question?

[jtErA]

i started my plants more than a month ago but have had lots of trouble almost every new set of leaves eventually turns yellow and dies once they get to a mature size some of them turn yellow with little black dots. the plants are growing at a moderate rate and have alot of branches. but i cant get my leave to stay green. could it be that im keeping my 400 watt hps to close (little less than a foot) at first i was putting in too much nuits but now im not sure if im not putting in enough. the plants seem to drink the water quickly or its evaporating fast so i have to put more in iv changed the water at least every 3 weeks i have two plants in a 18 gallon bucket so they have plenty of water and space. can someone with some intel tell me whats going on. thanks

jtErA Reviewed by jtErA on 05-31-2008. question? i started my plants more than a month ago but have had lots of trouble almost every new set of leaves eventually turns yellow and dies once they get to a mature size some of them turn yellow with little black dots. the plants are growing at a moderate rate and have alot of branches. but i cant get my leave to stay green. could it be that im keeping my 400 watt hps to close (little less than a foot) at first i was putting in too much nuits but now im not sure if im not putting in enough. the Rating: 5

[LOC NAR on probation]

Your light is too close. Lift it up. General rule is, hold your hand at the top of the plants. If the light burns the back of your hand then the plants are burning too.
Give them all the ph'ed water they can use to keep rez full inbetween water changes.
May have been nute burn but if you backed off the nutes it must be the light. Some light shields can cause hot spots too.
One more thing. What strain are you growing ? I ask because if you have alot of branch growth then the main leaf can die off and the branches take over. I had it happen to papaya and another strain. No problem as long as there is plenty new growth.

Black spots sounds like mold but I don't think so. Do you see any bugs ? More info is needed too. Water temp? room temp? Hot temp and your plant will drink all the time.

[jtErA]

yeah i lifted it up. i think its a nuit problem when i follow the intructions (1tbs/gal) its like way to much but i dont know what isnt enough.im starting with like 9tbs/18gal i don't know the strain their headies bag seed there def different tho

[herbie the love bud]

take a pic and post it so we can see. A 400 MH should be as much as 30" off the base of the net pot. It produces 10K LUX at 2' and you only need about 3500 LUX in veg, so don't be afraid to lift it.

One tbs/gallon does not seem like to much, but can't really tell that way because each nute has its own schedule and concentration.

[jtErA]

i just trimmed off about 20 dead leaves so they look scrawny

http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/9907/dscf2424ec2.jpg

i started them in april. i could be completely wrong and not giving them enough as i am very inexpierenced i noticed last time i changed the water about a week and a half ago i cut the nuits back pretty hard 7tbs and the yellowing began again after the previos water change (they started doing well for the first time off 6tbs but they were smaller) also they seem to have grown less in the past week but im not sure. i progresivly added more in 1tbs at a time but they only got worse which led me to changing the water again today

[GreenDestiny]

They look like they would just fine with 1/2 a teaspoon of nutes per gallon. Also try to change the nutrients every 10-14 days. Going any longer can run the risk of imbalanced nutrient levels, causing deficiencies and lockouts.

From the pic I notice a huge light leak from where the water is making the container bulge out. Try to squeeze in the sides and secure the lid on tight. If you can't then you'll need to block the light from getting in with something.

Also, the container itself should be light proof. Try covering the entire outside of it with a couple layers of duct tape, thick sheets of black plastic, or whatever you might have available to make sure that no light will shine through the top and sides of the container.

Because of the light leaks it's quite possible you have bad bacteria/algae growing in the res, maybe even some root rot. If you can manage to do it quick enough, during a change of nutrients try to clean out the container using hydrogen peroxide - H2O2. Then once you've filled it up with a fresh mix, also add 1-2 teaspoons of 3% H2O2 per gallon.

I hope some of my rambling can help ya out. Good luck!

[LOC NAR on probation]

Good advice al the way. I think I would put those big netpots in 5 gallon bucket. Paint then black. Cheap way to go.

Now we got a pic all is not lost. I'm most concerned about heat and the temp of your water.
Basics you need.
A good water sorce
A PH / PPM meter.

everything else will come. It's all about getting a few grows under your belt and tuning in you spot.
The meter is my most needed. I have a combo hanna. I use for pools and public drinking water. You don't know how much clorine is in there.