Help, I'm fairly certain that my plants are in nutrient lockup from a high pH. My caretaker was watering with well water that ranged from pH 7.4 to 7.8. They didn't seem to mind as they exploded in growth after their transplant but now 2 months later they are showing definite signs of micronutrient lockout, stunted growth, leaf spots, curled leaves, distorted leaves, and the lower leaves are yellowing, light green, or brown. How do i lower my soil pH from 7.9 to 7.0? Yesterday I watered each plant with 5 gallons of 6.3 pH water with superthrive (using pH down). I'm thinking I should let them fully dry out before I flush them again with 7.0 pH water tomorrow. I'm also going to try and find some coffee grounds to spread on the topsoil. In the mean time I'm foliar feeding with FF big bloom and tiger bloom. Any tips on how to save my plants before they dive off the deep end? Is there any chance that watering with the lower pH will actually solve my problem? The plants are in 45 gallon air pots, in a custom 420 blend soil. The plants most effected are the three purple OG's. I have been watering after the soil dries out with the general feeding recommendations of FF Grow Big and Big Bloom. Unfortunately their weakness from the lockout brought on a thrip infestation but have treated with spinosad yesterday.
Hey man, do you have purple stems going to leaves? I have alot of the same things going on. I was thinking mine was along the lines of sulfer? But I bought a good ph meter today and mine is low {5.3} so Im going to balance ph to a mid 6, and start back with the FF trio. Lets keep in touch, let me know what ya figure out. Good luck.
Well it is completely normal for a few leaves to yellow after flowering has begun, but the pic on the bottom left of the leaf in your hand, my plant are doing the same thing, that is blight, i cant remember which one but it is a fungal infection, I sprayed mine wiht a baking soda water solution (1 tbsp/1 gallon) and it seems to have stopped the spread of the spots, it is really easy to mistake it for a nutrient deficieny but its not, go buy a phtest kit with the little capsules, the are very cheap and test your soil about 6 inches down, it it is indeed too high, then you need some soil acidifier like sulphur to lower it, put cedar chips on the top of the soil will lower it a little
flush man...2xpot size in gallons of flush solution. put humic acid in the final couple gallons with 1/8 strength base nutes and ph it @ 6.0
its not about burn...it's about nutrient availability as it is relative to ph. the longer the ph stays out of range for important micronitrient absorption, the longer the plant will take to begin recovery. if your soil is full of garbage and your ph is way out of range., i say flush, flush, flush
Krupted, yes a lot of the yellowing dying leaves have purple stems. I'm hoping the spots aren't blight and are just spots from pH fluctuation. Since this post I've spread coffee grounds and have gotten my runoff water down to 7.1. There was no way I was going to flush with 90 gallons of water to each plant that is just crazy talk. I believe the 2x soil flush that Cervantes speaks of is in regards to nutrient lockup from toxic salt buildup, not a hydrogen ion imbalance.
damn... tested the run off after another good watering with 6.5 ph water and now the plant in the plastic pot is giving run off of 7.4.... going to try dolomite lime on that plant to see if it will stabilize everything at 7.0 ph although its basic.
definatelt try to get the powdered lime not the pelletized or if you get the pellets smash em to dust then topdress, then water
