Mid to upper leaves curling inward like tubes?

PrinsesS

Active Member
I'm still new to hydroponics and using LED lights for growing, but I have 2 plants growing in an aerogarden LED for fun, and the mid to upper leaves have started to curl inward over the last few days, and 'might' also be affecting some pepper plants I have growing in the same reservoir.

Curl1.jpg Curl2.jpg

Some details on the grow:

-Both plants are autoflower
-Both plants are 38 days old from seed
-The light being used is a 50w LED array about 1" from the top of the tallest plant
-Everything in the reservoir had a recent bout with root rot which has since been rectified using bleach and plain water changed every 3 days for a week. Since recovery, these plants have been exploding with new root growth, and both continue to grow & flower about half an inch a day.
-The fertilizer being used since recovery is Fox Farms Open Sesame (5-45-19) along with 1/2tsp Epsom Salt and 1/2tsp CalMg
-PH is at 5.5
-Water pump runs 24/7
-Temperature in the room is 75'F~80'F day, 67'F~75'F night

As you can see, the garden for the most part looks to be doing really well for one that recovered from root rot, and the plant on the right has almost as many bud sites as it has leaves to feed them :) The pepper plant isn't doing bad either with a dozen or so flowers forming on it despite it being only a few inches tall, so I just don't understand what's up with the curling leaves.

garden1.jpg bud1.jpg
 

Punk

Well-Known Member
Howdy,
I'm not so sure about the salt thing, I know it's discussed and recommended by some, I'm not sold on it. 1/2 a teaspoon(yikes)? Seems a bit much for two plants to absorb.

Overall, the problem isn't very obvious, so your solution also will be uncommon. If it were a nitrogen deficiency (common problem, easy fix), 20 ppl would chime in. It's probably something that you've only done recently, too. Otherwise the plants wouldn't have grown so well up to this point.
 

Crab Pot

Well-Known Member
Is there a reason why your using both cal/mag and Epsom salt at the same time?
If it were me, I think I would save the epsom salt for foliar spraying if you discovered symtoms of a mag deficiency and go with approximately 100ppm cal/mag.

I'm not a hydro guy but that fertilizer seems like it's really high in phosphorus and the way those leaves are curling up it looks like there's a good chance that it could be phosphorus toxicity.

How did you get root rot and what is your reservoir temperature?
 

intenseneal

Well-Known Member
Could be heat stress, thats what i thought when i saw the pics. Then i saw the temps, 80° should not heat stress them. Also wow on the mag, back that way off, just use the calmag for now and do about 100-150ppm until you see a need to increase it. Also wow on the P ratio on that nute. Get something simple and proven like General Hydroponics Micro and Bloom and use those, no need for the veg nute the micro and bloom have plenty of N.
 
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