Problems still...even with clones....needing help

[<Grasshopper>]

I have not been able to produce a healthy plant since I built this new veg cabinet. Even the clones that I have rooted and planted in 1 gallon pots have twisted leaves. I am using half fox farms ocean Forrest and 1 part roots organic and about 30% perlite. Have used zero nutes since I used the olivias cloneing solution once to get them to root. I have a ph meter and watered one time with ph 6.5 water..(did not measure the runoff ph as it was the first water done when planting in the pots. I have them under a t5 light that is over 2 feet away. The temp has been between 76 and 82 since they were cloned. My last batch of plants vegged in this cabnet had mutated leaves and lockout issues. They are flowering now and still are in really poor health. I am beginning to really get frustrated now. These clones have had nothing but water and light. I had originally had a vinyl door for the cab with velcro but I replaced it with plywood because I thought about off gassing. what about caulking giving off gasses? It has corners sealed with this brown caulking. There is zero smell from the caulking.

Help...I am considering tearing down the cabnet and putting up a wall to seperate the 2 rooms instead.

Grasshopper

 

[ghb]

I have not been able to produce a healthy plant since I built this new veg cabinet. Even the clones that I have rooted and planted in 1 gallon pots have twisted leaves. I am using half fox farms ocean Forrest and 1 part roots organic and about 30% perlite. Have used zero nutes since I used the olivias cloneing solution once to get them to root. I have a ph meter and watered one time with ph 6.5 water..(did not measure the runoff ph as it was the first water done when planting in the pots. I have them under a t5 light that is over 2 feet away. The temp has been between 76 and 82 since they were cloned. My last batch of plants vegged in this cabnet had mutated leaves and lockout issues. They are flowering now and still are in really poor health. I am beginning to really get frustrated now. These clones have had nothing but water and light. I had originally had a vinyl door for the cab with velcro but I replaced it with plywood because I thought about off gassing. what about caulking giving off gasses? It has corners sealed with this brown caulking. There is zero smell from the caulking.

Help...I am considering tearing down the cabnet and putting up a wall to seperate the 2 rooms instead.

Grasshopper

we really need pictures of your plants, the problems you describe could be many different things. i don't think it has anything to do with the materials you have used to build the cabinet however.

 

[pilgram]

i read on overgrow once about bad grow room syndrome it very well could be some off gassing

 

[Little Tommy]

Water proof caulking (silicone) does give off gases while curing, but after a couple weeks that should have stopped. I don't think it is the cabinet. I keep my T-5 about 5" from the canopy.

 

[<Grasshopper>]

Well.....I have moved the sick plants into the flower room and taken new clones. The clones are succesfully taken and topped at the fourth node after transplanting into bran new fox farms OF with half roots organic and some sunshine mix along with about 30 percent perlight. Everythink chugging along fine with just water added to the plants every 4 or 5 days (1 gallon pots that are dry when watered). Same thing has started again. Fading of leaves like low N but they will eventually die off.

Heres a good question for you all. Whats a acceptible temperature swing? Is from say 77 to 84 acceptible for my little cabnet? That is waht is flucuates with the big light makeing the temp differences.

Thanks

Grasshopper

 

[Snow Crash]

Your temperatures a pretty warm for that system. Sounds to me like you've skimped on ventilation. Air is as important as light and water.

And I agree that 2 feet away with your bulbs is too far. Fluorescent bulbs aren't designed to grow large plants, 1 foot max. Anything beyond a few inches won't get enough radiation to photosynthesize.

 

[<Grasshopper>]

Your temperatures a pretty warm for that system. Sounds to me like you've skimped on ventilation. Air is as important as light and water.

And I agree that 2 feet away with your bulbs is too far. Fluorescent bulbs aren't designed to grow large plants, 1 foot max. Anything beyond a few inches won't get enough radiation to photosynthesize.

What do other people suggest for distence with a t5 light? I have the hydro-farms 8 bulb 400 watt fixture. Just like this one here>>> http://www.hydrofarm.com/pb_detail.php?itemid=8986

 

[pilgram]

6 or 8 inches