Calcium or Magnesium issue? (I'm guessing both?)

H_Aspect

H_Aspect

Active Member
Just for a quick background. I started these autoflowers 22 days ago!!! The tallest ones are only 5.5" tall. They should be minimum 12-15" and starting to flower and are no where near. Started them in shitty soil, realized afterwards, so I was able to fix most of that problem. Avoided nutes per RQS as they claim not to need much being autos.

First sets of leaves got worse and worse looking. Second set got really bad. 3rd and 4th sets progressive better, but that was after the first, and only, feeding of 1/4 strength Big Bloom. Which is odd as if it's a Cal or Mag issues (or both), I don't believe Big Bloom would help that and the plant does seem to be getting mildly better. But, noticed today it's got hardcore purple stems, and I don't believe White Widow Auto's are known for that.

To add insult to injury, my meter was off and I was feeding it distilled water with an 8 pH up until last weekend. I have since switched to tap water (usually about 120-140 ppm) and pH it to 6-6.2, which probably helped it.

Despite my being a complete novice, and everything I've done wrong, I've surprising been unable to kill them. I guess the expressing "grows like a weed" certainly applies.

What do I need to be doing here? Keep in mind I'm new and tried to figure this out on my own.

[Edit - see new pics below]
 
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Beachwalker

Well-Known Member
Wasn't there another thread you had and we talked about adjusting your pH to 6.5? Regardless talk about your medium, is that soil because there's a lot of bark in it looks like? I agree you need natural light for pics

Edit: I looked back a little but couldn't find pH thread, but I noticed you said you're using Black Gold soil, is that it in the picture or is that the cocoa stuff that you had first?
 
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H_Aspect

H_Aspect

Active Member
"Beachwalker, post: 14526629, member: 985568"]Wasn't there another thread you had and we talked about adjusting your pH to 6.5? Regardless talk about your medium, is that soil because there's a lot of bark in it looks like? I agree you need natural light for pics

Edit: I looked back a little but couldn't find pH thread, but I noticed you said you're using Black Gold soil, is that it in the picture or is that the cocoa stuff that you had first?
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Sorry about the pics - new ones attached.

@Beachwalker Yes, I had started them in FF Salamander Soil. I couldn't find anything good or bad on it, even here, and it was available so I used it. It's utter garbage. It's coco and perlite and has the consistency of sand. The slightest breeze sends it everywhere. I was lucky enough to be able to "scoop" out everything around the shit and replace it with Black Gold, as that was the choice other than Miracle Grow. It does look like tree bark, doesn't it? LOL. If you grab it, it just falls apart like clumps of dirt, so I assume it's partially decomposed or whatever. There seems to be a couple of pieces that are probably more bark than dirt, but it is what it is.

I'm out in the boonies with no more supplier, so I was hoping to get SOMETHING out of it before I start over with another one, because being out for months when you have severe depression sucks. I'm planning to go all fabric pots in FFOF going forward. I have Northern Lights and Critical+ I'll do next.

But is there anything I can do, as is, to at least maximize the chance of something happening here?






 
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Beachwalker

Well-Known Member
H_Aspect said:
Sorry about the pics - new ones attached.

@Beachwalker Yes, I had started them in FF Salamander Soil. I couldn't find anything good or bad on it, even here, and it was available so I used it. It's utter garbage. It's coco and perlite and has the consistency of sand. The slightest breeze sends it everywhere. I was lucky enough to be able to "scoop" out everything around the shit and replace it with Black Gold, as that was the choice other than Miracle Grow. It does look like tree bark, doesn't it? LOL. If you grab it, it just falls apart like clumps of dirt, so I assume it's partially decomposed or whatever. There seems to be a couple of pieces that are probably more bark than dirt, but it is what it is.

I'm out in the boonies with no more supplier, so I was hoping to get SOMETHING out of it before I start over with another one, because being out for months when you have severe depression sucks. I'm planning to go all fabric pots in FFOF going forward. I have Northern Lights and Critical+ I'll do next.

But is there anything I can do, as is, to at least maximize the chance of something happening here?






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Those are better pictures, it looks like magnesium to me, but I'm concerned if it's a locked out or shortage? That's why I asked about the medium. Am I understanding that you're not feeding these plants, or you've only given them one feeding of Big Bloom, if so why are you giving vegging plants Big Bloom? Need more info what you're feeding
 
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CannaCountry

Well-Known Member
Running short on Mg. You can foliar spray them with Epsom salts to help the issue if you're adverse to feeding them per se, otherwise, you can add it to your feed. However, as Beachwalker noted, you'll need to determine if you're just short on Mg or if it's locked out.
 
H_Aspect

H_Aspect

Active Member
@Beachwalker Sorry, meant Grow Big, not Big Bloom. I only bought Grow Big and Tiger Bloom. That Fox Farm feeding schedule was confusing so I just got one for each stage. The leaves looked like that before being fed anything other than water. First distilled, then when told here to just water with tap I switched. It's only been fed with nutes once in three weeks, and that was about 4-5 days ago I guess.

@CannaCountry I don't mind adding something like Cal Mag to my watering if that would help (or foliar feed if you can either explain it or point me to a trusted site/explanation).

But as you both mentioned it could be either short or locked out. How do I determine if it's short or locked out? Again, for about 2-ish of their 3 weeks they were getting distilled water, now they are getting tap, maybe that's why the new growth is looking better that it was, but if you look closely you can see some of it is still there.
 
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Beachwalker

Well-Known Member
H_Aspect said:
@Beachwalker Sorry, meant Big Grow, not Big Bloom. I only bought Big Grow and Tiger Bloom. That Fox Farm feeding schedule was confusing so I just got one for each stage. The leaves looked like that before being fed anything other than water. First distilled, then when told here to just water with tap I switched. It's only been fed with nutes once in three weeks, and that was about 4-5 days ago I guess.

@CannaCountry I don't mind adding something like Cal Mag to my watering if that would help (or foliar feed if you can either explain it or point me to a trusted site/explanation).

But as you both mentioned it could be either short or locked out. How do I determine if it's short or locked out? Again, for about 2-ish of their 3 weeks they were getting distilled water, now they are getting tap, maybe that's why the new growth is looking better that it was, but if you look closely you can see some of it is still there.
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I'm going to tell you how to do yourself the biggest favor;

.. get yourself a good three-part fertilizer. I recommend GH (but I imagine Fox Farm 3 part is another good product) and use it according to label directions, but start at a lower percent: example 25% then 50% and then you work your way up to the full dose,

go by the label and you won't be guessing at lockouts, deficiencies what have you because you won't be feeding nutrients in bits and pieces like you are now.

When you get more experience you'll learn how to do anything you want using a 3 part, once you understand your NPK

Also due to the soil issues you had recently it's impossible to discount that as well at this point
 
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hotrodharley

hotrodharley

Well-Known Member
H_Aspect said:
@Beachwalker Sorry, meant Grow Big, not Big Bloom. I only bought Grow Big and Tiger Bloom. That Fox Farm feeding schedule was confusing so I just got one for each stage. The leaves looked like that before being fed anything other than water. First distilled, then when told here to just water with tap I switched. It's only been fed with nutes once in three weeks, and that was about 4-5 days ago I guess.

@CannaCountry I don't mind adding something like Cal Mag to my watering if that would help (or foliar feed if you can either explain it or point me to a trusted site/explanation).

But as you both mentioned it could be either short or locked out. How do I determine if it's short or locked out? Again, for about 2-ish of their 3 weeks they were getting distilled water, now they are getting tap, maybe that's why the new growth is looking better that it was, but if you look closely you can see some of it is still there.
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Doubt lockout. You haven't used enough nutes.
 
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Beachwalker

Well-Known Member
CannaCountry said:
Running short on Mg. You can foliar spray them with Epsom salts to help the issue if you're adverse to feeding them per se, otherwise, you can add it to your feed. However, as Beachwalker noted, you'll need to determine if you're just short on Mg or if it's locked out.
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I suspect he's got a lockout going on due to the soil issues he's had recently

also he's not feeding them properly, I've advised him on that and let's hope that it works out

I don't know to recommend flushing or not, where he had soil issues and it looks like a lockout to me I would flush it well at 6.5 once, what do you think?
 
hotrodharley

hotrodharley

Well-Known Member
Beachwalker said:
I suspect he's got a lockout going on due to the soil issues he's had recently

also he's not feeding them properly, I've advised him on that and let's hope that it works out

I don't know to recommend flushing or not, where he had soil issues and it looks like a lockout to me I would flush it well once, what do you think?
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https://www.autoflower.net/index.php/2016/11/16/flushing-the-myth-that-will-not-die-by-pop22/

Read and see. Flushing does not work. This article is very informative .
 
H_Aspect

H_Aspect

Active Member
All,

I either now have, or just ordered, Big Bloom, Grow Big, Tiger Bloom, and Cal Mag Plus. I will feed per the nutes per schedule at 25% (yes?), but what about Cal Mag's strength?

I really appreciate all your help guys. It's hard to look this up on your own when you aren't sure what to look up and what the problem is exactly.

:peace:
 
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Beachwalker

Well-Known Member
H_Aspect said:
All,

I either now have, or just ordered, Big Bloom, Grow Big, Tiger Bloom, and Cal Mag Plus. I will feed per the nutes per schedule at 25% (yes?), but what about Cal Mag's strength?

I really appreciate all your help guys. It's hard to look this up on your own when you aren't sure what to look up and what the problem is exactly.

:peace:
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I either don't add Cal Mag until I see the plant asking for it or I add one or two ml to every gallon, to make sure they don't ask for it

the choice is really yours, you can head it off or you can chase it? I think it's kind of six of one half dozen of the other,

.. probably add one ml per gallon and if I did not see any further issues I'd probably keep it right about there

I can only speak for GH I would never add the full recommended 5 ml / gallon because it doesn't need it.

When I started soil growing 3 years ago I bought a quart of Cali Magic from GH and I just finished it within the last few months
 
H_Aspect

H_Aspect

Active Member
H_Aspect

H_Aspect

Active Member
CannaCountry said:
Running short on Mg. You can foliar spray them with Epsom salts to help the issue if you're adverse to feeding them per se, otherwise, you can add it to your feed. However, as Beachwalker noted, you'll need to determine if you're just short on Mg or if it's locked out.
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I've been digging around for the last hour and finally found an article I understand from RQS. Foliar feeding seeming like a piece of cake and seems to offer quick results. I'm going to get some today at the drug store and give it a shot.
 
hotrodharley

hotrodharley

Well-Known Member
H_Aspect said:
All,

I either now have, or just ordered, Big Bloom, Grow Big, Tiger Bloom, and Cal Mag Plus. I will feed per the nutes per schedule at 25% (yes?), but what about Cal Mag's strength?

I really appreciate all your help guys. It's hard to look this up on your own when you aren't sure what to look up and what the problem is exactly.

:peace:
Click to expand...
When using cal mag reduce your "Grow" component to prevent nute burn from excess nitrogen.
 
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