush is what I need? If I do flush, should I then put some nutes in the last gallon I run through?

I would really like to see these little budkins mature.

Thanks!!

Harry

 

[4twenty4all]

Hey Harry! Great looking girls! I don't add any nutes when I flush, I give them a break. I did try orange juice the last time at harvest with the last flush though. They still look slightly over-watered to me. On average about how often are you watering?

 

[Ms.Fox]

Beautiful pics!

 

[Damagoman]

I'm also getting a good bit of yellowing around the bottom leaves. Here's some pics.

That's pretty NORML,
the light can't penetrate All the way through the plant to the bottom leafs.
So they yellow and drop.
Cure:
Add side and bottom lighting

 

[Harry Red]

Thanks Ms.Fox. I had the macro mode on with that last one.

4204all, thanks for the info. I have been watering approx. every 4 days since the plants went above 5ft. As I mentioned earlier, the plant with the top leaves curled down like a ram's horn, didn't use as much water and was still moist. I waited 6 days on that one and I just watered it today with the epson salts. I have been following the fox farms soil feeding schedule in as far as nutrients goes. I noticed today that the schedule recommended feeding with every other watering but I've actually only skipped a few feedings, going with just plain water. I'm using RO water, btw.

I also noticed the FF feeding schedule recommended giving a shot of the veg nutes "Grow Big" that's high in N during weeks 3 & 4 of flowering, so I added that in as well, along with full strength flowering nutes "Tiger Bloom" and "Big Bloom" organic.

I decided not to flush just yet.

Da'MM,

I was thinking the yellowing was normal but it seems to be moving up the plant kinda fast. Maybe the the extra shot of veg nutes I kicked in there was what it needed. I also added in 1 tsp of epson salt today, as you suggested.

I hear ya on the lighting. With these plants hitting 6ft, it is kind dark down there. I wanted this first grow to be more natural so I didn't do much to the plants except to crimp the top stem a couple of times in a effort to make them bush. That certainly worked. I really would like to keep the plants somewhere around 4.5ft so with my clones, I'm going to take more measures to keep them low by more super copping or LSTing, then moving them to 12/12 sooner. I am considering add a few CFLs and/or some UVB spectrum CFLs.

Thanks for the help y'all, as well as putting up with all my newbie Qs.

Please let me know if you see me going off the rails.

Harry

 

[Harry Red]

Just wanted to update my progress so far. The sick plant isn't doing well. I tried the epson salt with no success. Either the plant is locking out nutes or more likely, it's root bound. I flushed today as a last resort and it seemed to do a little better. I guess I'll know more in a day or two.

It lost/losing a lot of the larger leaves. Here's some pix of what they look like. Do ya'll think it's just root bound?

They rest of the plants are doing well at the moment. Due to their size, I still have concerns they may all go the way of my sick one.

Welcome to the jungle.

...and some obligatory flowering pix.

So, if my sick one up there is root bound and flushing doesn't help, aside from transplanting, what is the best approach to keep it flowering as long as possible?

Thanks ya'll!!

Harry

 

[Damagoman]

Just let it go, it'll just be a lower yield.
From what I've seen of my Sativas.

It doesn't seem to be spreading to the rest of the plant, does it?

 

[Harry Red]

Well, it was moving right up the plant Da'MM, only effecting the larger leaves at the moment. The flush seemed to help but I won't know how much it helped 'til tomorrow. The die off of the largest leaves went to around 3/5ths of the way up the plant.

Harry

 

[Boss]

I really think it's root bound man.

"I suspect they are done with the major stretch" is what I had said earlier, just to clear that up.

The reason you are seeing select branches doing that is beacuse those roots are rotting out. ( I think)

 

[Harry Red]

I suspect you're correct Boss. I noticed a little color coming back to some of the leaves after yesterday's flush. I removed all the other withered and dead ones. I'll limp along with it for awhile. I have another smaller one ready to go in it's place if she bellies up.

Thanks

Harry

 

[Harry Red]

Update: Day 30 Into Flowering

Well Boss, the sick plant is doing much better after flushing. It's halted the massive die off of the larger leaves and seems to have stabilized. It actually grew a little and the flowers look to be fattening up some so that is good news. I think it will make it to the end with just a little slowdown and stunting.

All the plants are between 5'-6' tall (not including the bucket) and Miss Burley is over 6'. Miss Burley is still growing and finally starting to put on the decent flowers but she still has a way to go.

The other two are really coming on strong and starting to beef up.Looks like they may be ready in another month of so. What do y'all think?

Here's some pix!!

The Jungle

Closer..

Closer..

Money Shots!!

I think I'm starting to get excited.

Harry

 

[GreenEydStonr]

Absolutely beautiful pictures.

 

[menial]

Stunning, keep up the great work.

 

[CharlieMopps]

Keep a close eye on those trichs. Any idea how much longer you need to flower?

 

[4twenty4all]

Harry, beautiful plants and great camera work!

 

[pcmoe5000]

YuMMy
just went through this thread! Good grow man!

 

[Harry Red]

Thanks y'all. I can't wait to give it a try.

Keep a close eye on those trichs. Any idea how much longer you need to flower?

No, not really. This was grown from some Mexican Sativa seeds I took from a couple of select buds so I figure around 60 days flowering, give or take. I'm sure there's some Indica mixed in too so that may cut down the time a little on a couple. I'm thinking I can take one or two plants within the next 30 days but I'll watch the trichs to be sure.

I know it was good stuff to start with but it wasn't taken care of or cured like this batch will be so I'm hoping I'll have an even better final product. It looks like it wants to frost up nicely so that's a good sign.

Harry

 

[Harry Red]

A quick question about the plant that is farthest along in budding. Most all of the larger fan leaves are turning yellow and starting to drop. The smaller leaves on the branches are still green but looks like they are wanting to fade as well. They are beginning to yellow at the veins and that will expand out. Here's an example of a cola at the end of a branch.

The plant has been well fed so there's certainly no N deficiency. I'm thinking it might need flushing to remove salts or is this normal at this stage. It seems a little early being this is only 32 days into 12/12 or is this a normal occurrence at this stage?

Should I flush or just leave alone and let it go, or do something else?

Some expert advice and guidance would be most appreciated.

Thanks!!

Harry

 

[StonerGrower]

Could you get a pic of the said yellowing leaves.

Probly need a flush. The rest of the plant is looking good so I doubt it has any defficiency.

 

[Harry Red]

Will do man. I'll grab some pix tomorrow during light cycle.

Basically, they are just slowly fading to yellow and dropping, like the lower leaves do normally when they are spent, except it's moving on up the plant now and the entire plant seems much less green and more faded to yellow that it was a week or so ago. I read where as the plant matures, it uses up nutes and energy in the larger leaves to make help make buds but I wasn't sure when this happens; it seems day 32 was a bit early for that, but I really don't know.

Thanks again!!

Harry