First time w/ yellow leaves...I read the FAQ's

How's it going everyone....Sorry for the long first post.....buy let me give you all the background you need first before you rip me. This is the first time growing, but i've done exstensive research, and I just can't seem to figure this one out. My bottom leaves are turning yellow and starting to shrivel up and die. I dont know if this is normal, but i read that sometimes the bottom leaves turn yellow because its sending nutes up to the top. Its probably from nutes...but hear me out:

250 Watt MH light - 24/0
10 - 11 inches from the tops of the plant
Plants turn 30 days old tomorrow and are a little over 5 inches tall.
Bubble Gum strand
Using Pure Blend Gro through Vegg state - once a week
Watering them every 3 days usually (using a moisture tester that i bought at Walmart)
Oscillating fan in the closet...temp is at around 75-80.
Using a Ph tester (the one that changes color), and you add the red phenol
My soil is on the money. It is very rich in nutes....cow maneuer, Perlite, Blood something....it was given to me by a buddy that is a very reliable.

I've been searching all the posts, and I read some "experienced" person write that after 3.5 weeks, I should be at around 2 feet tall?!?!....i'm at freaking 5 inches....and i thought i was doing great.

-I just transplanted them from their first pot into the ones shown in the pics. Help me out please....

Well XroadsterX,

After looking at your plant, I too was concern about the stunted growth and would tell you that all is not well there. If I were you I would try the following: Get as large a pot as possibile and some new soil. Your plant is having problems with the nutes and I would look at the cow manure? Don't know what I'm talking about do I? Well, I use Promix and don't have your problems. I prefer to use very large pots no transplanting. I think that manure is very high in nitrogen but what do I know? You may also consider the age of your bulb. You seem have everything right but your plant says you do not. So, tell us about your ventalation? Are you constantly getting fresh air in that space and removing it? It can make a difference since not to many things on this planet thrives without fresh air.

Loco

Thanks for the post. I definitely have good ventilation. I have it in my closet, with the door open, and an oscillating fan blowing on low at around 75 degrees. As for the bulb. It is brand new. I bought it right before I started my grow.

same thing kinda happening to mine on a smaller scale, just the tips of one kinda miscouloured and i cant figure out why either.

me 2

Here's an update of where I am since i started this thread....Being that this is my first grow, I think i was reading too much and getting paranoid....my babies are currently 7 1/2 inches tall and seem to be getting bushy ... the lower leaves (the first ones that came out) are now dead, but i was told that they were just feeding to new growth on top....so i'm not worried about it anymore. Here are some pics....enjoy....and let me know what you think I"m currently at 35 days since sprouting, and have been on 24/0 schedule....(no sleep)....i also bought a 75 watt grow lamp from home depot and put it about an inch from the bottom of the plants. (I felt like the bottom weren't getting enough light due to the canopy the top was producing)...again this is probably very unnecessary, but I'm become obsessed.

So i thought about keeping you guys updated yet again on my progress. A couple of changes i've made since the last post a week ago. I purchased the thick version of Mylar and surrounded my closet. I've also bought some superthrive....Everyone kept on talking about it, and giving it praise, so whats good for everyone else is good for me. And lastly, I just transplanted into their final 4 gallon homes.

I know i'm doing something wrong though....i'm losing more leaves off the bottom. I think its a Nitrogen deficiency, but i need some of the pro's eyes to look at it.

This morning was when i did the transplant, and I planted them in Fox Farm's Ocean Forest. The guy told me it was full of fert's and that it was better than pro mix bx, and not to fertilize for 2 full weeks.

What Can i do to help myself out?

I want to start flowering on Tuesday, as it will be day 45 in Vegg State. One is 9 1/2 inches tall, and the other is about 8 1/2. Take a look and tell me if i should wait it out or not.

Sorry for the long post....i get carried away!!!

Looking good! I am interested in your thread because i to have a problem with one of my plants, the bottom leaves have been turning yellow and falling off :(
as for when to flower its all up to you! how much bud are you looking for and how much space do you have. since you said it was in your closet im guessing you have alot of room to work with so i would wait another week or two just my 2 cents. any ways happy smoking :smokin: O and what strain is it?

thanks sandman....the strain is BubbleGum. I have tons of room to spare, but I'm just trying to get this first grow out of the way, so i can start my second grow w/ all the mistakes cut out of the process. I'd be happy w/ just an ounce each plant. I just can't figure out the fert process. I'm going ot make a bat guano tea for my next watering and see if that helps the nitrogen def. (if thats what it is). I just have no clue what else it could be.

did you add dolomite lime to your soil mix?at what strength are you feeding your nutes at?

The only nutes i've been using is pure blend Gro....2 1/2 teaspoons per gallon. (I've read a lot that the PB Gro is a little weak, but i am using the amount recommended). And at my last watering I mixed 1/4 teaspoon of Bat Guano to the water, and watered them with that to try and offset the Nitrogen Def.

As for the lime, no i haven't added any of that ... and honestly i dont know what that is or what it does....do i need to?

dolomite lime will stabilize your soils ph at 7,and a stabile ph makes for more efficent uptake of nutes.adding it will make your grows go much smoother.you can find it at home depot or lowes it is sometimes called garden lime,and it is normally added at 2 tablespoons per gallon of soil.you can still add it just sprinkle on top of your soil and work it in a bit and water it in.also i beleive the dying leaves are not from n def i beleive you are overferting your plant in the pics i see alot of burning tips and dying leaves.on next feeding water only with water.you may need to flush if it keeps getting worse.

thanks for the insight....I know my soil PH is good because i just bought a soil PH tester yesteday, and it reads 7.0 to 7.1 PH. I dont think that .1 is going to break me, but you guys are the experts so let me know.

Garden Knowm also suggested that i was over fert last week, when i posted the pics....but i dont see how that could be happening. I'm just using PB Grow to the directions on the back. Could it be the Bat Guano?

could be either,but i would stop feeding for a while and give them straight water for awile.the thing about soil ph is it will drop over time even if your water is ph corrected this is where the lime comes into play.i beleive your soil ph is ok now just trying to help your grow go smoother as your plant gets older.some strains don't need alot of nutes.good luck with your grow.

Thanks again...i'll definitely pick up some of that lime you were talking about tomorrow and use it on my next watering. I'm just debating if i should flush since i just transplanted them this morning.

keep a close on them,check them tomorrow see if they get worse.you will know if you have to flush

Garden knowm....any thoughts???

IMO - 7.0 seems a bit high. I would aim for 6.5 as that seems when all the available nutrients are available to the plant. (see chart: http://boards.cannabis.com/attachmen...0&d=1121829312)

I would flush with clean 6.5 PHed water, definitely - but like I said, that's what I would do. :D

Keep us posted.

Grim...thanks for the comment. I"m going to take your advise and flush both plants in a couple of days. I just ordered a "digital" PH water tester because the strips are just not cutting it for me. I can't get the perfect color shade that i need to know exactly what ph my water is.

Roadster - I was using one of those soil kits and it wasn't cutting it either. The color charts suck, I just got a pen week ago and will never look back. :D

Yo Grimm...i just read your first grow log....nice run. Now that droopy's bud is cured and all...how much did you finally yield from her? And secondly, how did you get spider mites? I thought that if you grow indoors, you dont get insect problems???? But great info none the less. I definitely absorbed a lot of info from it. One more question...did you finally use the electric blanket to help dry out some of the soil in the bottom of your bucket? if so, how did it work out? i always feel as if i'm starving my plants by waiting 5 or 6 days in between waterings...it breaks my heart.

Make sure you have plenty of drainage. How many holes did you add to provide drainage to the trash cans?

You could be looking at problems later in your grow if you don't have proper drainage for that much dirt.

It seems to me that you are over feeding as well.
The pic's are telling me... your burning the leaves.
With too much nitrogen.
If your soil has it in it. You are over dosing your plant by feeding it Nutes too.Double doses.
Thats why your plant is growing slow. And that why your leaves are curling and turning yellow.
Garden Knowm is one of the smartest growers here.
Listen to him.
Almost everyone over feeds or over waters at first.
MJ doesn't need so much food. Too much stunts the growth.

Zandor - I drilled 8 holes in the bottom of the trash can....each hole is the size of a fat pinky. I modeled it after my previous 1 gallon pot that already had the holes predrilled.

JDogg - You might just be right. I thought that the yellowing meant that it needed nitrogen, so i've been giving it a dose of bat guano every other time to try and rectify the problem. Now i'm just giving it fresh water and superthrive. I have a PH pen coming this week to tell me EXACTLY what my ph in the water is.

Thanks for all the help.

What is the Ph of your dirt?

good...I wouldn't use the super thrive during the flush.
It need fresh water.

Zandor - According to my new soil tester meter, it says 7..maybe even 7.1. Is that bad? Here are a couple of pics i just took of them right now. The yellowing hasn't gotten any worse, but it hasn't gotten better either. Im at day 50 now, and my girls are at 10" tall. I"m want to just start flowering them so i can get through this first grow, and start my second already w/ all the right material...like i do now. I was just waiting a couple of days since i just transplanted them into their final pots last Sunday. And the only nutes they've gotten in the last 2 weeks is Superthrive, and a little bat guano.

-Also, i made an error, today they are at day 45, not 50...but still super small i think compared to the ones i see on this thread....but i do think mine are super bushy.

Damn...one more question....will having the light too close prevent it from growing since it doesn't need to stretch? I know the obvious "dangers" of having it too close are burning, but thats not my issue.

I think they're looking really sexy.

Aim for a PH of 6.5! You can raise your PH using baking soda and lemon juice will lower it, or you can get some PH up and PH down from your local hydro store and just add a few drops at a time :D

I think 7.0 is a bit high, here's a chart.

How close do you have the light?
How many watts?

<3 bro.

Grim - 250 Watts MH.....and they're about 5 to 6 inches on top ..... but i have that fan blowing, so i know for a fact its not toasting them.

Hello everyone. Here's an update of where my babies are. Both were showing signs of overnutes, so I flushed them both last Thursday. I left out of town on Friday, and just came back. One of my plants shot up to 13" and the other to 11". They seem to be a lot healthier since the flush. The leaves are looking more green to me. There still are some yellow and browning, but I'm talking about all the new growth.

Also, today i'm setting them to flower. They're super bushy as you can see in the pics. I would have loved for them to get to around 16" each before I set them to flower, but i need to get this grow out of the way to start my second....my knowledgeable grow.

Enjoy the pics and the day off.