2nd Hydro attempt not looking good...help!?

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Smokenpassout

Well-Known Member
So I decided to try two tomato plants before a go with MJ. Thank God I did... they look so sorry, after three weeks, I am not seeing that explosive hydro growth. I germiniated them in ph'd rockwool, and planted them into net pots. I have adjusted ph daily and kept light above them. I have started a weak nutrient solution of grow nutrients at 280ppm. Dont lnow if thats too weak but plants look very small for three weeks in, dont know if they can handle a higher ppm. I dont know what I am doing wrong. I change water every 5 days. I PH my water, then add nutrients, and re PH it. I keep water at 5-5-5.8. I am even keeping water temps low (was 79) with frozen 2 liter bottles. Plants look like they are at deaths door. See pics.
 

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Hot Diggity Sog

Hot Diggity Sog

Well-Known Member
Smokenpassout said:
So I decided to try two tomato plants before a go with MJ. Thank God I did... they look so sorry, after three weeks, I am not seeing that explosive hydro growth. I germiniated them in ph'd rockwool, and planted them into net pots. I have adjusted ph daily and kept light above them. I have started a weak nutrient solution of grow nutrients at 280ppm. Dont lnow if thats too weak but plants look very small for three weeks in, dont know if they can handle a higher ppm. I dont know what I am doing wrong. I change water every 5 days. I PH my water, then add nutrients, and re PH it. I keep water at 5-5-5.8. I am even keeping water temps low (was 79) with frozen 2 liter bottles. Plants look like they are at deaths door. See pics.
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Are you maybe burning them with too much light? Why don't you just start (or restart) with 2 MJ seeds. It sounds like your'e doing everything right.
 
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Smokenpassout

Well-Known Member
Well I have a 350 watt LED over them. Which may be overkill. But it is a good 24" up. I can switch to cfl's and get them close. My MJ beans cost too much to start before I get this hydro down. I can start some more tomatoes, theoretically it should work the same.
 
Hot Diggity Sog

Hot Diggity Sog

Well-Known Member
Smokenpassout said:
Well I have a 350 watt LED over them. Which may be overkill. But it is a good 24" up. I can switch to cfl's and get them close. My MJ beans cost too much to start before I get this hydro down. I can start some more tomatoes, theoretically it should work the same.
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24 inches seems reasonable. I don't know man...I've never seen anything like that before. I've grown quite a few veggies from seed and it is not uncommon to simply get fucked up plants. Maybe you just got 2 duds?
 
Hot Diggity Sog

Hot Diggity Sog

Well-Known Member
Ya know...I don't know what your budget is but surely you can afford to try your technique on the real thing, yes? Hell, place an order and take the bunk ass Auto freebies they give you and experiment with those. Testing new ideas on non MJ sounds good in theory but may not be in reality.
 
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Smokenpassout

Well-Known Member
High temps are a problem. My tent wont drop below 81 hence the 79 water temp. I think I will abort these plants. Perhaps over PHing water is the problem? My tap water comes out at 8.3 PH. I have been letting it sit 24 hours and PHing it down to 5.5 then I add nutrients and PH it again. Maybe too much PH solution is nuking them? Nutrients are low as mentioned, I am using that sensi grow ph perfect a/b grow in equal parts. The rockwool plugs I started them in were a little weird. Round with a split down the center like a collar. however seeds did sprout in them. I placed them closer to the bottom of the hydroton. Or rather filled netpot 1/4 up with pebbles, placed in rockwool, then filled in the rest.
 
Banana444

Banana444

Well-Known Member
Its def the temps thay are your biggest problem. For hydro, water temp should be 60 to 67. Your air temps are fine but you really need a chiller or something to cool that water. Frozen water bottles are more work than its worth and will be a losing battle the entire time. I heard an old school trick, if you have an external res, you can run a fan over the water. This will have a cooling effect up to 5 degree, kind of like how it always feels cooler on a lake than on land. I wouldnt recommend going forward with the mj until you get those water temps down. 80 degrees air temps will work, isnt a problem if you have good airflow.
 
firsttimeARE

firsttimeARE

Well-Known Member
Thats purpling under the leaves yeah?

Are the stem purple as well? Didnt look like it.

My tomato seedlings I started in soil for outdoors this year had purple under leaves and on the stem. Nutrients sorted it out.

Get those water and environment temps down. Shouldnt be too hard with LED
 
PDX_Green

PDX_Green

New Member
Banana444 said:
79??? Thats not cool!! Not even close. Also dont adjust your waters ph before adding nutrients. Add nutrient, then adjust ph.
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I have to totally agree nutes first then PH. Also make sure you are diluting your PH additive before adding to control bucket to avoid nutrient knock out. Even when I dilute mine as per the manufactures specification, I sometimes see slight clouding. Doesn't seem to do it when I use the PH down.
I make sure to add it very little at a time, letting it recirculate between dosing.
 
mista32

mista32

Well-Known Member
Nutes tomatoes might take Nutes different then mj temps i dont think so my tents get in the 80's as long as u got enzymes ur good sounds like u need to take the plunge u will never learn if u don't try
 
C

churchhaze

Well-Known Member
Smokenpassout said:
So I decided to try two tomato plants before a go with MJ. Thank God I did... they look so sorry, after three weeks, I am not seeing that explosive hydro growth. I germiniated them in ph'd rockwool, and planted them into net pots. I have adjusted ph daily and kept light above them. I have started a weak nutrient solution of grow nutrients at 280ppm. Dont lnow if thats too weak but plants look very small for three weeks in, dont know if they can handle a higher ppm. I dont know what I am doing wrong. I change water every 5 days. I PH my water, then add nutrients, and re PH it. I keep water at 5-5-5.8. I am even keeping water temps low (was 79) with frozen 2 liter bottles. Plants look like they are at deaths door. See pics.
Click to expand...
280ppm is too low. an EC of 1.2-1.4 is better for all stages of growth. Also, what type of nutrients are you using? Is it meant for hydroponics? (nitrate salts vs urea)
 
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