First Grow - Progress

[Ryomoto]

I would have put this in the journal section but figured since I was already half way through I would just post a couple pictures as they go through the flowering phase. If it should be in the journals anyway, I apologize and feel free to move it.

To start, I should let you know when I began I had no idea what I was doing, no equipment, or plan. Just poked a couple in the ground outside.. After they sprouted I figured why not give it a shot? I brought them indoors just hoping to keep them alive long enough to get equipment and a room built. I managed to with one of them for a while.. but I feel they were all doomed from the start. However, despite that, I had started a bunch more indoors. Some with miracle grow (cause it was free and I didn't know any better), and the rest with Fox Farms ocean forest.

I started out with 14 plants, but after sexing I've ended up with three. My room is quite a bit bigger than what I need for three plants and I ended up with more equipment than I had planned, but I assume I'll try again after this one finishes. The seeds weren't from a seed bank or anything which, I assume, is why I ended up with so many males. I simply gathered seeds from friends who had been saving them from the better cannabis they've gotten over the years. With that being said, I've named them "Reggie" because it came from "sub-par" marijuana, and "Grab Bag" 1-13 (with only 5 & 9 making the cut), because they came from random seeds from "good" stuff. I decided to try 'main-lining" as well.. Not for height control, but just because I thought it was a neat idea.

Here they are just before the lights went out to begin 12/12. It looked to me like a P deficiency was starting, and I think I was right. I'll take some new current pictures later when their day begins and you'll be able to see better what I was referring to. I hope you guys enjoy them as much as I have so far and hope they look at least halfway healthy.

 

[Ryomoto]

Here are some pictures of them on day 6 or 7 of flowering. Don't remember for sure right now lol.

I feel like I've had N problems almost the entire time with two of them, and the other had seemed to just be eating everything I threw at it until recently. Now all three are showing these leaves. I'm thinking it's a P problem due to pH, because I know with the nutes there is P available. I've flushed twice now, once before I switched to flowering with straight pH adjusted water, and again just a couple days ago with FF Tiger Bloom. I used the low end of the recommended feeding for the flush just to be sure I didn't burn them, but I'm still seeing these and they seem to be getting worse.

Any thoughts?

 

[Antics]

What is your grow mediums PH?

I see a possible Magnesium deficiency
Possible Phosphorous def.

A lot of questions are coming up to help identify this, can you fill out the information below?

How to Ask for Grow Support

REQUIRED INFORMATION FOR GROW SUPPORT

What Strain is it?
Is it Indica, Sativa or Hybrid? What percentages?
How Many Plants?
Is it in Vegetative or Flowering Stage?
If in Vegetative Stage... How Long?
If in Flowering Stage... How Long?
Indoor or Outdoor?
Soil or Hydro?
If Hydro, Reservoir size?
If Hydro, Reservoir Temperature?
If Hydro, what type of Medium?
If Hydro, what type of Setup?
If Soil... What is in your Mix?
If Soil... What Size Pot?
Size (Wattage) of Light? How Many?
Is it Air Cooled?
Temperature of Room/Cabinet?
RH of Room/Cabinet?
PH of Medium or Reservoir?
Any Pests?
How Often are you Watering?
Type and Strength of Fertilizers used?
Size or Square Footage of Room?

This information is necessary for accurate support to be given.

 

[Ryomoto]

I'm glad you said that because I was beginning to think the same yesterday after doing a bit more research.

What Strain is it? - Unknown (all three were random seeds from friends)
Is it Indica, Sativa or Hybrid? What percentages? (Again, unknown)
How Many Plants? 3
Is it in Vegetative or Flowering Stage? Flowering
If in Vegetative Stage... How Long? N/A
If in Flowering Stage... How Long? Day 6
Indoor or Outdoor? Indoor
Soil or Hydro? Soil
If Hydro, Reservoir size?
If Hydro, Reservoir Temperature?
If Hydro, what type of Medium?
If Hydro, what type of Setup?
If Soil... What is in your Mix? Fox Farms Ocean Forest w/ handful of perlite mixed in (one of them, 'Reggie' is in MG Garden soil.)
If Soil... What Size Pot? The pots didn't actually say a gallon #, but based on dimension I would say 3 gal.
Size (Wattage) of Light? How Many? 2 600W MH/HPS
Is it Air Cooled? Yes
Temperature of Room/Cabinet? 75-78 when lights are on depending on how my a/c is blowing that day. I can only estimate what it is during lights out, but when I check right after the lights come on, it's just below 70. So I would guess it hasn't been getting below 65 during lights out.
RH of Room/Cabinet? 45-55% depending on last water.
PH of Medium or Reservoir? This one is tricky for me. I have a soil meter, but i don't really trust it. My color chart says I've been adjusting the pH to 6.0+/- (hard to distinguish shades), and the runoff has been anywhere from a little less than 6 to almost 4 depending on the plant. The meter claims all three pots are at 7.0
Any Pests? See a fungus gnat every now and then (which I smash when I do). Usually only one or maybe two, but generally only when I've just watered.
How Often are you Watering? Was around every 5 days, but it seems like they are wanting more water since switching to flowering. Thinking it'll be every 3 or so now.
Type and Strength of Fertilizers used? Veg was FF Grow Big (3tsp per gal at end), and FF Tiger Bloom (2tsp per gal, first feeding.)
Size or Square Footage of Room? 8'L x 6'W x 6.5'H (height is an estimate)

 

[Antics]

Most of the grow sounds great man. You have a decent set up, good growing conditions, and there's only thing I'm looking at now.

PH.

You just went into flower, so the plant may be using a bunch of additional nutrients. If the nutes aren't available in the soil, it takes nutrients that are stored in the plant, when those nutrients are removed, that's what causes the problems we visually see on the leaves.

Now at the same time, if your PH is too low or too high, we have a similar problem. But the nutrients might already be in the soil, except when the PH drops too low, or rises too high, we have what is known as PH lockout. So outside of a certain range, the plant can't absorb any more nutrients, even if they're available. So again, it just absorbs stored nutrients from storage.

This chat shows you the correct PH for Hydro, and Soil, and shows what PH range each of the nutrients can be absorbed. If your PH is outside of the range for that specific nutrient, lockout occurs, and then you'll see signs of deficiencies.

First step, I would suggest replacing the meter, or if you have PH test strips, test your water. Water the plant until you see a little runoff, and as the first bit of runoff comes out the bottom of the pot, PH test that runoff also and post the results.

 

[Ryomoto]

Hm, I thought I had read somewhere that FF Ocean Forest was considered soilless and therefore to use the Hydro pH levels. Does this mean that I've been adjusting mine to the low end for soil the whole time and that's why?

Either way, I just watered the way I normally would this evening, but with no nutes since I just did the last feeding. Anywho, I apologize for the overload of pictures, but it was really the only way I could be sure you knew what pH I had in case my eyes suck (which they've been known to do).

So, using the following chart, I adjust the water. I do let it vary a bit, so it's usually not the exact same color every time with all the plants. From top to bottom: color chart, GB5 in/out, GB9 in/out, Reggie in/out.

 

[Antics]

On the Fox Farms site, it says their Ocean Forest soil is PH adjusted at 6.3-6.8, which is a soil PH level.
All the ingredients in the soil, as well as the name 'soil' tell me to treat it as soil.
PH for 6.3-6.8.

Reggie's PH looks fine, GB5, and GB9 however, the PH is wayyyyyyyyy too low in that soil. It looks like your problem with those two plants will start with correcting the PH to fall between 6.3-6.8. After you have that fixed, we have to maintain a stable PH, and look for signs of spreading deficiencies, or see if those deficiency problems have stopped.

 

[Ryomoto]

Fair enough, so my fault .. Now I need to ask the question of should I just wait until the next feeding to adjust or should I go ahead and do it early? I was thinking wait to prevent over-watering, but not 100%.

 

[Antics]

With that low of a PH, a mild flush wouldn't hurt, and can only help IMO. No need to PH the water, just a flush with tap water will work (Let the water sit out 24-48 hours before using). Or if you're using distilled, or RO water, that's great too.

As long as you keep good airflow, and have good drainage in the soil, you shouldn't have any over watering problems. I've flushed my plants a ton before harvest, and never had an over watering problem. Those normally appear when the soil is always wet, not just when you have a sudden flush, and then let it dry out.

And no worries man, everyone makes mistakes. There's so much to learn, it's impossible to know it all immediately unless you have an experienced grower right next to you through the whole grow. Live and learn, and always work on improving your technique. By the time you finish this first grow, and are halfway through your second grow, you're going to be amazed how much you actually know, and all thanks to this first grow.

Just don't give up. I accidentally killed my first 2 plants lol. We all start somewhere

 

[Ryomoto]

With that low of a PH, a mild flush wouldn't hurt, and can only help IMO. No need to PH the water, just a flush with tap water will work (Let the water sit out 24-48 hours before using). Or if you're using distilled, or RO water, that's great too.

I'm using purified water, but I have to say I used pH up in the water last night. So, wouldn't I want to flush it with adjusted water otherwise I would be having the same issue anyway.

 

[Ryomoto]

Sorry for the double post, but I thought since I didn't start this until I had already switched to flowering that I would out up some pictures I have from veg.

These are while I was finishing the manifold for main-lining on the ladies I still have left.. I may have had a little bit of an issue of being too rough with them. I split the stalk once or twice by stretching them too far, and I even broke off mains of other plants that ended up male. Live and learn, eh?

 

[Antics]

Its all about learning brother. Any mistake you learn something from, is a mistake worth making.

 

[Ryomoto]

Day 15 after the switch and we're looking pretty. I did some trimming and got rid of most of the growth effected by the deficiencies. Here are some update shots of their progress..

 

[Antics]

I never cut off those leaves. They don't hurt the plant being there, it's just an aesthetic thing really. The leaves can still provide food for the plant, and if deficiencies show up later, they'll usually hit those leaves first, making less ugly leaves on the plant.

 

[Ryomoto]

Well honestly I did quite a bit more trimming than that. I took off a lot of the the "popcorn buds" to allow more light penetration to the mains. From what I've read, the theory is that it allows the plant to focus it's energy to the the eight mains I've developed on each plant. I suppose we'll see what happens...

Antics, I do appreciate all of your help. You're the only one that would take the time and that means a lot.

 

[devils letuce]

good looking plants .. you might have gotten confused as the fox farm light warrior is soiless . like antics said we all started out with the dream and then we get addicted to learning more about it . it get so easy after u get a harvest under your belt. i look back on my first grow and wonder how the hell i even got as much weed as i did ..

i use ff soil and it is supposed to be ph neutral but it does fluctuate allot . i add dolomite lime to mine to help keep it level . works great .
also i would use calmag if u are using distilled water . sorry if antics already covered that .

here is a deficiency chart for u . i would advise a cheap 10 dollar digital ph pen from fleabay, they work fine and u dont have to try to judge colors , i hated that .. just pick up some 7.0 calibration to check it monthly .

 

[devils letuce]

opps forgot the chart

 

[David Bowman]

How did this grow turn out?

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