Tiny orange spots on leaves!!

ddeck96

Well-Known Member
You finally got a drop in EC/ppm and you go stick nutrients right back in? No break for the plant huh?
well, when I checked the run off, the EC had gone down by half on its own since I flushed it a few days before, so I figured it was up taking nutrients again. (Considering I didn’t do a flush in the traditional sense, I just ran water through one little spot) The medium was relatively dry still, so I gave it half strength nutes. I waited for the pot to dry again and then gave it a little lower than full strength nutes. It’s been about a day since I fed the higher strength nutes and the def is still spreading. This is exactly what I was told to do and what I read to do online. Why is it still spreading???
 

Wattzzup

Well-Known Member
Well it’s tough to differentiate between lockouts and deficiencies sometimes. I would say if you keep adding nutrients and it’s getting worse stop. Also after a flush in soil let it go at least one cycle without adding nutrients. The toxicity is in the plant and the soil. So to flush the soil is nice but if the plant still has too much why introduce more?
 

ddeck96

Well-Known Member
Well it’s tough to differentiate between lockouts and deficiencies sometimes. I would say if you keep adding nutrients and it’s getting worse stop. Also after a flush in soil let it go at least one cycle without adding nutrients. The toxicity is in the plant and the soil. So to flush the soil is nice but if the plant still has too much why introduce more?
It’s definitely a lockout. I was under the impression that when a plant experiences a lockout, it’s not taking up nutes (hence the term, lockout) so you flush the soil to remove salt and nute build up. Then, when the medium is replenished, (took me one good flush, and then another small watering with 10% runoff which showed run off had decreased in EC from 1.4 to .75 on its own) during the next watering you give your plant 1/2 strength nutes because your plant has essentially been starving during the lock out; so you slowly increase the EC of nutes to replenish nutrients lacking in the plant.

what would you do?
 

Wattzzup

Well-Known Member


If nutrient lockout is an issue with your pH, consider using products to control your pH level. Purchase pH buffers to raise or lower the pH level and then flush with this pH-balanced water.

Once a flush is performed, your system will be completely saturated. The soil needs to dry out before watering again to allow the roots to breathe and avoid developing root rot. After a flush, you may continue to water your garden normally for a few more cycles before introducing nutrients again.
 

Bukvičák

Well-Known Member
so I flushed one of my plants and got it down to 1.4 EC, a few days later I ran a tiny amount of water through side of the pot and then run off was 750 EC. So I gave it a feeding of half strength nutes (650EC) And then I few days later I watered to check run off again, and it was 300 EC, so I gave it a feeding of 1.0 EC nutes. However the deficiencies are still spreading, and they’ve spread to a few sugar leaves. Am I doing something wrong? why is it still spreading?
Once you run this deep into lockout in this phase of flower you can only stop it spreading when you do it good. Your runoff was 2,4 when you went plain water and thats really high! You can have this runoff when you feed but not when you only water. Provide pics please!
 

Bukvičák

Well-Known Member
so I flushed one of my plants and got it down to 1.4 EC, a few days later I ran a tiny amount of water through side of the pot and then run off was 750 EC. So I gave it a feeding of half strength nutes (650EC) And then I few days later I watered to check run off again, and it was 300 EC, so I gave it a feeding of 1.0 EC nutes. However the deficiencies are still spreading, and they’ve spread to a few sugar leaves. Am I doing something wrong? why is it still spreading?
So you feed them two times in a row?
 

Bukvičák

Well-Known Member
Mystery for me is still your EC/pH values. When you go out EC 2,6 your pH will be likely below 6,0. Measuring your runoff by the sides of the pot is useless. You need to add water in the midlle very slowly to avoid this side running and wait untill you get 10% runoff and than measure! If you got less only for measurement your readings will be inaccurate. For example I need to water 4 litres to get 0,4 runoff, when I water 3,5 litres I get only 0,1 runoff and this tell me nothing about the real values. When yours first 10% runoff is too high of EC, than you need another 10% (not mixed with the previous 10%) but ofc you will need much less water than for the first 10% but you still need 0,4 litres runoff (in my case) to get the sample for measurment. The highest concetration of salts is in the last “drops” and it has a big influence to the overall results. And why to feed them after flush? Because they are locked out of nuts, when you perform flush correctly, you should ended up with very low amount of them in your soil plus your plant is suffering but should be able to uptake already, but when there are no nuts, deficiencies go on further...
 

ddeck96

Well-Known Member
So you feed them two times in a row?
nah I did another watering to check EC/ ph (using the method you told me to use.) and then I fed them the first time because after letting checking the first 10% run off the ph had gone down from 1400 to 700 on it own, so I assumed that meant it was taking up nutrients again. I let the pot dry out a bit and then added half strength nutes (700ec), then when it dried out again I did a small run off check( just enough water to saturate the middle of the pot) and checked the EC and it was at 300, so I gave it a small volume of 1.0 EC feed (just enough to completely saturate the pot and get about 10% run off). And that’s where I’m at now. Going to test run off today Or tomorrow and see what it’s at. Also, you seem to keep missing where I said that 6.2 ph was a mistake. Ph was more like 5.8 or maybe even lower.
 

ddeck96

Well-Known Member
Mystery for me is still your EC/pH values. When you go out EC 2,6 your pH will be likely below 6,0. Measuring your runoff by the sides of the pot is useless. You need to add water in the midlle very slowly to avoid this side running and wait untill you get 10% runoff and than measure! If you got less only for measurement your readings will be inaccurate. For example I need to water 4 litres to get 0,4 runoff, when I water 3,5 litres I get only 0,1 runoff and this tell me nothing about the real values. When yours first 10% runoff is too high of EC, than you need another 10% (not mixed with the previous 10%) but ofc you will need much less water than for the first 10% but you still need 0,4 litres runoff (in my case) to get the sample for measurment. The highest concetration of salts is in the last “drops” and it has a big influence to the overall results. And why to feed them after flush? Because they are locked out of nuts, when you perform flush correctly, you should ended up with very low amount of them in your soil plus your plant is suffering but should be able to uptake already, but when there are no nuts, deficiencies go on further...
And yeah, that’s why I fed them. I read everywhere, including on here that since your plants are technically starving from lockout, that you should feed them ASAP so they can get some nutrients. Isn’t that correct? (Once you get EC down to regular numbers that is)
 

Bukvičák

Well-Known Member
Runoff of EC 1,4 after flush is not indicator that they eat already. They “eat” when you feed EC 1,8 and next plein watering gives you out EC 1,4. They “ate” only 0,4 and it is still not enough to feed them again! I know it is very discouraging to watch you plants struggling. When they do not respond well for feed just do not feed, probably you still have a lot inside...
 

Bukvičák

Well-Known Member
But if you say you have such low EC runoff you probably doing everthing right and you should start to feed them. How do they look like now?
 

Bukvičák

Well-Known Member
And to your pH... ofc its lower than 6,0 because of salts inside, but you do not need to worry about it, untill it drops below 5,4, than your soil is probably too acid also and that lockout could be because of it. Thats the worst scenario...
 

ddeck96

Well-Known Member
Runoff of EC 1,4 after flush is not indicator that they eat already. They “eat” when you feed EC 1,8 and next plein watering gives you out EC 1,4. They “ate” only 0,4 and it is still not enough to feed them again! I know it is very discouraging to watch you plants struggling. When they do not respond well for feed just do not feed, probably you still have a lot inside...
nooo, I didn’t feed at 1.4 EC. I fed when I went to start the next “flush” and the run off came out at .7. So that’s when I give it half strength nutes, checked a few days later and EC was down to .3. So then I have it a feeding slightly lower than full strength (1.2 EC) and then yesterday I gave it plain water and run off was 0.5. Should I keep alternating full strength feed/water/feed/water?
 

Bukvičák

Well-Known Member
I would start EC 1,5-1,6 according to the size of the plant and go higher every other feeding till 1,9-2,0. When plant goes better ofc!!!
 
Top