New grower - Are my plants O.K.? - need expert opinion please!

Hi,

I need help with 2 of my three plants. A little back drop.

  1. Growing in Fox Farms Ocean Forrest.

  2. Seeds, Humboldt – Notorious T.H.C.

  3. Using RO water that is always PH’d to 6.2-6.4

  4. Using a humidifier and ventilation. Temps are staying a pretty consistent 74-78 degrees. Humidity 55-70%

  5. Using Mars Reflector lights. 200 watt and 100 watt.

  6. 4in AC infinity fan, with an intake fan that comes through a homemade cooler with ice.

  7. Oscillating fan always on.

My grow journal so far:

Day 1, June 26th 10:00 a.m.:

· Placed 3 seeds on a damp full sized paper towel folded in 4.

· Cover with damp sheet folded in half.

· Place in plastic bag with the bottom corners cut.

· Put bag in between 2 paper plates.

· On top of router place an Xbox game case and put plates on top of that.

· Try to keep temperature at 80°F

· Check on seeds every twelve hours to check dampness.

Day 2, June 27th:

· Check dampness

· Sprayed a little water.

· No seed pop yet.

Day 3, June 28th:

· All 3 seeds popped.

· Filled 3 Solo cups with FFOF and 25% Perlite.

· Made 0.5” hole and placed the seeds root down.

· Covered seeds with soil.

· Using spray bottle spray each solo cut with about 10 -15 sprays.

· RO water measured 6.7ph. Forgot to PH before spraying.

· Cover with dome. Spray dome with water.

· Oscillating fan and humidifier are not turned on at this point.

· Mars 96 light is 24” above solo cup top.

· Start 18-6 light cycle. 9am -3pm lights off.

· AC infinity fan is set to kick on when temps reach 78°F. Fan speed set to 7.

Day 4 – 5, June 29th-30th:

· Keep dome and light 18-6

· No sprouts yet

Day 6, July 1st:

· Seeds starting to come up

· Keep dome on

· Lights 18-6

· Humidity at 80%.

· Temps 78 light, 74 dark.

Day 7, July 2nd:

· All have popped with the two leaves.

· Light water. You can tell it’s time to water by looking at top of soil. I have a separate solo cup as a control to check color of what the dry soil looks like

· Remove the dome

· Start the humidifier. Set humidifier to 75%. Humidifier helped cooling the tent

Day 8-15, July 3rd – July 10th

· Keep humidifier set to 65-70% humidity. When the lights are on the humidity stays around 65% and when it is dark it fluctuates 70-80%

· Water about every 1.5 days.

· Spray about 2 ounces per solo cup

· Keep Ph of water at 6.2

Day 16, July 11th

· Water a little in prep for transplant tomorrow

Day 17, July 12th

· Transplant into 1-gallon pots – Leaves were reaching to the edge of the solo cup. One plant had 4 node sights the other two had 3.

· Water until pots are full. Very little water came out of the bottom

· Ph of water 6.2

· Humidistat set to 65%. Lights on 63%, lights off 72%

· Turn on the second light

Day 18, July 13th-14th

· No water

· Temps are reaching 82 degrees in the tent with the second light on.

· Ordered an intake fan to help move some more air.

· Tried cooler method but the ice ran out very quickly.

Day 19, July 15th

· Water, A.M., until water starts to come out of the bottom.

· Ph 6.2

· Humidity is around 72% with the lights off and 63% with lights on. Humidistat set to 65%.

· Ramped up the fan speed to 10 from 8.

· One plant is stretching out horizontal and was a little droopy. Hoping it is just the increased temperature or transplant shock.

· One plant is starting on its 5th node. Other 2 are on 4.

· Will begin cooler method until new intake fan makes it on July 20th.

Day 20, July 16th

· Water in P.M., water starts to come out of bottom

Day 21, July 17, 2020

· Too much water. Need to give it 2 days at before watering again.

· Turned the fan to oscillate. Some of the leaves were turned sideways from the fan.

Day 23, July 18th

· Keep temps 74-78degrees.

· Humidity staying around 55-67%

Day 24, July 19th

· Water in the A.M. soil was dry on top. Mixed in 4mL of Cal-Mag per gallon of water. PPM 220 after adding Cal-Mag. Plants showing signs they are ready for water.

· Check in the afternoon and the plants perked up.

Pictures along the way!

P.S.

I have three plants you can see in the images. One is healthy. One is pretty healthy and is getting bushier. One is a little scraggly with leaves that are not super green.

Lights are kept at 18” from plant tops

1 Like

That’s what horribly over watered plants look like. You’ve been over watering since the beginning, really need to get into the idea of wet/dry cycles. Let soil dry out between waterings, all of the soil, not just the very top layer.

2 Likes

Ok thanks for the advice! I waited 2.5 days on the last water. I will push it longer this next watering.

I have the humidifier going and it stays about 55-67% on average. Would you lower this or is this ok?

Also, will they be able to bounce back if I get the wet/dry cycle down?

High humidity is not necessary, I grow under 40RH with no issues, anywhere from 40-60RH is fine really so you may not even need to run it. They can bounce back, just let them dry out between waterings and use the calmag every watering for a while. Pick up your pots to judge the weight, light pot = dry soil, heavy pot = wet soil, water weighs a lot more than than the soil and plant.

I’d let the pot get really light before watering again, a pot that size fully watered could easily take 4-5 days to really dry up. Let it dry, water fully, repeat as needed.

4 Likes

I would also raise the light up about 8” or more. Some of that is light burn as well.

4 Likes

Ok so here is an update. They have bounced back but I’m getting some yellow in the leaves.

I waited 5 days to water after they started looking a little droopy and the pot was light.

I also made sure I watered to runoff. Ph’d the water to 6.2. And suggestions now?

I would love to hear what you have to say on the updated photos I posted!

Just have to keep up the same routine, let them dry up and then water fully, keep at them with the calmag and some nutes so they don’t get too hungry, over watering tends to be really bring out the calmag issues. I’d consider a flush next time they dry up to do a ph reset, a few gallons set to 6.5 ph with full dose of calmag and 1/2 dose nutes in the last gallon.

If I’m using Fox Farms Ocean Forrest is it ok to flush at this stage since it will be flushing out all the microorganisms. If I do flush will I need to start adding nutrients now?

I will be using botanicare pure blend grow.

Continuing the discussion from New grower - Are my plants O.K.? - need expert opinion please!:

1 Like

In that case, I wouldn’t flush, just keep up calmag and ph everything going in to 6.5.

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I’m just not sure where the yellow is coming from.maybe because they were overwatered and it is pushing everything to the tips of the leaves now?

I always PH my water to 6.2-6.4

Over watering does strange things, usually drives ph down in the soil creating nutrient lockouts, in this case magnesium which is why your plants went yellow, lack of mag will do that. I’d bump up the ph to 6.5 as it’ll bring your ph back up a little quicker in the soil.

2 Likes

Continuing the discussion from New grower - Are my plants O.K.? - need expert opinion please!:

Sorry to blow you up! All signs definitely point to cal-mag deficiency. Yellowing leaves and red stems.

I just don’t know what to do. Would you go ahead and just flush the plants now to prevent any future harm or add the cal mag this feeding cycle and see how they respond.

If and when I do flush do I need to use nutrients every time I feed?

Then if it doesn’t help flush them next feeding?

I just don’t want to be too late in not flushing the plants.

The plants started sprouting up 4 weeks ago today.

Continuing the discussion from New grower - Are my plants O.K.? - need expert opinion please!:

So 2 days after watering with a full dose of cal mag. No significant improvement.

I’m thinking about flushing this next water in 2-3 days. What do you think about that? Should I wait until the soil is nice and dry or go ahead and flush them now?

I’m also looking at a product Real Growers Recharge since I’m using fox farms ocean Forrest and will be flushing everything out.

Game plan is I will flush until my TDS tester reads what I’m flushing with. Make sure water is PH’d to 6.5. Then I’ll water with Cal-Mag, half dose of nutrients and the Real Growers Recharge.

Sound like something you might try?