ffof too much N?

skippy1

Well-Known Member
Afghan skunk
1 wk into flower
7 wks from seed
No nutes for wks
Ffof soil
600 hps 20 inches away
76f 65rh during light and 68f at night
Watered Monday with 6.3ph water no nutes
Soil runoff was 6.8

I transplanted about 3 wks ago from a ffof/happy frog mix to straight up ffof.
I have a claw issue going on, not sure if the ocean forest is just too high in N or what. A few lower leaves clawed last week, but never turned more brown. The tips are a little brown, but it's been doing that since I went straight ocean forest. Could too much negative air pressure in my tent do this too? I rotate plants every few days and been watering like every 5 days, besides this they are looking amazing for my first indoor grow. I am not too worried, but figured I'd ask professionals anyway.
 

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MichiganMedGrower

Well-Known Member
She looks dry and hungry to me. I would start with some light fertilizing.

Also I find it necessary to add about 25% large perlite to ocean forest for drainage. It compacts easily and is kind of dense out of the bag.
 

Hessam

Well-Known Member
Claws could be a result of your soil getting too dry. Remember that when soil gets too dry, EC goes up and your plants start to look burned.

How much do you water every time?
 

skippy1

Well-Known Member
She looks dry and hungry to me. I would start with some light fertilizing.

Also I find it necessary to add about 25% large perlite to ocean forest for drainage. It compacts easily and is kind of dense out of the bag.
I will definitely put perlite in next time, thank you. I just watered monday, and the pots are still heavy.
 

skippy1

Well-Known Member
Claws could be a result of your soil getting too dry. Remember that when soil gets too dry, EC goes up and your plants start to look burned.

How much do you water every time?
Once a week until water comes out the bottom, like 6 full solo cups. Maybe water every 4 days and use 1/4 nutes like Michigan said would help? I was very worried about over watering...
 

MichiganMedGrower

Well-Known Member
When a patient donated dollars for my flowers I became a professional by definition.

I think experienced knowledgeable growers would have been a better label though.
 

MichiganMedGrower

Well-Known Member
Just wait until the top inch of your soil feels completely dry to the touch, then water until you get %15 - %20 runoff. Don't feed!

I actually wait until they are dry 3/4 the way down the pot. One or two inches down dry in the dirt the roots can still be very wet.

I like to say when we lift or tip the pot it should be "alarmingly" light.

Even then my plants don't wilt except for a minor lower leaf droop.
 

skippy1

Well-Known Member
I actually wait until they are dry 3/4 the way down the pot. One or two inches down dry in the dirt the roots can still be very wet.

I like to say when we lift or tip the pot it should be "alarmingly" light.

Even then my plants don't wilt except for a minor lower leaf droop.
This is exactly how I've been doing it. The other 4 plants are fine, but this one droops bad for like 6 hours after I water and claws afterwards. That's why I was questioning the soil, but ffof isn't time release.
 

MichiganMedGrower

Well-Known Member
This is exactly how I've been doing it. The other 4 plants are fine, but this one droops bad for like 6 hours after I water and claws afterwards. That's why I was questioning the soil, but ffof isn't time release.
When I transplant into my final 3 gallon pot I veg about 1 more week to establish more roots then go to 12/12.

All plants are out of nutrients from the soil in 2-3 weeks from transplant. I usually start a light nute after week 2 in the pot.

Even the website says to fertilize within 2-3 weeks.

Also see if fans may be blowing too directly. That makes them curl down tips too.

But mostly the lower puffy fan leaves with dark turned down tips means they need potassium. Or just general fertilizer.

The nitrogen claw will show very dark green leaves and a sharp 90degree bent down at the tip.
 

Hessam

Well-Known Member
I actually wait until they are dry 3/4 the way down the pot. One or two inches down dry in the dirt the roots can still be very wet.
You don't have to have dry roots to prevent overwatering. You just need to provide enough oxygen for uptake. When the top inch of your soil feels completely dry to the touch, it means that your roots have complete access to oxygen and that's ENOUGH. In aeroponics, roots are completely wet all the time, but they thrive like crazy. Because they also have access to oxygen. So "dry roots" is not the point. Too much dry soil can cause damage to root hairs and even result in salt buildup.
 

MichiganMedGrower

Well-Known Member
You don't have to have dry roots to prevent overwatering. You just need to provide enough oxygen for uptake. When the top inch of your soil feels completely dry to the touch, it means that your roots have complete access to oxygen and that's ENOUGH. In aeroponics, roots are completely wet all the time, but they thrive like crazy. Because they also have access to oxygen. So "dry roots" is not the point. Too much dry soil can cause damage to root hairs and even result in salt buildup.

If we are talking potting mix then I will disagree. You can water earlier than I am but following the advice I just gave which I got from a life long successful breeder has more than doubled my yield in the same pots and increased potency quite a bit.

Just like not ph'ing my well water stopped all my burning and yellowing despite growers insisting otherwise. Turns out any Greenhouse guide will explain about alkalinity and ph.

You can also only give the amount of water they need for the day to accomplish this but without runoff I would not want to use fertilizer.

There is cation exchange inthe soil to be considered and in hydro the plants take up nutrients direct.

We are feeding and watering the soil. Not the plant.

All I did was wait one more day to water and immediately noticed how happy the plants were that dry day. I was worried but no plants showed any stress. The opposite happened. More growth more vigor.
 

Hessam

Well-Known Member
There is cation exchange inthe soil to be considered
What it has to do with overwatering? You said roots are still wet, and I responded that it doesn't matter, as long as you provide enough oxygen for the roots.

You can't deny that when soil gets bone dry, it results in salt buildup and it can damage your root hairs and even kill beneficial microorganisms in entire medium. It's a scientific fact.

When the soil is dry all the way down the pot, it means that top %50 of your soil is bone dry and your top roots didn't have any access to water for at least 24 hours. You think they are happy that way?!
 

MichiganMedGrower

Well-Known Member
What it has to do with overwatering? You said roots are still wet, and I responded that it doesn't matter, as long as you provide enough oxygen for the roots.

You can't deny that when soil gets bone dry, it results in salt buildup and it can damage your root hairs and even kill beneficial microorganisms in entire medium. It's a scientific fact.

When the soil is dry all the way down the pot, it means that top %50 of your soil is bone dry and your top roots didn't have any access to water for at least 24 hours. You think they are happy that way?!
Over watering messes up the nutrient exchange in potting mix.

it takes even more days without water for my soil to get bone dry after what I suggested.

I tested many times and still do. It somewhat depends how full the roots are in the pot. If the roots take up more of the pot I notice they like to stay a bit wetter.

But it takes 2 more days than I am saying for plants to actually wilt or show stress from being too dry.

And I agree the ec can rise too high if it is too dry. But too wet stunts plant growth. When I got it right my results got much better.

That is in ocean forest. The inputs hold some water even with extra perlite. In pro mix they dry faster for instance.

But these are all guidelines in learning how to give your plants what they need and no more. Every plant and room and grow can be different.
 

SuperChef

Member
I've actually just encountered a potential over watering issue with 50-50 FFOF +Coco perlite. The top fan leaves just straight drooped to the stalk, one leaf got rust colored spots, and the ph spiked to over 8.0..should I wait to water or flush-then water in 3 days?
 

whitebb2727

Well-Known Member
I would go by the weight of the pot and look of the plant before watering. Don't worry about how many inches down are dry.

Pick up the pot. Fell the heft. If its light water it.

Those smart pots can be tricky to water. That soil looks really dry. The way you have been watering you can get dry spots that get hydrophobic.

Water in stages. Water once lightly and in about ten minutes water thoroughly. You want some run off.

In this situation I would advise putting you pot into a tray or bath tub and water it several times. It wouldn't let it hurt to sit in the tray with water in it for a while. Don't do it all the time. Just do it once to let the soil wick up as much water as it can.

I wouldn't advise letting them stand in water with synthetic nutes.
 

Indacouch

Well-Known Member
I would go by the weight of the pot and look of the plant before watering. Don't worry about how many inches down are dry.

Pick up the pot. Fell the heft. If its light water it.

Those smart pots can be tricky to water. That soil looks really dry. The way you have been watering you can get dry spots that get hydrophobic.

Water in stages. Water once lightly and in about ten minutes water thoroughly. You want some run off.

In this situation I would advise putting you pot into a tray or bath tub and water it several times. It wouldn't let it hurt to sit in the tray with water in it for a while. Don't do it all the time. Just do it once to let the soil wick up as much water as it can.

I wouldn't advise letting them stand in water with synthetic nutes.
When my smart pots would get filled with roots towards the end of flower I would have to soak em 3 different times waiting 10 minutes inbetween each watering .....these days my slow drip system in my green houses eliminates this problem obviously.......gotta water them slow for the soil to get that sponge effect for sure....I remember the days of toting water and doing it all by hand ....I don't miss those days WB ...lol
 
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