Curling, dark spots looking bad. HELP! {pics, form}

[johnnypants]

S=Answer if you grow traditional soil
E= EVERYONE needs to answer lol!


E-indoor or outdoor - indoor
E-soil, soilless, coco, aero, or hydroponic - soil
E-specific medium - 30% top soil, 30% MG organic, 40% Perlite
SCLR-Soil or slab runoff pH - 6.8
E-Water source - Steam distilled water with 5-10ml Calmag per gallon
E-Source water pH - 6.4
E-Age of plant - 5 weeks
E-Type of fertilizer - Flora Nova Grow
E-Rate of application - every other watering
E-Lighting source and distance from plant - CFL 5700K ~150Watt eq. 6 inches
E-Air temperature - 72-82
E-Air % Relative humidity - 27-37%
E-Lighting schedule - 19/5
E-Type of ventilation your room has - vent to outside, circ fan


I've got 4 plants going and 2 (which appear to be a different strain) have started curling up and turning darkish and look terrible. I have flushed 3 times now (2 days apart). The other strain is doing great, which I believe in NL. This could be diesel or some blueberry cross, not sure. All bagseed.

Any idea what this could be. I thought it might be heat stress so the lights have been moved away, but it's gotten worse since then. Thought humidity, but that's been adjusted and it's around 32-41% now...

Any ideas?

http://i630.photobucket.com/albums/uu26/jreading75/weed001.jpg

http://i630.photobucket.com/albums/uu26/jreading75/weed002.jpg

http://i630.photobucket.com/albums/uu26/jreading75/weed003.jpg

http://i630.photobucket.com/albums/uu26/jreading75/weed004.jpg

[johnnypants]

pics here, those links are dead....

[Rusty Trichome]

Well, if some plants are doing ok, and some aren't...and you do the same to all of 'em, might be the pre-fertilized organic potting mix, (or is it the garden soil?) plus the topsoil, plus the nutes. Possibly too much for certain strains.
How often do you water, and what quantity does the nutrients say to feed, and how often?

When did you last transplant? The nutes in the MG usually last a healthy plant about 3 weeks to a month. When you throw topsoil and the Flora Nova into the mix, it's likely just past the point of overdosing them. Keeping the soil wet is bad news, so let it almost dry-out between waterings, or you risk root rot. Did you feed them again after the flushes? If so, I would wait till next regular watering, and flush the stressed plants. But don't feed 'em.
Right now it looks like they could use some rest from the nutes and humidity. If they've been in the pot they are in now for a month or more, would start half-strength nutes, and watch their reaction. If they were recently transplanted, would wait to fertilize for at least a week or so, then start at half-strength. (watching for their reactions)

Might be kinda young for full-strength CalMag, too.

There's no other additives you haven't told us about, is there?

[johnnypants]

They were transplanted about 2 weeks ago, that's actually when the problem arose...

Should I flush with non-calmag'ed water? I don't feed after flushing generally but do flush with the calmag water. I'll try just straight distilled water.

[johnnypants]

Looks like the "bad" ones are still sitting in damp soil from the last flush... That was 2 days ago, so I assume that's telling me that the plant is not taking in the water?? Also, seems like the newer growths are beginning to show the same issues.

Should I transplant again? I need to think about transp. the other 2, they shot up and are getting too big for pots. One is showing female preflowers. YAY!

[Rusty Trichome]

If the soil is too moist, the rootball can easily fall apart, so letting it dry before transplant is good idea. If her progression is getting worse, transplant asap, but be all set-up and ready to transplant, before taking them out of the pots. (wet rootballs fall apart)

If you slip the rootball out of the pot, what color are the roots...? Should be very white to slightly dingy white.
What color are the roots growing tips...? Should be very white.

It could be that it's not uptaking water...but this will continue until you rectify the problem. (lockout) Don't overnute, and let the soil dry before adding more moisture. (water or nutes) This may mean you'll need to adjust your schedule, by tweaking quantity of water you add, or waiting longer between waterings.

Something to take into considderation: the plants in front of the fan, and directly under the lights will lose moisture through evaporation faster than the ones tucked into a stagnant corner. Don't water all plants, just because plant A is ready. Gotta check them all, at every watering. (It'll get to the point that you can look at 'em and tell)

A day or two before nutrient day, back-off the waterings, so they are more than ready to be fed and watered. Don't keep the soil wet.

[johnnypants]

Are the upcurled leaves a signal of too low humidity and too much evaporation and not necessarily a def/toxicity thing?

I assumed as much a few days ago and tried to increase humidity, move the lights away and I did move the fan as well...

They all get watered differently. The two healthy ones tell me when they need it (slight droopiness and dry pots). These ugly sisters have just been getting flushed as of late and haven't been in a healthy watering cycle for a while now... Like I said I have been doing the flushes with calmag'd water, but I'll try just plain next time (2 so far).

I'm going to let the problem children dry out and then a flush/dry out and transplant.

Thanks for the help....

[Rusty Trichome]

Are the upcurled leaves a signal of too low humidity and too much evaporation and not necessarily a def/toxicity thing? Ya have a couple things it looks like to me...pillowed and scorched leaves - high humidity, lights too close. Brownish grey blotches and leaf edges - overnute and/or overmicro. You are likely overdoing it with the CalMag, too. Shouldn't need much for the veg cycle. The dosages on the CalMag is for mature plants, isn't it? Regardless, I would only mix the CalMag twice a month, max.
You aren't using the CalMag to adjust your water ph, are you?


I assumed as much a few days ago and tried to increase humidity, move the lights away and I did move the fan as well... Did you put it back the way it was, and lower humidity?


They all get watered differently. The two healthy ones tell me when they need it (slight droopiness and dry pots). These ugly sisters have just been getting flushed as of late and haven't been in a healthy watering cycle for a while now... Like I said I have been doing the flushes with calmag'd water, but I'll try just plain next time (2 so far).
You do flush with ph'd water, right...? Being consistent with all of the plants will bring-about consistent results. Even with different strains, you can get a baseline of a schedule, and adjust as necessary per strains needs, and ambient weather. (summer, winter, monsoon season, drought...) Try not to get too excited, and overlove the ladies. Doing too much can be just as bad as not doing enough.
If you run into problems, try to diagnose the problem yourself. (but don't act on it) Come here, explain the problem...and see if our diagnosis is the same as yours. Tiz a good way to learn troubleshooting.


I'm going to let the problem children dry out and then a flush/dry out and transplant. I'd let it dry a bit, then transplant. Then I'd give it a week of ph'd water only, letting the soil dry between waterings. Keep an eye on 'em, to see if they need additional nutes.

Please, keep us informed to their progress. :thumbsup:

[phatsesh101]

great advice rep if i could

[johnnypants]

Upcurled leaves is a sign of too HIGH humidity???

My room is always been on the low side, and I'm battling to keep it more moist. It's always 20%- 35%...Trying to keep it in the high 30's...

As for water, the ph out of the bottle is 6.1-6.2, I realize that is a little low, and I have measured after the calmag (6.5) (so yes I was phing it with the calmag). The only phUp I have is the one for aquarirums (which is a no-no) and I haven't used that. Any natural alternates to phUP the water?

[Rusty Trichome]

Upcurled leaves is a sign of too HIGH humidity??? I'm pretty sure I didn't say that. The pillowed/scorched leaves look like high humidity with scorching. If ambient humidity is averaging low, then overwatering is the next suspect. The plant tries to respirate-out the extra moisture, but can only respirate sooo fast. (I believe this builds-up the moisture in the leaves, swelling 'em up)
Humidity surrounding the plant will vary from ambient humidity.

As for water, the ph out of the bottle is 6.1-6.2, I realize that is a little low, and I have measured after the calmag (6.5) (so yes I was phing it with the calmag). Would stop using CalMag as a ph adjuster. You're overdosing them, with a long-lasting component (calcium) which will in turn...screw-up your soil chemistry. Why are you using bottled water? Something wrong with your tapwater?


The only phUp I have is the one for aquarirums (which is a no-no) and I haven't used that. Any natural alternates to phUP the water?
Ummm...baking soda or something like this: Ph Up (http://www.planetnatural.com/site/general-hydroponics-ph-up.html)

[johnnypants]

Yes my tap water is unusable. It's buffered at 8.0, I hear municipalities will do this to prevent acidic damage to city piping....

I'll try a little baking soda in a bottle of distilled and see....

I'm really curious to know what the strain is.. I'm 99% sure that the plants that are doing well are seeds from a friend's outdoor NL grow. These bad ones may be from some that I bought previously. The leaves are a little broader with less tips...