Urgent Help Needed With Flowering and High pH

[Seniorweeder]

Hello folks, I haven't posted in a while but realize now I should have. A while back I posted that I was loosing fan leaves on my plant that was in 2 1/2 weeks in flower, and some commented that the problem maybe nute deficiencies, and some commented that it was normal due to flowers using all the energy to bud up. My medium is F.F. Coco-loco and I didnt use any nutes until 2 weeks after I flipped to 12/12. I still have now at 3 1/2 weeks into flower, good buds forming and starting to stack up nicely, however there are still small and large leaves turning yellow. I am ashamed to admit that I have not done any PH monitoring as I have never done it before, and just kept my fingers crossed. I just got a PH meter this week and checked the tap water I have been using and it was showing 7.4, then I took my old soil tester and it also showed about the same.

I ordered some "PH down" that should arrive this coming Friday. I have been introducing the "Advanced Nutrients" I got at about 1/2 recommend strength, and one watering with Molasses and cal-mag, . My question now is should I keep using the A.N stuff or do some kind of flush with distilled water then introduce the PH Down when it gets here? Also, do I put the pH down in the same water as the nutes, and each watering? My head is spiraling trying to figure out what to do to save my Girl before something starts killing my HARD EARNED buds! Thanks as always my grow friends!

 

[Gabby987]

Hello folks, I haven't posted in a while but realize now I should have. A while back I posted that I was loosing fan leaves on my plant that was in 2 1/2 weeks in flower, and some commented that the problem maybe nute deficiencies, and some commented that it was normal due to flowers using all the energy to bud up. My medium is F.F. Coco-loco and I didnt use any nutes until 2 weeks after I flipped to 12/12. I still have now at 3 1/2 weeks into flower, good buds forming and starting to stack up nicely, however there are still small and large leaves turning yellow. I am ashamed to admit that I have not done any PH monitoring as I have never done it before, and just kept my fingers crossed. I just got a PH meter this week and checked the tap water I have been using and it was showing 7.4, then I took my old soil tester and it also showed about the same.

I ordered some "PH down" that should arrive this coming Friday. I have been introducing the "Advanced Nutrients" I got at about 1/2 recommend strength, and one watering with Molasses and cal-mag, . My question now is should I keep using the A.N stuff or do some kind of flush with distilled water then introduce the PH Down when it gets here? Also, do I put the pH down in the same water as the nutes, and each watering? My head is spiraling trying to figure out what to do to save my Girl before something starts killing my HARD EARNED buds! Thanks as always my grow friends!

You don't have to wait.
Use a few drops of lemon juice to bring the Ph down
Don't panic, your water is not that bad.

 

[Reave]

I think that soil adjusts the PH range automatically just like pro mix does it not? You shouldn’t need ph down.

yes it has dolomite lime in it. You don’t need the PH down. Maybe your plant is hungry.

 

[Nunyabiz]

Can use lemon juice for pH down.

 

[Weaselcracker]

Those AN nutes- is that the ‘ph perfect’ stuff which is already balanced?

That coco loco stuff is buffered with dolomite lime and oyster shell and it shouldn’t matter much what you adjust your waterings and feeding to. Though with your alkaline water it could raise your soil ph over time. But if you want to ph adjust- do it after the water and nutrients are mixed, and make it around 6.5-ish.

 

[Seniorweeder]

Just "WOW". Thanks so much for the quick help here guys! This helps me relax a bit. I will be getting some lemons today, and mix it in the nute solution then test as recommended. I am just doing everything I can to keep her healthy. It has been a long, trying, learning, and fun experience or my first grow for sure!

 

[Seniorweeder]

By the way, as I read that Molasses can do some amazing stuff for Flowering, I am leaning towards using my Molasses water in between my nute watering. I am also thinking about going to the full dose of the A.N stuff now, hope its not too strong! Any thoughts?

 

[Reave]

less is more sometimes. I would start by just increasing the feed and doing nothing else. Don’t adjust the ph. Don’t add lime. And don’t add molasses. To me your girl just looks hungry.

you have been doing half dose nutrients and I think there is some nutrients in that soil not 100% I have never used it. Maybe 3/4s??? Change small things at a time. If you do a bunch you won’t know what worked and what hindered. In the words of @Emilya move at the speed of the plant.

 

[Weaselcracker]

Molasses has some micronutrients in it. It’s usually used to feed beneficial bacteria in soil or in brewed ‘beneficial tea’.

Hard to see whether your plants need more nutrients or not without legible photos.

 

[Reave]

Hard to see whether your plants need more nutrients or not without legible photos

Agreed.

 

[Gabby987]

I would say follow the manufacturer's reccomandations with the nutes.
I was doing half dose in my first grow and the plants were always hungry.
My nutes bring the Ph down a lot so I adjust the solution after mixing them

 

[Reave]

I think think the nutes OP are using (as another poster pointed out they have ph perfect formula) will bring 7.0 water exactly into the right range. But with that soil I doubt it matters.

 

[RetiredRN]

Can use lemon juice for pH down.

Thats what I use Because I read the pH down solution doesn’t always like to mix well with some nutrient lines that people use

 

[Fuzzy Duck]

The Op mentioned he did not use any nutrients in till 2 weeks after flip are peeps over thinking this ?

 

[Reave]

The Op mentioned he did not use any nutrients in till 2 weeks after flip are peeps over thinking this ?

I thought so. Lol.

 

[Pat Puffer]

In coco, molasses can operate as a proverbial broom of sorts and chelates all remaining nutes and gets them absorbed. Adding molasses every other watering in coco may not be necessary. In coco it is primarily used as part of the flush at the end to rid the soil of salts, since it is a chelator for nutrients.

Everyother watering of molasses may eventually muck up the coco more than anything, since there is not much biological activity to chew up and break down the sugars.

I would go easy on the molasses. I brew it in teas, so its broke down before being applied. Then my monthly soil drench of molasses is used to feed the microherd that is already present. I do not use it so much to feed the plant with nutrients, as much as I am feeding little creatures in the soil. The creatures/bacteria eat and excrete the molasses. Their "excretions" in turn are what feed the plants.

 

[Justin Goody]

I thought so. Lol.

I agree, looks like a simple N deficiency at the moment. And I woudn't add molasses until that problem is straightened out at least.

 

[Redcup]

Congratulations on getting near to the finish, @Seniorweeder. Your next grow will be even better.

To prepare your feed solution, add the calmag first, then your base AN nutrients, adjust your ec, then adjust your pH to 6.0 or so, finally add any biological additives. If you dont have an EC meter, it will help to get one.

In coco, you should never use plain water, always use the fertigant nutrient solution (Except the final week if you plan to flush). Never let coco dry out as it will burn the roots more so than peat based media. So that means fertigating at least once a day, more is better especially in regular coco. In coco loco it has some water retention additives so once a day might do it. Always get 20% runoff.

organic acids will work but phosphoric acid type pH down, is far better for coco as it will not break down as quickly. High rootzone ph will often show as iron deficiency which will indicate with yellow leaves (plant cant make chlorophyl). You have probably seen the nutrient availability vs ph diagram.

i would flush with regular nutrients at 1.4 mS ec and then fertigate daily with that till the end. You can add molasses for the flush, keep in mind what @Patient Puffer posted up there that you dont need it every time but it will help flush the salts and boost the microbes a bit. Theres only a few more weeks and their wont be much more growth but that will make sure nutrients are available.

when you continue these practices, feeding properly throughout the grow next time you will see even greater success. When you start the next run read up on EC requirements for the lifecycle from seedling to veg to flower.
Good luck.

 

[Pat Puffer]

Is this incorrect?

 

[Redcup]

Interesting point, @Patient Puffer. Thanks for finding that. Is that from the fox farm site? I dont see any guidance on the bag images, maybe i am missing it. TBH I havent used coco loco but i have used similar FF products, like ocean forest that also has a mix of compost but with peat rather than coco. I have been in coco for a couple years, unamended.

Buffering with dolomite would increase alkalinity and tend to raise the pH at the roots over time. The bark in FF has a low pH, its common to buffer peat with lime also, as that has low pH (eg promix). Coco has slightly low pH but its less often buffered with Ca, even tho coco will immobilize Ca. So i am surprised they would recommend that higher pH value.

If i were using it, i would pH down lower. For a new grower, i would recommend following the manufacturer’s directions unless problems show. ultimately the plant roots should determine the rootzone pH with exudates, our job is to let them. In any case, op using pH over 7 should be adjusted.