*First Grow* Wilting/Clawing, yellowing bottom leaves

Hello, I was looking for some help based on the attached pictures. I just started my first grow about 3 1/2 weeks ago and just ran into some problems. As shown in the pictures the leaves are clawing and wilting, and also the bottom leaves are yellowing. I just started using nutes yesterday because of the yellowing. I haven't been using nutes because I read with Fox Farms Ocean Forest you don't need nutes for about 3-6 weeks. Could this be over watering? Nitrogen deficiency, maybe both? Also I should mention that I haven't been testing PH in my water, could this be the cause? Thanks in advance, this is my first grow and I have no idea what I'm doing wrong!

You need to check the pH. If its way out of whack your plant wont pick up nutrients. Nutrients you can adjust without a meter by looking at the plants but you have to get the pH in check.

Ok thank you TCH. I just ordered the pH meter and up/down, but it wont be here until Thursday. Can I do anything in the meantime? Any of the other things I mentioned could be a problem? They were looking great until I transplanted them to the black pots, which was about a week ago. Since then they started wilting and clawing, which has progressively gotten worse, now the bottom leaves are yellowing.

TCH said:

You need to check the pH. If its way out of whack your plant wont pick up nutrients. Nutrients you can adjust without a meter by looking at the plants but you have to get the pH in check.

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When you transplanted them, were they in the same kind of soil before and after? I would let the soil dry out before watering again. When you do water, just get enough in there to dampen the soil. Then your next watering, pH the water with your pH meter and water with just pH'd water. I don't believe you should have to add nutes to the FFOF soil this early. I suspect your plant has it's deficiencies due to the fact your pH was way too high and it just couldn't draw up the nutes.

Disclaimer: I too am a newbie to growing cannabis. I have however dealt with dwc growing peppers and tomatoes. My info comes from info I habe picked up along the way. Good luck, sir

TCH said:

When you transplanted them, were they in the same kind of soil before and after? I would let the soil dry out before watering again. When you do water, just get enough in there to dampen the soil. Then your next watering, pH the water with your pH meter and water with just pH'd water. I don't believe you should have to add nutes to the FFOF soil this early. I suspect your plant has it's deficiencies due to the fact your pH was way too high and it just couldn't draw up the nutes.

Disclaimer: I too am a newbie to growing cannabis. I have however dealt with dwc growing peppers and tomatoes. My info comes from info I habe picked up along the way. Good luck, sir

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Thank you for the advice, will do.

Your in soil, FFOF has been light on Ca/Mg for years (in the long term).
To counter that, add a good heaping half cup of Dolomite lime to the whole bag and mix well as you add, and turn the soil. The soil is now better "buffered."

The reason to use Dolo is that it has plenty of Mg to counter that "low" in the FFOF. As a "rule", I don't use Dolo in building soils from scratch - too much Mg.

Secondly, soil's self pH but, watering/feeding with a solution that's over 1.5 points over/under 6.5 (6.7 in bloom) can, in time, adversely effect the soil pH! This in turn effects nutrient up-take. That begins a cycle of "lock outs" blocking up-take.

Countering the problem can be done by using a Ca/Mg at 5ml per gallon and pHing the solution mix to 6.5.
Look for recovery in the new growth as only N problems will show any "actual recovery" to damaged leaves.
This will take 5-7 days to show in soil grown plants, 3-5 in hydro.