Flowering stage: lower new growth almost completely white!

[ThePundertaker]

I'm about 4 weeks into flowering my Northern Lights in RDWC (connected 5 gallon buckets)

Take a look at the pictures: the bud sites and leaves on the top half of the plant (the older, more grown out stuff) is all healthy and green.

But all the new growth tips and bud sites that shot out during the flowering stretch are almost entirely white in color!

I'm using the FloraGrow trio, along with some CalMag, ProTekt, Great White, and Liquid Koolbloom.

Currently PPM is 600-650. PPM tends to rise as water level drops (I add plain water to balance). I'm thinking I should water down a bit more.

This is also coming after a flush (full drain of res) due to experiencing severe pH downswings during the early flowering transition - I'm talking about pH dropping a full point per day for days on end, despite regular additions of pH Up an ProTekt.

ANYWHO - can anyone tell me why the new lower growth is so white?

 

[ThePundertaker]

81 views and no comments? Bumpity boo.

 

[Coloradoclear]

That is a pretty large swing in PH in one day. Is the PH swing occurring right after you add your nutrient solution? When is the last time you calibrated your ppm meter? Are you letting your nutrient solution sit for an hour and then retesting it(ppm & pH) before adding to your reservoir?

 

[Rider509]

How can anyone diagnose your problem when your pics are under HPS?

That being said, you're starving your plant right when she needs the most food. During early flower you should be feeding her at max without inducing nute burn. Get your nutrient levels up and your pH will even out.

 

[ThePundertaker]

Thanks for the responses guys. I will take pictures without the HPS and update accordingly.

That is a pretty large swing in PH in one day. Is the PH swing occurring right after you add your nutrient solution? When is the last time you calibrated your ppm meter? Are you letting your nutrient solution sit for an hour and then retesting it(ppm & pH) before adding to your reservoir?

I recently calibrated both the PPM meter and the pH meter with store bought solutions, since the swings were so big I was suspicious. The swings would happen overnight - at first I would try adding pHed water (like ph 9) to raise the overall pH of the reservoir to 5.8 (sometimes as high as 6.5), but by the next day it would be below 5 again. I began wondering if the Great White bennies were breaking down the ingredients in the GH pH up or Protekt I was adding, but I don't know the chemistry. This was around when the bleached lower growth showed up. Since I flushed the res and refilled the pH has been stable though!

How can anyone diagnose your problem when your pics are under HPS?

That being said, you're starving your plant right when she needs the most food. During early flower you should be feeding her at max without inducing nute burn. Get your nutrient levels up and your pH will even out.

I've upped the ppm from 600 to 700. The tips of the top leaves were actually starting to burn a bit in the 600 range, so I was dropping the ppm before, and the bleaching happened. Now that I've upped the ppm I'm concerned that the burn is growing worse again, but I'm not certain yet.. watching carefully!

 

[racerboy71]

Thanks for the responses guys. I will take pictures without the HPS and update accordingly.



I recently calibrated both the PPM meter and the pH meter with store bought solutions, since the swings were so big I was suspicious. The swings would happen overnight - at first I would try adding pHed water (like ph 9) to raise the overall pH of the reservoir to 5.8 (sometimes as high as 6.5), but by the next day it would be below 5 again. I began wondering if the Great White bennies were breaking down the ingredients in the GH pH up or Protekt I was adding, but I don't know the chemistry. This was around when the bleached lower growth showed up. Since I flushed the res and refilled the pH has been stable though!




I've upped the ppm from 600 to 700. The tips of the top leaves were actually starting to burn a bit in the 600 range, so I was dropping the ppm before, and the bleaching happened. Now that I've upped the ppm I'm concerned that the burn is growing worse again, but I'm not certain yet.. watching carefully!

i don't think it's bleaching.. looking at the pix, it looks like a lot of the growth in the lower 1/3rd of so of the plant is where it's effected the most.. if it was bleaching, it'd be the top of the plant, the part that is closest to the lights that was getting bleached, not the bottom third or so of the plants..

 

[Coloradoclear]

Sometimes I think we over complicate growing in water by adding to many additional products. Once everything goes back to the basics the problems seem to magically disappear. I regrow lettuce just for fun. It grows like crazy with a little advanced sensi grow lol

 

[chemphlegm]

cut that lower shit off, no time for it to finish anyways, its dark down there, always splashed with shit too, lollipop her already, on to the next ball of fire, dont look back FTW!

 

[NaturalFarmer]

Is all your new growth effected? Top and bottom? Does it start at the base of the leaf and move to the tip? If so I would say you are lacking sulfur.