Howdy: First Grow, Week 5 Veg, A Few Hiccups

[Closet Urban Grower]

What's up? Greetings from the Northeast. I'm really glad I found this forum because the information everyone posts in it is so insightful. Well, I began my first grow almost five weeks ago. No matter how much you read and plan, you won't learn until you get your hands dirty with it..

Here is a look at what I am using:

• Genetics: 2 pineapple kush plants from Royal Queen Seeds
• Soil: Super soil from Kind Soil, Fox Farm Coco Loco
• Light: HLG 135 rspec light

Photo taken November 19th:

Once the two plants matured in their solo cups, I transferred them to 5 gallon pots (November 12th). In retrospect, this was my first mistake. I thought that I could nurture them properly in larger pots (basically by not over watering), but I didn't understand then how root ball development works. I would transfer to a smaller pots first next time.

For the first water in the large pots, I was so scared to over water that I watered just around the plants and used maybe a third to half gallon per pot. I noticed after a few days the plants were not growing much and beginning to wilt (slowly). I watered a little bit again. After some reading I understood that I was likely under watering by a lot - 5 gallon pots need at least 1 gallon of water, right? On November 22nd, I put a solid gallon in each, and they have begun to show life!

BUT

Several days after moving to the 5 gal, I topped the plants and attempted chiropractor techniques on the main stems. I pinched and bent the stems just below the first node. I was too aggressive and have been watching the plant stems slowly recover. One is doing much better and has a fat knuckle developing. The other is taking longer and is not recovering from the wilting as quickly as I would like. It is also showing some coloring on the leaves. It can't be nutrient deficiency, can it? I am using super soil, but perhaps the roots are not abundant or wet enough in the nutrient rich soil at the bottom of the pot to feed the plant.

Overall, I would like to know why these plants are not becoming lanky. There is almost no plant to even train yet and I am in week 4. Is it a combination of previous dehydration and the stem splitting? I would also like to know what you think is appearing on the leaves. Thanks so much! Look forward to keeping you posted!!

Pictures from today:

 

[Closet Urban Grower]

Catching up with some old photos here:

 

[Vulx]

The plant with a damaged stem cannot properly transmit water and nutrients to the top growth so there will likely be signs of underwatering and slight deficiencies. It's working on repairing itself from what looks like significant damage so give it some time.

As for the other plant, it looks fairly healthy. That means you can boost it with some organic nutes. I'm betting your soil isn't hot enough to give it rapid growth. Doesn't appear to be any other issue affecting it, the leaves look pretty happy.

 

[Closet Urban Grower]

The plant with a damaged stem cannot properly transmit water and nutrients to the top growth so there will likely be signs of underwatering and slight deficiencies. It's working on repairing itself from what looks like significant damage so give it some time.

As for the other plant, it looks fairly healthy. That means you can boost it with some organic nutes. I'm betting your soil isn't hot enough to give it rapid growth. Doesn't appear to be any other issue affecting it, the leaves look pretty happy.

Thank you.

 

[West Hippie]

Welcome Closet Urban Grower to 420 magazine
Trouble deciding which way to water , you need to check out @Emilya water technique in Vulx post all questions you have are in there !
I see you started training on the one the other looks a little sad !

 

[Closet Urban Grower]

Good news and bad news.

The Bad News

It looks as though this one's health is declining faster than she is repairing herself. I'm not sure there is much for me to do but wait and see. I have a feeling I may lose the plant.


The Good News

My other one is starting to move it. I cut away a little bit of underlying growth. The wound still looks scary, but at least it's closed.

 

[Closet Urban Grower]

Uh oh is what I am feeling inside. When I began my grow, I measured my Brita-filtered water ph and it was around 6.2. Great. Fast forward, I'm in week 7/8 veg and for a bit, I have been noticing health declines. Yellowing of leaves, ripping of leaves, twisting of leaves, slow growth. While I don't have photos, the larger under leaves have been yellowing and rusting:



I am leaving for a few days for the holidays and did not expect for this one to be in such a vulnerable state. Someone on Instagram felt that it was pretty clearly a ph problem. When I retested my water this week, sure enough it was mid to low 5s. I did not expect my tap ph to change so much. I have organic top dressing and amendments on the way but needed an immediate fix. Last night I went to a local grow store. The guy said it looks like low ph is causing cal mag deficiency. I purchased ph fixer and liquid cal mag. Last night I gave my plant its second fixed ph watering this time with a teaspoon of cal mag per gallon. I fed about a gallon. Last night my plant looked like this after trimming most of the sicker leaves:

This morning she does not look better, but worse:

I feel like I am in a downward spiral and need some guidance if I am not terminally screwed. Other than cal mag supplement, I have Kind Soil under the coco loco. Appreciate the help in advance.

 

[Vulx]

Uh oh is what I am feeling inside. When I began my grow, I measured my Brita-filtered water ph and it was around 6.2. Great. Fast forward, I'm in week 7/8 veg and for a bit, I have been noticing health declines. Yellowing of leaves, ripping of leaves, twisting of leaves, slow growth. While I don't have photos, the larger under leaves have been yellowing and rusting:



I am leaving for a few days for the holidays and did not expect for this one to be in such a vulnerable state. Someone on Instagram felt that it was pretty clearly a ph problem. When I retested my water this week, sure enough it was mid to low 5s. I did not expect my tap ph to change so much. I have organic top dressing and amendments on the way but needed an immediate fix. Last night I went to a local grow store. The guy said it looks like low ph is causing cal mag deficiency. I purchased ph fixer and liquid cal mag. Last night I gave my plant its second fixed ph watering this time with a teaspoon of cal mag per gallon. I fed about a gallon. Last night my plant looked like this after trimming most of the sicker leaves:

This morning she does not look better, but worse:

I feel like I am in a downward spiral and need some guidance if I am not terminally screwed. Other than cal mag supplement, I have Kind Soil under the coco loco. Appreciate the help in advance.

Curious - did you flush after rectifying your pH issue?

 

[Billpopy79]

I'm not experienced enough to help but what I can say is they don't look too bad, reading journals on here I've seen much worse recover well.

Mine are in week 4 of bloom and look a total disaster compared to yours but I'm still confident I can save them.

 

[Closet Urban Grower]

I'm not experienced enough to help but what I can say is they don't look too bad, reading journals on here I've seen much worse recover well.

Mine are in week 4 of bloom and look a total disaster compared to yours but I'm still confident I can save them.

Appreciate the good word man! Good luck on your side.

 

[Closet Urban Grower]

Curious - did you flush after rectifying your pH issue?

Two days ago I watered plain with corrected ph. Last night I got cal mag and while I did not need a full watering, I wanted to feed it asap. So last night I used corrected ph with cal mag. Under one gallon.

 

[Vulx]

Two days ago I watered plain with corrected ph. Last night I got cal mag and while I did not need a full watering, I wanted to feed it asap. So last night I used corrected ph with cal mag. Under one gallon.

Let's see what it does after another day, plants move slowly after all.

 

[Closet Urban Grower]

Let's see what it does after another day, plants move slowly after all.

Well she's looking better! No pictures because there is nothing much to show, but I gave the last haircut before flipping tonight. Will probably flip in 3 days.