Plant issue - help!

[carsunltd32]

I am currently growing in FFOF soil and 3 gallon smart pots. These plants sprouted August 6th. I water using deionized water.

1mL of Tribus Original
5mL of cal-mag
3 tsp of Fox Farm Big Bloom
1/2 tsp Fox Farm Grow Big

So I started to up the nutes and checked the ph with all of them added. The nutes made the ph go a lot lower so I compinsated with baking soda (I read that is ok if used in a pinch). I tested with the liquid tester (not the best I have ordered a ph pen). Long story short I think the tester was way off so it seemed like I got nute lockout and plants started to really look like crap. Branches started to sag and everything seemed to go down hill fast. I flushed all of them with fresh water then gave them light nutes like I did before the issues. This happened 2 days ago.

1 day after that the plants came back and started to look much better and almost back to normal. Tonight I’m looking at them again and they don’t look so hot. Pics attached.

Any thoughts?

 

[Blitz35]

I am currently growing in FFOF soil and 3 gallon smart pots. These plants sprouted August 6th. I water using deionized water.

1mL of Tribus Original
5mL of cal-mag
3 tsp of Fox Farm Big Bloom
1/2 tsp Fox Farm Grow Big

So I started to up the nutes and checked the ph with all of them added. The nutes made the ph go a lot lower so I compinsated with baking soda (I read that is ok if used in a pinch). I tested with the liquid tester (not the best I have ordered a ph pen). Long story short I think the tester was way off so it seemed like I got nute lockout and plants started to really look like crap. Branches started to sag and everything seemed to go down hill fast. I flushed all of them with fresh water then gave them light nutes like I did before the issues. This happened 2 days ago.

1 day after that the plants came back and started to look much better and almost back to normal. Tonight I’m looking at them again and they don’t look so hot. Pics attached.

Any thoughts?

Over-watered for sure. Also, why are all your leaves soaked? That's also not a good approach, especially when under the lights!
Im not sure how much those nutes could have lowered your ph that you needed to add baking soda, your ph of waterings in ffof should be in low 6's. You're better off using silica as your source of ph up than baking soda, as the latter contains sodium, which competes with other cations like cal, mag, and especially potassium, in your medium.
The drooping i see is from too much watering.

 

[carsunltd32]

Over-watered for sure. Also, why are all your leaves soaked? That's also not a good approach, especially when under the lights!
Im not sure how much those nutes could have lowered your ph that you needed to add baking soda, your ph of waterings in ffof should be in low 6's. You're better off using silica as your source of ph up than baking soda, as the latter contains sodium, which competes with other cations like cal, mag, and especially potassium, in your medium.
The drooping i see is from too much watering.

I attached a pic from yesterday and everything looked like it was back on track. I foliar fed them with some cal-mag just before the lights went off.

 

[jtrizzy]

Chill on the watering and feeding. Let them dry out a little. Too much too fast is worse than letting the soil dry out a bit.

 

[turbobuzz]

They look good now, but agree I think they were to wet.

 

[jtrizzy]

I find that too much light and too much water have the same symptoms as well.

 

[carsunltd32]

Quick update. I really don’t know what’s wrong with them. Just looked at them and this is how they are looking. Soil seems pretty dry to be honest

 

[carsunltd32]

I find that too much light and too much water have the same symptoms as well.

I actually just raised the lights a few days ago

 

[jtrizzy]

I actually just raised the lights a few days ago

You can see the "speed bump" effect and the sharp edges on the leaves which indicate over watering. I know the soil may feel dry but the soil around and intertwined with the roots may be very wet still causing low gas exchange, low gas exchange means the plant wont take up much water any longer. I have had this happen numerous times in past grows, I am one to really suck at watering, I always tend to over water, but this grow I am being stubborn and only giving it what it needs not drenching the whole pot until the plant is big enough to actually utilize the water.

 

[carsunltd32]

You can see the "speed bump" effect and the sharp edges on the leaves which indicate over watering. I know the soil may feel dry but the soil around and intertwined with the roots may be very wet still causing low gas exchange, low gas exchange means the plant wont take up much water any longer. I have had this happen numerous times in past grows, I am one to really suck at watering, I always tend to over water, but this grow I am being stubborn and only giving it what it needs not drenching the whole pot until the plant is big enough to actually utilize the water.

So you still think this is overwatering? I did just do a flush a few days ago because of a screw up. What about the one in the individual pic?

Sorry for all the questions it’s just sad to see

 

[jtrizzy]

So you still think this is overwatering? I did just do a flush a few days ago because of a screw up. What about the one in the individual pic?

Sorry for all the questions it’s just sad to see

Yes I still do think it is over watering. You can see how puffy they are what i refer to as "speed bumps". Usually if its too much light and you raise it up within 24hrs the plants come back and stop curling down to catch some more light, thats been my experience anyway. If you raised it and saw no change, than I would have to make a educated guess at over watering. If it isnt too late swap them out in some bigger pots with fresh soil and let them dry out. I have had success numerous times with that. That was years ago, I just started growing again recently..

 

[carsunltd32]

Yes I still do think it is over watering. You can see how puffy they are what i refer to as "speed bumps". Usually if its too much light and you raise it up within 24hrs the plants come back and stop curling down to catch some more light, thats been my experience anyway. If you raised it and saw no change, than I would have to make a educated guess at over watering. If it isnt too late swap them out in some bigger pots with fresh soil and let them dry out. I have had success numerous times with that. That was years ago, I just started growing again recently..

One other question. Is this coloring an indication of anything?

 

[onegreenthumb]

One other question. Is this coloring an indication of anything?

looks to me like the ph is off that is why the stems are so purple my guess is acidic
my stems will start to get purple streaks of ph stays below 5.8 for to long

 

[jtrizzy]

One other question. Is this coloring an indication of anything?

Yellowing between veins on lower leaves is usually mag deficiency which is what they look like. Lowers have it.

 

[carsunltd32]

Yes I still do think it is over watering. You can see how puffy they are what i refer to as "speed bumps". Usually if its too much light and you raise it up within 24hrs the plants come back and stop curling down to catch some more light, thats been my experience anyway. If you raised it and saw no change, than I would have to make a educated guess at over watering. If it isnt too late swap them out in some bigger pots with fresh soil and let them dry out. I have had success numerous times with that. That was years ago, I just started growing again recently..

Here is today’s train wreck...

 

[carsunltd32]

looks to me like the ph is off that is why the stems are so purple my guess is acidic
my stems will start to get purple streaks of ph stays below 5.8 for to long

I just got my new ph pen in the mail. I tested the plain water ph, ph with cal-mag, then added big bloom 3tsp and tested then grow big at 1/4 strength and then at 1/2 strength. The range was between 7.0-6.0 between all of the tests without having to ph up or down. The growing medium is FFOF so I don’t think the ph is off and the soil should have a good amount of nutes since it was just transplanted from a 1 gallon to a 3 gallon

 

[Blitz35]

I just got my new ph pen in the mail. I tested the plain water ph, ph with cal-mag, then added big bloom 3tsp and tested then grow big at 1/4 strength and then at 1/2 strength. The range was between 7.0-6.0 between all of the tests without having to ph up or down. The growing medium is FFOF so I don’t think the ph is off and the soil should have a good amount of nutes since it was just transplanted from a 1 gallon to a 3 gallon

Your issue is most likely not nute related. Also, keep in mind, that getting the ph of deionized water with these probes, is highly inaccurate! Also, depending on how long that water is left out, it will absorb co2 quite fast and drop the ph of the water. I think your issue has to do with the roots, too much waterings and flushings have suffocated the root zone, or spraying of leaves, especially at lights out, is causing humidity to be too high.

 

[carsunltd32]

Your issue is most likely not nute related. Also, keep in mind, that getting the ph of deionized water with these probes, is highly inaccurate! Also, depending on how long that water is left out, it will absorb co2 quite fast and drop the ph of the water. I think your issue has to do with the roots, too much waterings and flushings have suffocated the root zone, or spraying of leaves, especially at lights out, is causing humidity to be too high.

After checking the ph of everything today I’ve realized my previous method of checking ph was way off and I wouldn’t be surprised if the watering before the flush was 7.5.

I have left them alone the past few days. No watering and no foliar feeding. The pots seem to be very light today

 

[carsunltd32]

Your issue is most likely not nute related. Also, keep in mind, that getting the ph of deionized water with these probes, is highly inaccurate! Also, depending on how long that water is left out, it will absorb co2 quite fast and drop the ph of the water. I think your issue has to do with the roots, too much waterings and flushings have suffocated the root zone, or spraying of leaves, especially at lights out, is causing humidity to be too high.

I was thinking of ditching the deionized water for tap water. I looked up the stats of my tap water and the water here is around 15ppm and ph is 7 which I also tested today with my new ph pen and it came out to 7

 

[Dr. Who]

STOP the de-ionized water use!

RO is ok but, as a rule of thumb...RO water is given a shot of Cal/Mag to buffer the water......

What is your tap water ppk?

General rule of thumb is anything 150 ppm or less is good to go. Many use their tap water and it's best to bubble the chlorine out...you WANT that dissolved o2 IN the water. Letting it set, lowers the amounts of dissolved o2.

Anyway, de-ionized is contributing to pH fluctuations that are part of your trouble....

Your low Mg is most likely from pH nute blocking......Your adding more is a big clue to that also

Over watering is part of the issue also...let them dry out between watering's more. I water a metered amount, everyday, right at lights on and that carries it perfectly to the next day same time...
To me, that's NOT more work.....

Once the roots set, say 8 days.. Water with 2 cups of solution daily....increase as needed to carry the plant over 24 hrs.