What is this?? Black mold?

TommyTotem

TommyTotem

Well-Known Member
I am by no means a master grower, so any criticism helps, I am using Calmag , Fox Farm Dirty dozen, black gold soil, a Hydrologic Ro system..I am Ph after nutes between 6.3 and 6.5.....I have never seen anything like this...please help20211223_161244.jpg20211223_161145.jpg20211225_102459.jpg20211225_102107.jpg20211225_102439.jpg20211225_110716.jpg20211225_111102.jpg20211225_110711.jpg20211225_102619.jpg20211225_102509.jpg
 
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simpleleaf

simpleleaf

Well-Known Member
TommyTotem said:
I am by no means a master grower, so any criticism helps, I am using Calmag , Fox Farm Dirty dozen, black gold soil, a Hydrologic Ro system..I am Ph after nutes between 6.3 and 6.5.....I have never seen anything like this...please help
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Wow! Need pics under 6500K or natural daylight. You would find PPM or EC in & out helpful. I also watch runoff pH.

I remember Black Gold from the 1970s, it was an alternative to SuperSoil, carried in all the major chain stores where I grew up. I looked at the ingredients via search, blackgold.bz says, "It contains a rich mix of Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss, Composted or Aged Bark, Compost, Earthworm Castings, RESiLIENCE®, Horticultural Grade Perlite, Pumice, or Cinders, and Organic Grade Fertilizer". I bolded what was of interest to me, and am irritated with the trademark crypto.

You probably don't need any nutes in your water for a period of time, not sure how long. Also, since peat is the first ingredient, runoff is likely to be more acidic. I personally avoid peat like it's the kiss of death! Most potting mixes contain it. Good luck!
 
xtsho

xtsho

Well-Known Member
It's over fertilization from using the FF Dirty Dozen in soil that already contains plenty of nutrients for weeks and doesn't require a dozen bottles of nutrients to feed your plants. I use Black Gold and only use water for 4-6 weeks.

Is there a reason you're using RO water? Most tap is just fine and doesn't require adjusting the pH when growing in soil. The soil already has buffering agents in it to maintain the proper pH. I water with close to 8.0 pH in soil and the plants are always healthy and green. When you start messing with the pH you disrupt the soil equilibrium and along with using too much fertilizer it puts the soil out of balance and leads to unhappy plants as you are experiencing now.
 
hotrodharley

hotrodharley

Well-Known Member
I believe too many people are wasting money unnecessarily for these tiny RO units. Or large RO units. I was a dialysis nurse (where old nurses go to die) and had access to all the real RO water I wanted. Hauled cans of it home for a DWC setup. Then it hit -28 and snow fell on the ice and even dogs had a hard time staying upright. Had to resort to tap water in this "emergency".

Never hauled another can of RO. Didn't leave it sitting out or any other crap. Poured it, set the EC and pH and adios.
 
TommyTotem

TommyTotem

Well-Known Member
xtsho said:
It's over fertilization from using the FF Dirty Dozen in soil that already contains plenty of nutrients for weeks and doesn't require a dozen bottles of nutrients to feed your plants. I use Black Gold and only use water for 4-6 weeks.

Is there a reason you're using RO water? Most tap is just fine and doesn't require adjusting the pH when growing in soil. The soil already has buffering agents in it to maintain the proper pH. I water with close to 8.0 pH in soil and the plants are always healthy and green. When you start messing with the pH you disrupt the soil equilibrium and along with using too much fertilizer it puts the soil out of balance and leads to unhappy plants as you are experiencing now.
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I live in Northern Nevada the water is extremely hard with calcium, so I use RO thanks for the imput
 
TommyTotem

TommyTotem

Well-Known Member
simpleleaf said:
Wow! Need pics under 6500K or natural daylight. You would find PPM or EC in & out helpful. I also watch runoff pH.

I remember Black Gold from the 1970s, it was an alternative to SuperSoil, carried in all the major chain stores where I grew up. I looked at the ingredients via search, blackgold.bz says, "It contains a rich mix of Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss, Composted or Aged Bark, Compost, Earthworm Castings, RESiLIENCE®, Horticultural Grade Perlite, Pumice, or Cinders, and Organic Grade Fertilizer". I bolded what was of interest to me, and am irritated with the trademark crypto.

You probably don't need any nutes in your water for a period of time, not sure how long. Also, since peat is the first ingredient, runoff is likely to be more acidic. I personally avoid peat like it's the kiss of death! Most potting mixes contain it. Good luck!
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Thanks for ur input
 
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Rurumo

Rurumo

Well-Known Member
simpleleaf said:
Wow! Need pics under 6500K or natural daylight. You would find PPM or EC in & out helpful. I also watch runoff pH.

I remember Black Gold from the 1970s, it was an alternative to SuperSoil, carried in all the major chain stores where I grew up. I looked at the ingredients via search, blackgold.bz says, "It contains a rich mix of Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss, Composted or Aged Bark, Compost, Earthworm Castings, RESiLIENCE®, Horticultural Grade Perlite, Pumice, or Cinders, and Organic Grade Fertilizer". I bolded what was of interest to me, and am irritated with the trademark crypto.

You probably don't need any nutes in your water for a period of time, not sure how long. Also, since peat is the first ingredient, runoff is likely to be more acidic. I personally avoid peat like it's the kiss of death! Most potting mixes contain it. Good luck!
Click to expand...
the "Resilience" in Black Gold is just a little bit of Silica
 
M.O.

M.O.

Well-Known Member
When I was on city water that was fine. I’m on a hard well and understand. It’ll really build up in a pot. When I started it was causing issues for me.

We soften our water with sodium chloride and you can use this water on plants outside actually. Inside the salt builds up so ridiculously though. Potassium chloride softened might be okay?

I use RO and found you need to add some liquid Ca to it just to relax it or ‘buffer’ it. I add surfactant first then the extra Ca and then nutes. It seems to want to hold onto some Ca otherwise. This could actually be what’s happening if it’s not burn from over fert.

I do think you could mix some well and RO to achieve the same but I’ve not gotten there and can’t give a ratio. RO filters out the ever present and ever variable arsenic so that has kept me using it.

I actually started using rainwater straight up harvested off the roof and then simply filtered through flour sack. That runs out and I need something so back to RO. There is a good reason people hate on it though. Hope this helps.

forgot to add: cause man that looks like mine when the RO is stealing the Ca.
 
visajoe1

visajoe1

Well-Known Member
TommyTotem said:
I live in Northern Nevada the water is extremely hard with calcium, so I use RO thanks for the imput
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Have you used the tap water before? If so, what happened? Hard water isnt necessarily unusable, even undrinkable tap. I lived in LA, that tap is undrinkable, but was fine for growin.

If you can eliminate that RO using soil, your grow may become more user friendly. Best of luck!
 
M.O.

M.O.

Well-Known Member
My hard well water left tons of ‘rusty’ sediment and seemed to cause major lockouts. Well water straight out the ground is way different than city tap water.

Not arguing RO causes it’s own issues, it does, but at least you can build it up right. All that ground sediment caused me a lot of trouble. There might be a lesser filter but RO does get the arsenic that’s in ground wells.
 
Kerowacked

Kerowacked

Well-Known Member
M.O. said:
When I was on city water that was fine. I’m on a hard well and understand. It’ll really build up in a pot. When I started it was causing issues for me.

We soften our water with sodium chloride and you can use this water on plants outside actually. Inside the salt builds up so ridiculously though. Potassium chloride softened might be okay?

I use RO and found you need to add some liquid Ca to it just to relax it or ‘buffer’ it. I add surfactant first then the extra Ca and then nutes. It seems to want to hold onto some Ca otherwise. This could actually be what’s happening if it’s not burn from over fert.

I do think you could mix some well and RO to achieve the same but I’ve not gotten there and can’t give a ratio. RO filters out the ever present and ever variable arsenic so that has kept me using it.

I actually started using rainwater straight up harvested off the roof and then simply filtered through flour sack. That runs out and I need something so back to RO. There is a good reason people hate on it though. Hope this helps.

forgot to add: cause man that looks like mine when the RO is stealing the Ca.
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Most softeners are installed past the outside spigot. Softened water would kill a lawn.
 
M.O.

M.O.

Well-Known Member
Best advise with hard well water would be rain water collection once/if you can. Then RO as back up.


Kerowacked said:
Most softeners are installed past the outside spigot. Softened water would kill a lawn.
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That might be true, in my case though it’s not. I can turn off the softener and used to to water my garden and flowers. The well water straight out the ground even causes issues with plants in my outdoor garden, it’s gnarly.
We have a nice gravity fed softening system leaving low ppm of salt. Mine has been fine outside. Most softeners probably would kill plants and for this thread it doesn’t matter as even mine inside doesn’t work. It’s just to illustrate that I have tried different things.

I promise I’m talking from a few years experience on water coming straight out the ground - hard well. Not trying to be argumentative or a dick at all. I have a few grows with city water too and never needed all this filtering.
 
M.O.

M.O.

Well-Known Member
So to steer it back on track they are either hangry or burnt. Have you watered with straight RO nothing else added at all like in between nutes?
 
TommyTotem

TommyTotem

Well-Known Member
M.O. said:
Best advise with hard well water would be rain water collection once/if you can. Then RO as back up.




That might be true, in my case though it’s not. I can turn off the softener and used to to water my garden and flowers. The well water straight out the ground even causes issues with plants in my outdoor garden, it’s gnarly.
We have a nice gravity fed softening system leaving low ppm of salt. Mine has been fine outside. Most softeners probably would kill plants and for this thread it doesn’t matter as even mine inside doesn’t work. It’s just to illustrate that I have tried different things.

I promise I’m talking from a few years experience on water coming straight out the ground - hard well. Not trying to be argumentative or a dick at all. I have a few grows with city water too and never needed all this filtering.
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I have no gutter here and in Northern Nevada it's hard...does black mold cause plants to look like this, I bought a older house (78,)don't see any signs of Blck mold but I'm doing everything else I've been taught righ...I even have a log to look at and see where I could have messed up. The fluctuation of hot and cold here is pretty drastic and I ma using the same nutes I used for my outdoor, could that be a possibility?
 
M.O.

M.O.

Well-Known Member
TommyTotem said:
I have no gutter here and in Northern Nevada it's hard...does black mold cause plants to look like this, I bought a older house (78,)don't see any signs of Blck mold but I'm doing everything else I've been taught righ...I even have a log to look at and see where I could have messed up. The fluctuation of hot and cold here is pretty drastic and I ma using the same nutes I used for my outdoor, could that be a possibility?
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I feel you on the rough well and having to filter. I’m in the same boat. With super clean water though it can strip out the goodies or hold them from the plant. I use nectar line and to balance the lack of magnesium & calcium they have a liquid calcium for both. I don’t fully understand it but it works.
I also use plain old epsom salt for foliar but that’s just magnesium. You can water it in and top dress with it too.
My vote is that your water is too clean and if you’ve been really careful with nutes they are actually hungry.
Black mold I’m honestly not sure but I’d think it’d be everywhere and obvious with spores.

Can you snap some new pics with regular daylight spectrum light on (without the hps)?
 
M.O.

M.O.

Well-Known Member
Actually just looking back I can see the leaf green is pale and the purpling stems yea… maybe cold and hot swing compounding issues but I’m pretty sure they are eating themselves up.
 
M.O.

M.O.

Well-Known Member
Last thoughts here so I don’t steer you wrong. These other guys were thinking burn and it very well could be. You said RO water at first and distilled will probably act the same. I don’t ever give it plain.
I only mentioned my nutes because I’d have no way to know if you gave them too much even if you told me the doses with clean water but that might help here too. Someone might be able to tell from your dosage of nutes with the RO. I could with nectar.
 
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