Hey guys, I'm doing my first grow and really need some help, because it was going pretty decent for a while and all of a sudden it looks to be going to shit fast. Set up is 5 plants in 7 gallon fabric containers, started clones in these containers (which I now think may be my biggest mistake). Planted them in pro mix. They are at about 9 weeks vegetation under 1000w metal halide 2 ft from canopy, canopy is at 80 degrees. I've been keeping the PH at about 5.8-6 (going to start raising it as I think too much acidity is causing some yellowing). I am using Earth Juice Grow as well as Earth Juice Meta K (should put my npk level at about 2-1-2. Also using cal mag. I had been watering it with this nute mix every other 2 days (think this may have been too much because of the large pots). The yellowing is honestly the least of my worries. My best plant started rapidly getting brown dead blotches on the leaves and getting purple tips, most of my other plants have had these blotches, also some redish spots as well. My best guess was I had root rot and I got myself some hydroguard which I heard great things about and I have seen the "disease" let's call it, slow since. Some plants upper leaves also have some taco curling effect. I'll attach some pictures and thanks so much for any help at all.
Need help with first grow
- Thread starter mmaguy
- Start date
Faic
New Member
5.8-6 is hydro ph levels. You want to be in the 6.5 range for soil.
fanleaf
Well-Known Member
Re: Need help for first grow
Please upload then post some good pics here so we can help. Use the gallery button up at the top. There are lots of us here waiting to help.
Also, while you are doing that let us know how many gallon the pots are and how much water/food they have been getting every 2 days or so?
Please upload then post some good pics here so we can help. Use the gallery button up at the top. There are lots of us here waiting to help.
Also, while you are doing that let us know how many gallon the pots are and how much water/food they have been getting every 2 days or so?
Re: Need help for first grow
Your watering too often and fertilizing too often. Roots need time to dry out a bit between watering or they will drown from lack of oxygen and start to rot. Key your pot dry out more. You are adding a lot of fertilizer if you are doing it every two days. So you have high levels of fertilizer next to roots that aren't functioning and starting to rot which changes the pH to the point that nutrients are locked out. This is causing the deficiency symptoms in the leaves. Let the pot dry out some so it becomes much lighter. You can feel by picking it up. With fabric pots you can also tell by feeling the bottom. Then give a good flush to the soil with water and let a good amount run off and dispose of that. Let the soil dry again and then fert.
Your watering too often and fertilizing too often. Roots need time to dry out a bit between watering or they will drown from lack of oxygen and start to rot. Key your pot dry out more. You are adding a lot of fertilizer if you are doing it every two days. So you have high levels of fertilizer next to roots that aren't functioning and starting to rot which changes the pH to the point that nutrients are locked out. This is causing the deficiency symptoms in the leaves. Let the pot dry out some so it becomes much lighter. You can feel by picking it up. With fabric pots you can also tell by feeling the bottom. Then give a good flush to the soil with water and let a good amount run off and dispose of that. Let the soil dry again and then fert.
fanleaf
Well-Known Member
Re: Need help for first grow
Not nessesarily
Lots of folks feed everyday. We need to figure out how he's doing it before we say he's doing it too much. I agree that this is probably the case but maybe not.
If he wants to feed every day or every other day that's fine but it sounds like some adjusting is going to be in order. I also agree that it sounds like maybe salt buildup swaying pH. We need more info and some pics mmaguy!
Not nessesarily
Lots of folks feed everyday. We need to figure out how he's doing it before we say he's doing it too much. I agree that this is probably the case but maybe not.
If he wants to feed every day or every other day that's fine but it sounds like some adjusting is going to be in order. I also agree that it sounds like maybe salt buildup swaying pH. We need more info and some pics mmaguy!
Re: Need help for first grow
In pro-mix every day or every other day watering will hurt the roots.
fanleaf
Well-Known Member
Re: Need help for first grow
I would think so too but I have seen users here with some kickazz plants who feed daily or every other in promix.
I would think so too but I have seen users here with some kickazz plants who feed daily or every other in promix.
- Thread starter
- #8
Re: Need help for first grow
Hey guys thanks for the swift replies, I appreciate you all so much. First off I'm not watering every other day but every other 2 days, which I still feel was probably too much being that I put them in 7 gallon fabric pots from the beginning and even at 9 weeks from what I now understand 7 gallons is superfluous and the pots are probably holding water for more than 2 days. I'm leaning toward's shiggity flip's opinion on this one, that being said since the gallon reverse osmosis water/ 20 ml of earth juice grow/ 5 ml of meta k I've been using has a ph of around 5.9 avg, wouldn't that make the ph of the pro mix ok or am I wrong on that one? I've done as much research on this as possible but no substitute for experience, the salt build up concept is still the most confusing and vague to me, the earth juice grow does state "non- burning/ no salt residue" if that matters, but obviously it's true that you can over fert with even organic nutes. I'm also watering directly from my gallon jug if that matters. I do believe I'll try coco next time since this should cause less of the problems im dealing with I feel. I think we are in agreement that I need to water it with my nute mix less? Maybe every other 3 or 4 days? Is it fine for me to water with my nute mix every time or should I just do plain r/o water sometimes? What do you think about me raising my PH to 6.5 or so since we think it may be a little acidic? Sorry if this reply got a bit rambley I'm a bit embarassed by these current results as I strive to be a perfectionist, and it was my intention to post 3 photos on the original post, do bear with me I will try again. Thanks again for the help guys.
Hey guys thanks for the swift replies, I appreciate you all so much. First off I'm not watering every other day but every other 2 days, which I still feel was probably too much being that I put them in 7 gallon fabric pots from the beginning and even at 9 weeks from what I now understand 7 gallons is superfluous and the pots are probably holding water for more than 2 days. I'm leaning toward's shiggity flip's opinion on this one, that being said since the gallon reverse osmosis water/ 20 ml of earth juice grow/ 5 ml of meta k I've been using has a ph of around 5.9 avg, wouldn't that make the ph of the pro mix ok or am I wrong on that one? I've done as much research on this as possible but no substitute for experience, the salt build up concept is still the most confusing and vague to me, the earth juice grow does state "non- burning/ no salt residue" if that matters, but obviously it's true that you can over fert with even organic nutes. I'm also watering directly from my gallon jug if that matters. I do believe I'll try coco next time since this should cause less of the problems im dealing with I feel. I think we are in agreement that I need to water it with my nute mix less? Maybe every other 3 or 4 days? Is it fine for me to water with my nute mix every time or should I just do plain r/o water sometimes? What do you think about me raising my PH to 6.5 or so since we think it may be a little acidic? Sorry if this reply got a bit rambley I'm a bit embarassed by these current results as I strive to be a perfectionist, and it was my intention to post 3 photos on the original post, do bear with me I will try again. Thanks again for the help guys.
fanleaf
Well-Known Member
Re: Need help for first grow
Theres no set watering period first of all. That will change as the plants grow.
Don't put a time or day on your watering. Yes, they should have started in a cup or much smaller pot. Starting them off in a big pot makes watering very tricky to get right.
Here's what I would do in your situation. Do a flush. A flush is 3X the capacity of your pot so yes, run 20 gallons of water through your 7 gallon pot. That will flush left over salts and junk out of your medium. The salts from feeding and watering too much and too often will cause that every time. If continued it will lead to root problems or rot even.
I know a flush may sound really scary to do but it's not and it will "reset" your medium back to the start and is what your plant needs.
1. Run 15-20 gallons of water through your medium.
2. Mix 1/4 strength nutes and add it to the last gallon of the flush.
3. Let it be!
Don't water or feed until the you pick up the pot and it feels like there is NOTHING there. This may take a week! Don't worry about the top few inches of soil feeling dry because you need the deep root zone to be dry too. The pot will be really light and there will be no question in your mind it needs water.
4. Start feeding and watering as "normal".
Normal would be something like this.
Plant is very light and needs fed So in your 7 gallon pot mix enough water/nutes to flood the pot until you get 10% runoff out the bottom of the pot.
Let it be for 3-5 days until the pot feels empty again and this time just water. Water the same way....Flood the pot until you get 10% runoff and let sit until again the pot feels empty.
Now 3-4 days later feed again the same way. Flood it.
Your problem is when you water too often the center of the root ball never dry out so they get no new oxygen and the old nutes just sit there. Whenever you feed or just water you want the entire plant to be dry not just the first inch or 2 of soil. That way when you do water you water a lot and when the water hits the top of the soil it pushes the oxygen in the top of the soil down into the root zone.
Basically, never worry about watering too much because you cant water too much. ALWAYS worry about watering too often! That will cause pH issues,salt issues, root issues and that all leads to what you have now.....An unhealthy plant.
Flush her out. Don't skimp on the water here! You will need a lot to go through her. If in the center of the rootball there has been a wet spot for a long time it will take many gallons of water to work it's way into that wet ball somewhere in the middle of the pot.
After you flush with 1/4 to 1/2 strength nutes to the last gallon to gallon and a half let her sit as long as it takes for the pot to feel so light that you have no doubt water is needed. In a 7 gallon pot this will take probably 6-7 days. Then just water her but water her well and repeat.
Theres no set watering period first of all. That will change as the plants grow.
Don't put a time or day on your watering. Yes, they should have started in a cup or much smaller pot. Starting them off in a big pot makes watering very tricky to get right.
Here's what I would do in your situation. Do a flush. A flush is 3X the capacity of your pot so yes, run 20 gallons of water through your 7 gallon pot. That will flush left over salts and junk out of your medium. The salts from feeding and watering too much and too often will cause that every time. If continued it will lead to root problems or rot even.
I know a flush may sound really scary to do but it's not and it will "reset" your medium back to the start and is what your plant needs.
1. Run 15-20 gallons of water through your medium.
2. Mix 1/4 strength nutes and add it to the last gallon of the flush.
3. Let it be!
Don't water or feed until the you pick up the pot and it feels like there is NOTHING there. This may take a week! Don't worry about the top few inches of soil feeling dry because you need the deep root zone to be dry too. The pot will be really light and there will be no question in your mind it needs water.
4. Start feeding and watering as "normal".
Normal would be something like this.
Plant is very light and needs fed So in your 7 gallon pot mix enough water/nutes to flood the pot until you get 10% runoff out the bottom of the pot.
Let it be for 3-5 days until the pot feels empty again and this time just water. Water the same way....Flood the pot until you get 10% runoff and let sit until again the pot feels empty.
Now 3-4 days later feed again the same way. Flood it.
Your problem is when you water too often the center of the root ball never dry out so they get no new oxygen and the old nutes just sit there. Whenever you feed or just water you want the entire plant to be dry not just the first inch or 2 of soil. That way when you do water you water a lot and when the water hits the top of the soil it pushes the oxygen in the top of the soil down into the root zone.
Basically, never worry about watering too much because you cant water too much. ALWAYS worry about watering too often! That will cause pH issues,salt issues, root issues and that all leads to what you have now.....An unhealthy plant.
Flush her out. Don't skimp on the water here! You will need a lot to go through her. If in the center of the rootball there has been a wet spot for a long time it will take many gallons of water to work it's way into that wet ball somewhere in the middle of the pot.
After you flush with 1/4 to 1/2 strength nutes to the last gallon to gallon and a half let her sit as long as it takes for the pot to feel so light that you have no doubt water is needed. In a 7 gallon pot this will take probably 6-7 days. Then just water her but water her well and repeat.
