Classic case of calmag deficiency? (Pics)

hot cheetos

Active Member
Got some fresh spotting on the ends of my older leaves. The spottig is a brighter green than the leaf, not quite orange yet (if at all). New and younger growths also turning a brighter green. Some serrations turning rusty. Pics only include the spotting.
 

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coreywebster

Well-Known Member
Calcium def is normally on the newer growth, the top end of the plant. Because its immobile
Magnesium def is on older growth, lower on the plant. Because its mobile.

I don't think that is either. Some full plant pics will help anyone else diagnose.
 

Dr. Who

Well-Known Member
I take it you've been doing this for awhile?

Ask yourself "what changed" or "What's different" from your runs with out that problem...


Whats the water source?
What nutrients and how much per gallon?
Did you change the nutrient line used?
Do you use a Ca/Mg?
What one and how much per?
 

DonnyDee

Well-Known Member
I'm on my first grow but had something similar. Searched high and low for similar cases but couldn't find anything. Small dots on old growth. A huge increase of them, then they joined and started looking likes cracks. If iti is actually the same thing, I'm afriad I can't tell you what it is, but in my case, the issue was caused by the growing medium ph being incorrect. I corrected the ph with a good flush and halved my ppm for the first day or two and growth has returned completely to normal.

I, however, could say the next most likely cause in my case, is root issues. I noticed a lot of dead roots at the bottom of my rockwool blocks during this time - I attributed it to one day too many without water, so I'm also not certain about that.

Also, I could very well be wrong, as I don't have that much experience.
 

Johnei

Well-Known Member
I dont know what that is sry, but im just wondering what are those covers on the cubes you have there, very good stuff man. I used to run rxactly the same cubes on the flood table, i ended up improving the sytem by placing a 1/4" thick 4x4 coco mat down on the tabe for the cubes to sit on, and the fuckin roots grew almost 4feet across under there in that humid layer down there, increased my yeild and plant growth rates substantially. just so you know.

nice setup man!
 

hot cheetos

Active Member
I take it you've been doing this for awhile?

Ask yourself "what changed" or "What's different" from your runs with out that problem...


Whats the water source?
What nutrients and how much per gallon?
Did you change the nutrient line used?
Do you use a Ca/Mg?
What one and how much per?
Its actually only my second grow so I'm fairly new at this, though I've done a lot of theory and research. The water is RO and the temps were too high at around 78 degrees up until yesterday I picked up a chiller. I feed dyna gro protekt, foliage pro, and some botanicare calmag: 3ml, 6ml, 1ml per gallon at around 650ppm, 5.8-6.0ph.

My bottled nutes had been sitting for about 8 months and I wasn't sure if they had gone bad because I had a batch made for a week that had orange/brown earth/ocean-smelling stuff growing inside. Since calmag was orange I thought it was the culprit and I tried not to feed as much of the stuff until I picked up a new bottle. But now I'm pretty certain it was due to the water not being chilled.

The spotting has increased from last night when I posted the pics. I just fed them and bumped up the calmag to 3ml to see if it will help.

I'm on my first grow but had something similar. Searched high and low for similar cases but couldn't find anything. Small dots on old growth. A huge increase of them, then they joined and started looking likes cracks. If iti is actually the same thing, I'm afriad I can't tell you what it is, but in my case, the issue was caused by the growing medium ph being incorrect. I corrected the ph with a good flush and halved my ppm for the first day or two and growth has returned completely to normal.

I, however, could say the next most likely cause in my case, is root issues. I noticed a lot of dead roots at the bottom of my rockwool blocks during this time - I attributed it to one day too many without water, so I'm also not certain about that.

Also, I could very well be wrong, as I don't have that much experience.
All my roots on the bottom of the RW are also dead but isn't that normal? Don't they just die due to trying out/air prune? I haven't checked the PH runoff yet, I'll do that now and report back.
 

Johnei

Well-Known Member
I would just continue as you have making sure nutrients are always topped up fresh nothing missing completely balanced and pH 5.6 and should be fine. IT could be the beginning of some deficiency, but I can't really tell what.
 

Johnei

Well-Known Member
Lay a piece of black and white poly from the grow store on to pof the cubes sitting on top of them with cutss for plants to poke through, this will keep the roots from drying out and dying.
 

Johnei

Well-Known Member
pH in the tank after watering with pH5.6 solution should not be dropping lower than 5.6, if it is, then the nutrient solution is too strong and lower it until the pH after watering stays stable, or is ever so slightly rising as the water level is dropping. this is the sweet spot. the plants will tell you how much nutrients they want at any given stage. You plants are very dark green big fan leaves, be careful this next little while that you don't overfeed, I believe you're on the verge.
 

hot cheetos

Active Member
Checked for bugs...nothing. After increasing the calmag to 3ml per gallon, my PPM went up by 90 from 650 to 740 and the PH was 6.0 when I fed. The runoffs from this and some leftover from the previous feed from last night was 760-800ppm and 6.0 PH. The runoffs seem to be fine as far as i can tell??

I dont know whats going on but whatever it is, its progressing fast. I have twice as much spotting now than i did last night which was only 12 hours ago. And about double the amount of leaves are now turning a bright lime green orange, as if they are hungry or nitrogen deficiency.

Maybe i should feed more often? I'm feeding about 2-3 times during a 24 hour light cycle. Before this they were in my veg tent and being hand fed about once or twice and looked beautiful. But when i was hand feeding they were more thoroughly fed and the cubes stayed heavy for a week. With the drip set up and the floraflex caps (which SUCK by the way) they dont get as heavy because the water isnt as evenly distributed in the cubes. So i feed more often but maybe i should feed even more often. Maybe i jump back to hand water see what that does...idk.
 
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Johnei

Well-Known Member
Maybe, root damage/disease/rot and/or root aphids eating the roots?

SM90 bro

or hydroguard

or H2O2 to fizz any bad organic growth away and provide o2 as byproduct.

p.s. If you dont cover the table and keep a humid conditions down there, you have to adjust your watering schedule to make sure roots dont dry out and die back before each watering constantly happening. this attracts disease and bad shit on top of everything else wrong about it for plant growth.
 
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hot cheetos

Active Member
Higher ppm output than input = you are feeding too strong a nutrient solution.
But 650-750 cant be too high can it? I think its a bit higher than going in because the pump in the runoff doesn't get rid of all the water and theres some that stays in there. Water evaporates and the concentration of the PPM goes up.
 

Johnei

Well-Known Member
Anyway, your killing off fine root hairs constantly by letting the roots dry and is most likely your issues since you seem to have everything in check. Good Luck, I told you my suggestions of a few things you can do. Up to you now.

Good Growing.
 
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