Yellow leaves/Brown Spots (Troubleshooting form included)

Dear fellow enthusiasts,
I am at a loss with this issue. I have tried to research this myself and can't come up with an answer. I could use some help from experienced enthusiasts. Not sure if I am overwatering or if its a ph issue or maybe even something else. From what I have read it seems that is possibly one of two but I don't know and don't know how to correct the problem.


Equipment
1. Lights: 90 watt LED UFO light
2. Distance from tops: 12 inches
3. Reflector type: enclosed reflector material
4. Air Fans: Yes I use 2. One brings in fresh air. The other sucks out warm air
5. Yes I have an exhaust and a circulator fan
6. 90 watt LED UFO light 24/7 right now

Medium
7. Hydrotone (yes, I rinsed it before I used it)

Nutrients and water:
10. Source of Water: distilled water
11. Method of checking water ph: I use a test kit and test twice a day morning/night
12. Method of adjusting ph: PH up and PH down
13. Nutrients: I use GH Flora Micro, Flora Gro, Flow Bloom (I started very low and titrated up yesterday, but it is still under the recommended amount)
14. Amount of watering: I use a drip system and I had the watering on constantly up until yesterday and feel this could be my problem so I turned off watering since yesterday
15. Diamond Nector and Floracious Grow (just added yesterday for first time)
16. Ph levels stay relatively stable. I need to adjust once or twice mid week once the back up reservior is used.
17. ingoing ph and your run off: In going PH shows right aroudn 6 according to the color for the testing kit. Does Run off apply to hydro as well?
18: Foliar Feed: No I don't. Not sure what that is
19. Does your ec/ppm show a rise and fall when you do your daily PPM check? I don't check my PPM daily, but I checked yesterday and I remember it being at around 131 and now it reads 79 on the TDS meter. So I guess it does fluctuate

Your Grow Room:
19. Indoors or outdoor: Indoors
20. What is the size of closet, room or hut? 36'' tall x 31'' wide x 20'' deep
21. What are the temps and humidity levels while lights are on? current temp is 81.3 degrees and does not fluctuate much, does not get lower than 79 and never higher than 83 degrees. The current humidity is 43% RH
22. Have not seen signs of insects in the actual stealth box

Strain
23. What strains are you growing? Northern Lights and Pandoras Box
24. From Seeds or Clones? From seeds
25. Is it an autoflower strain? Not that I know of

This my first grow and I have read a few threads and seen the "Marijuana abuse" article. I am using a drip system that had a steady drop of about 2 drips every 5 seconds. I used this until yesterday evening because I thought overwatering could be my issue. The roots have now reached the reservior and have been doing so for about a week. I have flushed them twice since germination. Last Saturday I flushed them and ran plain distilled water until Sunday because I was switching nutes and did not want to cause a problem. I flushed them again yesterday because I changed the water and titrated up the nutes. This time I used GH's flora clean along with the distilled water while flushing and only flushed for 2 hrs like recommended on bottle. I did use less than the recommended dose as suggests for younger plants. I don't think my PH fluctuates all that much because I check it twice a day and may have needed to add "PH up" once last week. The plants look "happy" with the acception of the coloring on the leaves. The new growth does not have this coloring (yellowing and brown spots on some). They have not drooped at all and one (Northern lights) has 2 dried up leaves that are cracking and falling apart, but new growth on this did not show signs and older leaves on the next node show beginning signs of coloring but plant does not droop and continues to grow. Any help on this issue would be of great help

how old are plants?
how much per gal of each nute?
pics if able?
I'm leaning towards you starving them but depends on age and how much you are giving them

The were planted on 8/31.
According to the chart GH says 2.5 mil for Flora Fro, Flora Micro, and Flora bloom per 1 gallon of water.
1/2 teaspoon= 2.5 ml
I fill up my reservior with 3 1/2 gallons of distilled water and added the 2.5 ml and that was it. I did not want overdue it and cause nutrient lock or burn them. I was just trying to be cautious.

And, thanks for responding tiny toon. I appreciate any help you can give.

Sorry if I did not clarify but I added the suggested amount 2.5 ml of all three per 1 gallon of water. It takes 3 1/2 gallons to fill up my reservior. I put in the suggested amount for only 1 gallon because I was affraid of adding too much and read overfertilizing is a common practice for novices.

if u use distilled water i think u need cal-mag plus or sensi-cal veg from AN (theres also a sensi-cal bloom 4 bloom) the new cal-mag plus has trace minerals so thats really good and calcium,magnesium and iron supplement is what your missing in your distilled water

Quote:

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Originally Posted by txbudenthusiast

Dear fellow enthusiasts,
I am at a loss with this issue. I have tried to research this myself and can't come up with an answer. I could use some help from experienced enthusiasts. Not sure if I am overwatering or if its a ph issue or maybe even something else. From what I have read it seems that is possibly one of two but I don't know and don't know how to correct the problem.


Equipment
1. Lights: 90 watt LED UFO light
2. Distance from tops: 12 inches
3. Reflector type: enclosed reflector material
4. Air Fans: Yes I use 2. One brings in fresh air. The other sucks out warm air
5. Yes I have an exhaust and a circulator fan
6. 90 watt LED UFO light 24/7 right now

Medium
7. Hydrotone (yes, I rinsed it before I used it)

Nutrients and water:
10. Source of Water: distilled water
11. Method of checking water ph: I use a test kit and test twice a day morning/night
12. Method of adjusting ph: PH up and PH down
13. Nutrients: I use GH Flora Micro, Flora Gro, Flow Bloom (I started very low and titrated up yesterday, but it is still under the recommended amount)
14. Amount of watering: I use a drip system and I had the watering on constantly up until yesterday and feel this could be my problem so I turned off watering since yesterday
15. Diamond Nector and Floracious Grow (just added yesterday for first time)
16. Ph levels stay relatively stable. I need to adjust once or twice mid week once the back up reservior is used.
17. ingoing ph and your run off: In going PH shows right aroudn 6 according to the color for the testing kit. Does Run off apply to hydro as well?
18: Foliar Feed: No I don't. Not sure what that is
19. Does your ec/ppm show a rise and fall when you do your daily PPM check? I don't check my PPM daily, but I checked yesterday and I remember it being at around 131 and now it reads 79 on the TDS meter. So I guess it does fluctuate

Your Grow Room:
19. Indoors or outdoor: Indoors
20. What is the size of closet, room or hut? 36'' tall x 31'' wide x 20'' deep
21. What are the temps and humidity levels while lights are on? current temp is 81.3 degrees and does not fluctuate much, does not get lower than 79 and never higher than 83 degrees. The current humidity is 43% RH
22. Have not seen signs of insects in the actual stealth box

Strain
23. What strains are you growing? Northern Lights and Pandoras Box
24. From Seeds or Clones? From seeds
25. Is it an autoflower strain? Not that I know of

This my first grow and I have read a few threads and seen the "Marijuana abuse" article. I am using a drip system that had a steady drop of about 2 drips every 5 seconds. I used this until yesterday evening because I thought overwatering could be my issue. The roots have now reached the reservior and have been doing so for about a week. I have flushed them twice since germination. Last Saturday I flushed them and ran plain distilled water until Sunday because I was switching nutes and did not want to cause a problem. I flushed them again yesterday because I changed the water and titrated up the nutes. This time I used GH's flora clean along with the distilled water while flushing and only flushed for 2 hrs like recommended on bottle. I did use less than the recommended dose as suggests for younger plants. I don't think my PH fluctuates all that much because I check it twice a day and may have needed to add "PH up" once last week. The plants look "happy" with the acception of the coloring on the leaves. The new growth does not have this coloring (yellowing and brown spots on some). They have not drooped at all and one (Northern lights) has 2 dried up leaves that are cracking and falling apart, but new growth on this did not show signs and older leaves on the next node show beginning signs of coloring but plant does not droop and continues to grow. Any help on this issue would be of great help

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So you think it could be a nutrient issue and not a over watering, ph, or starving?

If you look at my grow log you will see the same issues.

You are lacking Cal-Mag. You need it plain and simple. You are also putting in to little nutrients. You should not ever need to use PH up ever, if the correct nutrient amounts have been added to your res with Cal-Mag. Especially if you are flushing this often. Even when you are flushing, you are not giving the plants the necessary nutrients of calcium and Magnesium and other essential minerals found in CAL-MAG plus.

Go to the hydro store sir...and cut the dead under leaves off...the ones being effected with brown spots will be fine once you start adding a cal-mag regiment. You will probably need to be adding 10ml per gallon.

Good luck!:jointsmile:

Thanks for the info. So you should I flush before adding the Cal Mag plus once I get it? Should I wait until the next scheduled nute change or start ASAP?

Go get it asap...You flush with cal-mag also...You need to add it immediately. Do not wait. :jointsmile:

and get the nutes up to the 2.5 per gal not 2.5 for the whole res. Follow the bottle until you feel confident enough to start tweaking the mix yourself.

Thanks for all your help guys. Three more questions. Should I fix my nutrient to water ratio today when I bring home the CalMag? When I do adjust my nutrients and add Calmag should I flush them first? And, if so for how long?

Thanks so much for you advice guys it is greatly appreciated!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by txbudenthusiast

Thanks for all your help guys. Three more questions. Should I fix my nutrient to water ratio today when I bring home the CalMag? When I do adjust my nutrients and add Calmag should I flush them first? And, if so for how long?

Thanks so much for you advice guys it is greatly appreciated!

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yes,mix nute to the amount of gallon of water that you have for res,I believe you said you have a 3 1/2 gallon reservoir and I believe you should go a teaspoon for every gallon of water also Im thinking your babies are three weeks old so you should have at least ppm reading of 800 no more than 900 ppm,remember ph is a vital issue so i would set my ph at around 5.2 to 5.5 optimal nute intake would be 5.2 u get the most cal/mag intake in those range that what your deficiency is,they are being lock out also iron dissipate quickly in hydro so, since your not using tap water you have to have cal/mag+ .Im also new to this hydro grow but i've been doing test runs with my bubble cloner alone with a lot of reading hope this help

and always check PH AFTER adding nutes to water

Thanks for the feedback and knowledge. I went to the store and picked up some Cal Mag Plus yesterday. I did not flush them. I just emptied the reservior and refilled with distilled water and then added the appropriate nutrient amounts along with the CalMag plus.

Questions:
1. Because of my nutrient issue, should I veg them longer?
2. My tallest is currently 6 inches tall (3wks old give or take a few days) and my box is 36'' tall, when would you experienced guys make the transition to 12/12? At 5wks, 6wks, or 7 wks?
3. Also, do you think this would be a good time to top them or should I wait? There at least 5 nodes. In some cases close to 6.
4. Would you recommend fimming them? Read about this on here, but I don't want to try something that is above my experience level.

The reason I ask is because I have read about the stretching once that transition is made and I don't want to have the "plant to big for the box" problem.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by txbudenthusiast

Thanks for the feedback and knowledge. I went to the store and picked up some Cal Mag Plus yesterday. I did not flush them. I just emptied the reservior and refilled with distilled water and then added the appropriate nutrient amounts along with the CalMag plus.

Questions:
1. Because of my nutrient issue, should I veg them longer?
2. My tallest is currently 6 inches tall (3wks old give or take a few days) and my box is 36'' tall, when would you experienced guys make the transition to 12/12? At 5wks, 6wks, or 7 wks?
3. Also, do you think this would be a good time to top them or should I wait? There at least 5 nodes. In some cases close to 6.
4. Would you recommend fimming them? Read about this on here, but I don't want to try something that is above my experience level.

The reason I ask is because I have read about the stretching once that transition is made and I don't want to have the "plant to big for the box" problem.

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well,first off im not a fan of topping but,if you do,you have to veg longer.myself i would not switch to 12/12 until i see preflower.you might have do some training,if you see preflower right now then you can veg to about 8 inches then switch to 12/12 and you should e fine :thumbsup:

Thanks for the reply. Just curious what is preflowering exactly and what are signs of that beginning to happen. I doubt this is occuring for me at this time but I would like to be able to recognize the signs when the time comes.
Other questions:
1. Why are you not a fan of topping? (I don't know enough about it to form my own opinion, but I would like to know the cons as well as the pros on this issue so that I can have an opinion on it)

2. How would you suggest going about training plants without doing harm to the stem? (I ask this because I saw a youtube video on "How to train plants" but they were much younger and the stem seemed a lot less firm than the stage mine are at now)

Thanks again for the replies and knowledge

Quote:

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Originally Posted by txbudenthusiast

Thanks for the reply. Just curious what is preflowering exactly and what are signs of that beginning to happen. I doubt this is occuring for me at this time but I would like to be able to recognize the signs when the time comes.
Other questions:
1. Why are you not a fan of topping? (I don't know enough about it to form my own opinion, but I would like to know the cons as well as the pros on this issue so that I can have an opinion on it)

2. How would you suggest going about training plants without doing harm to the stem? (I ask this because I saw a youtube video on "How to train plants" but they were much younger and the stem seemed a lot less firm than the stage mine are at now)

Thanks again for the replies and knowledge

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OK my friend, here is the breakdown.

Preflowering occurs about a month after the seedling sprouts from the surface. I will include pictures of preflowering in the next post.

1.) Topping stops vertical growth and concentrates on branching below the cut. Also helps in keeping a even canopy IMO. Only problem is you can stress the plant if topped to much. Also, when you top it will take a few days (even up to a week) for you to start seeing normal growth again. So essentially it slows growth for a small period of time.

2.) The least stressful way in my opinion is to simply LST them. Meaning that you just bend over the plant and tie them to the side of the pot. Picture will be in the next post also.

First picture picture is LST and the effects it can have if done correctly!

Second is a preflowering picture. Gives you an idea of what to look for!

Thanks for the reply and the diagrams. So basically what your saying I can tell the sex of a plant this early in the game? Which node should I look at in order to determine this, if this the case?


Thanks again to all who have replied. I have learned a ton today.

keep in mind that the stretch you are refering to means that depending on the strain your plant will ATLEAST double in height.

there you go should be able to tell after these pics

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bluntman2006

there you go should be able to tell after these pics

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missed a pic

Appreciate the pictures. Here is a question. As you guys who have been nice enough to help me out know, I have had nutrient issues. I have read it can cause stunted or slow growth. I have read you should use a foliage spray on that plant (not pictured above) if that is the case. Would you suggest doing something like that in my case or should I just wait it out. Also, at what point do you start using bushmaster and products of that kind?

well I have been growing the same strain for over a year now with nothing but GH 3-part nutes, and Superthrive (during clone start and veg only) and have just about got it dialed in where it needs to be so I have not yet used any additional supplements. As for foliar spraying, the only time I foliar is IF I need to while rooting clones. I think any slow growth that you have had to this point can be blamed on the lack of some micro nutes and not enough of the major nutes, both problems you are now addressing. :jointsmile:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by txbudenthusiast

Appreciate the pictures. Here is a question. As you guys who have been nice enough to help me out know, I have had nutrient issues. I have read it can cause stunted or slow growth. I have read you should use a foliage spray on that plant (not pictured above) if that is the case. Would you suggest doing something like that in my case or should I just wait it out. Also, at what point do you start using bushmaster and products of that kind?

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Bushmaster is used at the begining of flower to stop upward growth. That's the bush and then Gravity is used later in flower to harden buds. If you use them make sure your plants are not stressed out it will kill them or screw them up. Use less than they recomend, it will burn.

Thanks for the help with all the info vets. Another question, would you guys feel comfortable putting CalMag plus in your back up reservior since it is distilled water? Or would that potentially jack up ppm? Also, is 3 wks old too late to train a plant?

Also, how many of you guys flush when changing reservior water and adding new nutes? Is that good practice? Or am I just being paranoid.

I dont "flush" my systems until last week just before chopping them down, that week I run nothing but plain PH'd water and do an extra drain and fill halfway through the week. Other than that I drain and fill res every week and topoff during week as needed, alternating 1 plain gal then 1 nute gal for topoffs. as soon as plant has established itself, good roots and good growth, then you should be able to train. remember training and topping and such is done during veg so whatever you are going to do will add a lil time to grow table. when train, top or etc it causes mild stress. you then have to let plant recoup before doing more.