same species, same problems, different grow

[allrollsin21]

Thanks for the hydroplex advice WH. I will try this.

Rusty i do water often. It is consistently 90-100+ where i am at, and they are definitely dry when i water them...sometimes too dry ....hard to keep up.

As for flushing out the nutes i would say a definite possibility. That combined with not feeding them enough = plants that look like mine.

Overall i am not too disgruntled over the whole thing because i still have a few 6 ft.ers that are looking healthy and starting to crystal up.

Foxysox i as well want to thank you for sharing "fuckulated" with me. very descriptive. As for rootbound, the plants are about 3 ft tall in 4 gallon pots, and some having the same issues are in 20 Gallon bags. I appreciate the sharing of your thoughts.

[Rusty Trichome]

If your 'old' soil isn't holding water very well, you can add 1/4 tsp of liquid dishsoap per gallon of water. It acts as a surfactant. (breaks water surface tention, allowing for better absorbtion by the soil)
A single application (make sure water penetrates deep in the pot) is usually all that is necessary. If you do this, do not use a soap with any anti-bacterial ingredients. It will kill all the bio-activity in the soil. Wouldn't do this more than once a month, either.
Allowing the soil to dry between waterings is important, and sometimes there's a fine line between "it can wait till tomorrow", and "shit, should have watered last night"
Would err on the side of no root-rot, and let them go till the next morning. They won't usually die overnight if a tad droopy, (thirsty) but root-rot is a bitch to correct.

Good luck...Rusty

[Weedhound]

You know Rusty I'm starting to have some issues along that line as well.......and it DID happen when I increased my watering schedule. I was wondering my self if perhaps the roots at the bottom weren't drying out enough so your info is helpful to me. Thanks!

[stinkyattic]

Once the ratio of plant and root mass to soil mass is too large, you have problems that can only be solved by repotting- maintaining consistent soil chemistry under those conditions is nearly impossible, and that little media for that large plant is going to give you wild fluctuations depending on the moisture and fert content of the medium at that moment.
Even a plant in a large grow bag may surprise you with its roots. And if the plant has been in the same pot or bag for more than 5 weeks, expect SIGNIFICANT changes in soil chemistry due to the plant using up the lime. The calcium def on your low leaves is a hint...

[allrollsin21]

OK rusty, thanks for the tip. I will give it a shot. They are drying out very quickly.

It would make sense for me to have put new shoes on the ladies a week ago to give them some new soil to finish in...i did not. Strangely the Soil PH has remained relatively stable this whole time. I Have Been Checking:thumbsup: (thanks for the tip Stinky). By relatively stable i mean it has been in the 6.5-7 range throughout.

I would never suggest this as a means of fixing a problem, especially with my burning history... MORE FOOD!! I get nervous just typing it...

[Weedhound]

Actually Rusty's advice was right on for me too.....I was watering a LOT to make sure I could check runoff and I think he's correct.....watering the good stuff right through. Now I'm trying smaller amounts and just not freak out about runoff.....but make sure what goes IN is ph'd to 6.5.

[lunarose]

Hi, I agree they look root bound how tall are they? I grow outside in s. cali too and I feed mine 1/2 strength FF every other watering.

[allrollsin21]

Hi Luna. The plants are mostly about 2.5-3 ft tall, short considering how long they have been growing. I believe, thanks to all the kind folks who chimed in on this thread, that my problems are a result of not enough transplanting, and not enough food.
They are now on a strict nute binge, every watering, and don't seem like it has been too much, but time will tell. I am hesitant to transplant with only a few-three weeks left. Another learning experience:thumbsup: