Week 3 Veg, Need Help

[AliceDee]

Hello everyone! This is my first grow so bear with me :jointsmile:

These are my 5 that I started a few weeks ago.

Its an indoor grow that was using Scotts Top Soil but I repotted them today and used MG Organic Soil 4:1 Perlite.

My Ph meter isn't working so I'm not exactly sure of the runoff / water source Ph levels. Im using tap water to water the plants, and using about 2 quarts to water the 5 plants.

The plants are about 3 weeks old and have stunted in growth due to there problems. They aren't on any ferts but I picked up fish emulsion today at lowe's, don't know if I need it or not though and I dont want to hurt them anymore. I don't know much about ferts and whatnot so explain if there's something I can do. (Thanks :D)

It's a Rubbermaid Grow Box using 6 23w cfl's (4 6500k and 2 5600k? Not sure about the 2. They've been on 24/7 since I've started them. The lights are about 2 inches away from plants.

Temps are almost always in the 70's. Humidity has been about 35-40% but I watered them recently and it's reading high.

There's 2 35cfm computer fans above the lights pulling air through the box and theres also 2 more computer fans inside the box blowing on the plants. Also about 5 feet away is a small basement window (7"x15" maybe) that I can open if it gets warm .

Thanks for your time! -Ad-

Here's some pics of the plants, taken with a camcorder w/fisheye so pics are kinda blurry heh.

[Weedhound]

They definitely don't need ferts. Get your ph meter fixed and check your water and soil runoff both. I think thats your issue......either that or overfert (preferted soil too hot for seedlings perhaps?) Ph for soil should be 6.2-6.8.....the water and the runoff both.

[Mr. Clandestine]

I don't think the soil mix is causing the problem, it's usually not that rich. But I definitely agree with Weedhound that you should find out the soil & water pH, and quick. If that's the problem, then the condition of the plants is just going to deteriorate with each watering. While you wait on getting your pH meter calibrated, you could pick up some of the liquid test kits at many stores. That will at least help determine where your pH is, then you can go from there.

[AliceDee]

Went out and bought a Ph Meter today and I tested the water and it was about 6.9-7.0. I haven't tested the runoff yet because I don't want to overwater. Is this my problem? Can I lower it using anything from walmart/lowes? (Only stores I got around here :()

Thanks for the help again :D

[Mr. Clandestine]

Went out and bought a Ph Meter today and I tested the water and it was about 6.9-7.0.

That's actually a good range for your water, but the runoff pH is equally as important to know. Wait and water like you normally would, and water enough so that you get some runoff at the bottom. If it's a pH problem, you'll know after testing the runoff... and you'll be in pretty good shape to fix the pH because of your near-neutral water.

[AliceDee]

Tested soil Ph today and its about 6.8-6.9. Temps are about 74 but my humidity is low (25%). Do I need to worry about this?

I also cut off the dead leaves and the new ones are growing much better. I think my Scotts soil was junk, after a few days of being in that Miracle Grow Organic Choice they are doing much better.

Also built a new cab to use, pics will be posted sometime! :jointsmile:

[stinkyattic]

That's because the Scotts Topsoil had NO ferts and might have had pH problems too. Now the roots are going into fresh soil that DOES have ferts. THose plants were HUNGRY like ya read about. If you have a proper grow fert, or even some crappy houseplant food, mix up a spray bottle of fertilizer that you have mixed at only half the strength the bottle recommends and lightly mist your plants a couple times a day. You should see them start to green up within a couple days.

[hanayama]

i had a couple small plants that looked EXACTLY like that.
how long have they been in those pots? did you just transplant?
i think my problem was rootbound.( didn't transplant soon enough)

something else, might be unrelated, but it cant hurt...
if you're using tap water, let it sit in a jug with the cap off for a day or so.
tap water is high in chlorine which is no bueno. letting it sit open for a day will evaporate the chlorine.(plus itll be room temp, which is good too)

hope your ladies pull through!

[AliceDee]

I have some schultz 10-15-10 or fish emulsion 5-1-1 but that's all thats available around here, would the schultz work? Just being very cautious cause I don't want to stess them too much more :(.

There's still the purple on the tips of the leaves, like the little serrated parts (you can kinda see it in pic 3) Not sure what's doing it. Maybe it's cold? When will the purp strains start showing there colors? Always been curious and 2 of these are bagseeds from a purp that had a male in the room (Saved a bunch of these ones lol) It's always in the 70s though so I don't know.

Was thinking about switching to 18/6, would it work better than 24-0 under 6 6500k cfls?

Oh and pictures! (Forgot I was zoomed out all the way. Gotta use that fisheye in my tight space haha)

Thanks for the help everyone :D

[stinkyattic]

You know what, they look so much better already the foliar feed probably isn't even necessary.
Now hop on down to the grow shop and pick up a GROW fert. IF you have no choice, use the Shultz, mixed at 50% recommended dosage, until the plants get a little larger.

[AliceDee]

Went out and bought a 7 sprayer at lowes today. Misted them twice (in the morning/night) with a little less than 50% strength schultz 10-15-10. Is the foliar feeding the reason for the new leaves growing straight up? (Pic 1)

Also there still seems to be the purple around the serrated parts of the leaves, is this normal? Got a crappy pic of one with it. Temp is 74.8 and humidity is 27%.

Also bought a few more light fixtures, so now im running 10 6500k cfls.

Thanks for looking! -Ad- :jointsmile:

[stinkyattic]

They are back to health and reaching for light. Lookin' good. When you have time to go to a grow shop and pick up a real cannabis fert, do it! Then you won't have to worry about imbalances as much. The purple is likely a combination of 2 things, and to understand it you should understand WHY cannabis plants turn purple at all.
They are capable of producing several different pigments, and can be red, orange, purple, yellow, maroon, grape, and every imaginable shade of green from lime-green to almost bluish green. They can even be albino or variegated.
The basic green color is dominant in a healthy plant, because of the chlorophyll it uses to photosynthesize.
If the chlorophyll breaks down for any reason, typically cold or Nitrogen deficiency, any other colors that the plant produces will show through. In your case, running 'purps', the plant is genetically capable of turning purple and wat yo uare seeing is that particular pigment, unmasked by absence of chlorophyll.
Later in flower is when you should see that. Until then, keep those babies GREEN!

[AliceDee]

I don't have any grow shops in my area so I'm stuck with the Lowe's line right now :(.

Should I give them a feeding of fish emulsion? Would that help with the N deficiency?

Thanks for your help again

[stinkyattic]

The Shultz has micronutrients in it and SOME nitrogen, so keep using that, and add just a LITTLE fish emulsion to your fertilizer solution if you see that your low leaves are yellowing. Unless they get yellow with brown blotches... which is something else entirely.

[grey1223]

If you don'thave a hydro shop near you there are any number of of suppliers that you can order from. Many, many growers use this method to maintain a lower profile. You can have it shippped to a friend's house if it makes you feel better.

[AliceDee]

Well looks like you called it stinky, beginning to see the bottom leaves yellow a bit and theres a few tiny brown spots on a couple plants. They're kinda droopy too. Temp is 73 and humidity is 25%.

Could the brown spots be from the foliar feeding? I mist them up nice and good but within 10 mins the water droplets are dried up anyways.

Thanks for advice once again! -Ad- :jointsmile:

Here's the pictures - (I want them all to look like pic 1! lol)

[AliceDee]

Should I stop or continue the foliar feeding? Wanting to make sure I don't progress the problem.

Why wont my leaves look all nice and perky? :(