Hey guys, quick rundown: Using FoxFarms Ocean Forest with Perlite added. I just recently transplanted her into a 5gal Smart Pot 3 days ago. I just recently started FoxFarm Grow Big (couple days before the transplant I think). The first feeding may have been a bit much (about half the strength) but she seemed to LOVE it. I diluted it down for her feeding this morning (last water was just plain water). I LSTed her the day after I transplanted her. She is about 30 days old today. So far she's only had 2 feedings of Grow Big at half strength or less (ish) and pH'd (water/nutes was 6.5 and runoff was pH 7). 1) The leaves that were a bit yellow are worse today (I did give her more nutes this morning, is this nute burn?) - the tips are curled and brown and some have some brown spots. They are mostly lower leaves. 2) Not sure if this is a problem or just how she's growing but, a couple of the big leaves are trying to flip the other way after this LST, like now a couple of them are pointed straight down, as if they are trying to flip the complete opposite way. What's up with that? Here you can see the worst of the yellowing/browning/curling Here you can see the leaf trying to flip the other way But the tops are all looking pretty healthy. Maybe not as perked up as I'd like to see. Perhaps it's still just recovering from the transplant and LST? Also has a slight yellowing to the new growth, but the new growth has seemed to be like that the entire grow so far. Any thoughts would be great. I don't like seeing her like this D: Any ideas? Maybe I should hold back on the Grow Big until she seems to have recovered fully form the transplant and LST? I know it's not horrible, but I do not want this getting any worse!
How often do you water and what is the temperature at canopy level? You have two, likely separate problems there; the drooping and the dying leaves.
Canopy level temp is usually about 80F, highest is about 85 (lowest maybe 73) but never for long. As for watering, it's usually a couple days between waterings, the soil is always bone dry when I water, however when I watered this morning it may have been very slightly damp, but not really much. Mainly because I just transplanted, perhaps I should have waited..
Plants really only droop all over like that when they're either overwatered, the roots are sufficating or if it's hot, usually with a humid heat. When you say the temps are "about" 80 or 85, I have to worry that it's higher and you just don't know for sure. From the sound of how quickly the soil is drying, I'd say heat is the #1 possibility. The dying leaves look like they need Phosphorus and Nitrogen, but getting the drooping fixed is more important.
When testing pH via runoff, you want to wet the substrate well with pure, pH 7 water and let the liquid sit there for at least an hour. If you test water that runs out the bottom the same time that you pour it in, it hasn't had time for its pH to equalize with that of the substrate. Test the water you use first to be sure it's exactly pH 7. Wide spectrum pH drops are cheap and work well for this procedure.
I say about 80 because lately the temps fluctuate, it's been pretty hot here during the day but cool at night. I check the temps pretty religiously and have a decent thermometer set up right above the canopy, it doesn't go above 85 and is generally about 80. And before the soil dried out quickly because it was in a much smaller pot, I just transplanted her a couple days ago to the 5 gallon smart pot.. I probably should have waited to water her last time. Maybe im going about the pH wrong because I aimed for 6.5 and for the runoff to be 7, should the water just simply be 7? It just seems like these problems are new since I transplanted and LSTed her and I just started the nutes so I figured it was a burn. I know she hasn't been overwatered, although maybe this last watering she was, which would explain the droopiness, so I guess my main concern is the dying leaves. I'm positive my temps aren't too high, though. I'm definitely going to try and get my pH situated first and foremost.. She won't be fed nutes until 2 waters from now so I guess play that by ear. Seems strange it would be a deficiency, though, especially from starting that grow big, but I dont really know. She was loving life until very recently, the only things that changed were the nutes, transplant and lst :/ Thanks though I'm definitely gonna look into those things
And one quick note, before the nutes the water was an even 7pH so maybe that is the issue afterall? This started around the time I started the nutes at 6.5
You can use 6.5 water and you'll still have a better reading of soil pH when letting it sit in the soil for 1+ hrs than by reading it when you water. Using pure H2O will yield the most accurate reading but the exact pH number isn't necessary; just the direction it changes the water's pH. That said, the pH was a secondary thing I wanted to mention but isn't the cause of your main problems. While it can cause lower leaf damage as well, pH problems always show up in new growth. One possibility that's occurred to me is that they were becoming root bound before transplanting and haven't recovered yet. It may not be the most likely diagnosis but it's definately a maybe. *Heat drooping is usually the worst at the top, near the lights. Overwatering drooping is the worst near the bottom, as yours appear to be. You should really try letting at least a single test plant dry out completely before watering. Remove it from its pot occasionally to check how dry the soil is. When it's dry all the way to the bottom, give it a good, properly pH'd watering. Keep a close eye on the plant during this whole test procedure and take note of how it responds to the drying, as well as the watering afterward. edit: If the test plant takes a turn for the worse while the soil is drying when the others who got more water stay the same, give it water immediately.
Yeah I think the most likely case is over overwatering then, it just seemed to happen so fast, like after two waterings. I only have one plant by the way, you can check out my grow journal in my sig if you're interested. Thanks dude
Hmm.. I think things are looking a little better today. A lot of the new growth is perking up, but still the leaves under the canopy aren't looking so hot. I actually pulled 2 of the really bad ones out (they just popped right off) I'm kind of thinking that the yellow/brown is a slight nute burn and the droopiness was from that one preemptive watering. Not sure if I should continue giving her nutes or hold off for a bit. The next watering will be distilled water, so I guess I'll just play it by ear and see how she is next week or so (whenever her water after next will be) Anyway, here is the top canopy: And the full plant (taken with a different camera, which explains the color difference) I think it looks a lot better than yesterday, it's just mainly those trouble leaves under the canopy..
Things are looking much better Although, check out under the canopy, pretty positive those leaves are all going to fall off at this point. They are mostly the ones not getting light, I'm hoping that's all it is. Either way, the canopy looks nice I think she'll be ok. Definitely gonna be more careful with my pH as well, but I don't think that was the immediate cause.. Maybe overwatering and too high of a nute dose? Thanks for the help!
I am anxious to see how this turns out. My plants are smaller but same story. Post transplant several days into new soul that contained nutes and water with nutes = too much nutes. At first they loved it, took off then bam YELLOW and it's spreading! So now just water no nutes!
Yeah, I almost think it was a combo of all that stuff, the one slight overwatering, slightly too much nutes, those leaves not getting the light they need, the transplant and LST back to back, it was a bit much I think. It looks like she's recovering, though! Good luck with your girls, too
hey man, head over to walmart and pick up a digital thermometer for like $10. it will give you current temp/rh as well as the high's and lows...makes it really easy to keep track of your temps