PLEASE HELP! Your transition to LED & Watering

GrowinDad said:

I don't know Supra, I have had root rot and my girls seem to thrive when they dry out nice. But I am not using organics.

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Yes that would be a critical difference. Chem ferts put a hurting on soil microbes so those plants will be more particular about over or underwatering. A healthy microbial population keeps disease from running rampant. For example that is why pasteurized milk spoils faster. I have never seen root rot except in my fathers (chem ferted) greenhouse plants. He taught me to soak them deep and then let them dry out before the next watering, as you said.

Root rot is definitely possible in any environment
Plant roots need oxygen....its not even really about a different fungus or whatever taking over..though orange perlite algea/mildew are possible on the top layer
And if there's not enough o2 won't the microbes start producing energy anaerobicly..which is also bad
They all need oxygen aswell..the majority of beneficial life in your soil is aerobic. Like the roots they need a steady supply of o2 and don't want to completely dry out..they don't die when dried out..another common misconception is having dry wet cycles in organic gardening is bad.not that your soil should ever be dry enough for leaves to wilt..your soil will never be completely devoid of moisture as you wouldn't have a live plant and in that case they go dormant....

I have been growing in organic soil and recycling it for years and I have learned that if I accidentally let them dry out until wilting during flowering, the plants fade early and I end up with a lower yield.

I have never seen a sick plant let alone root rot. During the summer I get stuck with 75-80-% humidity for months on end and the plants have no problem with it. I use plenty of DE, perlite and pumice so the roots are never water logged. One persons LED/organic soil experience for what its worth.

My first grow, I bottom fed. I filled up the drain pan. Whenever it got low, I added water. I had no idea wtf I was doing. I can't even remember what soil I used. But no doubt I got stinky root rot.

That isn't my issue here. But I do think something has them not taking their nutes properly. And my gut is telling me it is mild waterlog. Water stays in too long for my method. Roots don't like it.

I don't know but all I can do is try to listen to them and a good drying is what I am hearing. Get a fresh start I suppose. All the pics in the world can't equate to what I see and feel in the tent. They have a general malaise. Some discoloration but not hideous. But there is something weak in their stature/ego and that is what scares me.

Nonetheless, I love all perspectives. We all learn and we all have our own way we adapt from learning. What is cool for me as someone with only a few good grows under his belt is that I feel like I can get some perspective here and combine with it what I know, which is now some, and remedy this without killing them in the process

I need the harvest or else I will be reaching into the trim and old brickweed I keep as insurance for a rainy day... I have gotten used to swimming in dank from the home office!

I agree, definitely good to let them dry out. I was referring to organic soil growin only. Every cycle I pot up from 1.5L to 14L and they definitely get settled in faster if the moisture levels are right on during that awkward time.

My measures seem to have worked. Watered on Sat and they will need again tomorrow or Wed. No escalation of leaf damage. Plants still look a little hungry but definitely improved. I am convinced the additional moisture was impacting the roots taking in the nutes.

Steps taken to dry them out faster thus far.
1) drilled some holes mid way up around the pots to allow more airflow. A pseudo airpot I suppose
2) put one incandecent "grow" bulb in the tent to provide some heat. i am convinced that regardless of the temp, a heat source will help. it seems to bringing temp up to 78 from about 74. (I also kicked up the heater in the outer room a tad)
3) pots already had holes on the underside and around the bottom. but they were sitting in tupperware containers as drain pans whose walls rose above the holes, restricting air flow to the bottom of the pots. they are now in flat drain pans and raised slight above them so that even the holes on the underside have some airflow.
4) placed a small oscillating at the bottom of the tent to increase the airflow

Thought I would share,,,

I water a little bit every day, I don't want my pots to dry out and some people might think I over water but I use just enough so a little bit comes out the bottom and then move on. They seem to be doing amazing with hardly any burn. It is like 1 out of 10 plants that might have a little phos burn.