Loosing Lower Leaves

[mad5387]

I started flowering 16 plants mini-sog 7 days ago at 8 weeks and is seems there are more lower leaves dying. The new growth seems fine but most my plants have lost leaves up to the second or third node. I know some loss in lower leaves is OK but I also know you need some lower leaves for bud growth.
Any Ideas
Thanks
Sweet Leaf Dreams

[Garden Knowm]

hey mad..

How tall are your plants?
What kind of light are you using?

How far is the light from your canopy?

DO the leaves turn a pretty autum yellow before they fall off...?

or

Do they turn an ugly necrotic brown?

: )

[mad5387]

Tallest is 24 inches smalest is 16 inches.
So far just 6x40 watt Flo
1-4 inches from canopy
They pretty much stay green maybe darken a bit
Thanks
Sweet Leaf Dreams

[Garden Knowm]

so the lower leaves are not getting much light at all.. correct?

[stinkyattic]

If they are darkening rather than yellowing I would be worried.
When lower leaves don't get enough light, they just kind of turn uniformly pale and yellowish.
When it is an N deficiency (normal in late flowering) they get yellow chlorotic patches and eventually become all yellow.

If they darken- do they shrivel too?- I would look to pH problems, nutrient burn, and/or heat stress.

No matter what the problem, they need more light to the low leaves. Flouros don't penetrate too far. To help this, you can give them some side light with CFLs or tubes.
Or you can just spring for an HPS!