I started noticing yellow spots on some of the fan leaves a couple of days ago. The affected leaves started dying and I snipped them off with sterilized trimming shears. Indoor CFL, mixed spectrum. 2 - 20 watt cool spectrum and 2 - 20 watt warm spectrum FFOF soil with additional perlite Three weeks into veg R/O water - about five to six days between watering No additional nutrients yet This is my third time growing this strain and I don't remember the lower leaves spotting like that this early. I did some high stress training by gently pinching and bending the main branch close to the soil, which is the one thing I hadn't done before. Aside from that, I've done everything the same. This is a clone from the previous one. The last pic is the plant after I snipped the leaves off. From the looks of those leaves I snipped, I'm fearing an infestation. Don't see any critters with my naked eye though. Hopefully one of you guys have seen this before, and it's nothing.
Ph run off? Check underside of leaves. Look for dark specs. Get jeweled loop or pocket microscope if needed.
Hard to say.... If its a calcium deficiency, new leaves will appear small and distorted with curled tips. If its a manganese deficiency, yellow spots form on top leaves, while the lower older leaves will or may have gray specks and or spots. Leaves may also shred and kinda fall apart real easy. If its a boron deficiency you should get abnormal or thick tips on new growth I notice a canoeing of the leaf edge,Is that heat stress? If not, look for shortening of internodes, blistering, shriveling and curling of leaves, and leaf discoloration of course, could be Broad mites.
It is a little heat stressed. My first two grows with this strain showed the same signs. I stayed on top of it though, and it never got worse than what you see in the pic. I live in the desert, so it's plenty hot and dry out here. I just adjusted the lights and the fans on this one after I took those pics, so I think she'll be okay in that respect. As far as deficiencies go, I'm using the same soil, same water and the same watering cycle as the previous two during veg. I cloned this one from my last grow, popped the plug into FFOF soil in a small cup after it was rooted and let it go for two weeks before I transplanted it into a bigger pot with more FFOF. Just plain R/O water after that when the soil dries out. 'Bout every 5-6 days. I plan to add nutes in a couple of weeks. From what I've read, the soil I'm using is top of the line and doesn't need anything for the first few weeks. Haven't noticed any of the other symptoms you listed aside from the mild heat stress and the obvious yellow spots, which really makes me think it could be an infestation. Like I said, I don't see any critters with my naked eye though, and I scrutinized the shit out of it. I'm in the process of moving my grow. I have one flowering now in a different location and left my loupe there. I'll grab it, get a closer look tomorrow and report back. *cross fingers*
Normally around 6.5 or so. It does vary, but never above 7 and never below 6. *Edit: Right now it's 6.8. No dark specs with the naked eye. I'm gonna get my loupe tomorrow for a closer look.
I'd take some tap water.... throw in some soil or other decomposed organic material and shake it up real good this breaks chloramides up.... let it sit for a day or 2.so the chlorine and ammonia can dissipate and off gas, and water with that once or twice for trace minerals which R/O water is completely lacking. To go the extra step, squeeze 1/2 lemon per gallon into the water and place in direct sunlight for at least an hour. A 5 gallon bucket is good, as the rays of sunlight can directly penetrate the water. Recharges the mineral content of the water. Any weird minor nutrient deficiency should be cleared up.
I love this solution. Cheap and easy. I do have cal mag also... should I be adding that right off the bat with the soil I'm using?
Ph run off is too high. Drop it down to 5.8. That will prolly clear up your problem. If not then at least that issue will be taken care of.
This is where it gets confusing. There's a sticky in this very forum that states: "When growing Marijuana in soil, the soil and water supply should stay within the range of 6.5 to 7.0, while in hydroponics the nutrient solution should stay within the range of 5.5 and 6.0." Click Yet you tell me to drop my ph to hydro levels...?
Yea, that seems like its for going in. I'm talking about run off. What comes out the bottom after feeding/ watering.
It also seems like it's what you want coming out. I ran a Google search, and with one or two exceptions the advice is pretty unanimous. You want your runoff to be somewhere in the mid 6's. Click I'm still new enough to not know from experience, so I don't know for sure which way to go when I get conflicting advice. I'm learning as I go and I'm leaning toward the majority on this one, though I do appreciate your feedback. I'll keep digging around on ph levels for soil grows.
Thanks for coming back and clarifying that. Much appreciated. I'm beginning to rule out critters, too. I did get my jeweler's loupe yesterday and inspected the rest of the plant. I don't see any movement, webbing, black specs or eggs. There are two more leaves that show some of that spotting on the very tip. Like the three I already snipped off, they're older, larger leaves. They've been that way for a couple of days and it hasn't spread or gotten any worse. New growth looks normal and healthy. I'm gonna keep a close eye on her. On a side note, I went to a new collective yesterday to look at clones and got a White Widow for free. Free because it looked rough. All of their clones looked rough, so I talked him into it by telling him if I can nurse her back, I'd give him some healthier clones from it along with some Silvers. I think she's over watered, but I have her quarantined just in case. What do you guys think?
You need to get those girls out of those cups into bigger containers, the roots don't appreciate the light, and you need to foliage spray with 50% nutes of low value NPK. until noticeable improvement, won't hurt to spray them several times a day.
I only have one in a plastic cup. My Silver is in a clay pot. Aside from the spotting, she's looking pretty good. I included a couple pics. I just got the last one given to me yesterday and have no history on it other than it's a White Widow, and it came in that cup. It was free, so I figured what the hell? I'll see what I can do. The soil was really wet and I was afraid to transplant with her looking the way she does. I could set that cup inside another cup to block out the light until the soil dries out a little more, or do you recommend transplanting immediately?
That would be a good idea, then transplant as soon as you can or it might get worse... I think plants in cups (even clones) use up the nutrients in the soil very quickly unless it's a larger pot.
I'll do that. As soon as the soil dries out, hopefully in a day or two, I'll get her in a clay pot with some FFOF, give her some tlc and cross my fingers. Thanks man.
Just a quick update. I did set the Widow inside a coffee cup, then wrapped an old tube sock around the rim to block the light out. The soil dried out and she seems to be perking up, so I put her in a clay pot today. As far as the Silver Haze in my op, I trimmed the tips off a couple more shade leaves that were starting to show some of those spots and I don't see any new ones. Now... I just remembered when I took one of my lights down above it, some drywall dust did get on the plant. Would that have caused those spots? I was starting to freak out because every day they looked like they were spreading, but only on a few leaves. Either way the spotting does appear to have stopped. The rest of the plant looks pretty good, if a little heat stressed.