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View Full Version : Seems to be a bad Phosphorus deficiency mid-flower.



FatSean
06-23-2009, 11:12 PM
I've taken advice from other threads, but I'm not getting too much improvement. More details follow the form.

H=Answer if you grow hydro or aero
C=Answer if you grow coco
S=Answer if you grow traditional soil
L=Answer if you grow soilless other than coco (Promix, Hyponex, SunshineMix)
R=Answer if you grow in RockWool
T=Answer if you grow in HydroTon
D=Answer if you run any type of automatic drip system, including into soil or soilless
E= EVERYONE needs to answer lol!


E-indoor or outdoor - INDOOR
E-soil, soilless, coco, aero, or hydroponic - SOIL
E-specific medium - Fafhard 'Red' Potting soil 2TBSP pulverized Garden Lime per gallon of soil. Pour soil from bag into container while shaking the lime in, then thoroughly mixing by hand. No water added.
CSL-Soil type/brand - Fafhard 'Red' Potting soil
HCL-Hydro/aero/soilless system type
SCL-Anything you have added to the soil - 2TBSP pulverized Garden Lime per gallon of soil. Pour soil from bag into mixing container while shaking the lime in, then thoroughly mixing by hand. No water added. Then add about 16oz (keg cup) of MGrow perlite per gallon, also thoroughly mixed in by hand.
SCLR-Soil or slab runoff pH - Drops as time passes despite lime. Input is always 6.5pH (meter has margin of error +/- .2 tho) and output ranges from 6.5 to 5.8 . I use the technique recomended on this site.
E-Water source - R/O filtered well water. About 23 TDS.
E-Source water pH - Reads as 6.6 but add a touch of pH up and it goes to 7.0
HRT-Source water EC (if hydro)
E-Age of plant - 3 - 4 weeks Veg, problems appear after 2 - 4 weeks of 12/12
E-Type of fertilizer - Fox Farm liquids only. I use the chart but halve the dose and fert every time.
E-Rate of application (if hydro, this is your PPM number, preferably after each component is added) - takes about 5 - 6 days for flowering plants to dry out enough to re-feed.
E-Lighting source and distance from plant - 400W HPS about 16" from tops.
E-Air temperature (both day and night if you are running a dark period) - Have a ghetto thermostat...hi/lo thermometer reads low of about 70, high of about 80-85
HD-Reservoir temperature
E-Air % Relative humidity - 40 to 90 percent.
E-Lighting schedule - 12 hours on, 12 hours off.
E-Type of ventilation your room has - 4" CanFan pulling through charcoal filter and out the top. Hooked up to attic thermostat set at 77F.
TR-Did you pre-soak your media in pH corrected solution?


Well everyone, I have been growing both Northern Lights and Laughing Buddha. Symptoms sometimes vary by plant but at about 3 or 4 weeks into the 12/12 lighting schedule, the older fan leaves on my plants start to show damage. Margins tend to curl up and leaves take on a bronze/purple cast. Often the leaves will curl up into tight tubes, but not always. Sometimes they show small orange spots on them, but since I've been better about input pH, the dots are rare. As soon as I see this I do a flush with 3 gallons of pH correct water for a 3 gallon pot, then feed with mild bloom fert. Problems still progress until all the big fans are dead and most of the single-blade bud leaves and tips of the top buds are purple! Leaves get brittle. I get buds, no doubt. But a friend who grows the same strain has much fatter calyxes...his plants are so much happier looking I know I'm losing yield.

<whine>
Please don't tell me to flush with 9 gallons of water per pot. It takes so long and that much RO produces 50 gallons of drain water (if I can't use it for the outdoor garden)...I feel bad about that. I'd rather switch ferts than do that flush routine.
</whine>

glennc7
06-24-2009, 04:23 AM
I'm starting to notice bronze metallic/purple dots on my leaves as well. Currently have a hydroponic drip system with clay rocks in a 2 gallon bucket. Have you done anything to cure this? Should I be worried?

Thanks!

Rusty Trichome
06-24-2009, 02:00 PM
A couple things before I wisk my wife to the airport...

Is Farfrds Red a time release soil, or the regular potting mix? Adding full-strength nutes can cause problems, if the soil already has nutes.

Adding garden lime to pots...I always run some water through prior to adding the plant. This way, the lime can interact with (melt into) the soil...not the roots. (can burn the roots with direct exposure)

Unless I'm correcting a major problem, I usually flush with the volume of the pot. Not three times the volume. Three times the volume is kinda overkill for a simple flush to remove salts/nutes. If your garden has proper drainage, switching nutes is unnecessary. (thought you were talking indoors, though)

What method of testing runoff are you using? If one of those color-coded test kits or a soil probe...your results will fluctuate wildly. The color coded test kit is skewed by the color of the runoff, and the soil probes never work right. Ever.
If using fresh potting soil, and an ingoing water ph of 6.6, worst your runoff ph should be is 6.2 to 6.4ish. (approximate) Adjusting water to 7.0, and adding limestone dust (garden lime) might be bringing the ph too high.

Rusty Trichome
06-24-2009, 03:53 PM
Wife is at airport, gone for the week. :D <doh> I mean... :(

Feeding with every watering increases chances of nute build-up, but some do it fine. I, of course, like doing it my way:

Ok...with the FF liquids, the total weekly dosage is listed on their website. (the link is in my signature, and I've been using it for years)
I use half-strength doses, twice per week with the nutes. Plain, properly ph'd water inbetween...assuring adequate moisture to lower root zones.

With one exception to the schedule. I go half of what FF says to use for the Big Bloom. (it's an organic catalyst/tea) By this I mean...Fox Farms says to use 3 Tbs per gallon weekly in veg. I use about 1.5 Tbs weekly, split-up between my two feedings per week. (approx 2.5 tsp per feeding) I also add 1/4 tsp of unsulphured molasses (per gallon) on feeding days. I use the same 1/2 recommended weekly ratio for the Grow Big in flower, and the 1/4 tsp:gal of molasses.

But if your soil has time released nutes there already, the above schedule is for after the nutes in the potting mix have been exhausted. Likely after a month or so. The plants will let ya know.
If you're going to use the solubles in flower or to induce flowering...use care. That stuff is quite strong.

Allowing the pots to get too dry in flower isn't great. If the pot feels remarkably light when you pick it up...you should have watered yesterday.

Just noticed the meter accuracy you mentioned. Do you have calibration solution? If not, you can test accuracy using a freshwater aquarium test kit on your tapwater, and see if they're agreeing on ph. Do this to warm water, and check accuracy, then the cold water. (ph will change with temps)

The canoeing (and the resultant tubing and twisting) is likely a ph issue. After the canoeing/twisting/tubing, comes nutrient lockout. Everything starts to yellow.

Why are you R/O'ing the well water? I know different regions have different types of aquifers, but I've used mine for years without problems. (except for the 8.0 ph before ammending)

Late flowering orange/brown spots may be a sign of calcium def. This can happen especially if the water has been filtered. (R/O)

Hmm...Usually I'm a lot better organized with my thoughts. Hope you can see through the clutter. Been a hectic morning, lol. :jointsmile:

FatSean
06-24-2009, 09:26 PM
The potting soil says nothing about added nutrients or time-release, which is why I buy it. It is one of the few non-time-release options in this area...most places sell the time release national brands. link to <a href="http://www.fafard.com/index.php?p=14">soil info</>

I grow indoors, in a 3'x3' 'hydro hut'. Thanks for the clarification on flushing. I can handle three gallons of water for flushing if that is enough to counteract the FoxFarms salt build up (if, indeed, salt build up is a problem here).

I use RO because my well water is quite hard. TDS ranges from 250 to 280 and white and rust deposits are all over the plumbing. pH of raw tap water ranges from 7.4 to 7.6.

The pH Meter is an 'UltraBasic' model that does single-point calibration. I do check calibration every week, usually the meter is spot on. The margin of error may mean that if the solution is 6.5 the meter could read anywhere from 6.3 to 6.7...which is why I shoot for 6.5 for all my input water/ferts.

As for the FF ferts., I stopped all soluables two plants ago. I use one tsp of CalMagPlus per gallon of RO to replace minerals. I've been feeding half-strength (by the FF chart) every time the pot is dry. Thing is it takes 5 days to get light, so they're not really getting the full dose every week. My grow environment is pretty humid...never drops below 50% in my basement during summer. These are approx 3' tall (after stretch) plants in 12" plastic pots with extra holes in the bottom. Am I just waiting too long to water, or maybe I need a dehumidifier to bring down the humidity and speed up transpiration? Soggy soil? The FoxFarm schedule for weeks 7 and 8 (3rd and forth week of 12/12) says to use both GrowBig and TigerBloom. Do you do this? Just cut the liquid dosages in half?


I've read through your post, not too hard to follow :) I have some questions in bold above. What do you think of my proposed changes below?


- Use your reccomendation of BigBloom dosage for Veg and Flower
- Use your reccomendation of molasses dosage for Veg and Flower
- Start feeding more often. I've always been afraid of soggy roots so I wait till the top of the soil is quite dry. Perhaps I'm waiting far too long.
- Flush with 3 gallons of pH 7.0 water next time I see the leaf margin curl and color change.


Thanks!

Rusty Trichome
06-24-2009, 10:34 PM
The potting soil says nothing about added nutrients or time-release, which is why I buy it. It is one of the few non-time-release options in this area...most places sell the time release national brands. link to <a href="http://www.fafard.com/index.php?p=14">soil info</> Was just checking. (covering all bases)


I grow indoors, in a 3'x3' 'hydro hut'. Thanks for the clarification on flushing. I can handle three gallons of water for flushing if that is enough to counteract the FoxFarms salt build up (if, indeed, salt build up is a problem here). I flush monthly with 1:1 volume to gallon. But I do add Soil Syrup with the nutes on flush day. (humic acid)


I use RO because my well water is quite hard. TDS ranges from 250 to 280 and white and rust deposits are all over the plumbing. pH of raw tap water ranges from 7.4 to 7.6. My tap is 7.9 to 8.0, with a hardness of 240. Underground is calcium carbonate. I use my tapwater, and simply adjust ph with phosphoric acid. (phDown by GH)


The pH Meter is an 'UltraBasic' model that does single-point calibration. I do check calibration every week, usually the meter is spot on. The margin of error may mean that if the solution is 6.5 the meter could read anywhere from 6.3 to 6.7...which is why I shoot for 6.5 for all my input water/ferts. Okey dokey.


As for the FF ferts., I stopped all soluables two plants ago. I use one tsp of CalMagPlus per gallon of RO to replace minerals. I've been feeding half-strength (by the FF chart) every time the pot is dry. Thing is it takes 5 days to get light, so they're not really getting the full dose every week. My grow environment is pretty humid...never drops below 50% in my basement during summer. These are approx 3' tall (after stretch) plants in 12" plastic pots with extra holes in the bottom. Am I just waiting too long to water, or maybe I need a dehumidifier to bring down the humidity and speed up transpiration? Soggy soil? The FoxFarm schedule for weeks 7 and 8 (3rd and forth week of 12/12) says to use both GrowBig and TigerBloom. Do you do this? Just cut the liquid dosages in half?
Ok...
Molasses is cheaper than CalMag. (made from cane sugar molasses, with a little mag for ph control, I believe)

For 6 - 3 gallon pots I will adjust my water to 6.8ish, and add a quart to each pot. Then, I mix my half-strength dose, and some molasses and give each pot a quart, added slowly to maximize absorption. I do this on Mondays and Thursdays. Plain ph'd water inbetween. I use the 'inbetween' times for flushes, any additional watering if dry...
I stick pretty much to the schedule including the Grow big bump on week two of flower, but I grow mine a tad taller than you. (gives a little stretch, but fills it in nicely)

Soluables are ok at 1/2 of the dose per the schedule, but that is strain dependant. Some don't take it well.

Kick-up the fans if too humid. Make 'em aspirate rather than leaving the humid air to stagnate.



- Use your reccomendation of BigBloom dosage for Veg and Flower
- Use your reccomendation of molasses dosage for Veg and Flower
- Start feeding more often. I've always been afraid of soggy roots so I wait till the top of the soil is quite dry. Perhaps I'm waiting far too long.
- Flush with 3 gallons of pH 7.0 water next time I see the leaf margin curl and color change.
- Yes
- Yes
- Yes, but on a regular schedule.
- Kinda. Try not to let the ph sway, and try not to let the roots touch pure lime till dissolved into soil. (are you by chance using used soil when the ph dives?)

FatSean
06-24-2009, 10:52 PM
OK, good stuff!

I think I will stick with my RO+CalMagPlus for now, just to limit the number of variables being changed at one time. I will definitely consider trying the tap+phDown idea in the future as it would simplify.

I think you've mentioned that you grow in a very dry region, which is why you can add moisture (water or ferts) to you pots almost every day. When you add moisture, do you add till you see run-off? Given the 60% humidity in my basement I don't know if I should follow your lead on that schedule :) The basement has been low 70s lately, so I'm just going to put the exhaust fan on 24x7 which will ensure a pretty constant 60% humidity in the flower chamber.

Thanks!!

FatSean
06-24-2009, 11:28 PM
Oh yeah...I never use used soil. I just take soil out of the bag, mix in the lime and perlite using a bucket, and then pour the mix into a new pot. Put the plant on top of that mix, fill in the sides, and then water till a few ounches of drainage appear.

Rusty Trichome
06-25-2009, 12:00 AM
On my winter schedule, (likely what you should do now)
On feeding days, I add the pre-soak water, and the quart of nute solution. The next day or so I slowly add water enough to get the lower root zones moist. Perhaps a half gallon or so. About a half cup of runoff total, which in itself is a mini-flush. That is usually enough to last till next feeding, but if humid and I've cranked-up the fans...sometimes I'll need to add another quart of ph'd water to tide 'em over.
Summer schedule is to feed twice a week, and daily watering of a quart or two.
And always monthly flushes to remove salts/excess nutes and micro's.

About adjusting the soil... most commercial potting mixes already have lime in it. Usually lasts ... IDK...3-4 months or so. Murphy's law states that it'll exhaust usefulness mid way through flower, depending on last transplant, lol.
Have you tested water ph then run it through, and tested runoff from a fresh pot of soil you haven't ammended?

FatSean
06-26-2009, 12:40 AM
Very interesting that you mention that a 1/2 cup of run-off is a mini-flush. I've been doing the whole "let it get low-moist, then feed a bunch of liquid and let a few cups run off" for so long...maybe I'm just flushing my nutes out. That whole thing was done out of fear of soggy roots...

I'm going to try your style...more frequent and smaller amounts. I've got a plant I just put into flower last week that'll get this treatment.

Rusty Trichome
06-26-2009, 01:38 AM
Gotta make sure the lower root zones get some moisture, but yes...you do need to avoid stagnant water down there.

Also, I place my drainage rocks in the tray, not inside the pot. Provides a little extra rootspace, and I can finger a drain hole to feel the moisture in my larger pots. Has worked great for the past year.

FatSean
06-26-2009, 02:25 AM
I haven't done the pH in/out test with plain soil in a pot yet. I think I will do that soon.

Just fed my 'test' plant. It's in a 10qt paint bucket for the first two weeks of flower, then gets transplanted into a proper 12" 3-gallon pot. This plant has been in the bucket 5 days. I fed it a quart of RO+1/4 tsp CalMagPlus pHed to 7.0 (clumsy with the pH adjust) and then a quart of RO+1/4 tsp CalMagPlus+ 1/4 tsp TigerBloom+ 1/4 tsp BigBloom that was pHed to 6.9. Got 6oz+ of runoff at pH 6.2. That seems bad.

I'm kicking myself for cheaping out on the pH pen and not getting one with better accuracy.

This is with never-used soil with the lime and perlite added. Now, the soil bag sat in my garage for a few weeks, and who knows how long outside at the garden center. The perlite has some nutirents added to it (MiracleGrow is all I can find) Dunno if that matters.

Thanks for your help!

phatsesh101
06-26-2009, 02:43 AM
checkin in be back

Rusty Trichome
06-26-2009, 02:48 AM
I ph my water to 6.8 to 6.9 ish, then add my nutes and additives. Brings me down to a 6.4ish which is fine. No need to make it overcomplicated.
I guess you could add the nutes and stuff then ph it and adjust accordingly. Either way, as long as the ph is within range.

phatsesh101
06-26-2009, 04:12 AM
looks like rusty got u on the right track

hey rusty u should see my physically retarded girlfriend now

Rusty Trichome
06-26-2009, 11:49 AM
Phatsesh: Have ya got a link?

FatSean
06-26-2009, 02:49 PM
I ph my water to 6.8 to 6.9 ish, then add my nutes and additives. Brings me down to a 6.4ish which is fine. No need to make it overcomplicated.
I guess you could add the nutes and stuff then ph it and adjust accordingly. Either way, as long as the ph is within range.

Huh. Maybe your mineral-laden tap water is buffering the pH better than my RO+CalMagPlus. My RO+CalMagPlus is about 6.8 and when I add TB and BB...it plumets to 5.0! :D So, I gotta adjust.

Next plant to go to flower will try your way of Saline Tap + pH Down as the starter. :thumbsup:

Rusty Trichome
06-26-2009, 03:10 PM
Have you tried adding the nutes and additives, then adjusting ph to 6.8?
How old are your nutes? (going 'sour'?)
Doubtful my water is adding too much to the buffering, as I still get occational low ph runoff myself, and the ph in a 5 gallon bucket of ph'd water doesn't really sway over time, (a few days to a week) which it should if significant buffering was ongoing. I had thought of that a couple of years ago when I first moved here.

:wtf: Saline water? Bad idea.

FatSean
06-29-2009, 08:53 PM
I do add all the nutes, then adjust pH. I've begun adjusting to 6.8 instead of 6.5
The nutes were ordered a few months ago...shouldn't be old.

Oh, typo on my part. Didn't mean 'saline' meant straight tap + pH down :D Yeah...salt would be bad hehe

So far so good with the new techniques! No issues yet on my latest plant...but it has been one week in flower. We'll see by week 4.

Rusty Trichome
06-29-2009, 09:08 PM
Good luck with her, and keep us informed. :thumbsup:

FatSean
07-01-2009, 01:08 AM
My Northern Lights plants seem stuck on a .7 point pH drop. 7.0 in. 6.3 out. 6.8 in 6.2 out. 6.9 in 6.2 out. THis has happened three times in a row...I'm following your winter sched and getting a few ounces of runoff whether it's the 1qt water+1qt ferts or just the 2qt water. So, I measure the run-off. I am seeing the darkening older fan leaves. 'Pillowing' starts at the tips which is what I call it when the leaf surface starts to look a bit shiney and lumpy, then the margins start to turn up a bit. Travels down the fingers of the leaf :( Seems like the same old same old.

I'm still mixing my lime into my potting soil 'dry'. I'm thinking about mixing the soil+lime in a pot with drain holes, add some water to make it more of a slurry...then stir the crap out of it before all the extra moisture runs out the drain holes leaving me with soil I can put into another pot when transplanting.

Strange thing, my Laughing Buddha plants are smaller in the same size pot and show the same runoff pH as input pH. I don't know if that means anythign.

phatsesh101
07-01-2009, 01:31 AM
sound s like theyre doing good maybe a lil hot not sure didnt read everything again but no pics

and there should be a drop on the runoff

and u confused me with the mixin stuff dry wet

Rusty Trichome
07-01-2009, 02:35 AM
My Northern Lights plants seem stuck on a .7 point pH drop. 7.0 in. 6.3 out. 6.8 in 6.2 out. 6.9 in 6.2 out. THis has happened three times in a row...I'm following your winter sched and getting a few ounces of runoff whether it's the 1qt water+1qt ferts or just the 2qt water. So, I measure the run-off. I am seeing the darkening older fan leaves. 'Pillowing' starts at the tips which is what I call it when the leaf surface starts to look a bit shiney and lumpy, then the margins start to turn up a bit. Travels down the fingers of the leaf :( Seems like the same old same old. Might be that Fafard soil is buffered to a lower ph, needing a tad more lime to compensate. Did you ph runoff from the Fafard without the lime?
Do you let the soil dry between waterings, or are you trying to adjust ph every day?


I'm still mixing my lime into my potting soil 'dry'. I'm thinking about mixing the soil+lime in a pot with drain holes, add some water to make it more of a slurry...then stir the crap out of it before all the extra moisture runs out the drain holes leaving me with soil I can put into another pot when transplanting.
That's pretty much what I do.


Strange thing, my Laughing Buddha plants are smaller in the same size pot and show the same runoff pH as input pH. I don't know if that means anythign. My guess is that you got the right ammount of lime in the mix on that batch of soil. (don't tell me it's the same batch, lol)

FatSean
07-01-2009, 10:48 PM
Might be that Fafard soil is buffered to a lower ph, needing a tad more lime to compensate. Did you ph runoff from the Fafard without the lime?
Do you let the soil dry between waterings, or are you trying to adjust ph every day?

Been lazy/busy, so haven't done the runoff test yet. I will do so next week. I also think experimenting with different soils is some to try as well...the garden center has several different products w/o ferts added. Gonna email the soil company to find out what they buffer their stuff to.

Well, I'm not too sure of my ability to judge dryness of soil. It often feels moist to my finger when my cheap-o probe moisture meter says low-moist. Maybe I need a better meter. I'm basically following your winter schedule verbatim in my grow-box with the exhaust fan on constant and a relative humidity range of 50%-72%.



That's pretty much what I do.

Sounds good, I'll start doing that.



My guess is that you got the right ammount of lime in the mix on that batch of soil. (don't tell me it's the same batch, lol)
Nope different batch, same technique of mixing dry! Sounds like the wet mixing is the way to go...maybe I just got lucky with the Buddha's soil :D

FatSean
07-13-2009, 07:33 PM
What a hectic week! Haven't had time to test soil pH run-off but I've started using pH-adjusted tapwater whenever plain water is called for. My Northern Lights has entered the fourth week of 12/12 so I flushed it as I usually get the deficiency symptoms starting in weeks 4 and 5. The plant is looking great! Leaves are nice lightish-green like my friend's leaves and not that sad dark-green-purple color I'd been seeing.

I'm not going to jinx myself, but I am cautiously optimistic :)

crabbyback
07-14-2009, 09:00 AM
Thanks Rusty and FatSean, this is textbook troubleshooting on both of your parts. Logic and gems galore along with a great read.

:<sigh> off to search for threads that discuss specifics of when would you NOT want to use local tap water:

FatSean
07-22-2009, 11:29 PM
You're welcome crabbyback. I was afraid I was getting too pedantic :)

So anyway, my NorthenLights plant is doing fairly well. I gave it a flush with some FloraKleen (1tsp/gallon, 2 gallons thru 3 gallons of medium) and then left for 2 days. Got back to see that a good number of mid-level large fans had gone yellow. Notyellowing from the bottom at all...seeming like a yellowing from the middle up. A few all yellow, a few still with green veins and areas of the leaf. I quickly gave it the 1qt tap and then FoxFarm ferts till a few ounces of drain. 6.6pH in 6.5 pH out. A few days later the leaf yellowing has not progressed much at all, so I'm thinking I over-did it with the flush...or the flush was not needed at all and actually took too many nutrients from the soil. This plant is at 30 days under 12/12 lighting. Buds have been filling out well despite the leaf issues.

The poor Laughing Buddha appears to be a victim of my past improper use of lime. I can feed it any pH (I've done 6.3 to 6.7) and it always comes out 7.0. The plant is clearly unhappy and I'll probably put it out of it's misery to make room for a new experiment.

crabbyback
07-25-2009, 07:03 PM
Sorry to hear about the LB, but glad the NL is coming back.

Have you grown NL before?

FatSean
07-28-2009, 01:34 PM
I've been growing both of them half-assed for a while for some people who appreciated what I was able to give to them. I'm trying to dial in my technique exactly, so I can run the equpment less and get the same ammount of medicine. The lamp, fans, etc.. all consume a fair bit of electricity.

FatSean
07-29-2009, 12:09 AM
Well it is day 36 of 12/12 lighting. The fans are getting worse slowly but surely. Going yellow and getting brown spots...one has gone full shrivel. Fans at the bottom are showing yellowing margins with brown spots. If I feed 6.7pH, I get 6.6pH runoff. If I feed 6.5Ph, I get 6.4pH runoff.

Could Northen Lights just need alot of Phosphorus? It still shows signs of a Phosphorus deficiency...just different than the dark-green leaves w/ upturned margins and pillowing I used to get.

Should I feed it a stronger nutrient mix next time? Maybe 3/4 strength instead of 1/2?

Thanks!

Rusty Trichome
07-29-2009, 01:29 PM
As she approaches harvest time, the lower fans and some lower (interior) growth will die-off on their own. As long as the yellowing and blotching is limited to the fans, and as long as the buds continue to fill-in...all should be ok. (but a picture would really help)

I'd keep her going till you see nothing but cloudy trichomes. (clear trichs=underdeveloped, cloudy trichs=harvest at any time, rusty trichs=starting to over-ripen...harvest soon or risk nanners) Until you witness the whole process, it will remain a nagging mystery filled with panic and overcorrections.

If the buds start weirding-out or mold or some other condition starts affecting them, then harvest at your discression. But if the primary and secondary branches are chugging along just fine, harvesting now will likely cut your yield in half, and you'll lose some flavor and effects. You're near the finish line...don't quit now. :jointsmile:

I treat my NL as if a sativa. Limited nutes when mature.

At this point, with your previous problems, I wouldn't go up with the nutrients.
A picture would explain a lot, if you could manage it. :thumbsup:

FatSean
08-06-2009, 11:03 PM
Well I believe I found out why my leaves were yellowing so much. Turns out I was under watering. Once I started adding a quart of pHed water on the days in between the fert-days and the mini-flush-days, leaf drop stopped and the yellowing slowed and the buds grew faster!

My guess is that I fixed my pH issue with you guys' help, which meant the plant was 'working faster' for lack of a better term. Since it had all the P it needed, it was able to grow faster and so consumed more water than I was used to giving it.

Even though she is almost half-yellow, the buds look way better than anything I've grown before! Many thanks!!