Help with Hydroponic Problem?

Hello everyone! My hubby is out of town and left me in charge of the plants. They are looking BAD and I need to see if anyone can help diagnose. The plants look droopy and I've attached pics of the leaves. The ph is ~6.0. The chamber is well ventilated and the nutrient water is on a continuous cycle through the pots. It appears to be a nutrient deficiency? Could lowering the ph help? Please ask me any questions you need to know...I'm very new at this! (The yellowing of the leaves starts at the bottom of the plant.)

~Crash~ :confused:

what stage of grow are you in...veg...bloom...do you know anything about nutes?

How about an overall picture so we can see the rest of the plant to judge the healty. There are many times in the life cycle of the plant when one leaf turns yellow only because the plant has used it up and no longer needs it. Ph of 6 in a hydroponic system is fine, 5.2 - 5.5 is more like the target but 6 is not out of the question. When was the last time you did a nutrient change?

Thank you for replying! The plants are in veg stage and he's using FloraMicro and FloraGro. The plants were transplanted into the hydroponic "chamber" 1 1/2 weeks ago, so I have not done a nutrient change yet. (They were started in soil...I know it's not the best way to start, but we had to finish building the hydro system. :)

I've uploaded a picture of the whole plant. See what I mean by "droopy"? (I should mention that the pot sitting out of the bucket is not the one the plant is in. We lost that one before the transplant.)

Thanks again!!

should of asked for better pic...I think that you have a nice little nitrogen deficiency..my dear...change your nutes...I'm sure Zandor will check back and give us his $.02...keep us posted and we will try and help you through this, they are too nice too waste! Are they getting enough light? that looks like it might be a factor in the "big picture"...

Hi there! I wanted to ask you where your ppm is resting, also I didn't read that you were using the Flora Bloom? If not, then your plant is not receiving all of it's nuts. The Flora Micro should be placed in the water first, then the grow, bloom and any catalyst you are using. I have the best results with a lower ph as well, and ppm at 1250-1340 has produced nice results. You must clean the RESVR every 7, 10 days tops. Good luck growing and happy smoking!

I forgot about the FloraBloom. Yes, he's using that one also. I had a big boo-boo to start with and forgot to add that one. He added it the next day when he got home. Should I flush the roots or do I only need to change the water? Sorry about the picture, they are in a "chamber" with a light in every corner and 98% reflective white-painted walls. It is hard to get a good pic without taking the plants out. I'm trying hard not to disturb them very much. :p

That is a nutrient lock out for sure. Yes you need to flush your whole system.

My concern is starting in dirt then moving to hydro. You may find the roots have slime over them that is causing some of your problems. There are some bacteria in dirt that is not present in Hydroponics you may be dealing with. Smell your roots, I know that sounds funny but it works. If there is root problem you will know.

Add some hydrogen peroxide 5ml for each gallon of water even to your flush. Then add it again when you mix up your new nutrients and balance the water. Are you using tap water or RO water? Tap water will have chlorine in it and that is not good for plants.

Wow, guys, thanks for your help. I have my work cut out for me! I'll let you know how it goes.

~Crash~ :cool:

Oh, I forgot to answer your question. We are using tap water, but have neutralized the chlorine.

zandor - what does RO water mean? I know what it is essentially but what does it stand for? Also, do you see any problem with adding peroxide to an organic hydro mix that already has a little bit of natural bacteria in it from the start? (at the time of nutrient change). Thanks, sorry to thread jack

I am not Zandor, but I aspire to be someday. R.O. water is reverse osmosis. You basically force water through a series of filters under pressure. You can turn seawater into potable water using mega R.O. systems. Before you ask, potable water means it is safe for human consumption. Beware, it can take up to 6-8 gallons of water to make one gallon of R.O. water. The higher your T.D.S. is to start with, the higher the rejection rate is. ANd water with T.D.S. content from hell it will eat filters like the adopted, red headed fat kid eats doughnuts. In that case, buy them by the skid.

If you have read the posts where you see folks adding Cal Mag back to R.O. water it is because you have removed all the minerals from it during the R.O. process. But I dont think you got that far cause you asked what R.O. water was. Anyways, thats it in a nutshell.


b0nger

^^^^ what he said lol ^^^^ i personally have water around 180ppms winter and 280ppms summer, loads of calcium and goodies in the well water it would be a shame to take it all out using an r/o system.


Also to answer deftdrummers other question, yes it might be a bad idea to use the h2o2 solution becuase it kills off some good bacteria that organics have in them that plants love.

well thanks for your help. I am going to try and add some nutrients today with only mild solution of hydrogen peroxide. The plants seem to be taking a lot better already and have a nice smell again.

one thing that is nice with hydro is I believe nutrient lockouts are far easier to deal with, as draining the solution is a snap in comparison to flushing the soil, which I hope to christ I never have to endure.

I use RO water to control ph. Without it I would not be able to stabilize my ph for any length of time. I'd hand over one of my arms (probably the left one) before I'll give up my RO water. ;)