HELP>>>2 problems one area?? ..PICs

Hi All
Been doing a lot of reading but i am in need of some help. so here are some facts:
soil: vortex lady bug
age: 2 wks, transplanted yesterday into 6" pots
ferts: fish emulsion 5-1-1once yesterday after transplanting
water: was using bottled, but after all my reading i am switching to tap, i was just worried about chlorine, but it phed at 7 & i only water when the pot is light.
lights: 1 t-5 for now
hope i didn't miss anything. of course the problem is the yellowing leaves with the gray spots. I thought maybe nitrogen def because of the yellow, but the gray spots seem more like phosphorus def. Oh i didn't mention ph..checked it today from runoff & it was 8!!! So I used vinagar 2tbl/gal water to lower the ph. there are spots on two of the plants, but the third has no spots and the leaves are very droopy as if overwatering, but i don't do that. So I am leaving this to the experts. could i possibly have 2 different things going on in the same environment? thanks in advance for any and all advice.

it is getting late so if anyone comes around please feel free to leave any and all advice. I am signing off but will be back to check tomorrow. thanks again

I'm no expert, but I can tell you that you'll want to keep the soil pH at or near 6.5. Slightly higher or lower won't affect nutrients too much, but extremes in alkalinity or acidity can lockout several primary nutrients. That is probably the reason why you're seeing multiple symptoms. The optimum range for soil is between 6.3 and 6.8, so get the runoff in that area, and see if things improve. Also, if you're worried about chlorine in your tap water, just leave a bucket of water sitting out in the open for a few days. The chlorine will be evaporated off after a certain amount of time, though I can't remember exactly how long.

Take care. :jointsmile:

I just wanted to say thank you for responding. I didn't think to check ph (new grower) until i did the research for my babies. Once i checked it, i began researching what to do right then. i sure didn't want that nutrient lock out if i didn't already have it. i hope the vinagar solution was a valid one. i read it in more than one place. one more question...after i give the vinagar how do i ph the runoff? it seems if i check it with the vinagar runoff i would get a false reading. Thanks again

Peace...Fishens

The vinegar will act as a buffer for both the water, and the soil pH. It's best to get a reading on your runoff water first, then buffer the tap water so that it'll slowly bring the runoff to a desirable level. You shouldn't, however, try to raise or lower an extreme soil pH all at once. Doing so can send the roots into a state of shock. You'll want to adjust the pH over several repeated waterings. By the time you've brought it back to an acceptable level, you'll have a pretty good idea about how much is needed to keep everything in a good range, and how often a buffering solution should be applied. Most fertilizers cause pH to fluctuate as well, so keep that in mind when you use them.

Take care. :jointsmile:

Thank you again Mr. Clandestine. I will do as you say and try to bring it down slowly. i also read that during these times of ph adjustment, foiler feeding would be better than root feeding. Do you agree? and if so, can i foiler feed fish emulsion & or worm juice? Thanks again for all the ph info...

Peace...Fishens:rasta:

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Originally Posted by fishens

Thank you again Mr. Clandestine. I will do as you say and try to bring it down slowly. i also read that during these times of ph adjustment, foiler feeding would be better than root feeding. Do you agree? and if so, can i foiler feed fish emulsion & or worm juice? Thanks again for all the ph info...

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You're most welcome, but I'm afraid I'll have to pass on the foliar feeding question. I've only foliar fed on a couple of occasions to treat for a deficiency, and so that's one aspect of growing that's still a little bit shady for me. Some of the other growers around here do it on a pretty consistent basis, so hopefully they can chime in with their thoughts. Sorry I don't have more to add on this topic.

Take care, and best of luck with your grow! :jointsmile:

ok thanks again, maybe i will repost with the foiler question & see if i can get some bites cause i sure don't want to compound problems.

Peace..Fishens