HALPPPPPPP

Chip Green

Well-Known Member
drowning the bottom roots
You got it man.
In a "hot" mix like FFOF you'll be surprised at how little water, and nutes, the plant actually NEEDS. Its actually hard to under feed in that stuff from my experience. The attempts many make at "flushing" can exasperate overfeeding by making the soil act even hotter....
Its much easier to get a plant to recover from underwatering or being underfed....again underfeeding in FFOF is unlikely during VEG at all IMO.
Overwater/feed causes cascading failures of PH problems, nute lockouts, big problems, that are very difficult to reverse.
 

OscarZulu

Active Member
You got it man.
In a "hot" mix like FFOF you'll be surprised at how little water, and nutes, the plant actually NEEDS. Its actually hard to under feed in that stuff from my experience. The attempts many make at "flushing" can exasperate overfeeding by making the soil act even hotter....
Its much easier to get a plant to recover from underwatering or being underfed....again underfeeding in FFOF is unlikely during VEG at all IMO.
Overwater/feed causes cascading failures of PH problems, nute lockouts, big problems, that are very difficult to reverse.
I feel like I have not overwatered, I may have overfed with bottled nutrients thinking it was just deficient however. I am starting to believe the issue is just these grow bags. They stay wet on the bottom too long. I have 2 plastic containers with plants and those are the ones without problems.
 

coreywebster

Well-Known Member
480w of QB in a 2x4 tent? How far is the light from the plants? Are they dimmed?

You need a grill under cloth pots btw, lets the bottom air prune.
 

OscarZulu

Active Member
480w of QB in a 2x4 tent? How far is the light from the plants? Are they dimmed?

You need a grill under cloth pots btw, lets the bottom air prune.
I have the lights sitting about 26" from the top of the plants and no, it isn't dimmed
. And yes, I have unfortunately learned the hard way with the need for a grill.
 

coreywebster

Well-Known Member
I have the lights sitting about 26" from the top of the plants and no, it isn't dimmed
. And yes, I have unfortunately learned the hard way with the need for a grill.
That's a hell of a lot of light old bean. It will compound any issues you have with hot soil, over feeding or anything else.

Personally I would dim them considerably until you know your plants are in top shape again and then slowly crank them up.
But even then I would never run full power without increasing co2 and temps either.

To put it in perspective your running twice the amount of light you need and are only 6" above the recommended lamp distance for half that light. Sometimes more doesn't equal more it equals more problems.
 

OscarZulu

Active Member
That's a hell of a lot of light old bean. It will compound any issues you have with hot soil, over feeding or anything else.

Personally I would dim them considerably until you know your plants are in top shape again and then slowly crank them up.
But even then I would never run full power without increasing co2 and temps either.

To put it in perspective your running twice the amount of light you need and are only 6" above the recommended lamp distance for half that light. Sometimes more doesn't equal more it equals more problems.
Really, I wouldn’t have though that 480 was too much. I know a lot of people who put 600w hps bulbs in tents this size. I can turn it down a bit I suppose, however I would say that even at the full 480, I had seedlings in there that did fine (when they were seedlings) and the two in the plastic are doing good. I would transplant them but waiting for them to show sex.
 

OscarZulu

Active Member
Big day today - hopefully. I got my rapid soil test and as you can see, the first two are before and the third is after. My soil at about 3-4 inches deep was alkaline and after flushing with PH 6.1 water, we have our third test. It’s a little hard to tell exactly where it’s at, but I think it’s in between 6-6.5 now, which should be fine for soil. I flushed the 5 gallon with 10 gallons and then Added two more gallons after top dressing with about a 1/4 inch more FFOF. I also now have my plants raised off the ground so the bottom can air prune. I’m reallllly hoping this will turn things around. I have probably pulled off close to 50 leaves since Friday with these plants because they were withered and dead. Time for the comeback so they can flower.
 

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OscarZulu

Active Member
Youre drowning them. Flushing is not nesessary ever unless your cat pissed down the stem. And yes smart pots need to be up off the floor on a pallet or something
I watered every plant in there today. I waited until the tester came to water the large plant. I ph the water at 6.3 this morning for every other plant and before the watering they were all dropping and have been for days. 7 hours later and they are standing up and looking good. I don’t think that I’m overwatering them, I do believe I may have “drowned” them on the bottom of the smartpots. Also, you get thirty five different people with different opinions on flushing so it’s about impossible to know what to do.
 

Boatguy

Well-Known Member
I watered every plant in there today. I waited until the tester came to water the large plant. I ph the water at 6.3 this morning for every other plant and before the watering they were all dropping and have been for days. 7 hours later and they are standing up and looking good. I don’t think that I’m overwatering them, I do believe I may have “drowned” them on the bottom of the smartpots. Also, you get thirty five different people with different opinions on flushing so it’s about impossible to know what to do.
Looks like overwatering. The plants gradually look better from the one in the biggest pot down to the smallest. Probably overwatering and the flush is just compounding the problem. Testing soil/runoff ph doesnt tell you much either.
 

Diabolical666

Well-Known Member
Last pic on post #28 looks like over watering damage. If you are checking your plants everyday, no need to give alot of water...you want to dry out every 2-3 days..so find that watering cycle in your set environment. This schedule will be easy to incorporate a feeding schedule come flower time. I use ffof,hf and promix mix. I may have a small def here and there but it usually passes as the soil releases its nutes. This a resiliant hungry plant. Good luck
 

OscarZulu

Active Member
Last pic on post #28 looks like over watering damage. If you are checking your plants everyday, no need to give alot of water...you want to dry out every 2-3 days..so find that watering cycle in your set environment. This schedule will be easy to incorporate a feeding schedule come flower time. I use ffof,hf and promix mix. I may have a small def here and there but it usually passes as the soil releases its nutes. This a resiliant hungry plant. Good luck
That picture is the plants when it is extremely dry. No water for about a week. Like I said, all my plants looked like that this morning, I watered the other six early this morning and the big one right before this picture. The other six have already popped up. Plants look similar to when underwatered as they do overwatered
 

NoWaistedSpace

Well-Known Member
Last pic on post #28 looks like over watering damage. If you are checking your plants everyday, no need to give alot of water...you want to dry out every 2-3 days..so find that watering cycle in your set environment. This schedule will be easy to incorporate a feeding schedule come flower time. I use ffof,hf and promix mix. I may have a small def here and there but it usually passes as the soil releases its nutes. This a resiliant hungry plant. Good luck
Yep, plants have a way of telling you a "week" or so later, something happened, whether transplant shock,too many nutes, or the "mysterious" and most often denied "cause" of well over 1/2 of "future" symptoms,
over watering.
I still catch myself doing it, and knowing not to. lol
Just stop watering, is sometimes best,
if you haven't been feeding in full doses.
Then you'll get another 'side affect", like a 'nutrient burn" or a deficiency".
And it goes on and on.
If your roots are cold, your plants can't "transpire", so the "stomata'" close and the system slows way down. Gives a similar look to "over watering" but more extreme.
Stomatas are like your "nostrils" and "sinus cavities". lol
VPD comes in play.
 
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curious2garden

Well-Known Mod
Staff member
I watered every plant in there today. I waited until the tester came to water the large plant. I ph the water at 6.3 this morning for every other plant and before the watering they were all dropping and have been for days. 7 hours later and they are standing up and looking good. I don’t think that I’m overwatering them, I do believe I may have “drowned” them on the bottom of the smartpots. Also, you get thirty five different people with different opinions on flushing so it’s about impossible to know what to do.
You sure do, but Dia is a master grower who has done this for years. I listen to her.
 
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polishpollack

Well-Known Member
How can anyone say it's overwatering when the OP has repeatedly said the soil is dry? Maybe dry soil is the problem? Maybe it's all the P that the OP says they've used? This thread is being analyzed to death and much of it has been wrong. When using FFOF soil, you really shouldn't have to do much to it than just keep it wet. Just make sure you use enough of it and see how long it will last. You might be surprised.
 

OscarZulu

Active Member
The plant is not dropping anymore. I still stand by my statement that this is NOT an over watering situation. She started dropping yesterday, lifted pot, super light, felt soil, very dry. I watered her, and put her back. This morning she was perky as can be. I am however, still having leaves get brown spots and yellowing. I fear there is rot in the roots that isn’t going to clear up or that there is a mute problem. I am slowly shifting my focus away from this one plant as my other plants are doing pretty well right now. So just to clarify, the dropping STOPS when the plant is watered. I’m sure many of you are very experience growers and are just trying to give the best advice you can based on photos, but I assure you, overwatering has not been the cause. I believe that it is a possibility the bottom of the fabric grow bag stayed wet too long and it drowned the roots at the bottom however. Similar to overwatering, but should have cleared up when I put the pot on the grill to let it air out, which it has cleared really. The only problem I’m having now is dying foliage. This is a big problem though so I know something is still not right. The plant is gaining a little color back I feel, but leaves are still dying. Anyways, figured I’d update, seen the comments.
 

NoWaistedSpace

Well-Known Member
The soil was bone dry when I watered. Like it’s been almost 7 days since the big one was last watered and the pot was as light as they come.
When did you transplant?
The plant is not dropping anymore. I still stand by my statement that this is NOT an over watering situation. She started dropping yesterday, lifted pot, super light, felt soil, very dry. I watered her, and put her back. This morning she was perky as can be. I am however, still having leaves get brown spots and yellowing. I fear there is rot in the roots that isn’t going to clear up or that there is a mute problem. I am slowly shifting my focus away from this one plant as my other plants are doing pretty well right now. So just to clarify, the dropping STOPS when the plant is watered. I’m sure many of you are very experience growers and are just trying to give the best advice you can based on photos, but I assure you, overwatering has not been the cause. I believe that it is a possibility the bottom of the fabric grow bag stayed wet too long and it drowned the roots at the bottom however. Similar to overwatering, but should have cleared up when I put the pot on the grill to let it air out, which it has cleared really. The only problem I’m having now is dying foliage. This is a big problem though so I know something is still not right. The plant is gaining a little color back I feel, but leaves are still dying. Anyways, figured I’d update, seen the comments.
You said you let it dry out for a week, pretty much what I said to do and then comes the nutrient burn as I said would happen.
I am asking, was your roots cold? Cold soil leads to holding moisture and nutes aren't used.
If you say you didn't over water, I believe you.
I see the same thing in my plants this time of year.
 
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