No clue what to do - support ticket

[Keetz]

Support ticket

Strain; Black eyed Katy.

Soil In 5 gallon fabric pots - fox farm ocean forest.

System Type? N/A

Ph Of Runoff - 5.65 (smaller plant) & 5.72. Watered with 6.97 and 6.54 respectively.

What Is Strength Of Nutrient Mix? .5 tsp cal/mag per gallon.

Indoor - 4x4x8 tent.

Light System - HLD 300L & HLG 260 - dimmed 40% and 24” above canopy.

Temps; Day, 77-80 Night 73-75.

Humidity; Day 44-50%, Night 44-50%.

Ventilation System; 770 cfm (installing tmrw) current 350 cfm.

Ac, Humidifier, De-humidifier - AC from room.

Co2; No.

Veg cycle - seeds sprouted May 30th.

18/6 light cycle.

My first grow.

Smaller plant topped 2 weeks ago, larger on topped 2 days ago. Trimmed up both 3 weeks ago and larger one a second time 2 days ago. Had to trim off some fan leaves that were in bad shape, so the small one only has a pair of fan leaves.

Off and on sagging leaves, curling/clawing, cal/mag deficiency, now a bit of yellowing on new growth area at the top - treating and treated with off and in direct leaf watering and in latest regular watering today. Using cal/mag at half strength.

Nothing seems to be quite working. Initially watered with too low pH, been fighting to get it up since. Had an overwatering problem with the smaller one, now I wait till it is bone dry, and leaves still don’t recover, just sag a bit less. Any help greatly appreciated!! First set of pics is the smaller one - 4 pics, rest are larger lady.

[RoDeezyDoe]

Has it been growing since May 30th with out any other nutes than cal mag?

If you just topped the plant they do go through some recover time.

[KeystoneCops]

@RoDeezyDoe

Has it been growing since May 30th with out any other nutes than cal mag?

It’s in soil.

@Keetz can we touch on the pH some more? It sounds like your medium is highly acidic. You said you watered with too low a pH initially, but I don’t believe that explains the current results. What was the pH of the water going in earlier?

[Myfriendis410]

@KeystoneCops

don’t believe that explains the current results

We’ve had several complaints about low PH in OF. You can’t really bump it using water: it’s like pushing a rock with a feather. The proper way would be to top-dress soil layer with dolomitic lime.

You are experiencing a classic Mg deficiency which a full dose of cal mag should rectify. If you jump on it those leaves may recover but look to new growth for signs of improvement.

As to ‘guarding’; dosing soil layer with Mykos to help soil biome might do the trick.

[Keetz]

@RoDeezyDoe I used 1 dose of ff Grow Big in the first watering after transplant, since then nothing - learned OF is “hot” soil. The smaller perked back up after topping but then sagged back down a few days later.

@KeystoneCops a the pH going in was 6.87 in smaller and 6.54 for the larger one - was trying to find a correlation. The initial pH of the first water was around 5 - didn’t know that when I did it, tested the same brand water when I got my apeara ph60 meter. I figured if I watered with high pH it would go up! But it keeps around 5.6 now…

@Myfriendis410 damn - thought I’d selected the perfect soil! Bag is gone so won’t be using that again - do you have any suggestions for a better soil? Can’t find happy frog anywhere but amazon for $50…

I’ll def get some dolomitic lime tomorrow and keep using the cal/mag direct on leaves at lights out. Want to keep as many of the big leaves as possible, looking rough tho. Sounds like it’s Back to the Home Depot…

Beginner question, what do you mean by guarding?

[Keetz]

@RoDeezyDoe @Myfriendis410 @KeystoneCops

Thanks for your help by the way!

[Lynyrdsky]

I ordered Happy Frog from Target for 44 bucks free shipping for the big bag. Check there.

[Myfriendis410]

@Keetz

direct on leaves

Water it in instead of foliar feeding.

@Keetz

what do you mean by guarding?

Plants adopt a ‘posture’ ahead of lights out and before lights on; it looks similar to root damage. The plant pulls in on itself like overlapping shields.

[Keetz]

@Myfriendis410 gotcha - I’ll give them a couple days to not overwater again! Don’t wanna repeat that issue…

[BetrayedSoul]

You mention a brand of water .

Are you using store bought water ? If so what brand ?

[Keetz]

@Myfriendis410 on the myko - there are a ton of options, do you recommend a brand?

[Keetz]

@BetrayedSoul The low low pH was Walmart spring water… availability of bottled water was an issue at the time… this time I sat 2 gallons of water out for 36 hours then tested pH after adding cal/mag. Using white vinegar to slightly lower the pH.

[BetrayedSoul]

Ok, so for future reference spring water is ph buffered ,always best to buy distilled as it’s not buffered usually.

Can sit water out 24hr is enough or if you have an air pump and air stone you can bubble the water for 30min per 5gal pail to dissipate the chlorine. Makes for faster work.

Wish you the best getting the ph on track. I cant help anymore as I am hydro and haven’t a clue in soil. Just noticed water and figured I would chime in on that.

[Keetz]

@BetrayedSoul Thank you! I appreciate the thoughts and advice, would never thought of a bubbler. Beginning to wonder if hydro is easier to maintain…? See a lot of systems that aren’t too expensive.

[BetrayedSoul]

LoL

Hydro is expensively easy to maintain. The upgrades are so much fun hahaha. I can tag you into my current grow if you would like to see all the fun.

And the low cost systems are what get ya hooked.

[BetrayedSoul]

On another note I just have to add nutrients which takes 15min and that’s all the work, unless the power goes out. Then it can be a lost crop

[Keetz]

Nice, yea, please share the link- I’m learning as much as I can about any options! I was worried that was the case, the cheaper lights and tents had me going till I did some actual research- the cheap price is what turned my head and hooked me - I have, of course, spent 3 times what I was initially estimating… my power does go out occasionally- bad thunderstorms. But def lemme know about the link!

[Keetz]

Anyone have any ideas, newer growth seems to be turning yellow!! Added Dolomites lime and given them a full dose of cal/mag - seemed to show immediate improvement, but problem seems to persist… any thoughts?

@Myfriendis410 @KeystoneCops @RoDeezyDoe @BetrayedSoul @Hellraiser

Thanks again everyone - tough to fight back from the pH, I completely a knowledge I may just be impatient…

[Hellraiser]

Still showing calmag issues and will for a while, something you can do to help with that is foliar feed some calmag as well at 3ml/gal with light off til dry.

[KeystoneCops]

A good introductory avenue is ProMix HP. You can treat it with a hydroponic regime, but water it with soil regularity. And if you move toward DWC later, your EC meter and nutrients can carry over (usually) @Keetz .