I have been trying to figure out what these spots are that have been forming on the edges of my plants and i think i finally figured it out. My leafs look like the picture below, which i learned was a calcium deficiency. Whats the best way to add calcium to a DWC system? Whats the best overall way of treating a calcium deficiency? Im using a brand called advanced nutrients, there grow, micro, and bloom. Im using the amount that they tell me to on the bottle. Still I see these spots. Thanks
What's your pH? First line of attack with any nute problem is pH, because if pH is out of balance then the plant will have difficulty uptaking nutrients. So if pH is out of whack then adding more nutes will just burn the roots while the plant continues to have a nute deficiency.
My pH has been around 5.5 to 6, but the pH seems to rise everyday no matter what I do. I am always having to add acid. but Im trying to keep it at 5.8, I only have a color indicator pH testing thing so its hard to be right on. I plan on getting a better indicator when i can.
Definitely keep your pH below 6.0 at all times in hydro. But I don't know that this is your problem, calcium uptake is better with pH at the higher end of the acceptable hydro range. But I'm not even sure that calcium def is what you have. Potassium deficiency can look virtually the same -- and the challenge is that potassium and calcium can overload each other (too much of one causes a deficiency in the other), so careful about adding a calcium boost. The pic you posted -- you said that your plant looks like this picture, so I presume from your wording that this is not a picture of your actual plant/problem? We need to start with that.
I'd look into cal-mag plus from Botanicare if you're sure you have a calcium deficiency. As Toastybiz said it may not even be related to calcium. When I had a cal deficiency before it showed as small rust spots on the leaves, although from the pic it appears to be working in from the edges of the leaf. I'm no expert, but those are my thoughts.