Calcium/Magnesium Deficiency?

Serpentz

Serpentz

Well-Known Member
Greetings,

My plant is going on it's 6th week and about a week ago I spotted some problem (literally) with some leaves that had some tiny white spots on them. Someone here thought it could be a pest problem but it's not.

Some of the lower leaves started to get these spots on them, and then just recently I started seeing yellowing on the ends of some of the leaves which by everything I have researched is a magnesium deficiency.

Also, I read on another forum that the fan leaf stems being red is also a sign of mag deficiency while some say it can be the breed and that's just how some strains grow. I don't know about that, so maybe someone here can share their knowledge about that. I do have a lot of red/pink stems. The plant is a Auto Feminized Blueberry (please don't knock it - I grow them for speed)

I have just changed water and I added 15ml GHE Calcium Magnesium to 15 liters of water. The label says to use 1.5ml per 1 liter of water. So I'm adding on the low side. I was not using this when I started but the table I am using shows it as an optional element on the schedule. I am using a bottled water that shows it has Ionized calcium (Ca2) less than <50 (guessing PPM) and also ionized magnesium (Mg2) less than <50. These are ionized and less than trace amounts, obviously not enough. I am using the General Hydroponics Flora Trio.

On a side note, GHE Calcium Magnesium is the Euro version of CaliMagic, but it only has CaO 4% - MgO 1% and no Nitrate Nitrogen (1.0%) and no Iron Chelate (0.01%) like CaliMagic.

Do the knowledgeable growers believe this is a cal-mag deficiency as I have diagnosed? What about the red/pink stems. Any advice from this point going forward? This is my first Deep Water Culture plant - I had no problems growing in soil but I just had to try growing hydro...

Photo 1 is the spots I saw first. Photo 2 is just some of the leaves up top I noticed. Photo 3 is a shot of the whole plant.
 

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Beachwalker

Well-Known Member
Greetings,

My plant is going on it's 6th week and about a week ago I spotted some problem (literally) with some leaves that had some tiny white spots on them. Someone here thought it could be a pest problem but it's not.

Some of the lower leaves started to get these spots on them, and then just recently I started seeing yellowing on the ends of some of the leaves which by everything I have researched is a magnesium deficiency.

Also, I read on another forum that the fan leaf stems being red is also a sign of mag deficiency while some say it can be the breed and that's just how some strains grow. I don't know about that, so maybe someone here can share their knowledge about that. I do have a lot of red/pink stems. The plant is a Auto Feminized Blueberry (please don't knock it - I grow them for speed)

I have just changed water and I added 15ml GHE Calcium Magnesium to 15 liters of water. The label says to use 1.5ml per 1 liter of water. So I'm adding on the low side. I was not using this when I started but the table I am using shows it as an optional element on the schedule. I am using a bottled water that shows it has Ionized calcium (Ca2) less than <50 (guessing PPM) and also ionized magnesium (Mg2) less than <50. These are ionized and less than trace amounts, obviously not enough. I am using the General Hydroponics Flora Trio.

On a side note, GHE Calcium Magnesium is the Euro version of CaliMagic, but it only has CaO 4% - MgO 1% and no Nitrate Nitrogen (1.0%) and no Iron Chelate (0.01%) like CaliMagic.

Do the knowledgeable growers believe this is a cal-mag deficiency as I have diagnosed? What about the red/pink stems. Any advice from this point going forward? This is my first Deep Water Culture plant - I had no problems growing in soil but I just had to try growing hydro...

Photo 1 is the spots I saw first. Photo 2 is just some of the leaves up top I noticed. Photo 3 is a shot of the whole plant.
Click to expand...
Phosphorus

I use GH Flora Trio my recommendation is follow the label at 50% at first also I don't know what you're saying about the cal -mag where you are but gh makes a brand called calmagic that works well, hope this get you back on the right path, good luck

Ps. Not sure what your regular water is like but I'd rather see you using tap water if it's not hard

Screenshot_20190130-135109.png
 
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Serpentz

Serpentz

Well-Known Member
Beachwalker said:
Phosphorus

I use GH Flora Trio my recommendation is follow the label at 50% at first also I don't know what you're saying about the cal -mag where you are but gh makes a brand called calmagic that works well, hope this get you back on the right path, good luck

Ps. Not sure what your regular water is like but I'd rather see you using tap water if it's not hard
Click to expand...
I'm using General Hydroponics Calcium Magnesium - It's what I have access to. For some reason there is no access to CaliMagic here. The stuff I get has to come from General Hydroponics Europe and they seem to have different stuff.

I attached a shot from my Excel sheet which does all my calculations for me. I'm following this right now. It's exactly what that 'Drain To Waste' nutrient schedule is suggesting.

I can tell you I have not tried to use tap water because I don't even trust that stuff to drink it here. I'm in Kiev, Ukraine. I did try to use well water and that stuff started to 'grow' after 3-4 days and had a really bad smell. I also stopped drinking it after that experience. So I instead by bottled water in 5 liter containers. I have an RO system but the pump is being repaired. The bottled water has very little elements in it and measures about 130 ppm. Tap water measures 243 PPM.
 

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Serpentz

Serpentz

Well-Known Member
Beachwalker said:
That's way too high! Adjust your pH to 5.8 and lock it there for best results
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I appreciate the response but....how can it be 'way too high' if it's in an acceptable range?

  • between 5.5 and 5.8 perfect
  • between 5.3 and 6.5 good
  • between 5.0 and 7.0 acceptable
  • below 4.5 and above 8.0 disrupted absorption of nutrients
  • below 3.5 and above 9.0 irreversible damage to the roots


I'll add some pH down and see if I can get it to 5.8
 
shawnery

shawnery

Well-Known Member
Keep it between 5.5 and 6.2 and let it swing. Once it reaches the low or high adjust to the opposite. In this way you will get an even absorbtion of nutrients through the range.

This is an opinion steeped in very little experience but lots of research.
 
Serpentz

Serpentz

Well-Known Member
shawnery said:
Keep it between 5.5 and 6.2 and let it swing. Once it reaches the low or high adjust to the opposite. In this way you will get an even absorbtion of nutrients through the range.

This is an opinion steeped in very little experience but lots of research.
Click to expand...
I try to keep it around 5.7 and 5.8 but its tricky - I just now took it to 5.7 - Thanks
 
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Beachwalker

Well-Known Member
Serpentz said:
I appreciate the response but....how can it be 'way too high' if it's in an acceptable range?

  • between 5.5 and 5.8 perfect
  • between 5.3 and 6.5 good
  • between 5.0 and 7.0 acceptable
  • below 4.5 and above 8.0 disrupted absorption of nutrients
  • below 3.5 and above 9.0 irreversible damage to the roots


I'll add some pH down and see if I can get it to 5.8
Click to expand...
Sorry I'm not here to debate I was trying to help you good luck
 
Serpentz

Serpentz

Well-Known Member
Beachwalker said:
Sorry I'm not here to debate I was trying to help you good luck
Click to expand...
Well you were absolutely right. I'm not debating either and I don't want to step on anyone's toes around here. I'm not a pro-grower like the majority of you guys who have been doing this a lot longer than I have.

After doing some more research, I found out that soil pH and hydro pH have two different recommended 'sweet spots' 5.8 for hydro as you said and 6.5 for soil.

Well, I'm fairly new at this and still learning. I also found some chart that I attached. It seems to me that growing hydro a bit trickier because of the availability of nutrients at different pH levels as opposed to soil. Maybe that's why coco is all the rage right now. I'm half tempted to try growing in it and see what happens.
 

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TheHarvester

Active Member
Potassium and magnesium, most likely due to the PH drifting too high and reducing the uptake.

Also too high calcuim:mag ratio isn't ideal. your product is 4:1 2:1 is more ideal
 
Serpentz

Serpentz

Well-Known Member
TheHarvester said:
Potassium and magnesium, most likely due to the PH drifting too high and reducing the uptake.

Also too high calcuim:mag ratio isn't ideal. your product is 4:1 2:1 is more ideal
Click to expand...
I followed the directions at 1.5ml per liter and the plant bounced back and the yellow outside on the leaves has disappeared and there is no more spots showing up.

It was not a phosphorus deficiency. Not potassium either. GH Flora Trio should have that covered as long as my pH is in range. But someone will argue with me I am sure....

Also, I'm not using tap water which would have more calcium/magnesium in it. The water I am using is very close to RO water - bottled spring water with almost NO calcium or magnesium. Also take into consideration that the lower suggested pH at 5.8 in a DWC (not soil) will lower the plants intake of calcium and magnesium. So halving it won't do anything but starve it for those two nutrients. - See that pH uptake chart I uploaded on last post.

My pH has never been higher than 6.5 which turns out is too high for DWC, but not so high to cause such problems in my experience. I stay on 5.8 or as close as possible now.

Problem solved. On week 7 and I can barely contain the thing. Soon it will grow me out of house!
 

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