Forum lurker with plant health questions - 2nd Grow Attempt

[Jeztah]

Hi all,

I've been reading these fine forums for a few months while starting to grow a little for personal use. I've seen nothing but good things here while on my quest for knowledge.

I don't want to lose this grow and I'm hopeful that it's not too late. My first attempt I managed to kill my female with what seemed like Nitrogen toxicity, the other turned out to be male. My first totally noob attempt, so on to the next grow.....

My specifics are:

Strain - Unknown bagseed
# of Plants - 2
Grow Type - Soil
Grow Stage - Vegetative
Bucket Size - 3 Gallon
Lights - 96x3 TopLED/Mars Hydro reflector series
Nutrients - Fox Farm Trio
Medium - Fox Farm Ocean Forest
PPM - n/a
Water PH - 6-6.5
Soil PH - 6.8-7
RH - 25% to 35%
Room Temperature - 30c
Solution Temperature - 25c-30c grow room temp
Room Square Footage - 3' x 4'
Pests - None
Water - R/O with cal-magic
6" in-line fan with charcoal canister, exiting via 3" duct to the outside.
Grow area is a small space in my furnace room. Temp is a constant 25c-30c. A small fan circulates the air.
Following the FFarm's nute chart for soil, one week behind and half of what it says to do.


I popped 2 seeds at the start of December while I was flowering what turned out to be a male. I only have one grow space.

The subjects:
"Stripe" because it was a very handsomely striped seed.

"The Mexican" because the weed looked like Mexican brick weed.

I only water/feed when the pots feel like they are ready by lifting them. "The Mexican" has grown quite a bit faster than "Stripe".

My personal journal for this grow:
Sunday, November 30th
Soaked 2 seeds in well water for 24 hrs

Monday, Dec. 1st
Placed soaked seeds into plain bagged topsoil solo cups
Placed under 12/12 2x 5,000k 26W CFLs

Tuesday, Dec. 2nd
Placed solo cups in a large ziplock bag with some water in the bottom for humidity

Thursday, Dec. 4th
Seeds popped, 1" visible growth
First set of true leaves

Sunday, Dec. 7th
Transplanted to cut 2 liter bottles filled with Fox Farms Ocean Forest soil
Looooong roots
Lowered lights to 4" above seedlings
Changed bulbs to 23W 6,500K CFLs @ 12/12

Monday, Dec. 8th
Mixed half strength Big Bloom one half turkey baster full to each

Tuesday, Dec. 9th
Just a little plain water in the AM and a little half strength BB in the evening

Wednesday, Dec. 10th (1 Week from pop)
Seedlings are 2" 2nd true node visible
Full turkey baster of half strength Big Bloom to each

Alternated plain water/feed as needed

Wednesday, Dec. 17th
Full turkey baster of half strength Big Bloom and half strength Grow Big to each

Thursday, Dec. 18th
Full turkey baster of Cal-Mag water to each (water PH measured 6.8)

Saturday, Dec. 20th
Repotted into 3Gal containers, 2 5000k 26W CFLs each still at 12/12, FFOF soil, half gal of CalMag'd water to each, decent runoff

Monday, Dec. 22nd
Killed off a bagseed Pineapple Express male to free up LED
Placed under LED, veg setting for 20/4, 02:30 - 06:30 dark hours.
1/2 gal each of half strength BB and half strength grow big, calmag'd and PH to 6.2

Color is good and growth nice and tight

Saturday, Dec. 27th
1/2 gallon ph'd to 6, cal mag'd RO water to each

Wednesday, Dec. 31st
1/2 gallon ph'd to 6, cal mag'd RO water with slightly more than half strength BB, half str GB, half str TB

Starting to see more pronounced yellowing in lower leaves on "The Mexican" and strange dark spots/blotches on some of the lower fan leaves.

Yellowing:

Blotchyness:

The blotchyness is not truly visible until you look very close with the naked eye. Under the LED light the coloring of the blotches looks "muddy".

Am I looking at Nitrogen deficiency? Phosphorus toxicity? Nutes given at half strength, cal-magic full str as recommended on bottle due to R/O water.

I thought I was going to do well since I did my homework.

I am all ears if anyone would like to take a stab at it.

Thank you all for your time!

**Edit**
The extra blotchyness on the lower fans seems to be the precursor to yellowing and not something else. I have some Miracle-Gro All Purpose Plant Food 24-8-16. Do I give it to "The Mexican" and if so, at what strength? Why isn't "Stripe" exhibiting any of these signs?

 

[Jeztah]

Re: Forum lurker - 2nd grow attempt

Here are some pics taken since my first post. Things are progressing horribly, getting worse by the minute.

I think it's a deficiency, leaning toward N but could be multiple things.

Help

 

[c526]

water until you get runoff-10-20%,start at edges and water inward--no runoff leads to buildups

ph should be 6.2-6.8 going in,,,test runoff and it should match or there is a buildup inside

there is cal/mag deficiencies and potassium happening.

ive grown out,"gas tank weed" and Ive had some gems,they look good over all,and in the end,those leaves on the bottom will be trimmed

Oh,welcome aboard the 420

 

[Jeztah]

water until you get runoff-10-20%,start at edges and water inward--no runoff leads to buildups

ph should be 6.2-6.8 going in,,,test runoff and it should match or there is a buildup inside

there is cal/mag deficiencies and potassium happening.

ive grown out,"gas tank weed" and Ive had some gems,they look good over all,and in the end,those leaves on the bottom will be trimmed

Oh,welcome aboard the 420

Hi and thanks!

I get plenty of runoff when I water. PH is within that range going in, I have yet to test the runoff.

Cal-magic has been used the last few times and honestly, looking back a my log, the plant didn't start going bad until I started using it. hmmm

Stripe is doing just fine in regards to color.....same exact treatment.....crazy weird.

 

[BuddroGreen]

I see you are using RO water, do you put the Cali-Magic in first before nutes? If not, cal-mag has to be mixed in RO water before nutes.

 

[Jeztah]

I see you are using RO water, do you put the Cali-Magic in first before nutes? If not, cali-mag has to be mixed in RO water before nutes.

Yes I do, though I didn't until right before Christmas. It's gotten a few doses and started turning bad only since.

 

[BuddroGreen]

OK good. Are you using 5ml/gallon (1 tsp/gallon)? Also, if the leaves already have necrotic spots (brown/black dead spots) on them they are not coming back to green from that...so keep an eye on the remainder of plant and leaves for new cal-mag issues going forward. Other than that your plants look healthy, and with LED growers tend to use a cal-mag supplement & 1/4 -1/3 less nutes as well, not just for RO water.

 

[Jeztah]

OK good. Are you using 5ml/gallon (1 tsp/gallon)? Also, if the leaves already have necrotic spots (brown/black dead spots) on them they are not coming back to green from that...so keep an eye on the remainder of plant and leaves for new cal-mag issues going forward. Other than that your plants look healthy, and with LED growers tend to use a cal-mag supplement & 1/4 -1/3 less nutes as well, not just for RO water.

Hiya

I used 1tsp/gal. and I've been using 1/2 nutes. It's going to be a day or so until I water again. The next feed will be in about a week.
I planned on using the cal-magic and setting water PH to 7 for the next water. Do you know if cal-magic can be foliar fed? The bottle doesn't mention it.

Thanks for your time!

 

[BuddroGreen]

I've never foliar fed a plant unless there was a root absorption problem....but have read growers using 3ml/gallon (3/4 tsp..approx). I'm hydro so I can see a quick response to supplement through root uptake.

 

[Jeztah]

I've never foliar fed a plant unless there was a root absorption problem....but have read growers using 3ml (3/4 tsp..approx). I'm hydro so I can see a quick response to supplement through root uptake.

Thank you very much. I will update when I see a change in either direction.

 

[c526]

Stripe is doing just fine in regards to color.....same exact treatment.....crazy weird.

yes,but they are NOT the same species,you can only say there is a difference if they were cuttings from the same mom

not all people are the same,each seed(even from same mom) will be different.

 

[Jeztah]

yes,but they are NOT the same species,you can only say there is a difference if they were cuttings from the same mom

not all people are the same,each seed(even from same mom) will be different.

Understood.

I just mixed up a slightly weaker (3/4) gallon of RO and cal-mag, ph tested to 7 and sprayed the tops and undersides of "The Mexican". I removed it from direct LED light until it dries. I'm not sure how often it will tolerate this so I will wait until tomorrow and see if it's ready for water and if not, repeat this.

 

[Lester Freeman]

Might want to go light on the Miracle Grow and shift towards a more organic approach

Though you are not dealing with a nitrogen deficiency, the dark colored blotches can be caused from a variety of different things. For more info check out the Cannabis Plant and Pest Problem Solver - Pictorial

Could be a micronutrient, or just a finicky specimen/phenotype. It happens and they usually grow out of it.

 

[Jeztah]

It turns out that "The Mexican" will probably not survive. The yellowing is progressing upwards via the big fans. The fans shown in the OP images fell off and we are 3/4 of the way to losing the next set. I have misted with Cal-Mag RO water, I've watered and fed with a little extra cal-mag. I even tossed a weak mix of MG ferts at it. Doesn't look any worse but there has been zero improvement. I will no longer be too concerned over "The Mexican".

The plan was to veg for 6 weeks, which is this Thursday but I may hold off another week or two so "Stripe" can get a bit beefier first.

Here's to hoping "Stripe" is a girl!

Thank you for all of the suggestions and for reading!!

 

[Jeztah]

"The Mexican" was killed off in week 12. Not because of health reasons but for lack of flowering, I assumed it was a boy or just so ruined that it was pointless.

"Stripe" is a girl! And she is in full flower mode, week 13. I think like The Mexican, Stripe is a little behind in development though.

She would have died if it wasn't for the epsom salt, extra cal-mag and possibly the wood ash I've been giving her. Looking healthy now aside from the scars of the past.

"Stripe" from above

Cola 1

Cola 2

I plan on starting to include molasses in her water tomorrow. Maybe in a few weeks do LA's back building technique.

Thanks again for everyone's advice!