Back again with the same yellowing leaf problem

[Ignitebudz]

Hi everyone, I posted a month or so ago about my plant that was showing yellowing leaves and with the help of GaGrown and a coule others I realised it might have been because I didn't flush after adding too much nutrients...So I did and it got better for a while. now it seems like its comeback and I DONT KNOW WHY :( lol....

What is your experience level? (first timer, novice, experienced...)

Your Equipment:
.1) Type and wattage of lights. (MH, HPS, CFL's, tube fluorescents, LED's)
5 26w cfls 5600k
.2) Distance from tops?
About 2 inches
.3) Reflector type? (cool tube set-up, bat wing, enclosed reflector, bare bulb...)
None, some mylar lining the grow cabinet now
.4) Is there a consistent fresh air supply?
Yes, 1 intake fan 1 exhaust
.5) Do you have an exhaust fan and a circulation fan?
Yes
.6) What are the bulb wattages, kelvin ratings, and schedule?
26w cfl 5600k , 18 on 6 off

Your medium:
.7) Specific brand and type of soil, (coco, peat based soilless...) and anything you've added to it. (vermiculite, perlite, worm castings...)
FFOF nothing added
.8) Size of container.
I believe its 3 quart
.9) Did you use peat pucks (or similar) to root clones or germinate seedlings?
no

Your nutrients and water:
10) Source of water? (tap, bottled or filtered) What's it's ph before adjusting?
Tap and its about 7-7.3
11) Method of checking water ph. (ph pen, test strips, aquarium test kit...)
Drop kit
12) Method of adjusting water ph. (phosphoric acid, white vinegar, hydrated lime, PH Up...)
Ph Up and Down. Only ever have to use ph down tho
13) Specific brand and N-P-K ratio for each bottle. List dosages (quantity per gallon) and current feeding schedule.
Only fed twice in its life but it was FF grow big
14) How often are you watering between feedings, and how much per watering?
Not feeding at all anymore
15) Any additives or tea's? (Superthrive, CalMag, molasses, Mother's Earth...)
Nope
16) Are your ph levels stable, or do they fluctuate?
Stable
17) What is your ingoing water's ph? ...your runoff ph?
Only checked twice but both times was around 6.5 which is what i put in. Havent checked run off in a while
18) Do you foliar feed? If so, with what, how often, and at what time do you spray?
Ehh no, does that mean spray the leaves? if so no...

Your growroom:
19) Indoors or outdoors?
Indoors
20) What size of closet, room or hut?
Grow cabinet about 5' 6" tall, 1' deep , 3 ' wide
21) What are the temps and humidity levels while lights are on? ...With lights off?
71-78 on havent checked them when lights off
22) Have you seen signs of insects in the growroom?
No

Your strain:
23) What strain are you growing? (Indica dominate or Sativa dom?)
Random seed bank seed, Sativa dom guessing by the leaves
24) From seeds or clones?
^
25) Is this an autoflower strain?
No

So ya here are some pictures as well. Let me know if you need some clearer ones, Im kind of a camera idiot and i couldnt get them to come out really clear...=/.

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e140/Ignite_2389/2012-01-30141041.jpg
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e140/Ignite_2389/2012-01-30141122.jpg
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e140/Ignite_2389/2012-01-30141553.jpg
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e140/Ignite_2389/2012-01-30141532.jpg
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e140/Ignite_2389/2012-01-30141845.jpg
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e140/Ignite_2389/2012-01-30141909.jpg
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e140/Ignite_2389/2012-01-30142103.jpg
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e140/Ignite_2389/2012-01-30142000.jpg
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e140/Ignite_2389/2012-01-30141919.jpg
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e140/Ignite_2389/2012-01-30142204.jpg

As you can see it looks like It's ok from far away in one of those pictures . Once you get close its mostly the leaves inside the outer branches and the ones underneath, like the very lower leaves. Sometimes its even new growth thats on the inside, I find tiny little leaves completely yellow.

Now the thing is like I said its stopped for a week or so after I flushed her a few times, then it came back so then I transplanted to a slightly bigger pot and then ....IT WAS FINE....for about a week or 2 maybe...all the growth was green. Then it started again a couple weeks ago.


My only two Ideas are maybe a sulfur deficiency, from reading that page about mineral deficiencies or maybe it has something to do with my soil. It's FFOF but it has been in an outdoor mini shed for about a year and a half so its no longer real fresh. Idk if something turned toxic in it maybe or maybe it ...dare I say dirt expired but I dont know maybe it did! lol

Oh and all pics are from today after flushing yesterday....which seems to have made it worse..

Please help...
Thank you for the 10 minutes i took from you reading my post lol
Ignite

EDIT: Oh btw In case anyone was wondering why i only have 5 cfls in there its because I have a 400w MH/HPS combo on its way from HTG as we speak!

[rattlingdags]

I was just thinking as I looked at your pics that it seems that its a pretty big plant you have there in a relatively small pot. It has that look of tight narrow leaves. You said you up-potted to a slightly bigger pot about a month ago - perhaps a transplant to a good sized pot and some quality fresh soil?
It does help you to check every so often what your out going PH is too. If you've been flushing then the buffering in your soil maybe getting depleted - also you probably already know by now to let her soil dry out good before watering again.
I'm sure she'll love the new light your getting for her too.

[Ignitebudz]

Thank you very much for the reply. Yeah that thought crossed my mind too, I think when I get paid(next week lol) I'll get fresh ffof and a bigger pot, no matter what.

Hey I just noticed this morning that the yellowing leaves are curling upward and the very tip is turning brown.
I just thought that might be more specific if it IS done kind of deficiency.
Also I was thinKing of not adjusting the ph of the water before watering, after I looked at one of the charts in the sticky thread. it comes at about 7.0 out of the tap.maybe I adjust it too much for it to get a certain nutrient?

[rattlingdags]

I would only be hazzarding a guess based on the pictures but it seems to me that your PH has dropped quite low and nitrogen (along with other nutrients) are now locked out, but unless your able to get your hands on a ph meter to check her runoff water its just a thought. The drop kits are not always very accurate in measuring runoff water as it tends to already be coloured when it runs out of the pot.

Also have you considered your watering? Is it possible she's got a bit water logged, can water run easily out the bottom of her pot?
Fixes for plants in soil do take a long time, they take a while to respond. If your able to get her a bigger pot and some good soil next week then probably a couple of waters with your tap water wouldn't hurt I don't think. Do you think that perhaps you've adjusted the water too low previously using the drop test kit? They can be tricky critters.

[Ignitebudz]

Yeah that makes sense, but it does have good drainage and I dont believe I've over watered. I do think the ph kit could be there problem because how much can u count on the color of liquid for an accurate result lol. I was really close to buying a ph pen but then it started to doing well after I transplanted the last time so I forgot about it.
Do you know of any good budget ph pens?

[rattlingdags]

For PH pens a little while ago I would have recommended the one I use (Adwa 100) but as it and the same brand a friend uses have both kicked the bucket after less then a year I won't recommend them. Alot of people like the milwaukee ph meter and if you can buy stuff off e-bay then they look a more reasonable cost than buying retail. Whatever you get, a meter really is just so handy - especially when things go wrong. I did keep my drop kit tester that I used first, just as a back up.

How long have you been growing this girl, is she going to be a mom or go into flower?

[Ignitebudz]

Oh ok Ill look into the milaukee's then. That will probably be my next expenditure toward the grow.
To answer your question, gahh...lol. I have no idea I didn't keep a date but its been far longer than if should've for her size, I thinks its been almost 3 months. But during 3 months she has had A TON of leaves drop and I've goofed up here in there trying to get back into the groove,so not too bad imo.

UPDATE: I transplanted on Friday afternoon, the hydro store guy talked me into Roots Organic potting soil (which was on sale and cheaper than FFOF which is weird he would suggest it lol.) He said that its about the same nutrients and it has far better drainage straight out of the bag, So I went for it. I also upgraded from a 3 quart pot to a 3 gallon pot.
She seems to have perked up just a bit, I just removed the last of the yellow leaves so if they continue to turn yellow and drop off,post transplant, I will know now.
I reapplied the LST I had going as well.

I'm going to flower her but I will probably grab a clone or two first. I picked up some Clonex when I was at the hydro shop.
I;m going to wait until I move, which is in a few days, before I hook up the new light system. I figure, If she stabilizes, I will let her go crazy for a couple weeks under the MH and then throw in the HPS and flip to 12/12.

Ill update in a day or two about her recovery, from lockout I suppose it was.
Thanks for your help rattlingdags

[rattlingdags]

Your very welcome I just hope that it was only a transplant she wanted and now, with a bit of luck, she'll grow like the weed she is. Sounds like you've got some good plans and taking clones is a good idea.
Keep with an update if you can, I'd like to see what she does.
All the best