New grower needs help bad

B

backroomgrower

Member
I am a relitivly new to growing. I started growing about 6 months ago and i have harvested a few plants but can never get them to finish. Everything seems fine in Veg then when i go into flower within 2 weeks my plants start losing color and getting spots on them like you can see in the pics. Then when I think they are about done the plant looks almost dead. my buds have been very loose and fluffy.

Heres what i got going.
Temp: 78-85 F
Pots: 2 gal square "perfect Pot"
Soil: Miracle Grow potting soil
Veg Light: 400 watt MH
Flower light: Was a 400 watt MH but just put in a new 600Watt HPS just over a week ago
Flower room is 4x4
We have been watering almost everyday. I notice that some plants are drying out faster than other so basically watering when the top inch is dry.
Fertilizing: I have had a problem with nute burn in the past so i have been scared of over fertilizing. But did begin a regiment 3 weeks ago of:
30ml power plant 3-1-4 and 15ml flora bloom 0-5-4 every other watering. So this had been about 3 times a week.
I have also started flushing my plants and plan to do this every month.

I do have a 4 icnh air intake as well as an exhast fan.
 

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B

backroomgrower

Member
Someone has to have some input on this. Please. I am a medical patient and have been smoking loose shitty bud. I would really appreciate some advice.
 
B

backroomgrower

Member
shrigpiece said:
they do look a little defient of nitrogen and potash
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I was thinking that i needed to fertilize more but like i said i fried a plant when i first started so i have been pretty nervous. I was planning on hiting them with more nutes but was worried i would just cause more problems.

Also like i said i just got a new light and i was thinking the loose bud was caused by the old light not having enough lumens.
 
B

backroomgrower

Member
Also my humidity sits between 25% -40% . usually closer to the 25%. we have a pretty dry climate. could this be causing the problem? Also maybe i dont have enough air circulating. would it cause this??

Thanks for the help
 
BKCSG

BKCSG

Active Member
backroomgrower said:
Also my humidity sits between 25% -40% . usually closer to the 25%. we have a pretty dry climate. could this be causing the problem? Also maybe i dont have enough air circulating. would it cause this??

Thanks for the help
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Those plants are burned from over fertilizing. You should never feed more than twice in a week... and even then it should never be full strength. I feed every time I water, which is every 3 days and I do it at 1/4 strength. I'm using the Botanicare Pro soil line with all of the suplements. 30ml of power plant is WAY too much if you are feeding that often. 30 ml would be fine if you were feeding once a week. It also sounds like your are overwatering. with the 2 gallon pots you should only be watering every other day at the most. Another problem is that you are using miracle grow soil which has water activated time release nutes that release every time you water.. so you plants are getting fed the wrong nutes for flowering every time you water. I would let your plants dry out for 2 days and then use only water for 5-7 days, and then start the nutes again at 1/4 strenth.
 
BKCSG

BKCSG

Active Member
How are you fluching? Please tell me your not doing 3 times the size of the pot worth of water? A flush like that should only be used in an emergancy and if a plant recovers from it, you got lucky. Also, the flush in the MG soil will not work as it will only feed your plants more from the time release nutes.
 
B

backroomgrower

Member
BKCSG said:
Those plants are burned from over fertilizing. You should never feed more than twice in a week... and even then it should never be full strength. I feed every time I water, which is every 3 days and I do it at 1/4 strength. I'm using the Botanicare Pro soil line with all of the suplements. 30ml of power plant is WAY too much if you are feeding that often. 30 ml would be fine if you were feeding once a week. It also sounds like your are overwatering. with the 2 gallon pots you should only be watering every other day at the most. Another problem is that you are using miracle grow soil which has water activated time release nutes that release every time you water.. so you plants are getting fed the wrong nutes for flowering every time you water. I would let your plants dry out for 2 days and then use only water for 5-7 days, and then start the nutes again at 1/4 strenth.
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Hey thanks alot for the input. I have been worried that that may be the case but it doesnt look like nute burn to me it looks like it is lacking. This may be my problem is misdiagnoses. Any one else have any ideas?
 
B

backroomgrower

Member
BKCSG said:
How are you fluching? Please tell me your not doing 3 times the size of the pot worth of water? A flush like that should only be used in an emergancy and if a plant recovers from it, you got lucky. Also, the flush in the MG soil will not work as it will only feed your plants more from the time release nutes.
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I only flushed with 2 gal. and i have just started doing that because i thought that was the first step to get rid of a problem.

So my next question would be what kind of soil and nutes to people recomend. Like i said i am new and live out in the country with the closes hydro store 100 miles away. so just trying to get by with the local head shop nutes and walmart soil.
 
77blazzer44

77blazzer44

Member
IT looks like a nitrogen deficentcy to me cus. If not then u might want to try adding fetilizer with only secondary nutes like Calcium Magnesium,and sulferand some micro nutrients likeiron boron chlorine manganese copper molybdenum and zinc. Most fertilizers tell u wat kinds of nutes r in them. Just get a fertilizer with the most of these minor nutes as posibble so u just can make sure to fine wat nute deficeintcy it is.
 
BKCSG

BKCSG

Active Member
Let me rephrase... It is nutrient lock out caused by over fertilizing. What is your soil PH? Runoff PH?
 
B

backroomgrower

Member
BKCSG said:
Let me rephrase... It is nutrient lock out caused by over fertilizing. What is your soil PH? Runoff PH?
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Ive got one of those cheapo moisture/ph/light meters from walmart and when i stick it in the soil it says it is 6-7. also I know i have hard water at my house and have been ballancing the ph with PH down getting it to 6 before i water.

Is there anyother way to check the soil PH???
 
B

backroomgrower

Member
Also on th epower plant 3-1-4 it says to use with every watering. I have not been doing that like i said i have been going every other watering. but was thinkin about starting every watering. would this be a mistake? i am just following the label.
 
H

hitman40

Well-Known Member
Lose the mg dirt that stuff is just waiting to screw up your grow. order some Jacks classic ferts from the internet. Don't bother with flowering using the mh light. Or just throw out everything you know and are doing now and read the right way to do it here on RIU. Sorry to be harsh but you are mistreating your plants and I don't think you are going to get it straightened out going in the direction you are going. I would think hydro if I were you but some people think plants need dirt to grow and you can't break em of bad habits.Hitman40
 
HookdOnChronics

HookdOnChronics

Well-Known Member
BKCSG said:
How are you fluching? Please tell me your not doing 3 times the size of the pot worth of water? A flush like that should only be used in an emergancy and if a plant recovers from it, you got lucky.
Click to expand...
Ummm, not sure where your getting this info..... I'm toward the end of flower, have 2 and 1/2 gallon pots, and have run about 4 gallons of water through the pot for the last 2 weeks about every 4 to 5 days. If you've got drainage holes it really shouldn't be a problem at all!... It's just like watering untill you see run off, except all that extra water and run off would be taking out any sald build up that would be causing nutrient lockout...

That's IF it is nutrient lockout... Which is kinda what it looks like, I'm not sure about that tho... It may not be cuz I read you haven't been nuting to aviod nute burn. Just a thought, that's all.
:blsmoke:

Good Luck!
 
R

ranxirox

Member
Looks like overwatering I also use two gallon pots but I water every 5-7 days. letting the soil dry lets the roots breath a little. OR it could be the Miracle Grow that stuff is the silent killer! when you water it causes nutes to be released so you have zero control over nute levels.

Also I have heard no inication of Ph. A higher ph is ok during veg (6.8-7.0) but you should work your way toward (5.5-6.0) as you flower. I like to use real lemon juice because it is very safe for you and your plants. Find this in the baking section of your grocery store, make sure it is pure lemon juice, reconstituted from concentrate is ok. Mix 1/2 cup per Gallon of water.
I do this every other watering until I reach the desired ph at the soil. From there on out it a feel thing, use the lemon juice as needed.

Also if you are over watering try adding hydrogen peroxide to your water at the same rate of 1/2 cup per gallon. The peroxide will kill fungus that forms on the roots and suffocates them hydrogen peroxide quickly deteriorates to water and will not harm you plants.

Also ditch the Miracle Grow in every form. That stuf makes your smoke taste harsh and funky. Try using Fox Farm Ocean Forest or some other organic soil if you can't get FF, generic soil will work. Try this formula: Mix 3 parts soil, 2 parts Sugar sand (rinse thoroughly) and 1 part perlite or vermiculite. This will allow you a little leway on your watering time. It drains well yet the perlite or vermiculite holds a little water for protection.

Lastly I use almost the same light setup as you. If you can keep both lights on them, go for it. I also add 4 x 300w equiv. CFL's during flowering. as you begin to flower remove dead leaves with loving care. Give them some vitamin B as a little treat. Continue to remove dead leaves thoughout flower period.

Some nutes I use are : Vegging I use Espoma Plant tone, Eleanores VF-11 and Peroxide, Flowering I use Espoma Garden Tone, more Eleanores, Fox Farm Big Bloom, Alaska Blooming and lemon juice. I mix my nutes in a one gallon container with a lid so I can shake it and get it to mix. Then I water with plain water after for safety I water until I get a little, just a little runoff.

Every strain is different and you will learn more about a particular strain each time you grow, Keep a journal of when's and how much's so that you can identify what went wrong and also what went right. I would reccomend growing something easy for the first year or so. Bubblicious is easy so is carmelicious and or you might try an inexpensive indoor seed mix. This will give you a really good chance of being successful and to observe how two seeds from the same mother plant can be grown under identical conditions and show some variation. Not always, but sometimes.

Ok To summerize, better soil (no time release nutes), water less, keep a journal, don't use miracle grow, watch your ph, have fun!

I grow better smoke than I was ever able to buy, I love bubblicious, Durban Poison, Master Kush and PPP. Some of my buds are so big and fat and sticky they are difficult to manicure. It's amazing what can be accomplished with a little trial and error.

RANXIROX...... :leaf::leaf::leaf::leaf::leaf::leaf::leaf:
 
shrigpiece

shrigpiece

Well-Known Member
who said it was overfertilizing? WRONG. its slightly defient iv already stated the probs. its not a lot to worry about at this stage. 4-5 weeks from harvest?
 
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