Plants not responding to treatment. Deficiencies worsening over time. Mephisto & Humboldt Freebie Run

I

insangu

Member
Hey y'all, so my girls are presenting with heavy deficiencies despite the adjustments I've made to their diet. Seems like no matter what I try, they don't want to respond. Since this run is almost over, I'm hoping for feedback I can use on my next grow. Thanks ahead of time

I have four girls altogether: (2) (3 Bears OG X Mango Smile) from Mephisto Genetics and (2) (Lemon Gelato Sour Apple Auto ) from Humboldt seed company. All four were freebies.

Light & Tent
  • Fixture: Mars Hydro TSW2000 (300W)
  • Light Schedule: 20/4
  • Light Intensity
    • 25% - sprout to seedling
    • 40% - seedling to veg
    • 50% - veg to preflower
    • 75% - preflower to mid-flower
    • 85% - mid-flower (now)
  • Height From Tops: 18"
  • Tent: AC Infinity 3x3
  • Ventilation: AC Infinity 4" Inline

Medium
  • Coco/Perlite (70/30) - 40%
  • Compost - 50%
  • EWC - 10%
  • Container: 3 gallon Fabric

Nutrients & Supplements
  • Dr. Earth 4-6-3 (Veg)
  • Dr. Earth 3-9-4 (Bloom)
  • EWC
  • Garden Lime
  • RAW: Aminos
  • RAW: Potassium Sulfate
  • LABS
  • KELP

Feeding Schedule
Stage​
Veg:Bloom Ratio​
Effective NPK​
TBSP/GAL​
Feed Rate (weeks)​
Veg​
50:50​
3.50 - 7.50 - 3.50​
2​
4​
Pre-flower​
25:75​
3.25 - 8.25 - 3.75​
2​
3​
Pre-flower​
25:75​
3.25 - 8.25 - 3.75​
2​
2​
Flower​
10:90​
3.10 - 8.70 - 3.90​
1​
1​
* When deficiencies started to present earlier than expected, I started decreasing the time between feedings.


Watering
  • Blumats Tropf
  • Reservoir: 5 gallons suspended 36"
  • Top water 2x a week
  • Water PH:* 6.2 - 6.8
    • Runoff PH: Last Checked: 6.1-6.5
Supplementation
  • RAW Aminos at the minimum dosage during late veg & early flower
  • RAW Potassium Sulfate at half of the maximum dosage during mid-late flower
  • Labs at 2.5-5 ml/gal every other top water
  • 1 tbsp/gal Lime with every feeding
 

Attachments

Last edited:
D

DanKiller

Well-Known Member
If you had so much compost and ewc in your soil mix, why you add so much nutes aswell ?
I think it's best to just let them finish now
It's too late to do anything,
Just keep watering them until the end.
Next time use less compost, if you plan to use nutes aswell, put more coco, some peat (you must have peat when mixing coco and organics)
And ewc and compost in small measure
If you plan on not giving so much nutes, raise the compost/ewc ratio some more but again not a lot as you can always topdress in the future.
 
I

insangu

Member
coreywebster said:
Just ride it out.

Then assess your grow.
Then decided if you want to grow coco or living soil and learn all you can and stick to one or the other.
Click to expand...
For sure. When I started, I wanted to go organic, but experience is showing me that for these smaller container sizes, it's a lot trickier to manage than I expected and maybe more so than just going the hydro route.
 
I

insangu

Member
DanKiller said:
If you had so much compost and ewc in your soil mix, why you add so much nutes aswell ?
I think it's best to just let them finish now
It's too late to do anything,
Just keep watering them until the end.
Next time use less compost, if you plan to use nutes aswell, put more coco, some peat (you must have peat when mixing coco and organics)
And ewc and compost in small measure
If you plan on not giving so much nutes, raise the compost/ewc ratio some more but again not a lot as you can always topdress in the future.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the advice. Yeah, they were showing signs of being hungry way earlier than expected, hence why I was feeding them.
 
I

insangu

Member
Bud man 43 said:
Go soil with compost or a straight coco/ perlite mix- which I HIGHLY recommend- it is easier as the plants only get what you give them with coco.
Click to expand...
I think that's the way to go going forward. I don't like the plants stressing out the way they are; I want 'em to be healthy and vibrant..
 
I

insangu

Member
amneziaHaze said:
after the problem or before the problem?
and how long does lime need to start working?
whats the ph of lime?
Click to expand...
Consistent application was started after the problem started. The lime I use is pelletized and dissolves easily in water, so I would say it works relatively quickly. As for the pH of the lime, I'm not sure, which is why I included the run off pH.
 
amneziaHaze

amneziaHaze

Well-Known Member
what kind of lime is it?there is some that's only calcium...

but that's the only idea i have.
if it was that, the leafs will never get better but should stop spreading now. but usually it starts really slow
did you let the problem for a long time?
it usually starts at the bottom

allsoo it says dolomite is not a fast acting and not soiluble in water meaning your soil bacteria needs to convert it to get it to the plant.
it looked like a great idea for hydro ph+ (dolomite ph is 7)

here is a great site for next time. it has most usual problems and shit tone of photos for each
www.growweedeasy.com

How to fix Cannabis Calcium Deficiency (Ca) Pics & Symptoms

Calcium deficiencies cause tiny brown spots that appear on new and middle growth. Learn how to fix this problem for good!
www.growweedeasy.com www.growweedeasy.com
www.growweedeasy.com

How to fix Cannabis Magnesium Deficiency (Mg) Pics & Symptoms

Does your cannabis plant have yellowing lower leaves between the veins? See pictures of a magnesium deficiency and learn the easy solution.
www.growweedeasy.com www.growweedeasy.com
 
Last edited:
L

Lou66

Well-Known Member
amneziaHaze said:
what kind of lime is it?there is some that's only calcium...

but that's the only idea i have.
if it was that, the leafs will never get better but should stop spreading now. but usually it starts really slow
did you let the problem for a long time?
it usually starts at the bottom

allsoo it says dolomite is not a fast acting and not soiluble in water meaning your soil bacteria needs to convert it to get it to the plant.
it looked like a great idea for hydro ph+ (dolomite ph is 7)

here is a great site for next time. it has most usual problems and shit tone of photos for each
www.growweedeasy.com

How to fix Cannabis Calcium Deficiency (Ca) Pics & Symptoms

Calcium deficiencies cause tiny brown spots that appear on new and middle growth. Learn how to fix this problem for good!
www.growweedeasy.com www.growweedeasy.com
www.growweedeasy.com

How to fix Cannabis Magnesium Deficiency (Mg) Pics & Symptoms

Does your cannabis plant have yellowing lower leaves between the veins? See pictures of a magnesium deficiency and learn the easy solution.
www.growweedeasy.com www.growweedeasy.com
Click to expand...
Pure calcium would mean metallic calcium. That would be completely irrelevant to a plant. Not useable but also not harmful.

Calcium sources in horticulture are all salts. They don't need to be converted by microbes to become active, just need to dissolve. Calcium nitrate and calcium sulfate (gypsum) dissolve readily and are immediatly available. Calcium carbonate (lime) and dolomite (calcium magnesium carbonate) take longer to dissolve and raise pH which can cause other problems. Other calcium sources like eggshells should be avoided. They will not be available for months.

But calcium uptake is complex. If too much is added to the rootzone it blocks its own uptake, leading to deficiency. Transpiration (VPD and airflow) also has a big role in how much is taken up. Overabundance of other cations (mainly K and Mg) blocks Ca uptake. pH is always important.


Given the pictures it might just be fading? It's difficult to say that late what was going on the past months. They don't look too bad over all. "Organic" growing is really difficult and if everything else is artificial and optimized for maximum productivity then I don't see the point. Drain to waste with salts in coco is the easiest/most reliable way to grow.
 
D

DanKiller

Well-Known Member
Yep either you go coco perlite and salt nutes or coco peat ewc/compost and topdress or salt nutes aswell.
Both of them will work perfectly.
In the first you have to do all the work but you will be rewarded in consistent and robust results and the 2nd is more care free approach with minimal input from you as it goes along.
 
I

insangu

Member
Lou66 said:
Pure calcium would mean metallic calcium. That would be completely irrelevant to a plant. Not useable but also not harmful.

Calcium sources in horticulture are all salts. They don't need to be converted by microbes to become active, just need to dissolve. Calcium nitrate and calcium sulfate (gypsum) dissolve readily and are immediatly available. Calcium carbonate (lime) and dolomite (calcium magnesium carbonate) take longer to dissolve and raise pH which can cause other problems. Other calcium sources like eggshells should be avoided. They will not be available for months.

But calcium uptake is complex. If too much is added to the rootzone it blocks its own uptake, leading to deficiency. Transpiration (VPD and airflow) also has a big role in how much is taken up. Overabundance of other cations (mainly K and Mg) blocks Ca uptake. pH is always important.


Given the pictures it might just be fading? It's difficult to say that late what was going on the past months. They don't look too bad over all. "Organic" growing is really difficult and if everything else is artificial and optimized for maximum productivity then I don't see the point. Drain to waste with salts in coco is the easiest/most reliable way to grow.
Click to expand...
That's great information. Thanks for sharing that. Next time it's hydro and if I ever decided to go back to soil, it'll be when I have the space to accommodate a container big enough to go the living soil route.
 
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