First grow and plants don’t look so good. They show multiple symptoms so I’m lost on what the cause is. Lights are PAR700 LEDs at 24" (B/W @ 100%, R @ 50% per mfr), my water is pretty soft (40ppm TDS, 7.0 pH), I’ve only used a half-strength Big Bloom recently at 3 weeks and it didn’t seem to make a difference. The display on meter is messed up, it is 81* F and about 64% rh but it drops to 79* F and 44% rh when exhaust fan is done. Here’s some pics:
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Your Ph at 7 is too high. Get it down to 6.7 minimum so the plants can absorb nutes. You want the ph- between 6.3 and 6.8.
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Thanks! I will use that form in the future. It was only yesterday that I measured pH. I ordered pH Up/Down but in meantime I mixed the half strength Big Bloom and used distilled white vinegar to bring it down to 6.0 and watered somewhat lightly. Hope that was OK. Haven’t got home yet today.
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That’s good, vinegar is fine in a pinch.
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The support ticket information is important for everyone to help diagnose the problems you might have . Pictures taken with the purple grow light on doesn’t give us a good view of the leaves .Next time try taking pictures with the light off and camera flash on . I’m wondering what size containers are they in . They look small . The growing gurus have you covered .
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WalMart is discreetly selling grow nutes. PH up n down for around $10 a quart. Also nutes but it’s a brand not usually seen in a grow store. They have an ongoing stock, but, much more variety if you shop online.
They are the original containers I put them in right after they cracked the shell in a wet paper towel, I’m guessing they are about 1 quart. Much bigger than the Solo cups suggested in some articles but way less than a gallon. My plan was to transplant into 1.7 gallon containers when the growth reached the outer rim of the current container.
The grey pots are Chocolope, the blue is Gorilla Glue and red is Gold Leaf. 3 of 4 ‘reached’ a bit due to CFL too far away early. The short Chocolope didn’t sprout until under LEDs and did not reach. That’s why you can still see perlite in that one, the other 3 got extra soil on top (no perlite on top layer but it’s there underneath).
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Your plants look pretty nice and established so far from the pics. Nice job!
What kind of soil do you use? So you currently add nutes and then pH down to 6.0, and with @raustin suggestion it is best to pH to 6.5 (unless you are using a soilless mix, but doesn’t look like you are from the pics).
You have a ppm meter, when you water, do you water to runoff, collect some, and then measure the pH and ppm of it? It is a great indicator to the health of your soil.
Thanks. Soil is Kellogg Organic Plus potting mix. I couldn’t really tell if it is a hot mix but there weren’t many non-Miracle Gro options locally.
When I watered yesterday with the pH adjusted water (first time doing that) the runoff was 6.4.
It’s hot. I would hold off on the nutes for the time being and just hit it with water at the 6.5pH next time you water. 6.4pH is a good runoff pH.
If you can test the ppms of your runoff (water enough until ~10% return of water out the bottom), you can tell how loaded your soil is. For example, I watered brand new coco-based soilless medium call Roots Organic with 5.8pH water yesterday it had ppms of 2300 and a pH 6.0, which is a good pH for soilless but on the high side of ppms I would want my two week olds. It may result in a little nutrient burn as they establish themselves. It is what it is.
I think your plants will take off soon.
Thank you very much for that! Is it OK to transplant with it or should I look for something else? I don’t really know what to look for or how to ask for something discreetly if you know what I mean. Something good for tomatoes…or roses?
I am not a soil expert, but I think it would be okay. A recommendation may be to mix it with a little more perlite for good drainage. There are people on this site that have very specific formulas and mixes you can search on, if your into that.
The soil to totally avoid are the ones that have little time release capsules, like miracle-gro stuff has. So while your soil is hot, it isn’t time release and once the plants establish their roots and feed a bit, they will need nutes added. PPMs of the run-off will be that indicator.
%Poundcake…obvious you are not in the US. It would help us with possible suggestions to halp you, if you could tell which country you are in. There maybe others from your country that would have suggestions for your situation.
I am in US…just in a state not yet enlightened. 
Take heart many many other decent American citizens still hope to live in a Free State.
Much like the Free and Slave states of the 1840’s
Hard to believe you don’t have a Wal Mart close.
Ha, thanks. I have Walmart close I just had no idea it was the place to go. I bought my humidifier there and didn’t even think to check garden center. Making a trip tomorrow.
Wondering if adding salts to soft water is beneficial. I’ve homebrewed beer for years and have a bunch of salts like CaCl, CaSO4, MgSO4, etc.
My pic of Nutrient Burn
looks like just a bit of nutrient burn in the 2nd to last pic.
Tips turning yellow brown and the leaves are very dark green which is also a sign of over feeding.
Cut what your feeding in half and a little more water and your plants will be fine
If your local walmart has this stuff, it will be in the gardening center.
Name brand is…Alaskan. My local walmart is carrying: ph up/down, and two part nutes.
No idea how good the nutes are. The PH down is citric acid. Works great.
Additionally: Lowe’s and Wal Mart both carry a large ONLINE stock of grow supplies.