Need some water/soil help (pics included)

[micro]

Hey all, I still consider myself pretty new to this, as I'm approaching 1 year with growing as a hobby. I'm just about done with my 3rd grow and so far every grow has been better than the one before it, and I want to keep that going! Below I'll post some pics of what I may or may not be nutrient deficiencies that may or may not be caused by pH problems. I need some help so I can eliminate whatever is causing the problem so my next grow will be even better =)

Plants — Green House Seeds Trainwreck
Soil — Approximately 65% promix, 20% peralite, 10% vermiculite, 5% sphagnum peat moss. Pot size is about 3 gallons.
Watering — Tap water run through RO filter.
Nutrients — GH Micro/Grow/Bloom, CalMg. I am using this feeding schedule: Bunzboy's Flora Feeding Schedule for Soil Growers.
Area — The box is 2ft by 4ft lined with mylar. For air circulation I have a 140mm PC fan input and a bathroom fan sucking air through a cylindrical diy charcoal filter. Also 2 fans inside for additional circulation.
Lights — Blackstar LED 240w and two pairs of 24w CFLs in clamp type reflectors. Proper color/temp bulbs for vedge vs flower.
Temperature is low 80's. Humidity is 75%

What I am experiencing is dramatically raising pH levels. I have the milwaukee ph600 ph tester that isn't supper accurate. But I was thinking going into this grow that I should have no problems with high water or soil pH anymore sense my RO water should start out at 7, and my soil has peat moss added which lowers ph. As I started to discover the rising pH, I've been lowering the water with vinegar, my most recent watering the water went in at 5.8 and runoff came out at 7.3. What the hell?

These photos are taken 6 weeks into flower. I'm not super concerned that the problem will impact the harvest too much as they're pretty far along and otherwise looking pretty good, but it's something that I want to come to an understanding on so I can do better next time.
These first 2 photos are what I'm getting from the bottom most branches, looks like phosphorous deficiency, yea?

Maybe a little potassium deficiency with the crispy tips? Could also be heat from too close lights.

Just a cool photo with trippy LED colors.

 

[mountaingoat]

Is this happening on all your leaves? Cause if just some older leaves are getting that it could be a part of flowering. Also be careful with the PH can really hurt your grow... Perhaps you should get some precise PH down from a grow store...

 

[micro]

Yes the worst of it is on the oldest leaves and branches. I don't think it's what happens under normal flowering, in all the journals and examples I've seen of that it's a lack of nitrogen, which makes leaves yellow, this is brown and crispy.

 

[mountaingoat]

It could very well be a lack of nitrogen but sometimes during flowering the plant stops "caring" about the leaves and pushes the nutes to the buds.

 

[JB42]

Your right it does look like a P deff but I dont think the girls is hungery as your leaves are dark green , some curled and burn't tips so they have food for sure.

I would stop pH'ing your medium as soil grows don't require pH unless its serious. The swings in pH after adding the vinegar seem to be adding stress to the plant and its not sure where its at.

My advice mate stay away from pH and nutes and flush with plain water then water again when needed and start again with you normal feeding from there.

 

[micro]

I'm not concerned with what to do with this plant, it only has a week left to live. I am trying to identify the cause so I can prevent it next time. I have also seen it stated many times that with growing in soil you don't need to worry about pH, but doesn't line up with what I am experiencing. I don't know if "soilless mix" such as promix (what I am using) do not follow that rule?

 

[OG1969]

I'm not concerned with what to do with this plant, it only has a week left to live. I am trying to identify the cause so I can prevent it next time. I have also seen it stated many times that with growing in soil you don't need to worry about pH, but doesn't line up with what I am experiencing. I don't know if "soilless mix" such as promix (what I am using) do not follow that rule?

Define what the soilless mix is , to me personally if it it isn't hydro or perlite and vermiculite it is soil, have never used sunshine mix , use mainly organic soils which help buffer the ph concern as stated above. If this mix is a neutral mix then I would lean towards nutrient burn, but you are following a feeding schedule for soil do they not have one for a soilless mix? If you are using a mix that has no organic matter in it, which I believe peat is, then you are in total control of what nutrients the plant is getting the soil is merely there to hold the plant upright, as stated flushing would help but not this late in the game, have you been on an agressive feeding schedule. Just as curious as you are never delt with a soiless mix , but to me from what I see would be over feeding, some yellowing and loss of leaf is normal with age and flushing but not dry brownish almost black. Let us know how they turn out, Peace OG.

 

[micro]

I re-read the info for my feeding schedule and also found another helpful post, and both stress the importance of watering enough so that you have plenty of runoff, so I have now formulated a new theory. I think I was not flushing enough during each watering, resulting in salts buildup and root based problems. I'll have a better idea if this is true in like a week when I chop it down and take a look to see if I have rotten roots.

 

[JB42]

when its an organic mix and its feeding itself then run off it bad as it flushes the food and the microbial activity out, but seen as you use nutes the run off is good but not all the time IMO.

 

[dyronlindsey]

Your pots are to small you are killing the roots they cant get air they are not happy

 

[Mucky Pup]

Looks like you've over watered it & pushed all the oxygen out of the soil.People mistake it as over feeding or nutrient deficiency.If the soil is still heavy with water,let it dry out & then go back to feeding as normal.

 

[Mrblowalot]

I think it's nute burn or to much ferts. Flush with phed water no more nutes. Since this one is bout over,I would start wit no nutes till growth stage then hit em UR soil mix will carry u there,an when using cal mag use with separate waterings than wit 3part nutes, get Supertrive it a grower must have an slack on water on all stages except flower promotes root building process faster. Root grow out in search of the moist soil. Not saying dont water be stengy a bit while using a root builder. UR start will be UR end result

 

[Fuzzy Duck]

Nutrient burn...

Excessive nutrients built up in soil may increase PH levels... this may lead to nutrient lock out problems in due time !


I would suggest a jolly good flush of 3 x the size of pot used in water... aka pot size is 1 gallon flush with 3 gallons of water, take ya time to do a good job

Then apply 1/2 rate application feed to what you are using at present stage of plant growth, so not to prevent any macro nutrinet defs in the mean time... allow to nearly dry out & commnce regular feeding.



Or simple lower nutrient feeding regime to prevent burn as most nutrient feeding guides are only a guide ( does not state what plant does it ) ! but would suggest the above process.



Each & every strain has mildy differnet requirements, learn them over a few grows if you wish to grow same strain many times over