NaturesMed
Active Member
I have been a successful grower in the past with my personally tweaked schedule of GH 3-part with some epsoms and additional PK boosts during flower.
Some details:
Ebb and Flow of 5gal buckets with Hydroton clay
Ph around 5.8 - stays pretty steady
PPM 750-800 @ 700 conversion - Also stays pretty steady
Flooded 2x/day, 12hrs apart
RO water
GH 3 part with calmag+epsoms, PK boost for FLR - Ratios listed below
Temps 67-79, humidity normal
My water at my current location went hard in the middle of the summer and I purchased an RO filter. Everything was great at first, I added Cal-Mag at 5ml/15-10-5 of 3 part and set my concentration at about 750 ppm on 700 conversion factor.
The actual numbers for 100gal of solution were:
450ml gro
300ml micro
150ml bloom
150ml calmag
and 4.5 tsp epsom salt
They seemed quite happy with this through veg, but in the second week of flower(after switching to the inverted FLR formula) they started to show some yellowing at the bottom. I interpreted it as magnesium deficiency and upped the calmag and epsom for the third week.
Numbers for 100 gal:
125ml gro
250ml micro
375ml bloom
300ml calmag
6 tsp epsom
250ml P/K-13/14.
Still around 750 ppm @700 conversion and kept at 5.8 Ph
But the deficiency only seemed to accelerate, some light brown necrosis can be seen in the 4th and 5th pictures. I am not sure if it is magnesium deficiency or possibly nitrogen deficiency(can't tell for sure if its interveinal chlorosis), which the visual signs suggest. But by adding extra calmag plus, I have already added more of both!
I have also added a high dose of PK booster, however I have always had great success at that rate in the past...
Thoughts:
Mag
I think it looks most like magnesium deficiency, but I am adding so much calmag and epsoms that I dont know if thats possible. Mag could be getting locked out by too much calcium, but calmag supplies both in proper ratios, plus i am adding extra mag to the cal/mag ratio with epsoms. Mag could be getting locked out by too much potassium but I have used similar levels without any problem in the past.
Nitrogen
It also looks kind of like nitrogen deficiency to me, but I am not sure why I would be seeing that at this point.
P+K
I really dont think it is Phosphorus or Potassium deficiency, I have dealt with both aplenty and it resembles neither.
Ph control
I keep very close watch and maintain Ph in between 5.7 and 5.9, usually at 5.8. This has always worked tremendously for me and I dont believe Ph is causing this problem..
UNDERWATERING
I am new to Ebb and Flow schedules, used to be a DWC, and I am ONLY FLOODING TWICE/DAY, 12 hours apart, even though the plants are 3-5 ft and bushy. They do have 5 gallons of clay media to fill out with roots and I never really see drooping from thirst so I kept it infrequent to avoid rot.
Is it possible that the plants aren't getting enough nutrients simply because they aren't being flooded enough?
ANY INSIGHT IS GREATLY APPRECIATED!!! I have tried to include all pertinent details, but please dont hesitate to ask if not...
Some details:
Ebb and Flow of 5gal buckets with Hydroton clay
Ph around 5.8 - stays pretty steady
PPM 750-800 @ 700 conversion - Also stays pretty steady
Flooded 2x/day, 12hrs apart
RO water
GH 3 part with calmag+epsoms, PK boost for FLR - Ratios listed below
Temps 67-79, humidity normal
My water at my current location went hard in the middle of the summer and I purchased an RO filter. Everything was great at first, I added Cal-Mag at 5ml/15-10-5 of 3 part and set my concentration at about 750 ppm on 700 conversion factor.
The actual numbers for 100gal of solution were:
450ml gro
300ml micro
150ml bloom
150ml calmag
and 4.5 tsp epsom salt
They seemed quite happy with this through veg, but in the second week of flower(after switching to the inverted FLR formula) they started to show some yellowing at the bottom. I interpreted it as magnesium deficiency and upped the calmag and epsom for the third week.
Numbers for 100 gal:
125ml gro
250ml micro
375ml bloom
300ml calmag
6 tsp epsom
250ml P/K-13/14.
Still around 750 ppm @700 conversion and kept at 5.8 Ph
But the deficiency only seemed to accelerate, some light brown necrosis can be seen in the 4th and 5th pictures. I am not sure if it is magnesium deficiency or possibly nitrogen deficiency(can't tell for sure if its interveinal chlorosis), which the visual signs suggest. But by adding extra calmag plus, I have already added more of both!
I have also added a high dose of PK booster, however I have always had great success at that rate in the past...
Thoughts:
Mag
I think it looks most like magnesium deficiency, but I am adding so much calmag and epsoms that I dont know if thats possible. Mag could be getting locked out by too much calcium, but calmag supplies both in proper ratios, plus i am adding extra mag to the cal/mag ratio with epsoms. Mag could be getting locked out by too much potassium but I have used similar levels without any problem in the past.
Nitrogen
It also looks kind of like nitrogen deficiency to me, but I am not sure why I would be seeing that at this point.
P+K
I really dont think it is Phosphorus or Potassium deficiency, I have dealt with both aplenty and it resembles neither.
Ph control
I keep very close watch and maintain Ph in between 5.7 and 5.9, usually at 5.8. This has always worked tremendously for me and I dont believe Ph is causing this problem..
UNDERWATERING
I am new to Ebb and Flow schedules, used to be a DWC, and I am ONLY FLOODING TWICE/DAY, 12 hours apart, even though the plants are 3-5 ft and bushy. They do have 5 gallons of clay media to fill out with roots and I never really see drooping from thirst so I kept it infrequent to avoid rot.
Is it possible that the plants aren't getting enough nutrients simply because they aren't being flooded enough?
ANY INSIGHT IS GREATLY APPRECIATED!!! I have tried to include all pertinent details, but please dont hesitate to ask if not...
