Calcium deficiency?????

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Bookush34

Well-Known Member
I am pretty sure I am having a calcium deficiency problem.
Have a look at the pics.

Growing in 3gal Hempy buckets
100% Perlite
PH is 5.8
Flora nova grow
CaL-Mag

About 2 weeks ago I had a ph meter crap out. Bought a new blue lab the next day. New calibration fluid too.

Run off was 5.8-5.9 if that matters.
 

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Bookush34

Well-Known Member
shawnery said:
Your ph is fine. They're just saying to make sure you ph your flushing liquid is all.
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ok what is causing the Calcium lockout?
according to the uptake charts. Calcium has a issue below 6.2PH

I am thinking I should step up to 6.0-6.2ph

right now it takes me about 24hrs to get my res to stabilize at 5,8ph but then it holds it no problem until the 20gallons is used up (aprox 1 week)
 
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Bookush34

Well-Known Member
also how long dose it take for effects to start?
I bought a new ph meter right after mine died. but maybe it was inaccurate for a little bit before?
but that was a solid 2 weeks ago now. started to see signs on Cal issues about 5-7days after the new ph meter.

I would assume that their is a delay from what you are giving the plants to what the plant is showing?
 
shawnery

shawnery

Well-Known Member
Let you ph swing from 5.6 to 6.2 and do t try to keep it at one constant level. You shouldn't be adjusting daily unless needed.

5.8 is the perfect ph but it's best to allow it to swi g.
 
shawnery

shawnery

Well-Known Member
Buy an ec meter! Are you using tap, distilled or RO water? Without an ec meter if you're using tap you have no clue what's in it at all. But that shouldn't be your issue or else it would have showed before now.

If you're in veg and going to run 80's then you need your humidity up near 65 to 70. If you can't get your humidity that high you should lower your temps to a high of 75. Look up VPD and you will understand why I suggest these things.

Not that these things will help your issue but they will help your grow.
 
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Blitz35

Well-Known Member
ignore the flushing and lockout comments..obviously they either didn't bother reading your post, or have no idea what perlite is lol. Too many newbies throwing out 'advice' lol. perlite is inert...why in the world someone is suggesting to flush a completely inert medium that barely retains any water, is beyond me! Then to suggest lockout...again, when growing in a medium that has no cec ability, makes absolutely zero sense lol. That's the help it section here! Up your cal-mag a bit, especially if using RO water..perlite is tricky as it's like growing in hydro, so deficiencies will arrive quickly..though yours seem to have been there for at least a week or 2.
 
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Bookush34

Well-Known Member
I live in a very dry climate. Plus wood heat in the house. That 45-55RH is all I can get with a humidifier and still keeping proper ventilation.

I am in well water. Hard water.
 
curious2garden

curious2garden

Well-Known Mod
Staff member
shawnery said:
Buy an ec meter! Are you using tap, distilled or RO water? Without an ec meter if you're using tap you have no clue what's in it at all. But that shouldn't be your issue or else it would have showed before now.

If you're in veg and going to run 80's then you need your humidity up near 65 to 70. If you can't get your humidity that high you should lower your temps to a high of 75. Look up VPD and you will understand why I suggest these things.

Not that these things will help your issue but they will help your grow.
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Precisely you must have a TDS or EC meter. You are full hydro your substrate does not buffer you so your feeding must be within a smaller window of acceptable.

Looks to me like you have both a Ca and a Mg deficiency. Up your Ca and Mg supplementation for now. Get that meter. I've had great luck with this one
https://www.ebay.com/itm/HM-Digital-TDS-EZ-PPM-Meter-Home-Drinking-Tap-Water-Quality-Purity-Test-Tester/371498703640?epid=1600169615&hash=item567f0c5b18:g:1scAAMXQS6pRvc2x:rk:1:pf:0

Blitz35 said:
ignore the flushing and lockout comments..obviously they either didn't bother reading your post, or have no idea what perlite is lol. Too many newbies throwing out 'advice' lol. perlite is inert...why in the world someone is suggesting to flush a completely inert medium that barely retains any water, is beyond me! Then to suggest lockout...again, when growing in a medium that has no cec ability, makes absolutely zero sense lol. That's the help it section here! Up your cal-mag a bit, especially if using RO water..perlite is tricky as it's like growing in hydro, so deficiencies will arrive quickly..though yours seem to have been there for at least a week or 2.
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Perlite is full hydro.
 
cannabineer

cannabineer

Ursus marijanus
Bookush34 said:
I live in a very dry climate. Plus wood heat in the house. That 45-55RH is all I can get with a humidifier and still keeping proper ventilation.

I am in well water. Hard water.
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Do you use a water softener? That replaces hardness with salinity. High sodium levels will lock out the nutrient ions.

The other thing I'd check is how much of your hardness (as TDS) is salinity. Your water may come out of the ground too saline to sustain hydro Cannabis. Did you have an analysis done on your well?

I'd think of going to RO water with full ion resupply, which generally means adding cal-mag and silica.

~edit~ RO is the great equalizer. You can take water of almost any quality and get >10ppm output. At that point it's all in what you add or don't.
But your plants have a condition-tolerance margin that is bigger in veg than in flower. If they're looking a bit "uncomfy" now, the higher metabolic needs of the flowering plant could crash the grow. RO is a definite way out of that problem.
 
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Bookush34

Well-Known Member
I had my well tested when I bought the place years ago. I remember it was hard water. High in iron.

No water softener.

That being said I have ran this same setup 3 grows with out this issue.
 
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Bookush34

Well-Known Member
I feel like stepping my ph up to 6.0-6.1 will help the uptake of CAL and MG

Which is still in hydro PH spec.

Any thoughts?
 
curious2garden

curious2garden

Well-Known Mod
Staff member
Bookush34 said:
I had my well tested when I bought the place years ago. I remember it was hard water. High in iron.

No water softener.

That being said I have ran this same setup 3 grows with out this issue.
Click to expand...
My suggestions
(1) Get a TDS meter.
(2) Leave your pH where it is (you should get some gradual float up over the life of the res)
(3) Add more Ca Mg supplementation
Report back
 
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