Leaf browning getting worse - please help!

Hi folks, really hope someone can help here. I originally posted this thread because my few week old plant had some browning issues. I took advice and am now watering daily but the problem seems to have accelerated somewhat. I then posted this post to check if there was anything else I could do to fix the issue. Now I'm proper panicking because the problem seems to be getting worse. Here's what some of those leaves look like now:



It started with new lower leaves and now the middle leaves are getting pretty horrible too. I'm growing in 70% coco / 30% perlite in Airpots. I'm feeding with two drops of bio-grow each day (around the required amount according to the chart on their website) and have once given a tiny amount of cal-mag. Following my second post I also tried feeding a seaweed feed for a couple of days, but nothing really seems to be working. Even the brand new leaves on the top have shown a couple of brown spots as you see in the last image. I tested the PH of the water and it's around 7.5 with nutrients (a little higher than it should be but I wouldn't have thought it would cause this, given the last plant grew reasonably well with this water and feed - albeit in soil and not coco!). I've got some ph-up/down on the way regardless. Is it likely PH of 7.5 would cause this issue or is there something else I'm doing / not doing?

Please help - I'm out of ideas!

Ph is wayyyyyyyyyyyy high

Feed ph should be 5.6-6.0 MAX

If in hydro^. In soil, my understanding is 6.5 is ideal.

maybe a lockout since the ph is high. Can you test soil or run off?

Check this article **correction: https://www.rollitup.org/t/guide-to-nutrient-deficiency-or-toxicity.488004/

He's in Coco so hydro

BobThe420Builder said:

He's in Coco so hydro

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Thanks for clarifying! Then those numbers like you said are bad.

As Bob said Ph is too high!

Ugh. Okay thanks everyone! I'm hoping to get the ph stuff on monday. Postal service is crap just now but i'll get it adjusted the moment it comes in.

You should be using a pH around 6.0.
At the pH you're using........almost everything is blocked out.

MickFoster said:

You should be using a pH around 6.0.
At the pH you're using........almost everything is blocked out.

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I may have to improvise so the plant has a chance of survival. PH stuff doesn't arrive till Monday. :-/

JMystery said:

I may have to improvise so the plant has a chance of survival. PH stuff doesn't arrive till Monday. :-/

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Local hydro? If you have a meter and all you need is solution, there are other options!

apple cider vinegar or lemon or lime. All acidic and will bring ph down “organically”

Again I’m new. Don’t know if this has any negative affects but what I found that could be anoption to bring it down

Thanks for that - i'm going to try this over the next few days.

JMystery said:

Thanks for that - i'm going to try this over the next few days.

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Hope it turns around for you!

Cheers bud. I'll post an update in a week or so to report progress. Keeping my fingers crossed!

Heads up for vinegar as a ph reducer, it evaporates so it is very very temporary. I did that in the beginning a few times and was wondering why the problem kept coming back a few days after I adjusted the ph, then I learned that vinegar breaks down quickly in the soil.

SpideyManDan said:

Heads up for vinegar as a ph reducer, it evaporates so it is very very temporary. I did that in the beginning a few times and was wondering why the problem kept coming back a few days after I adjusted the ph, then I learned that vinegar breaks down quickly in the soil.

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True I noticed that too. Ended up just getting GH ph down

SpideyManDan said:

Heads up for vinegar as a ph reducer, it evaporates so it is very very temporary. I did that in the beginning a few times and was wondering why the problem kept coming back a few days after I adjusted the ph, then I learned that vinegar breaks down quickly in the soil.

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Thankfully my PH up/down arrived the next day so I didn't need to use vinegar. She's now getting a properly balanced feed and it looks like its slowed down the issue but 5 days on and it's not gone completely. Still seeing browning on newer leaves, though not as wide-spread.

Looks like my issues are continuing. Five days on with a PH balanced feed and the issues continue. Check out these photos:



This is a dwarf plant, so I expect it to be pretty small - but you can maybe make out the top leaves are still getting browning issues. I'm currently watering once a day, with a mix of these per 5 ltr (as per the schedule on bio-bizz website):

• 15ml Bio grow
• 10ml Bio bloom
• 5ml Cal-mag

Temperatures are good, humidity is good. I'm using around 80% power on the Spiderfarm 1000 just now, at a distance of about 20". No idea what's going wrong here.

You have a phosphorus deficiency. Based on the looks of your upper leaves it looks like your pH is out of range. What are you using to test your pH? Iron can lock out P, are you using well water? Are you calibrating your pH meter?

curious2garden said:

You have a phosphorus deficiency. Based on the looks of your upper leaves it looks like your pH is out of range. What are you using to test your pH? Iron can lock out P, are you using well water? Are you calibrating your pH meter?

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I'm using an electronic PH meter which is calibrated. The PH of the feed is about 5.9. Using normal tap water (soft water). Phosphorus deficiency - i've no idea. I assumed (possibly incorrectly) that the various nutrients I'm using would have this in the amount required.