Help! I've Droopened and I can't get up!

[McCdive]

Help!! Let me just say that I'm sorry if I don't have everything you ask for in trying to help me. This is my first time, please be gental.
This is 4 days into the third week of the feeding schedule that I'm in now. Pics below. I've followed the nutes schedule pretty closely, but the last week or so the leaves have started drooping and dying.
The first two weeks I had 1 PlatinumLED P-300wt light running and things were doing pretty well. Last Sat I added 1 P-150wt light and 1 - 150 wt, 6500B cool CFL to the room and noticed the girls were drooping slightly. Sunday I did my nutes change and noticed no improvement. A little worse, if anything.
I had been feeding 5 times in 24 hours up to this point, but Monday night I changed that to 3 times a day. One 1 hour after lights on. Once at 1 and once at 10pm. Fifteen minute feeding cycle. Lights are 18/6.


What I CAN tell you. I'm using a hydro system with a 15 gallon res. I have an aquarium pump and two stones in it,
Three plants growing in rockwool. One is called Pineapple (Blank), One Dark Star, and can't remember the last one atm. All appear Indigo to me.
Ph is 6.4
TDS 1,050 PPM
Room temps All over the place due to new lights and a heater malfunction. But the last couple days it's been hovering around 77 and humidity is 30 - 60 %.
Room is 2.5 X 5 X 7 feet. 2.5 X 5 floor space.
I have an Exhale Home made Co2 bag hanging in the room.
Small fan to move the air. Bigger will follow when needed. Also plan on installing exaust fan in cieling for circulation.
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I don't know how much longer these girls are going to make it. It seems grim. The pics are as of 8 pm tonight.
Thanks for any advice!!

Side note: I turned the LED lights off tonight and left the CFL going until I hear differently from somebody out there.

 

[go4snypr]

ph should be closer to 5.8, 6.4 is a little high for hydro. Also ppm is a little high for those guys, I would think about 1EC (700ppm depending on how your meter is calibrated). would be plenty. I also grow in rock wool, but in pots with crouton, and I only feed once a day in veg by hand, and once a day for 15 min while in flower. I would thin out your nutrients to 500 ppm or a little less for now. If your rockwool is blocks, I would think you could cut back your watering too, (depends how dry the block is getting). I am not sure if you can really over water rock wool, but 5 feedings a day seems excessive to me. I dont think its your lights though

 

[McCdive]

Thanks go4snypr. I have Ph Down, so I'll lower it tomorrow. I thought 5 times was too much too, so I just cut it back to 3 times.




I have a really stupid question that I hate to even ask.....but.... Was I supposed to remove the rockwool completely from the bag it came in? I was TOLD by my local hydro supply store to just cut an X in the top to place the RW squares in it. Skip ahead two days and I'm watching my girls drowning! So I poked a bunch of holes in the plastic all the way through. I just have a nagging feeling I should have taken the bag off completely.
There. I asked. lol

 

[go4snypr]

i would think you would remove it especially if it is not letting the water out. I use rock wool crutons though, so I am not 100% on how to use the big cubes. But if you feel it is holding water then I would remove it for sure. Also, will this be a DWC in the end or what do you do when you out grow the cube??

 

[McCdive]

I thought so too, go4. There is nothing I can find on the subject. There are instructions on the wrapper as to wetting it down an hour or so before use but that's about it. I don't have time this morning, but it's coming off when I get home.
The RW I'm using is in a long, brick shape that the 3X3 cubes fit into. It's about 36X6X4. That then fits snugly into a long, plastic tray with drain holes in the center. Better pics are in My Pics. Gotta run-late for work.
Thanks go4snypr, Andy.

 

[go4snypr]

as long as there is somewhere for the roots to grow. I was thinking it was just one cube under your foil and the plant would out grow it in no time. The RW does drain nicely and holds air, but if it is constantly sitting in water I would think your roots will never dry out and that may be what is making them look droopy. But I would also thin out the nutrient solution, it is easier to add nutrients than try to take them away. Oh and dont work too hard.

 

[McCdive]

There's a whole other story behind "don't work too hard" and why I smoke weed. The really short version is 35 years of hard drinking landed me in a hospital bed with end stage liver and kidney failer. Weed and strong will have gotten me from next to death to a working member of society. It's a sort of crutch.

But that's off topic. I'll take the wrap off tonight and see what happens... Thanks go4, Andy.

 

[STOP]

ph to high and over feeding at this stage. u can water 24/7 in hydro with no worries u cant over water in hydro un less u have a blockage ie plastic covering your rw blocks witch should have been removed. and you dont want myler or any reflective material at the base of your plants.dose them no good.happydays

 

[McCdive]

Well work was a bitch and I got home late, I did take the plastic off and I think it looks like it should have from the beginning! I didn't get to the Ph but I'll do it in the morning. Sunday night is my scheduled nutes change. maybe I should cut back to week #2s strength?
Pics show what I did.....

 

[McCdive]

Well, just 12 hours later (About 7 hours of light) and I gotta say things are notably better. Leaves and branches seem to be turning upwards twords the lights. I'm a happy camper so far....

 

[go4snypr]

looks like you have some green algea growth there on the cubes, which is alright, but the middle one looks like a black mould on it. I would guess that is gonna cause you some problems. I would put the foil top back on to keep the light off of the algea and it will go a way, but you may need some sort of a peroxide to take care of the mould...

 

[go4snypr]

as a matter of fact, I would pull that cube right out of the tray and keep it separate, as what ever is growing in that cube may grow in your water....maybe someone else will chime in on this, but I can't see that being good for your res, or your other plants....

 

[McCdive]

Relocating that middle one is not really an option. I don't have any separate Hydro system to run just for it. But I can easily put a cover back on the tray. I just thought the air would better able to get to the roots this way. Thoughts? Thanks Mono.

 

[McCdive]

That dark spot on top of the middle cube is what grew when the bag was on but light got through the slit in the plastic.

 

[STOP]

iam sorry but you are drowning those plants in so MUCH rock wool. and cover any area of medium or water that is getting direct light.to solve this grow you need to get more than half that rock wool out ,and cover what is left with black bags or something .or you are going to have alga problems .theirs enough rock wool in your tank to last me 3 grows. happydays . you want to sort all your stuff out before flipping them.or you will be pissed with the yeild.happydays

 

[McCdive]

Next grow I will deff use separate pots. Far more matinance friendly!
I'm doing all I can to learn, STOP, but it's a slow process. Are you saying that I shouldn't be using much more than the 3X3 cube? If I take some out now, there won't be anything on the two sides for support? Right? I must be missing something...
Maybe I should go ahead and transplant them into pots now?

 

[STOP]

dude you are doing fine ive seen plenty that dont even get this far. to late to start taking rock wool out now for better drainage.the roots will be running through it. keep your rock wool covered and any other water surface covered so that your room or tent humidity stays below 60.make sure the water has some were to go .you will be fine. i would give the rock wool a little squeeze down just so it is not water logged.happydays

 

[STOP]

oh btw .your plants would stand tall in a 4 inch rock wool cube on a spreader mat. the plants support them self's buy there root mass.

 

[McCdive]

Okay, STOP. I get ya. Remember, it's easy to panic someone who hasn't done any of this before! Lol. I'll leave what I have alone. Do you think it would be okay to use that reflective material to cover the RW back up? I have plenty of it.

 

[STOP]

its a must that it should be covered. if that's only what u got ,yes buddy. the underside of plant leafs dont like light.so thats why no one recommends reflective material on the bottom. .put it back.maybe put black plastic bag laying on top to stop it reflecting light back up to the under side on the plants. its not such a big deal as to let the light hit the rock wool and really cause you problems down the road..cover the rockwool.and dont let it get water logged.