Help identifying Nute Def. or Nute Burn on new grow

Discussion in 'Sick Plants and Problems' started by IcculusTheProphet, Nov 20, 2014.

  1. Hello everyone!  Long time lurker, first time poster.  This is my first LEGITIMATE grow, so please bear with me.  I know a good amount on the subject in theory, but am just putting it into practice for the first time.
     
    Everything was going fine, up until 3 or 4 days ago after I gave the plants nutes for the first time.  I originally thought it was nute burn, but from looking through lots of pictures and guides, I have a feeling it is calcium or potash. def.  Read more below and you will see why I think that, along with pictures!!
     
    What type of medium; soil or hydro? Soil
    What brand and type of soil? Fox Farms Ocean Forest
    Indoors or outdoors? Indoors
    What strain? Nirvana Bubbleicious (feminized)
    How old are the plants? 3 weeks since sprouted
    What type of lights and how many watts? 1000w HPS (air-cooled, currently with MH conversion bulb for veg)
    How far from the lights? At least 24"  Probably more.
    What is your watering frequency and source of water?  Approx every 2-3 days, but really I don't water until the soil is mostly all dried out.  Source is well water, I can provide all PPM, etc. from before we installed a acid-neutralizer system.  Hardness was 83ppm, so should be around 100 maybe a little more with the neutralizer.  pH is just below 7, probably 6.8-6.9
    What, how much and when was it fed? NPK? Fox Farms (big bloom and grow big right now) 6tsp Fox Farms Big Bloom + 2 tsp Grow Big (as per their feeding schedule) per gallon. I have only fed once so far, 3 days ago. Fox Farms recommends using Big Bloom even during Seedling stage but I decided not too). Fed with just water this morning.
     
    Big Bloom NPK is .01-.3-.7, Grow Big is 6-4-4
     
    What is the medium/runoff pH and PPM if in hydro? NA
    What are the temps and humidity in the room? 72-77, low when lights are off is 61-65.  RH for the first few weeks was around 40%, now I have dialed it in to 48-52%.
    What size pots? Started in 12oz Solo Cups, transplanted a week ago into 1 gallon.  Will transplant once more into 3 gallon Smart Pots.
    Any bugs? Look real close. No
    Any other pertinent info? I originally thought this was nute burn, but after some research I decided it was probably Calcium def or potash def.  It looks very similar to a Calcium def, and here is the main reason why I think it is that.
     
    When I originally germinated the seeds, I didn't have pH tested of any kind, so for the first two weeks of growth I just used distilled water because I knew the pH would be neutral.  Stupidly, I was only worrying about pH, completely forgetting that distilled water has no Calcium or Magnesium in it and I should of been adding Cal-Mag if using distilled water.  I just only in the last week, maybe less started giving it my well water..which has an almost perfect pH and from the tests we had done in 2005, a proper amount of minerals, no chlorine or bacteria, etc.  Since it is around pH of 7, I think I am going to start pH downing it to around 6.5, since my soil is testing around 6.8-6.9 (where iron and a few other nutes have more trouble being used).
     
    P1010175.JPG
    P1010173.JPG
    P1010177.JPG
    P1010178.JPG
    P1010181.JPG

     
  2. I have this same problem with yellow tiny spots on my seedling that's 13 days old bro I think it's cal/mag deficiency not sure though would love to get a cure to this


    Sent from my iPhone using Grasscity Forum
     
  3. Hope this helps
     

    Attached Files:

  4. Since u have well water im assuming u have a softner are u using well water before or after the softner?
     
  5. Sounds like you're not measureing pH just using some old data for the well.  pH of distilled water isn't neutral it is actually about 6.2 or less! because of dissolved carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.  Minerals and other things dissolved in tap or well water create a buffer which usually restores it to around pH7
     
    If they're in good quality soil, believe it or not there are nutrients in soil, it seems a bit soon for cal/mag even if you've been using distiled water, and i presume the FF nutes do have some micronutrients?
     
    Could just be a little burn from the soil on these leaves, there's a small burnt tip on a newer leaf.  Different strains tolerate/need different amount of nutes so maybe full strength is a little too strong.
     
    My advice is to wait a little longer.  You could do more damage trying to fix something that isn't actually a problem, than the damage done by waiting for something a little more conclusive to know what's right to do.  Bear in mind this damage will not heal, it will always look like that, but you're watching for it to get worse or spread.
     
    Also, do not measure pH and stare at those charts and try to make everything optimal.  Soil grows are fairly forgiving, and as long as they don't get too low (usually because of over-watering, over feeding, and/or being root bound in the pot) it's usually fine.  You can do a lot of damage constantly trying to correct your pH because you see a fleck on a leaf.  It is useful to check your water and your runoff to see what's happening, but it can be maddening to try to make it 'right'.
     
  6.  
    Thanks for the info although the pH of distilled water is not 6.2...Also I do measure the pH of the water, I guess how I wrote it didn't make that clear.  Like I said it is 6.8 or 6.9, I'm not using a meter, just a basic test kit so it is only so accurate.  I was mainly just mentioning the test because before we got a neutralizer, our water was slightly soft.  Since the neutralizer raises hardness, I estimate it to be a proper amount now.  My soil pH is less than 7, it was hard to tell on the two soil test kits I used but it looked to be around 6.8-6.9...since Fox Farms OF is pH'd to 6.8, that is right on the money..but slightly lower wouldn't hurt.
     
    I know soil is forgiving but I just wanted to make sure it wasn't anything I needed to correct that would turn into a more serious problem later.  I also wasn't really considering a pH problem, just if it was a Cal-Mag def or some other nute def/burn.  I just included all that to be thorough in the questions I filled out and so that every poster knew my pH wasn't a problem prior so they could properly diagnose the issue.
     
     
    dodgeram08:
    I take the water after it is treated but I don't have a water softener, our water is actually slightly soft straight from the well.  But like I said above we have an acid-neutralizer system that treats our low pH.  As a result, the water I use has a pH of 7 or just under, and the hardness is about 100ppm.
     
    Thanks for the replies everyone, sorry if I forgot some info.  The plants have been looking good since, growing bigger and bushier and the problem has basically been confined to a couple leaves one two or three plants.  Just feeding with water right now, when they are thirsty I will feed them with plain water once more, and then start back up with the FF Big Bloom (micronutes) and half strength FF Grow Big on the following watering.  I'll see how they respond from their. 
     
  7. #7 SlightlyStonedSD, Nov 22, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 22, 2014
    I think you used too many nutes. you should start with 1/4 or 1/6 fox farm's recommended strength and work your way up, feeding every other watering usually.

    also you need a ph pen, ph up & ph down. distilled water usually needs to be adjusted for me, especially after mixing in nutes it changes your ph. aim for 6.5 in soil.

    I would use pH'd water only for a couple waterings before adding more nutes.

    they really don't look bad. don't over think it and make it worse, they can recover themselves.
     
  8.  
    Cool, I thought it sounded like the only actual readings you had were an old test when the well was dug, but if you have up-to-date readings even with a test kit that is good.  Sounds like everything is fairly okay in that respect though.  In my experience soil/runoff pH only tends to go down anyway so it sounds like what you're using just about right.
     
  9. i wouldn't worry about that one bit.. the new growth on your plant looks great.
    always judge by your newest growth and not the oldest bottom leaves that end up dying off at some point anyway,.
     

Share This Page