Help needed fast

[BobWeed]

I'm having issues with my bubblegum. Leaves all over the plant are wilting and the water in the soil isn't getting sucked up very much. Leaves are starting as brown spots all over the leave then eventually just wilting up and dying all over the plant from top to bottom.

Here's a few pics. Can anyone give me a diagnosis?

I'm using, per gallon of water:

3 tsp's FoxFarm Big Bloom
2 tsp's FoxFarm Tiger Bloom
1 tsp Calmag
1/8th to 1/4 tsp Big Bud
I use tap water that is fine PH-wise
Happy Frog Soil
250w HPS

[BobWeed]

more info to add.....

I water about every 3-4 days but with the bubblegum, they don't seem to need it as much. The roots just aren't soaking up water very fast. This is the same with all 3 of my bubblegums. My blue russians (ak47 x blueberry) are doing just fine. Some minor cosmetic things but I'm used to that. They are very tall and I notice that the leaves closest to the light have some tiny brown spots all over those leaves, uniformally. The ones not directly under the 250w HPS seem better. One thing I'm also seeing on all the plants are a mix of dark green and light green leaves. No idea how that's happening.

anyways, I'm thinking I need to flush the bubblegums then introduce nutes slowly after a few days to get them budding well again. They aren't budding worth a poo while the blue russians are really taking off.

This is very, very odd to me. I had the same issue with a Sugar Blossom that I had to cut down early because it wasn't absorbing any water and the buds were not dense at all compared to the others I've grown. Obviously, this is a universal thing that's happening.

Happy Thanksgiving and thanks for the help.

[Dreadscale]

Hi All !!! :thumbsup:
BobWeed from the photos it looks like heat stress!!
How close to light are they?
A photo of whole plant would help.

What is ph of nutes? you say ph of tap water is fine what is it?

I wouldnt add Bid Bud till week 5 of flower.

If you flush them you should feed with 1/4 strength Full Purpose Nutes.

Hope this is of some help!!
Good Luck and post some pix of whole plants.

[Forwhat420]

Hey and Happy Thanksgiving,
What size pot are they in, and when is the last time you transplanted?

[BobWeed]

Hey guys!

I do not have a PH meter. I had a buddy over not long ago and he read the ph of the water at 6.8. The ph of the typical nutes I put in at 5.5. I honestly don't know what the runoff is from the soil.

I only use a 250w HPS bulb in flowering and I keep the temp in there around 70-75 degrees.

Part of the problem could in fact be adding the big bud too soon. I started using it at around week 3 but only used it once a week.

I am using 3 gallon pots. The plants are humungous because I wanted to get good clones from them - I grew them from seed - so I had to extend the veg period. My blue russians are already near 4-5 feet tall into week 4 of flowering. It's insane how big they are getting, which is why I think being too close to the bulb is hurting them so I'm keeping them away from the bulb a bit. The bulb is about 2-1/2 feet from the tops of the bubblegums.

Here's a pic - the bubblegum is in the front so you can see the distance from the light it's at.

My initial thought was lockout because of PH issues but I'm not doing anything different than I've done in the past and I've gotten great results. The only difference is the addition of this light and the big bud (I used beastie blooms before but I'm using big bud this time on a suggestion)

[BobWeed]

about the temps in the room.....remove what I said. There were times in that room in the past few weeks where the temps were probably around 80, maybe more. I found some white mildew growing in some places on the Sugar Blossom I had to cut down. I have since corrected the problem to around 70-75. I am in a northern state so it can get cold in there at night so I keep a space heater on to keep the temps normal.

Can too much heat in the room or from the light itself (plants too close) cause the plant to stop soaking up much water from the pot?

Anyways, I just flushed them out and put them near enough to the light to get some but not under neath it. Tomorrow I'll put in a small amount of 1/4 strength nutes to get them back. Maybe even add some superthrive but I don't know if that's a good idea while they are in flowering. Can anyone tell me?

forgot to answer an earlier question...I have never transplanted. I use seed starting bulbs and put them right into the top of soil when the seed germanates. Works like a charm every time.


One last question......Does big bloom expire? Meaning, I've had a bottle of it for close to a year now and used it on these plants. It's just liquified bat and earthworm guano. I'm starting to think it's spoiled and may have something to do with this.

[Weedhound]

I think your ph and soil are both messed up big time.

[Forwhat420]

I would change the soil. If your plants are 4-5 feet with 3 gallon pots, Then they are most definately root bound, this could be the root of your issues. I would transplant up to a bigger pot size. I know it will be a pain in the ass and might take up all your room, but it will save your plants.

[BobWeed]

Thanks for the responses.....

you think being almost a month into flowering will kill them if I transplant? Granted they look more like they are around 3 weeks because of the stunted growth and everything.

Anyone add anything to Happy Frog soil? I've been told that's it's acidic and people add lime to it to balance the PH.

Looks like I need to get me a pH meter.

[Forwhat420]

About the fert expiration... I too questioned this with a tiger bloom bottle that I had for over a year. I actually had the same problems with the leaves doing the same thing, and plants not taking up water. When I asked my dro guy, he replied that it only gets better over time. But it also gets "hotter" meaning you can use less to get the same effects. I dont know how true this is.

Although you may not have to transplant with some strains, others grow more vigorously underground...Just something to think about. Especially if you vegged for a while.

[BobWeed]

that makes sense, fowhat420. You can tell the old big bloom is much more condensed because it's old and only 14 bottle remaining. I bought a new bottle and just started using it to cure my paranoia.

[the image reaper]

until she recovers, cut your fertilizer ratios in half, and only feed once per week ... continue at that rate, even into harvest, if she isn't looking underfed ... check for good drainage, no wet roots ... Big Bloom isn't your problem, it's primarily a bio-active ingredient, not a potent fertilizer :jointsmile:

[Forwhat420]

I have transplanted up to 5 weeks in flower. If done correctly the plants wont feel a thing. I think this would cure your problem..Sunshine grow or either pro mix are perfect for your problem..

[Forwhat420]

by the way those plants look overall good! You will be proud just get some new soil in there! That way your roots will grow into problem free environment!
By the way im highly medicated right now, so please excuse the persistence, but I know it will fix your problem.

[BobWeed]

you guys are awesome. Does anyone have experience with Happy Frog Soil? I hear people rave about it.

I just got home from thanksgiving dinner and stopped by a friends to pick up his combo meter. Here is the PH readings I got from everything I use (stand alone):

tap water - 8.5-8.6
big bloom - 7.0
calmag - 5.2
tiger bloom - 3.1
grow big - 3.6
big bud (diluting a bit in a small amount of water) - 5.4

After putting all of this in a gallon of water (the amounts I put in are in the first post), I got a 6.1-6.2 ph level.

The soil run off from a plant a flushed well earlier today and pouring in a glass of water was at 4.4, which is quite distressing.

What's your thoughts? What really confuses me is this problem does not seem to get really bad until they are into flowering a few weeks. Before that I have the occasional bad looking leaf or two but nothing like this. Thanks.

[BobWeed]

if anyone was wondering.....the problem was a huge PH issue. The soil runoff was around 4.5-4.6, which of course is awful. I went to my local shop and talked to the expert and got me some lime and PH up. I poked holes in the soil and put lime powder straight into them, liquified more and poured it in. They said the lime "soil sweetener by Sunleaves" can never get your soil above 7.0 ph so I can use it liberally. I also poured in 1/4 strength nutes, a couple of drops of superthrive, added some ph-up which gave the solution a 7.4 ph when I poured it in. I figure the runoff I will sample tomorrow or tonight should be somewhere around a 6.0 (fingers crossed). Then from here on out when the plants are healed enough, I'll go back to the normal nutes but with ph-up in the solution.

Be forewarned, Happy Frog is great, great soil but quite acidic according to the expert at the store. Mix in a tbsp of lime and mix it up really good before potting your plants.