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CanGroIt
03-30-2011, 06:08 AM
My ladies are telling me something and I think I know what it is. Not really a prob yet. Just want to throw this out there to get other minds involved...... On day 24 of bloom..

For now, trouble shooting form, then question of prob:

What is your experience level? (first timer, novice, experienced...) I grew indoors for 3 years, stopped for 3 years and just started again. Have had at least 12 successful grows.

Your Equipment:
.1) Type and wattage of lights. (MH, HPS, CFL's, tube fluorescents, LED's) 1k HPS

.2) Distance from tops? 4 feet

.3) Reflector type? (cool tube set-up, bat wing, enclosed reflector, bare bulb...) enclosed air cooled

.4) Is there a consistent fresh air supply? yes. exhaust intake on during light cycle.

.5) Do you have an exhaust fan and a circulation fan? yes, both

.6) What are the bulb wattages, kelvin ratings, and schedule? 1k watts on 12/12. I know I need a new bulb for sure...Currently using a EYE hortilux that has been used before...

Your medium:
.7) Specific brand and type of soil, (coco, peat based soilless...) and anything you've added to it. (vermiculite, perlite, worm castings...) Happy Frog with added perlite

.8) Size of container. 2.7L

.9) Did you use peat pucks (or similar) to root clones or germinate seedlings? used a bubbler to root clones

Your nutrients and water:
10) Source of water? (tap, bottled or filtered) What's it's ph before adjusting? Bottled, 7.5 or higher

11) Method of checking water ph. (ph pen, test strips, aquarium test kit...) Sun Leaves brand ph vile with dropper (ordering a ph pen on Friday)

12) Method of adjusting water ph. (phosphoric acid, white vinegar, hydrated lime, PH Up...) ph up and ph down

13) Specific brand and N-P-K ratio for each bottle. List dosages (quantity per gallon) and current feeding schedule. Using Bio Bizz products. The last feed I gave:
1ml Fish Mix, 1ml Alg a Mic, 3ml Bio Bloom, 2ml Top Max, .75ml Floralicious Bloom, 1ml Liquid Karma, .75ml Cal Mag, 1.5ml B-1. Came out to just over 1200ppm in 40oz of water.

14) How often are you watering between feedings, and how much per watering? I've been nute nute watering and I'm now changing that because of this. 20oz each plant

15) Any additives or tea's? (Superthrive, CalMag, molasses, Mother's Earth...) yes, see nute recipe, scroll up.

16) Are your ph levels stable, or do they fluctuate? stable

17) What is your ingoing water's ph? ...your runoff ph? 6.0, 6.0-6.5

18) Do you foliar feed? If so, with what, how often, and at what time do you spray? yes, 1ml of Floralicious Bloom in 18oz of ph'd to 6.5, right before the light comes on. Planning on not after day 28 of bloom

Your growroom:
19) Indoors or outdoors? indoor cab made of OSB and 2x4's

20) What size of closet, room or hut? exterior dimensions are 4'x2'-8"x7'

21) What are the temps and humidity levels while lights are on? ...With lights off? 80.4 degrees F 60% after spraying drops to 20% by last hour of light. 68 degrees F 30% during dark

22) Have you seen signs of insects in the growroom? Prevention is the key

Your strain:
23) What strain are you growing? (Indica dominate or Sativa dom?) hybrid indica dominant GDP x Snow Cap = Purple Cap

24) From seeds or clones? clones

25) Is this an autoflower strain? no

So I noticed that a couple leaf tips are starting to curl under and this is what I think it is - Since I have been nute nute watering, I think that they have reached a point where if I keep this up they will suffer nute burn. Or the soil is not properly draining and or not drying enough at the bottom of the pot. I didn't place any rocks or extra perlite at the bottom to help with drainage, forgot. I let them go about 4 days before watering again. Checking the soil moisture with a moisture probe. Now that I think about it, maybe I shouldn't be poking aroung in the soil, this too could be the prob.

So I think it may be due to either too much nute solution in soil, not enough drainage, or probe messing up the roots. I plan on flushing in two days when soil dries out, not completely of course.

What do you think?

WashougalWonder
03-30-2011, 11:59 AM
How long in the pot and what sized pot? I really don't see anything wrong in those pictures but as I read the form it stuck out lots of nutes and what pot???? Might be time to repot.

Rusty Trichome
03-30-2011, 01:39 PM
.1) Type and wattage of lights. (MH, HPS, CFL's, tube fluorescents, LED's) 1k HPS
.2) Distance from tops? 4 feet I keep my 1k light about 24" away from tops. 4' is at the outside limits of the light's effectiveness


10) Source of water? (tap, bottled or filtered) What's it's ph before adjusting? Bottled, 7.5 or higher
11) Method of checking water ph. (ph pen, test strips, aquarium test kit...) Sun Leaves brand ph vile with dropper (ordering a ph pen on Friday) Why don't you use your tap water? Your runoff number is likely wrong, but you're getting the ph pen, and will soon have a solid figure.


12) Method of adjusting water ph. (phosphoric acid, white vinegar, hydrated lime, PH Up...) ph up and ph down You should only need one.


13) Specific brand and N-P-K ratio for each bottle. List dosages (quantity per gallon) and current feeding schedule. Using Bio Bizz products. The last feed I gave:
1ml Fish Mix, 1ml Alg a Mic, 3ml Bio Bloom, 2ml Top Max, .75ml Floralicious Bloom, 1ml Liquid Karma, .75ml Cal Mag, 1.5ml B-1. Came out to just over 1200ppm in 40oz of water. If you are adding more nutrients than water...something's wrong. I'd check all your products, and see which are redundant and unnecessary.


What do you think?
Pots too small, light too high, waaaay too many nutrients and additives...

CanGroIt
03-30-2011, 04:16 PM
Thanks for the replies. I was thinking the same - time to repot, too many nutes, light too far.

My light is in a fixed location I cannot adjust height so what I'm going to do is build a table that will fit in the cab to elevate the plants. I have two gallon pots that I will be transplanting to tonight. And I am definitely going to lay off the nutes.

Rusty - I was just stating that I have both ph up and ph down. For the most part I don't have to correct after using ph down. And about the tap water, I have a water softener system hooked up to the house. I have an RO system but I need a couple parts so I didn't hook it up and since I'm moving in a couple months I don't want to do the extra work in this place.

Washougal - they are going on five weeks in these pots.

Rusty Trichome
03-30-2011, 05:11 PM
I often use milk crates and custom pot stands I've made in various sizes. Optimizing your growroom conditions is a good thing. Raising and lowering the light is so much easier. No way to hang it from a chain so you can adjust it?

CanGroIt
03-30-2011, 06:11 PM
Yeah, I got the yo-yo light hangers but when I designed this cab I designed it so all the light is captured below the glass of the hood. And it was easier for me to have a place for my fan without having to hang it. Plus this way minimizes the chances of the light or fan falling and crushing my babies...... I have this cab in my garage so it has to look like just a cab. Can't really take the chance of having the ducting or fan on the outside, big ass stealth cab:D.

Well I just finished attempting to transplant into the 2gal pots. I got the pots ready, water ready and I went as far as taking them out of the 2.7L pots and placed them in the soil but before I covered I decided to look and make sure they need to be transplanted. Roots were barely noticeable on the bottom and sides. I have seen root bound plants and these roots were nowhere near root bound so we can deduct this as one of the possible problems. And since roots were barely noticeable on the bottom I know that they are not sitting in too moist of soil on the bottom. Since it isn't the roots needing more space, my leaf prob has got to be due to my fault of over feeding. I'm just glad that the soil kept the shape of the pot cause if they hadn't, they would be in the 2gal pots right now. I had to remove them from the screen and then place them back through the screen. My hands smell sooooo good!!

I have some extra 2x4's so I can make a custom table. 2' should be good right?

Oh yeah, Rusty I have a hose bib at the front of the house that is city tap. 300+ ppm. I've never been a fan of using tap but I do have it available. Here is your chance to help me understand why tap water is ok to use......

Again thanks for your help!

CanGroIt::::::

Rusty Trichome
03-30-2011, 06:58 PM
Unless it's undrinkable, I would have no problems with giving tap water a try. The only exception, is if the muni water co. adds a solid form of chlorine to kill bacteria. If so, R/O would be necessary, as the chlorine solids will kill the beneficial bacteria in your soil. But I'm not at all a fan of buying water just because someone else is paranoid about tap water. Usually, those in soil, that are so anal about water that they have to buy it, are those that think they need to have every garden ammendment, fertilizer and tea to properly grow cannabis. (Advanced Nutrient and Lucas Formula nazi's for instance) That's just not the case.

Perhaps sometime when you can plan for potential failure, (doubtful but possible) try one plant from start to finish with (properly ph'd) tapwater. See what happens. Worse case...you revert back to paying more for watering for your plants, than you do for gasing-up your car. But other than your wallet thanking you, your back will thank you for not hefting water all over the town, and your complection will improve. (threw that last one in there to see if you were paying attention)

CanGroIt
03-30-2011, 08:04 PM
HAHA!!!!! Complexion? I can tell you and I are going to get along just fine Rusty:thumbsup:.

I don't drink or cook with the tap water, you can taste the chlorine in it. I only use tap for cleaning and washing. I'm only buying bottled right now cause I don't want to to through the hassle of hooking up the RO system to just have to unhook it in a couple months, plus I'm missing a couple parts for it. Water isn't that expensive. I get it by the case each time I go grocery shopping. 78 cents a gallon. Nowhere near $4 a gallon for gas. Were you being sarcastic:wtf:? But yeah 6 gallons of water lasts me about 3 weeks. I will however use tap for flushing but that's about it..... Complexion!!! LOL!!!!:D

Rusty Trichome
03-30-2011, 08:11 PM
If the chlorine outgasses, (no smell the day after setting it out) doubtful you'd have any issues that you could attribute to the water.

CanGroIt
03-30-2011, 09:00 PM
If the chlorine outgasses, (no smell the day after setting it out) doubtful you'd have any issues that you could attribute to the water.

On my way to fill a bucket right now! Will post tomorrow about the smell and taste along with any ppm decrease, if any.

CanGroIt
03-31-2011, 04:36 AM
Now with the stand in place, the tops of the plants are 25" from the glass. Will be keeping a close eye on them to make sure they don't bleach. If I have to cut down the legs, it won't be too hard to take out and cut. I'm sure the plants are going to thank me!!! And what I like best about having the extra space underneath is that since outdoor temps are going to start rising I can now do something to try to keep them down in the cab...... Thinking about filling empty gallon bottles with tap water and freezing. Then place them into the cab each night.......

First pic is of second day of FL.

Second pic is today and hopefully I don't have to shorten the legs.

Third pic - Man look at those trichs, definitely the traits of Snow Cap

Fourth pic - Other plant

Both have gumball size buds on them at the moment......

CanGroIt::::::

CanGroIt
03-31-2011, 06:16 AM
And Now Another Prob!!!!

The lights been on for three hours now and the temp is steady at 90.2 degrees. This is waaaay hotter than I expected. When the plants were down at the bottom the temp was at 80.4 degrees. I think that I might have to take six inches off the legs of the stand. I'm hoping that by doing this, with a combination of frozen gallons, the temp will drop to at least 85.

Any ideas Rusty??? The intake is fresh from outside air. I cannot vent the exhaust to outside without making it ever so apparent that it is a grow cab. I'm lucky to even be able to get the intake.....

(I can't wait to move!!!!)

Rusty Trichome
03-31-2011, 02:41 PM
Try reading the Dealing With Heat Issues thread in my signature. :thumbsup:

CanGroIt
03-31-2011, 05:06 PM
Try reading the Dealing With Heat Issues thread in my signature. :thumbsup:


Read it! Awesome thread...... Did the "back of hand at tops" and no prob. Doesn't feel like 90. Got 1 gal frozen so far. Will put it in the cab tonight to see if it makes a difference. Will add more as they become available. I know that outside temps are just starting to rise and I really don't want to deal with heat issues. I really wanted to have a rotation going but if I can't keep the temp down, I'm just going to flower all but one and keep it as a mother til I move......

I LOVE THIS HOBBY!!!!! I hope I can do this for a living some day......

CanGroIt
04-01-2011, 09:53 PM
Forgot to update about the tap water. After being in the bucket for a day or so, the chlorine smell and taste is gone, cool. However the ppm's were still above 300. Like Rusty said, I should try it on one and see how it goes.

As for my heat issue, it's all psychological at this point. These were the factors that I didn't take into account when I thought I had a temp prob - Outdoor temp: turns out we had a spike in temperature these last couple of days. This week temps should be back down to low 70's upper 60's. And the temp in the cab didn't really get any hotter, I just moved the plants and sensor closer to the light. By doing this it should have been obvious that the temp gauge was going to read a higher temp. To help combat the stagnant air on the outside of the cab, I am using a 12" oscillating fan. I tried the frozen gal jugs but now I feel like a dumbass for even thinking that it would make more than a 1 degree difference. Yeah, it didn't. So after reading Rusty Trichomes "Dealing With Heat Issues" thread, I know everything is going to be allllllll right!!!!!!

Thanks for your help Rusty, really appreciate it!!!!

CanGroIt::::::

Rusty Trichome
04-02-2011, 11:13 AM
Good luck with 'em, and keep us posted... :thumbsup: