Deficiency! Could I be doing better? Healthy looking plants

There's nothing wrong with having all three together, split them up now and watch the problems really start! Nothing wrong with your ppm at 900-1000, actually looks like they want more! You are growing in a soil bed and your talking Ph of 5.3-5.9...This is your whole problem!

You have locked out a number of elements and need to rebalance your medium, trying to solve the problems now are not a good idea, flush your medium until you have run-off at or about a Ph of 6.0-6.5. On the last flush use 1/2 strength nutes then let the bed dry out and your girls should start to look less stressed. Once they are looking happy again remove any damage and begin full feeding again.

Sir.Ganga said:

There's nothing wrong with having all three together, split them up now and watch the problems really start! Nothing wrong with your ppm at 900-1000, actually looks like they want more! You are growing in a soil bed and your talking Ph of 5.3-5.9...This is your whole problem!

You have locked out a number of elements and need to rebalance your medium, trying to solve the problems now are not a good idea, flush your medium until you have run-off at or about a Ph of 6.0-6.5. On the last flush use 1/2 strength nutes then let the bed dry out and your girls should start to look less stressed. Once they are looking happy again remove any damage and begin full feeding again.

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He's growing in Hydroponics. No soil bed.

learning05 said:

No worries but out of curiosity which indicas do you usually prefer to grow? Yeah it would be but I don't think you have to right? During my first grow two of them turned out being male and I just cut their stalks. I left their netpots/roots and just covered them with a piece of tin foil. The bundle was tangled with two of them being chopped down and the female still produced buds. Do you think that would hurt a female in anyway in DWC? It didn't seem to rot away. The roots turned a little browner but the female still survived.

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I usually go for the short flowering OG strains. I love a fuel tasting hit with a powerful high. Where I grew up that's what everyone smoked so its my favorite.
I figured you took the males out. Well if it doesn't hurt the female I guess no need to mess with it. Dead roots you would think breakdown and invite bacteria.

Rosemans Tutorial should be called "DWC for Dummies". I have read it twice.

PattyWagon said:

I usually go for the short flowering OG strains. I love a fuel tasting hit with a powerful high. Where I grew up that's what everyone smoked so its my favorite.
I figured you took the males out. Well if it doesn't hurt the female I guess no need to mess with it. Dead roots you would think breakdown and invite bacteria.

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Nice! I was interested in growing a OG as well. Lets see how this grow turns out then maybe I will consider ordering seeds from nirvana or some other seed bank. Yeah that is what I am worrying about but hopefully all goes well and I am able to harvest without issues. The FF nutes are causing some pretty big PH hikes in my res as compared to the SH nutes I started with. I have to keep a close eye on that. Also the FF micro nutes have a sandy/brownish tint to them and have seemed to turn my roots brown. Also noticed a minor dark/black spot on my roots so I am going to check for a light leak. HOPE its not root rot!

Sir.Ganga said:

There's nothing wrong with having all three together, split them up now and watch the problems really start! Nothing wrong with your ppm at 900-1000, actually looks like they want more! You are growing in a soil bed and your talking Ph of 5.3-5.9...This is your whole problem!

You have locked out a number of elements and need to rebalance your medium, trying to solve the problems now are not a good idea, flush your medium until you have run-off at or about a Ph of 6.0-6.5. On the last flush use 1/2 strength nutes then let the bed dry out and your girls should start to look less stressed. Once they are looking happy again remove any damage and begin full feeding again.

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Thanks for the input but I am doing a hydro dwc grow. I switched over to FF nutes yesterday will add a extra 2 tsp of their micro/grow tomorrow. What do you guys think about removing dead or dieing lower leaf growth? Should I just let them be?

Commander Strax said:

Rosemans Tutorial should be called "DWC for Dummies". I have read it twice.

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It should be. I favorited it. Will refer to it in as I go along and in the future!

Look up the attitude seed bank. Very safe and discreet. And ye remove bottom dead leaves. Also you can remove the very bottom shoots that aren't going to make it to the top of the canopy. If you do that the plant will put more energy into the top buds.

PattyWagon said:

He's growing in Hydroponics. No soil bed.

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Don't know how I missed that when its bein mentioned a few times now???

A Ph of 5.3 would still be at the top of my list as the caulprit.

PattyWagon said:

Look up the attitude seed bank. Very safe and discreet. And ye remove bottom dead leaves. Also you can remove the very bottom shoots that aren't going to make it to the top of the canopy. If you do that the plant will put more energy into the top buds.

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Thanks a lot. The prices are reasonable plus they offer bonus seeds for free! Really. So does one just cut the leave itself that is dead or the stem holding it as well? I am only gonna cut the ones that are clearly dead or more than 60% dead. Some of my bottom shoots have stretched towards the light and are now in level with the canopy. One plant has lower shoots that haven't stretched but I am able to reflect some light on them using mylar around my grow light. They seem healthy so I am afraid of stressing them by cutting it. Have you done that before- cut lower shoots to promote top growth? I would like to know more about that please.

Sir.Ganga said:

Don't know how I missed that when its bein mentioned a few times now???

A Ph of 5.3 would still be at the top of my list as the caulprit.

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Yeah from my research I have been reading about growers using many different ranges of ph in DWC. But I think the plants didn't like that low of a ph. I am trying to keep it at a 5.6-6.2 range now. I shoot for a 5.8 and adjust the ph only twice daily with at least 4 hours apart.

It's called "mainline" technique. Basically used to focus the flower development on the tops instead of lower growth that results in popcorn nugs. It's not required to get Grade A buds, but you get some seriously giant colas. I personally cut the bottom 1/4 of shoots after 3 weeks in flower(no more stretching). Less individual nuggets but more weight of the tops. So it compensates the lost vegetation and increasing airflow below the plant. A few growers in this forum like to do it so just search it.And yes, cut the entire dead leaf with the stem.

PattyWagon said:

It's called "mainline" technique. Basically used to focus the flower development on the tops instead of lower growth that results in popcorn nugs. It's not required to get Grade A buds, but you get some seriously giant colas. I personally cut the bottom 1/4 of shoots after 3 weeks in flower(no more stretching). Less individual nuggets but more weight of the tops. So it compensates the lost vegetation and increasing airflow below the plant. A few growers in this forum like to do it so just search it.And yes, cut the entire dead leaf with the stem.

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Thanks, I will look into that now. All three plants seem to be doing well after switching over to the FF nutes. I am trying to maintain the right nute/water ratio by monitoring the ppm and water levels. I also started misting the plants once a day from a distance with 1/4 of the SH grow and micro mixed with water- I ph-ed it to 5.7. Do you think that will be ok? One of my plants (tallest-biggest stalked one) has already shown its sex during veg and it is a FEMALE- I can see the white pistils!!! The other two have still yet to display any clear signs but I will keep monitoring them. I feel one of the other two may also be a female because the calyx looks like two hairs can grow out of it and has the upside down tear drop shape (still no pistils). In the next few days I am going to switch my bulbs and start the 12/12. It will be amazing if all three turn out being female

Foliar feeding may give them a boost since all three rootballs are competing for nutes. Just keep it highly diluted and watch for burns. May the Green Gods bless your garden with beautiful girls. Keep up the good work and dedication.

Thanks alot! I really appreciate your advice. I will post an updated pic of the grow soon

Update: I removed dead leaves at the very bottom of all three plants. I started flowering and switched 3 of 4 of my CFL bulbs over to red spectrum. Switched the timer to a 12/12 with the lights turning on at 12pm and off at 12 am. I followed Fox Farm's week 5 feeding schedule (Big Bloom-Big Grow-Tiger Bloom) at 3-1-1 and added (tsp/gal 6 gal of water) 18 tsp-6 tsp-6 tsp and it suggests to feed that dose twice a week with a ppm range of 1100-1300. So after changing the res, (and adding 18 tsp-6 tsp-6 tsp) I measured the ppm to be around 630 then adjusted the ph up from a 5.2 to a 5.8. All other conditions were good.

Feeding Question: Just to confirm-since the FF feeding schedule says feed twice a week then lists a target range of 1100-1300 and I have a ppm of 630 in my res, am I right in understanding that I must add the same dosage of 18 tsp-6 tsp-6 tsp on Wednesday so that it will bring the ppm up to >1000??

Note: I have to measure my plain tap-water ppm tomorrow. I forgot what is was and didn't check before adding the nutes.

Other Q's:

-Does anyone add anything to their solution besides base nutes while in flower? In your experience have you come across any affordable supps which help the plant thrive or increase potency/yield? Or for dwc are their any supps that can be purchase locally at a grocery store?

-Also thinking about running one of my smaller veg cfls along with the 85w 6500k one (at a distance to provide mixed lighting) for 2 veg cfls and 3 flower-red-spec-cfls (85w and two small 2700k). Any thoughts on that?

-Reading ROSEMAN'S Tutorial he separates his tangled root mass by 75% by cutting off the ball in which the roots have formed. It seemed to work for him. So I am wondering if I end up getting a male, should I cut out the root ball in order to prevent any root rot from the cut male?

Added the second serving of FF nutes at per my understanding of the feeding schedule. Hope its right...BUMP on any of the other questions.

JUST when I thought I handle on things...the plants are continuing to show deficiencies (at least I think so). I ordered botanicare cal mag plus tonight because there seems to visibly be a mg issue or a combo but epsom salt hasn't helped (I may have used too low of a dose i.e. 1 tsp for 6 gal). SO I will post pictures tomorrow hopefully someone can help!!

Please rollitup and fellow dwc growers, I really need some advice.

its 1 tsp per gal.

What is going on? The PPM are checked twice daily (I keep it at 1200 based off FF feeding chart) as well as the PH (I keep that at a 5.7-6.2 aiming for a 5.8 ). The leaves started browning at the tips. It began at the bottom then worked its way up. The edges of some leaves turned brown as well with a little bit of yellow on the sides. Some other leaves have a little grayish appearance. Some fan leaves have cupped upward and turned brown with dark green veins. Are they being over-feed or under-feed? My temperatures haven't gotten higher than 80 f and is usually at steady 77 degrees F. My humidity is around 40-50% now with a cool mist humidifier.

I haven't flushed as yet. What should I be doing? Even after looking at many diagnosis stickies I am still uncertain. It looks like a cal,mg, or P issue.

Today is day 4 of the 12/12 and flower phase. One is a female (my tallest plant) and the other two look promising. The yellow color on the top growth is from the 2700k CFL!! I tried to take pics with some of the lights off but they were tooo dark.

Here are pics: