NEWBIE! Need some guidance

Thanks Dave - it arrives tomorrow so I’ll get it going and I’m sure I’ll have questions !

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It only seems like work because you’re learning and it’s not enjoyable at first unless you have a passion for such hobbies. In some cases it’s far more than a hobby but what you describe sounds like a hobby…to me you’ve already succeeded cause the plant is still alive…to me you came here asking questions in search of a way to make what you already have success in better…your hobby and passion will only grow better with the knowledge you gain….use the search bar and be specific with your searches and how your grow is going….limit your knowledge enhancement so you don’t become overwhelmed and you’ll soon find that everything you’ve already have done is getting better! Stick with it and welcome to the forum!

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Yes. I once too was gonna say screw this but i enjoy smoking. Once u get in a groove of doing it its like ur daily job becomes a habit to do certain stuff here and there. Ull find urself at the garden department way more in a month than u have been in ur lifetime lmao. It is super fun. May seem complicated at first but its really not. If u wanna start with nutes beside dte id say jacks 321. About 100 bucks or so for a good ph meter and tds meter bit more if u get the multi one but about 100 there. If u decide to wanna keep doin this for years to come about 75 bucks for a 25lb bag of pt a and 25lb bag of pt b. Epsom is at any cvs walmart meijers ect. But 25lbs of each will last u several years for a fee bucks. Other lines of nutes of 20 30 bucks a bottle and only last a grow.

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Mine looked about the same as yours, after researching this forum, I’m on a well, tested my pH and was way low, I used a little garden lime (bring pH up) mixed in when I watered them and they came right back… glad the girls let me know there was a problem with my water, all fixed now

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Oh and my vegetables and flowers are doing a lot better… Never knew how much pH affected plants and not to mention health.
Thank you forum

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first off, you guys are really great, and your help is very much appreciated.

So, I got a 5lb box of the 444 Mix. I simply pour it on the top of my soil, and proceed to water as I have been?

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There should be some directions with it or suggested feeding dosages

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Yes basically what u do but if ur in 5 gallon pots follow what it says i believe its like 1 tbsp per gallon spread on top rough it in with fingertips some then water with phd calmag water

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Thanks! Did it the other day. Bottom leaves of plant are all turning yellow since I put the 444 on the top of my existing soil.

Can u upload pics. 444 wont turn them yellow. If anything if too much was added it would start to burn the tips of the leaves. Sounds like its either starving for food and the 444 will take a bit to break down and start feeding. Might also be a calmag issue. Growing cannabis is not just throw a seed in the ground and hope for the beat. If u want a good smoke u have to do a little work with them. Same with a garden of veggies. They not just gonna grow. U have to feed them like kids or they will soon enough die off on u. Mary j needs alot of love but not in a hold u down type of way. Show her some love and she will reward u plenty. This is all 444 and r84 now in flower also adding some epsoms salt and molasses woth it. @GreenSnek please my friend u jave ran me thru the 444 trick. Can u help this fella get his plant back without all kinds of nutes. He wants as simple as possible. Dont believe he has meters or anything but any l ind of trick u know of. He fed 444 top feed a few days ago says yellow is worse. He hasnt fed them an anything but water that i know of. Any help @PurpNGold74 @yoshi

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I need more info ?


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Yellow leave at the bottom can go, they are just wasting resources at this point

Otherwise they look good from the bits that the camera caught

Get that one fly to shoo :wink:

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The flies are much more interested since I laid the 444 down!

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Ok lets take this back from the top. Welcome to the forum @MaxK great place to be.

First purchase I would have made were those meters. An Apera20 is about $45-$55 but pays for itself with ur first harvest. Ansolutely invaluable tool (as u will find out soon). The ppm meter is less… a worry? U can get a cheapo Vivosun TDS/ppm meter for 10-12 bucks. And itll last forever.

The reason being. The pH range for soil (ur in Happy Frog soil yes?) is 6.3-6.8. If ur solution or soil gets out of that range, certain nutrients will become locked out an unavailable to the plant. Very important to stay in that range or ull start to see deficiencies, like those two lower yellowing nodes of leaves.

Ppm is a measure of how many solids (mostly nutrients) is in your soil. Staying in proper range for stage of growth is imperative to keep them frowing optimally. Too little and u see deficiencies. Too much and u see toxicity. Both can effect yield and slow a plant to a crawl.

I see you went with the top dressing nutrient line. Nice selection. Problem is those were originally meant for in ground growing. The grkund is the ultimate pH buffer and widens the range by a good bit, since it offsets it and naturally grounds most around 6.8. Since ur in a pot, you dont have that luxury.

This is were the pH meter would be a godsend. U could test the runoff of ur water after pouring into the soil. It would tell you which way to adjust to correct your issues.

Another problem is tapwater. Human’s intake tap around 8-9. Most municipalities treat it to be around that range. So 9 outta 10 growers learn to pH their tap before pouring. (Also letting it sit for 24 hours evaps the chlorine from the tap, chlorine is a death sentence to any beneficial microbes in your soil. Those microbes help you with pH as well.A well bred, n well fed microbe herd (products like Recharge and Tribus) is my answer to pH period).

Nutrients tend to drop pH alone.

So think about it like this. U dry amended your pot, dropping ur soil’s pH to more like 5. Then added 8-9 pH tap water to that soil. More then likely you are completely outta range one way or the other for the plant to absorb what she needs. Thus the leaves are showing they arent happy.

Kind of avoided all this from the start by not adding anything to the soil. But as stated above, if u wanna grow semi decent bud, it was a bridge ud have to cross eventually.

Now to get back on track. Again I recommend u purchase some tools to keep you in the game. Anymore questions feel free to tag me like @ then purpngold74. @PurpNGold74 and Ill get the poke. Best of luck and happy growing.

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It takes a week for the dry amendments to start getting broken down and about 2.5 for it to be totally absorbed I’d say going into flowerr you should’ve added about 20 ish tablespoons worth

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@PurpNGold74
Incredible advice and well laid out for a newbie like myself. Still a bit lost I will say, and it sounds like I possibly should have trusted my gut and just continued on my path - but alas, this is a potential learning experience that will hopefully turn out for the best.

First order of business is to get this PPM Meter. Ordering Now (the cheapo one). Can I contact you after I’ve received to discuss how I proceed?

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Just so all knows i use 444 and 484 and have no issues so far besides one plant and i dont believe i added any to that plant at all just jacks tribus kelp humic and fulvic. I dont top feed alot when i do tho just a few sppons to make a mounded circle around the plant then roigh it in and water away with calmag water and some molasses as said before sometimes epsoms and not calmag. Im reading alot that epsom salt is super good for canna plants

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I’m thinking I may have way over fertilized. Leaves starting to get brown. Rookie mistake. What do I do?

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This. Beneficial microbes. Take this out the equation and trust me. The exchange of nutrient to plant would crawl. PH’n would be vital and even then, it would take a good deal while to break down into stuff the plant can absorb

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