How to proceed if plant still hungry after giving nutes

[JHake]

Hello RIU.

Data about my grow:

Indoor
400W HPS
3 x 4gal/16L pots
Strains: 2 x RQS Northern Lights; 1 x Super OG Kush
Medium: Mostly potting mix from my local market, peat moss based. Then 30% perlite and about 15-20% EWC. Dolomite lime.
Phase: Day 17 of flowering

Nutrients: Hesi, only used the TNT Complex until now. NPK is 3-2-3 and it has a complete profile of secondary macros and micros, plus vitamins, aminos and enzymes. I also have the Bloom nute, which raises the NPK to 3-4-4 and keeps the other macros, micros and etc. The other difference between the two is that Veg one contains a % of N being Urea.

During Veg i only feed once @ 50% strength
10-11 days later, already in flowering, i found some yellowing on bottom leaves and gave nutes again @ 50%
Next signs of hunger were seen 8 days after second feed. Gave again something about 50% strength, a little less.

But this time yellowing seems to keep going, so yesterday, after 5 days i gave nutes again, this time @ 25% strength since i was going with higher frequency.
In summary, nutes were given on these days of flowering
Day 3: 50% strength
Day 11: 50% strength
Day 16: 25% strength

I am not planning on giving nutes next watering, since i allow for more days to see if the feeding had some effect. But i want to already have a strategy to go with in case yellowing and hunger signs continue.

Note about the hunger i see on the plant:
Everything happens in the lower 25-33% of the plant. I see signs of what i first understand is Mg def, since leaves yellow while keeping green veins, but then the veins also turn yellow. Some rust/cooper spots which may be Calcium but i think can also be Mg. Some growers told me that tap water around this area lacks enough Ca but i can't assure.
Anyway, i believe this def will be easily covered by my nutrients.

The question is:

If plant is still hungry, how shall i proceed with the nutrient dosage and frequency if yellowing and symptoms continue in the next days?
Keep going with more frequent 25% dosage? Would you give a stronger those even last feeding was about 5 days before?
If def signs stop i will just feed when i see signs to, which would be somewhere around day 23-24, maybe in that case i will give nutes @ 65-70%

Another ideas i have about this:
Maybe my EWC are "worn out" and ureic N is not being processed? Anyway i will go with the 3-4-4 bloom nutrient from now on.
I have some fungus gnats around, maybe it's their larva messing with the roots?

Well, sorry for the long boring thread, and thanks in advance for the answers!

 

[f series]

Got enough light penetration?

 

[waterproof808]

If you are having a deficiency why are you still feeding at half-1/4 strength? That doesnt make a whole lot of sense.
Are you checking your ph and EC?

 

[JHake]

I was feeding @ 50% as the norm. The third feeding was @ 25% because i gave it 5 days after the previous one and thought that it was "too soon" to give another feed at 50%. Maybe i'm being too cautious.

 

[Frigault]

. What you are doing seems like you are reducing your feeding and putting your plant on a diet.. Light feed or for the from seedling to vedgetatif state, to get it used to the feed. And like mention by other check your light distance from the lower leaf and if the canopy is to think. Check your roots '' that's right flip that pot upside down pull out plant and check if you water properly (look for dry spot in the medium mix you have around and under the root mass. If its wet on top and dried under) last but not least. Check your parameter "ph. Ec. And check if the floor that plant is sitting on is cold.. Ohh and post pictures for more accurate answers.. And no i would give feeding the last five days. I would not feed the last 2 weeks. I'd let all the fan leave turn yellow and fall and would let the sugar leaf deplete of nut.. Onless you want to smoke chemicals

 

[Frigault]

I was feeding @ 50% as the norm. The third feeding was @ 25% because i gave it 5 days after the previous one and thought that it was "too soon" to give another feed at 50%. Maybe i'm being too cautious.

If you give a 75% and it dosen't do the trick adding 25% five days later will only last you 2 days. The 75% nuts from 5 days ago are gone.. Adding 25% to nothing dosen't make it 100%. It makes it 25%. You need to feed acording to size, growth and needs. Not to a callender... Every ten days i water and feed. Dosen't work that way. It's everyday i check the plant need and i work acvordingle.. Monday plant seem moist an plant looks nice. Tuesday it hit hear. My soil seems dry to touch.. Let flip it and check the root.. It feel a little moist to touch tomorrow i'll water. Wenesday plant looks fine temps are normal botom left are turning slightly paler rest seems fine i'll feed as well. Same feed has before.... Time goes by.. Saturday leaf are yellowing soil us moist to touch.. What can i do.. Is moust i can't feed if its moist. Well i'll prepare solution had 25% more then last time. And i'll rais temperature 3-4 degrees the plant will sweet more and drink more and the soil shoukt evaporate a ljttle more and i'll set it back to normal tomorrow.. 4 days later plant need water again??? I should have used a bigger pot it would hive more time between watering but the leaf seems to comeback.. What do i do... Oh yeah. Feed and water. Same has i used to oh yeah and that extra 25% that it nkw need.

 

[Frigault]

There is no too soon in growing. When the sign show it mean the plant telle ya it now buddy. So you must act.. The more uts asking you for it the more you give it. When it shows you no sign of nothing but prosperety you keep doing axactly what you were doing. Don't count the days... Check the signs

 

[JHake]

In this grow im learning to read my plants as you stated; i believe i did a good job on not burning them but now i must realize that they are just hungry and want more food. It's also coherent with the stage the plants are on.

I'll upload some pictures tomorrow. These are ones from a male i had to kill; i guess the females still alive have very similar roots.

 

[Old ST1R]

You need to check your PH level. You could be providing the exact amount of nutrients the plant needs, but if the PH is way outside of the range where it should be, the plant cannot uptake the nutrients. You should check the PH of the water going in and the PH of the run off to be sure you’re in the ballpark.

 

[Brandon137]

You should never pull your plants from there pots could cause shock and stunted growth however looks like your plants are a bit root bound I agree with checking ph and possibly bumping up feedings to 75% plants in small pots will need to be watered more frequently and require heavier feedings especially if your using synthetic fertilizers

 

[JHake]

That plant is one i killed, it ended up being a male.

I water every other day and sometimes every day, depends on how i see them.

Will switch to the 3-4-4 nutrient tomorrow.

 

[Brandon137]

That plant is one i killed, it ended up being a male.

I water every other day and sometimes every day, depends on how i see them.

Will switch to the 3-4-4 nutrient tomorrow.

Yes I didn't see that post at first definitely root bound probably will require daily waterings closer to harvest

 

[Frigault]

You should never pull your plants from there pots could cause shock and stunted growth

You should go see what kevin jodrey and all them boys have to say about root exposure and cause and shock during transplant no if you do it right there while be no stunt or shock. And removing your plant to check its roots systeme is done by all the greatest horticultur. I also have a degree in horticulture. So yes you can check your root once the roots are fully established.. They invented root pruning pots just for the purpus of not shocking plant at all tru transplant. If he would have done root checking in the first place he would have root bound. Root bound is is probleme here.. He's almos going hydro... Has the roots have taken most the space.. The last step if a root bound us the strangulation. That when oxygen and water havea hard time getting inside the root ball. If you look at the root closely they aren't hairy. The drinking root on tge outside are dead and cant grow. It can only grow inward at this point. Had the ouside died this iscexacly what caused is issue. I just lis all that he can see and touch on that root ball.. Is pot should have been bigger.. I know cause i just prevented that problem on on of my plant. J defoliated the lower par remived unwanted and inward growing shit, and the root that where dying die sn new one replace all that from inside now the plant ar back to where they should be.. And that all by checking the root. So yes when the pkant is well establish check you rooting system.. As above so below. Is proble is 100% routbound related. He's far of that if he keep a good check on watering en nuts he'll be okay. But he has to remember is root system are not 100% fontional which is why it hungry and he dosent have enough medua to retain water and nuts long enoug. I woulg put the plant on a tray on to rock and put water to the pot line without having it touch the pot and and wather from under by capilarity and leave like that for atleast 30 minutes toward the end of flowering the remove tray to reduce unwanted moisture.. I've seen worst.. Yeah it may stuned if its root bound . But its a garanty No stun or shock if the rot and the pit size match and is the reason you check on tbat shit early... And that i've learn from school with all my teachers that have been growing for over 40+ i may kniw know everything. But when i know something i go in detail and can back it up

 

[Frigault]

Here a decent root size to pot size and soil ration. Of course you cant lift a 100 gallin of soil to check under but you cab gage by experience has you grow.damn people go growing ten pounds plant you think the let the root grow onto the side of a pot

 

[lee1000]

You need to check your PH level. You could be providing the exact amount of nutrients the plant needs, but if the PH is way outside of the range where it should be, the plant cannot uptake the nutrients. You should check the PH of the water going in and the PH of the run off to be sure you’re in the ballpark.

This ^

You have a lock-out. Get your Ph in order first before you mess with your nutes. You need around 6.3 with your soil mix. Let your tap water sit for a couple of days before giving to your ladies.

 

[JHake]

Some pictures of the three plants.
All defs are showing on the lower third.

 

[kgp]

Hit em harder! If your kids starving you don't give them 50% of their daily calories. You feed them well. I would go 100%, those NPK numbers are low which means the nute solution is already watered down.

My grow veg nutes are 10-4-10
In bloom I do 2-20-20 and hit them with a very small amount of 0-45-28 around week 4.

I also hit both cycles with Kelp, Humic, Fulvic, and aminos every couple weeks with a small dose of 12-0-06

 

[Kushash]

You should go see what kevin jodrey and all them boys have to say about root exposure and cause and shock during transplant no if you do it right there while be no stunt or shock. And removing your plant to check its roots systeme is done by all the greatest horticultur. I also have a degree in horticulture. So yes you can check your root once the roots are fully established.. They invented root pruning pots just for the purpus of not shocking plant at all tru transplant. If he would have done root checking in the first place he would have root bound. Root bound is is probleme here.. He's almos going hydro... Has the roots have taken most the space.. The last step if a root bound us the strangulation. That when oxygen and water havea hard time getting inside the root ball. If you look at the root closely they aren't hairy. The drinking root on tge outside are dead and cant grow. It can only grow inward at this point. Had the ouside died this iscexacly what caused is issue. I just lis all that he can see and touch on that root ball.. Is pot should have been bigger.. I know cause i just prevented that problem on on of my plant. J defoliated the lower par remived unwanted and inward growing shit, and the root that where dying die sn new one replace all that from inside now the plant ar back to where they should be.. And that all by checking the root. So yes when the pkant is well establish check you rooting system.. As above so below. Is proble is 100% routbound related. He's far of that if he keep a good check on watering en nuts he'll be okay. But he has to remember is root system are not 100% fontional which is why it hungry and he dosent have enough medua to retain water and nuts long enoug. I woulg put the plant on a tray on to rock and put water to the pot line without having it touch the pot and and wather from under by capilarity and leave like that for atleast 30 minutes toward the end of flowering the remove tray to reduce unwanted moisture.. I've seen worst.. Yeah it may stuned if its root bound . But its a garanty No stun or shock if the rot and the pit size match and is the reason you check on tbat shit early... And that i've learn from school with all my teachers that have been growing for over 40+ i may kniw know everything. But when i know something i go in detail and can back it up

Do your teachers ever suggest taking a knife to the root bound plant and slicing the bottom off or cutting into the sides?

 

[f series]

Maybe those leaves are just used up and ready to go? Also make sure you aren't over watering

 

[Frigault]

Do your teachers ever suggest taking a knife to the root bound plant and slicing the bottom off or cutting into the sides?

My teacher have suggested that if your rootbound is bad. That you should prune the the roots with a knive and make clean cut. And prune canopy to prevent wiltering since the root mass is now reduced.. It will heal and roots will be able to griw outward.. If you are in advance flower. I would just keep flowering. But if i were in vedging i would fix issue before flowering. Wait till there is a significant growth before considering flowering. Think of it this way. If you have to use a knive to remove a a potted plant there is a chance you are having a probleme. And using a knife is the less damaging and the quikkest and cleanest og re-healing solution... They also suggest simply cuting cuting an X under the plant root about 1/6 of the size of pop. 12" hight by 12" wide. Would give you a 2" deep cut over all.. In a x shape under the rootball. Use the sharpest blade you can use always and have clean with 90% alchol always before and after using. It will prevent you from spreding microbiological bacteria and decese to other plant.