Whats Wrong With This Plant???

[Purplecheezy]

Please help I can not figure out what is wrong with my cannabis plant. It is a bag seed and in a soil grow, heres my set up.

Age: 43 days, 6 days flowered
30x30x28 Stealth Grow box with 12v 120mm pc intake fan, exhaust port, and a fan inside for circulation. 5 100w CFLs
Soil: Quality Organic Soil from my local store
Nutes: Started FF Grow big at 25 days every other watering, and FF Big bloom at 38 days, day 1 of flowering, every other watering
Temp. Average temp is around 80F


Here are some pics, problem started about 3 weeks ago with yellowing of leaf tips.

 

[smacksjack]

Hey Cheezy,

The best advice right now, is everything in moderation...

-next time, veg it longer - FIM or TOP the plant early on in it's life a couple of times, and then utilize Low-Stress Training techniques (https://www.rollitup.org/advanced-marijuana-cultivation/369528-low-stress-training-lst-guide.html) to keep it's height down - since you're in a stealth operation like myself. This is what I did and I have about 20 colas on a plant that has a main stem that is over 3 feet tall, but the plant is only 2 feet tall...the main cola is actually the SHORTEST cola on the whole damn plant.

-One thing I noticed is your nutrient solutions...It seems like you started feeding FFGrow Big at 25 days into veg period every other watering. Then, a little over 10 days later, at day 38, you started giving it FFBig Bloom with 12/12 light. Like I said, everything in moderation. Cannabis likes to have smooth transitional periods...and in this case...it just looks like shock.

Next grow, try vegging for longer, feeding it FFGrow Big earlier on, but at a 1/4 of its recommended dose. Increase that throughout the veg period until your at your max dose. Then, as you approach 12/12 (like 3 feedings left on veg), start decreasing your FFGrow Big and start introducing FFBig Bloom. With every PPM of FFGRow Big you take out, add it in FFBig Bloom. I am talking about 1/8th it's recommended strength. Very little.

Then, leading up to 12/12, you gradually wean the plant off of FFGrow Big, gradually introducing FFBig Bloom...so that when you hit 12/12 you are still feeding it a little FFGrow Big but are primarily feeding it FFBig Bloom.

Cannabis needs high Nitrogen levels during it's stretch, and I have read that feeding a lower Nitrogen dose well into flowering helps with the yields (i.e. it keeps your fan leaves from dying out too early...which keeps the photosynthetic process going as well). That said, try not to feed it Bloom BOOSTERS until about 1/2 way into flowering - as early flowering needs a lot of Nitrogen and Phosphorus. The plant really needs potassium as the buds start to bulk up, but not really sooner.

Timing is everything and smooth transitions make it easier to time your introductions...for example, I am day 31 of 12/12, but I am really only day 21 of flowering (the first sign of sex, pistils, and calyxes). So I was giving my girls General Organics BioThrive in small doses up until 5 days ago. I am JUST NOW fully into my bloom nutrients. So the better I am able to ready the plant for change, the happier the plant will be.

In short - I don't think it's a deficiency...just a shock issue.

Give it a flush of distilled water, pH the run-off - then, the next feed, give it a bit of your FFGrowBig along with your FFBigBud but do so in lower quantities than you have in the past. Feed lightly after you flush, then gradually shift from GrowBig to BigBud over the course of three feedings.

That's my opinion! Good luck, friend!!

Smacks.

 

[ukclonebank]

Your plant is stunted in growth and the stem is very weak ,
This points to the root system , the plant otherwise is healthy ,
Over or under watered , I would guess that your soil is not great and heavy with clay maybe,
I would transplant , add perlite or better medium and water only for 2 weeks, 24/0 light and re-veg.

 

[johnnyonthespot]

Patience is key!

 

[Twohearted]

Wow, where to begin..
First of all if you continue to flower that plant, it might produce 2-4 grams dry weight. The good news is, that its not to late to just put it back into veg, for at least 2 weeks, but closer to a month would be better. A plant 43 days old should be many times that size. Based on your description and pics it looks like you waited to long to start the nutrients, then started giving them to much as soon as you started your regimin.

Flush the plant
Put it back in veg for 2-4 weeks
Spend that time doing some good research on how to care for a plant
Try again

The plant will probably stretch a little bit, and will be stunted further while it recovers.
In the long run even though your harvest will be pushed back considerably, you will get much better results than continuing to flower that little guy.

I could write a short novel on the things that you should and shouldn't do, but I am not as kind or ambitious as Smacks.
The burden is on each grower to seek knowledge, and increase you skill, and communities like this are there to help people to that end.
You will get more out of the advice you seek here if you take some time to learn more on your own.
It is clear to me based on your setup, and the success of your plant, that you did not do this necessary preliminary research to understand what you are doing.
This seems harsh I am sure, and to some extent you have become a scapegoat for the frustration I feel towards the many, many posts of this sort that I see all the time.
Growing high quality marijuana is a skilled hobby or profession that takes hours of dedication in the form of labor, and sometimes extensive research and experimentation.
To many people with a med card, some free time, and a little start up cash jump right in w/o bothering to do any research.
Then they come on here and ask questions about why their plants are failing....
The short answer is, because you don't know what you are doing.
Take some time, learn the basics, then come ask questions.

 

[Purplecheezy]

Thanks a lot everyone really appreciate the help. FYI I am an electrical engineer, I know it requires research to accomplish something like growing fine cannabis and I did my Homework just think I didn't make smooth transitions with nutes like smacks said.

 

[RIKNSTEIN]

Thanks a lot everyone really appreciate the help. FYI I am an electrical engineer, I know it requires research to accomplish something like growing fine cannabis and I did my Homework just think I didn't make smooth transitions with nutes like smacks said.

Well cheezy, if your gona ask questions here expect criticism as well as answers, we all try to help each other here for the most part, but about your question, it looks like there's alot of bark in ur medium, bark has tannins which are acidic, and MJ don't like acidic soil to much IMO you should get some potting soil and perlite, mix it 60/40 soil to perlite and just water and let set for 3-4 maybe 5 days (depending on heat and ventilation) and see how she does, then start feeding her 1/2 strength nutes and let your water/feed have about 10 to 20% run off so as avoid salt build up from feeding, and welcome to RIU happy growing

And smacks, man that was a long winded read brother, but good advice all the same

 

[Purplecheezy]

I'm using FF ocean forest, I tested my soil ph and It was 6.2.

 

[Purplecheezy]

I just measured my soil ph run off and it was right around 5.0. After researching I found out that FFOF can sometimes be very acidic. After measuring the ph of my nutes they too were right around 5.0 also very acidic. Therefore I was curious as to if adding dolomite lime to the soil, still left over in the bag, would correct the issue and prevent it from happening again in my future grow. Or should I just get another brand of soil, such as Roots Organic?

 

[lepis22]

I just measured my soil ph run off and it was right around 5.0. After researching I found out that FFOF can sometimes be very acidic. After measuring the ph of my nutes they too were right around 5.0 also very acidic. Therefore I was curious as to if adding dolomite lime to the soil, still left over in the bag, would correct the issue and prevent it from happening again in my future grow. Or should I just get another brand of soil, such as Roots Organic?

I think you will be better off, if you start all over again
dont know anything about bark, but if riknstein right, you should re-transplant it with better soil.
And, about your nutes ph, did you check it without mixing with water? :S
else, if did you checked it after mixing with water, whattaaa................
what kind of water are you using

 

[smacksjack]

Never hurts to read something, even if it is a bit long...especially when I'm just answering the OP-ers question...I bet the OP read it! Thanks for the "kind" word.

Cheezy, I think the consensus is to replant in a bigger container, with less-acidic, less-nutrient rich soil. Which means, if you have fox farms ocean forest (which is what I use as my base) - mix it with some pete or coco-coir - add perlite until its a dominant feature in the soil, then replant it.

Test the pH of your water only...it could be the water that is hot. I don't use tap - and if you do, dechorlinate by letting it sit out over night.

And then reveg for 2 weeks, then hit it with 12/12. Keep on a regular and low-dosage feeding schedule.

---------

Anyhow - I am in the mindset of opensource growing...

We don't allow trash talk on Wikipedia...why stoop low and trash talk someone's growing. Give someone advice if they ask for it, or don't - there's just no need to be agro on a site that's there to talk about cannabis. Patience, care, and awareness grows a good plant and good bud - same goes for a good community!

 

[Purplecheezy]

I use a mix of distilled and some tap water to get the ph right at 6.8. when i measure the ph of the nutes i was using, FF grow big, and it was very low. I ended up buying roots organic soil and some dolomite lime, mixed about 1.5 table spoons per gallon of soil and planted a new seed. Does anyone think that Roots organic with some dolomite lime in it will be a good soil from seed to harvest, and will I run into ph issues?

 

[smacksjack]

Should be fine, Cheezy. The lime will keep the pH balanced and feed some MG to it in the process...

That said - are you starting a new girl from seed, directly to soil??

If so - do not feed her until she's like 2-3 weeks sprouted. I don't usually work with seeds for that reason (that and gender is never guaranteed in seeds). But I know that if she's a baby, you should sprout her in a seed tray or use the water-method, and then transplant into a coco-coir cube...let her sprout there...then transplant into a nutrient free mix with high-perlite until about 3 nodes...THEN you can transplant into a nutrient-soil.

It usually just needs light and heat for the first few weeks.

Just to clarify - are you still working with the other plant? How's the health of it now?

 

[Purplecheezy]

I just germinated, and planted my last feminized berry ryder seed I got from attitude in roots organic with some dolomite lime. Its an auto flower and from what I have heard it is best to start them off in big pots because they grow roots very quick. So hopefully this grow goes good.

 

[ukclonebank]

I just germinated, and planted my last feminized berry ryder seed I got from attitude in roots organic with some dolomite lime. Its an auto flower and from what I have heard it is best to start them off in big pots because they grow roots very quick. So hopefully this grow goes good.

It's always better to start in a small pot and work your way up , a vegging plant/clone in a large pot will take longer to grow simply because it has more room to stretch it's legs...

 

[smacksjack]

It's always better to start in a small pot and work your way up , a vegging plant/clone in a large pot will take longer to grow simply because it has more room to stretch it's legs...

Yeah - I typically transplant once or twice during veg....but that is assuming you have the time for that. I've heard conflicting accounts about this - start it in a 5 gal., start it in a 3 gal, one quart, whatever. I would just say that if you start a seed/clone in a 5 gal or just a big-ass pot, there will be a couple of things affected

1) Grow time - will need more time in Veg
2) No chance to replenish your soil/nutrients in the soil...if it's in a big pot, there's no "transplanting up" to new soil.
3) I have found that you have a lot less of a chance for the plant to get root-bound if you transplant up throughout...imagine getting your roots to fill the space first before putting it in a new pot with new soil - focus on encouraging as many 3rd/4th order lateral roots and DISCOURAGING 1st order/seminal root development...as 2nd/3rd/4th order laterals are all "feeder roots" which are where all the good bacteria live, where major nutrients are absorbed, etc. Our human body only needs a few major arteries and needs millions of capillaries. Same concept. Transplanting helps with this...if you put it right into a big pot, the plant will want to create a lot of 1st order/seminal root structures and can lead to smaller yields.

http://mycorrhizas.info/root.html

Other than that, rock out, man. Looks like you've got it under control.

Best,

Smacks.

 

[ukclonebank]

Yeah - I typically transplant once or twice during veg....but that is assuming you have the time for that. I've heard conflicting accounts about this - start it in a 5 gal., start it in a 3 gal, one quart, whatever. I would just say that if you start a seed/clone in a 5 gal or just a big-ass pot, there will be a couple of things affected

1) Grow time - will need more time in Veg
2) No chance to replenish your soil/nutrients in the soil...if it's in a big pot, there's no "transplanting up" to new soil.
3) I have found that you have a lot less of a chance for the plant to get root-bound if you transplant up throughout...imagine getting your roots to fill the space first before putting it in a new pot with new soil - focus on encouraging as many 3rd/4th order lateral roots and DISCOURAGING 1st order/seminal root development...as 2nd/3rd/4th order laterals are all "feeder roots" which are where all the good bacteria live, where major nutrients are absorbed, etc. Our human body only needs a few major arteries and needs millions of capillaries. Same concept. Transplanting helps with this...if you put it right into a big pot, the plant will want to create a lot of 1st order/seminal root structures and can lead to smaller yields.

http://mycorrhizas.info/root.html

Other than that, rock out, man. Looks like you've got it under control.

Best,

Smacks.

I have run the tests full on , small plants potted into smaller pots grow faster than smaller plants put straight into a large pot , in each case the smaller plants grew faster by almost 2x,
These are my own results , other ppl's set ups may of course differ.....