Assistance please!

First hydro grow tryin to pimp out low budget so dont judge. Have two ladies.. One really spotty on the lower fan leaves .. The healthier lady starting to show signs so im worried. I just replaced their food and water 3 days ago and now the water is blue! It was transparent before I changed it.. New growth looks good in my opinion but please I need all the advice I can get ! Im using all purpose plant food from miracle grow that is water soluble.. It has 24% N so I figured it wasnt bad. Possibly a k insufficiency from the looks of my bible.. Should I switch food for next water swap if so which one? Check out pictures and can someone also explain the difference in root systems and why? I will reference the pictures "left" and "right" so you can understand the difference. Ppm is at around 147 and ph is 5.5-6 -just was hoping to confirm my thoughts. Only have been doin 3 hours dark time and lights are only about 12in away temp stays around 75-80 with them on.humidity 25-30%

Why won't anybody help me):

Ppms at 147? Are you using distilled or RO water? That seems really low. I do soil, but my first feeding is no less than 400 not counting my ppms from the tap. I'm usually around 130 tap plus 400 for 500-600. 147 doesn't have nearly enough. But that might be different for hydro.

My tap water is very good in the north east its only at 30-40 ppms to begin with I'm assuming its just small amounts of chlorine. Do you think it might just of been lacking proper nutrients? I was skimp becuz I didnt want to over mother them. Maybe with a few more days of the fresh food it will look better

Skimp on the initial feeding

Sometimes it takes a while for someone to be able to! Many folks work around here......

MG eh? Ok lets try and work with that......It can be done but, is not the best choice!

1st off, how are you mixing it? How much to how much water?

Your going to HAVE to spend some dollars on a Ca/Mg - Liquid and use at 5ml per gallon..
G&H Cali MAGic is a real good choice! BUY THAT ONE!

Some strains grow a different rates....
Even same strains can have differing pheno's.....
The roots look fine....

IF you have a "few" more available dollars.......
Get a Kelp extract - I like Age Old or Maxicrop seaweed.

Kelp will contain all the micro nutrients that MG does not! Many other good things in it too!
It'll make your root growth go nuts!

Good luck

Stuck the reader a little deaper in the water and was getting 342 sorry for inaccuracy

So that would mean you are sitting at about 100 ppm of food. Usually my first feed is 400 to see how it goes. I up it from there. 100 just seems too low, but maybe someone who grows hydro could give some input on hydro ppms.

I usually see hydro ppms 10-20% lower than soil if I'm not mistaken.

Tomford said:

Skimp on the initial feeding

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That's a good idea with Hydro! You did good!

Are you adding minerals or Cal mag? Ppms that low may need it. There oxygen intake may affect their nute absorbtion. Are your stones clean? Definitely doesn't look like nutrient burn, but I've had plants get that size just on Plain water.

Tomford said:

Stuck the reader a little deaper in the water and was getting 342 sorry for inaccuracy

Click to expand...

NOW, you need to do one more thing for me!

Keep the pH of the water between 5.8 and 6.2 for me please! This keeps the specific nutrient uptake at proper levels!
Check this daily at lights on......It will settle in and be far more "stable" later OK.

Dr. Who said:

Sometimes it takes a while for someone to be able to! Many folks work around here......

MG eh? Ok lets try and work with that......It can be done but, is not the best choice!

1st off, how are you mixing it? How much to how much water?

Your going to HAVE to spend some dollars on a Ca/Mg - Liquid and use at 5ml per gallon..
G&H Cali MAGic is a real good choice! BUY THAT ONE!

Some strains grow a different rates....
Even same strains can have differing pheno's.....
The roots look fine....

IF you have a "few" more available dollars.......
Get a Kelp extract - I like Age Old or Maxicrop seaweed.

Kelp will contain all the micro nutrients that MG does not! Many other good things in it too!
It'll make your root growth go nuts!

Good luck

Click to expand...

The roots on the smaller one arent reaching for the water at all so ive been self watering with the water from the inside of the system. Its just underdeveloped is what youre saying? And I add 17 gallons worth of mg to a bottle privious to adding to oxygen filled low ppm water. Like I said brother newbie so any advice helps. Those ferts you gave me would be fine to switch from mg to ? And whats kelp extract how exactly does it work. I really appreciate your asassistance and you are right they are two different strains. Just worried about root development dont want the babies goin down

ChemPro said:

Are you adding minerals or Cal mag? Ppms that low may need it. There oxygen intake may affect their nute absorbtion. Are your stones clean? Definitely doesn't look like nutrient burn, but I've had plants get that size just on Plain water.

Click to expand...

The ppms are actually at 350 sorry for the accuracy. So I have 300 ppms of food is that sufficient for its early stages? How does the new New growth look in your opinion

Tomford said:

The roots on the smaller one arent reaching for the water at all so ive been self watering with the water from the inside of the system. Its just underdeveloped is what youre saying? And I add 17 gallons worth of mg to a bottle privious to adding to oxygen filled low ppm water. Like I said brother newbie so any advice helps. Those ferts you gave me would be fine to switch from mg to ? And whats kelp extract how exactly does it work. I really appreciate your asassistance and you are right they are two different strains. Just worried about root development dont want the babies goin down

Click to expand...

YES! switch!

Kelp extract ,,,, Hmm , jeese,,simple way to say it is the juice from squeezed seaweed (certain kinds).

It contains one of the best sources of micro nutrients there is.....Along with being an excellent source for B vits, amino acids, natural plant growth hormones and some Fulvic acid!

Gotta run. I'll check back but, I suggest you get a copy of this book and read it cover to cover - don't skip anything!

http://www.amazon.com/Marijuana-Growers-Handbook-Complete-Cultivation/dp/0932551467

Ok bud, here is my ten cents. If new growth looks good then you have nothing to worry about.

Pretty weird that your water turned blue, maybe a friend is pulling an April Fools prank on you, lol. Nah, I have heard of that with miricle grow, but Miracle Grow "no esta bien" in hydro, or really for growing weed at all, so you need to switch IMO ASAP. I run Botanicare and I have a good formula posted in my thread (link in my signature).

As @Dr. Who said, dial in that PH to around 5.8.'

That PPM is way way low. When you have that strain dialed you will get a nice deep green tint to your leaves.

Good luck brah!

AKGrowAreo said:

Ok bud, here is my ten cents. If new growth looks good then you have nothing to worry about.

Pretty weird that your water turned blue, maybe a friend is pulling an April Fools prank on you, lol. Nah, I have heard of that with miricle grow, but Miracle Grow "no esta bien" in hydro, or really for growing weed at all, so you need to switch IMO ASAP. I run Botanicare and I have a good formula posted in my thread (link in my signature).

As @Dr. Who said, dial in that PH to around 5.8.'

That PPM is way way low. When you have that strain dialed you will get a nice deep green tint to your leaves.

Good luck brah!

Click to expand...

Well, he can use MG but, it'll take patience and watching the ppm's. The thing MG lacks is micro's and Ca/Mg on some levels...It is a 3-1-2 ratio...So it simply involves mixing right and add what it needs right......

You see, He asked us to be patient with him and the MG due to financial reasons......So, I'm attempting to work under his rules....The suggestion of Kelp and a Ca/Mg add what MG lacks for Canna in my book....

ANY fert will work with hydro...YOU just have to adjust and supplement, TO make it work!

Dr. Who said:

Well, he can use MG but, it'll take patience and watching the ppm's. The thing MG lacks is micro's and Ca/Mg on some levels...It is a 3-1-2 ratio...So it simply involves mixing right and add what it needs right......

You see, He asked us to be patient with him and the MG due to financial reasons......So, I'm attempting to work under his rules....The suggestion of Kelp and a Ca/Mg add what MG lacks for Canna in my book....

ANY fert will work with hydro...YOU just have to adjust and supplement, TO make it work!

Click to expand...

I'm used to nutrient rich soil grows where everything usually works out for itself. The only reason I grabbed mg is from every where I read the plants main source of food during veg is nitrogen, this has 24%... Also because commercial farmers recommend a powder versus the liquid fert because you get way more value for your money. I personally love my plants and want them to be healthy so I'm willing to buy new fert from my hydro store today. Will I still need the co cali solution ? Should I change their water again immediately or they will be fine in the mg for another week?

Tomford said:

I'm used to nutrient rich soil grows where everything usually works out for itself. The only reason I grabbed mg is from every where I read the plants main source of food during veg is nitrogen, this has 24%... Also because commercial farmers recommend a powder versus the liquid fert because you get way more value for your money. I personally love my plants and want them to be healthy so I'm willing to buy new fert from my hydro store today. Will I still need the co cali solution ? Should I change their water again immediately or they will be fine in the mg for another week?

Click to expand...

if you want an easy, dry nute here ya go:
Lucas Formula using General Hydroponics Dry Nutrients (Maxibloom)
MaxiBloom and MaxiGro are dry nutrient also from General Hydroponics. It turns out, Maxibloom, used in a ratio of 7 grams per gallon of water*, is very close to the original Lucas Formula (above.) You do not need MaxiGro, and so this is the cheapest and easiest recipe to use.

Add 7 grams of Maxibloom into 1 gallon of water*, and then adjust the pH, and stir vigorously to dissolve the Maxibloom in the water. I advise putting the 7g of Maxibloom into a cup of warm water, dissolving it, and then adding it to the remaining gallon of water, before pH adjusting and mixing again.