Leaf tips curling down a bit

[Newby]

Hi,

The young 1 month old plants are green and growing very strong, but, some of the leaf tips seem to curl down a bit. I'm not worried, just curious...any ideas?

250 watt agrosun gold
250 watt HPS

2'x3' area, approx 800 lumens at plant tops
75-80F
FoxFarm&Ocean soil +Nova nutes

 

[Boss]

You mean 80,000 lumens I hope

Do you have any photos that would help us?

420 Magazine ®

 

[Newby]

Yes, 80,000.....eh heh...

Actually, as of yesterday I added another 600 w hps and raised the lights a bit and added a mylar skirt around the lights. Now I have 90,000-110,000 lumens throughout the grow area. I'm now running 1100 watts of HID in a 2' x3' footprint which will change to a 3' x 3' tray, endind in something like a 4' x 4' canopy when the plants finish. I have 6 plants (currently in 10" pots), which is the legal limit (6)in my county. By the way, I am trying the strain "Fruity Thai"....has anyone else tried this strain? So far I am seeing very vigorous growth and healthy dark green leaves. The leaves were so dark I added another 600W HPS just to see what happens. The temp is well controlled at around 75-81F. You'll see when I post the photos the internodes are tight/short and the stalks are thick from the constant but gentle air flow.

Look at this strong stalk:

 

[Racefan]

You need to raise that temp gauge to the top of the plants. The temp at the canopy is more important than the temp at the container top is when soil growing. That changes when hydro growing as the solution temps become as important if not more important than canopy temps are. I know it gets confusing to some but it's really simple.
Lot's of light!!! As long as you can control the environment, the more light the better. Until bleaching occurs that is.lol
Nice thick stalks and tight nodes. Some of that has to do with the blue spectrum from the MH. I've been looking at a dual arc bulb for a trial. It's a single bulb with a 600watt HPS and a 400watt MH in it. It all runs off one 1K hps ballast.
I've never grown the fruity thai but have grown the thai-tanic. It's not known for the shortest flowering time and made a better outside plant than inside one. The inside plants averaged 3 ounces per plant. The outside plant got over 1.5 lbs.lol lol Any thai cross is a good strain in my opinion.

 

[Newby]

'pout'...but I don't like the temperature readings I get at the plant tops!.....but I'll do it.

I've got 850 watts of HPS and a 250 watt AgrosunGold MH bulb which is part HPS spectrum. So I'm running mostly HPS and very little blue MH. Temp control is clearly going to be an issue with the extra wattage I've just added, such is life...

 

[Racefan]

'pout'...but I don't like the temperature readings I get at the plant tops!.....but I'll do it.

I've got 850 watts of HPS and a 250 watt AgrosunGold MH bulb which is part HPS spectrum. So I'm running mostly HPS and very little blue MH. Temp control is clearly going to be an issue with the extra wattage I've just added, such is life...

lol I don't like manicuring either but it has to be done! same with your temp meter at canopy level.
It doesn't take a lot of the blue spectrum to decrease stretch and increase bud denseness. That and the fan helped with the stem thickness. It will be interesting to see how much they stretch during flower.

 

[Boss]

I think we are looking at an overwatering high PH situation, but I could be wrong.

 

[Racefan]

I think your right Boss. I was thinking the same thing. Definitely a PH issue.

 

[RooRman]

I agree. Looks like overwatering and a pH imbalance. Check your pH levels and adjust to 6.2-6.5 as needed.

Also, looks like you could have a slight potassium deficiency, but you need to solve the pH problem first.

420 Magazine ®

 

[Racefan]

Most likely it's the PH imbalance causing the potassium def.

 

[Newby]

Thank you everyone for your input In a few days when it is time to water again I'll water with a ph 6 solution with flora Nova 1/2 strength

 

[Newby]

Hello again,

You guys were right with the ph balance opinions, it turns out my R.O. water + Flora Nova grow (7-4-10) was at a ph of 4.7.

I've adjusted the ph to 6.2 and watered the plants. They are/have been doing well despite this imbalance. The ph of the soil is 6.4-6.5 and has been consistantly (Go Fox farm & Ocean!! Rah rah)

Question, is there any reason to wait before taking cuttings off the lower branches so I can sex the plants? I've started my Fruity Thai via seeds.


:smokin:

p.s. the temp at the top of the plants is around 83-85F, even with lots of air movement. The plants are getting 90,000-100,000 lumens 24/0

 

[Boss]

Just wait till she looks good and healthy.

 

[Racefan]

To drop the temps some run a 18/6 cycle and run the lights at the coolest period of day or night. Every living thing likes a little sleep.

 

[RooRman]

To drop the temps some run a 18/6 cycle and run the lights at the coolest period of day or night. Every living thing likes a little sleep.

I agree 100%. Virtually took the words right out of my mouth. :rasta:

 

[Newby]

Eh heh...Newby made a mistake...

I took my 6 plants outside and left them in the sun for a few hours thinking the 100,000 lumens they were getting under lights should be close enough to the 90,000-100,000 lumens outside today.....they looked so happy,....then I added mylar behind the plants and left them for a few more hours.

...then I came back to see a few lower fan leaves brown and crispy.....sigh, newby mistakes. Hindsight of course is 20/20.

I've put them back inside in the dark for 6 hours. They will start on a 18/6 cycle from now till I start to flower them. When they look ready, I'll start aclimating them to outside light moer slowly this time. They really don't look that bad, but I plan to reduce their light for a few days in any case. Only a few plants had crispy lower fan leaves, but the rest of the plants, at least for now, look very good.

Live and learn

 

[RooRman]

I think you would have been fine if you just hadn't used the Mylar.

 

[Racefan]

we all learn from our mistakes.

 

[Newby]

Yup,

They are doing very well, despite the one day in the oven. I've been slowly acclimating them to sunlight, without the mylar. Rather than "supercrop" I've tied the tops down bent over so the other branches will grow taller for a while. I want to see how well this works.

Later, in a week or 2, when the plants are tolerating full sun I'm going to add the mylar behind them and slowly (this time) increase the time the mylar is there.

This is a great forum

 

[Newby]

Here we are a few weeks later. These plants are now adjusted to full sun outdoors during the days and 1100 watts all night. A few leaves still show scars from the too fast in the sun move.

I've tied down the top of the plant / bent it over so all the lower branches are now higher than the top of the plant so they are growing faster as can be seen in the photos.

Seriously compact and dense plants,...eh? What do you all think?? Comments?