Calcium def or pH flux or both?

[Yeatster]

HBSS 52 days
Promix BX + 20%Perlite +dolomite lime ( coarse. Didn't know at the time, I should grind it to dust)

I use soft tap water

Advanced Nutrients:
M/G/B, 2ml/L
Big Bud, 2ml/L (ran out 3 days ago)
B-52, 1ml/L
Sensizyme, 1ml/L
Bud Candy, 1ml/L
Technoflora Magical, 3ml/L

I have had issues very early on. Hence, the load of calmag being used. I have increased calmag by .25ml/L quite regularly, until I reached this dose, and now I'm about out of Magical, lol.

My pH pen was going crazy, displaying anywhere from 5 to 11.6. I read up on it and figured it was a battery issue. Problem fixed, but not before my 2 HBSS have gotten worse.
Necrosis seems to be creeping up the plant, starting with lower fan leaves. It is now coming on strong and has gottn to sugar leaves.

I was reading up on dolomite lime being a buffer as well as rich in calcium and magnesium. I am considering using this instead of Magical. If it's a pH issue hopefully it will help.

If you are still here, thank you. Here's some pics.

I apologize for the crappy pics. If I need to get clearer pics, I'll ask my wife. She's better at life than me.

Thanks and peace

 

[Heavily Medicated]

Classic Ca def.

 

[Yeatster]

Classic Ca def.

That's what I would think it looks like. The question really is, is it from nutrients being locked out? And if so, is it from pH flux maybe? And if so, will dolomite lime help buffer the medium?
I guess I didn't form my questions right in the beginning.
But, if I am adding 3+ml calmag per L, wouldn't that normally be well over what is needed? I can't imagine just keep upping calmag. It's gotta be something locking it out, I presume.

Thanks Heavy!

 

[Heavily Medicated]

That's what I would think it looks like. The question really is, is it from nutrients being locked out? And if so, is it from pH flux maybe? And if so, will dolomite lime help buffer the medium?
I guess I didn't form my questions right in the beginning.
But, if I am adding 3+ml calmag per L, wouldn't that normally be well over what is needed? I can't imagine just keep upping calmag. It's gotta be something locking it out, I presume.

Thanks Heavy!

You are right about 3 ml/L should be enough, but I use GH CaliMagic and not familiar with your product.. What concentrate is the Ca in your CaMg and is it somewhat fresh or outdated. If you had much of a pH problem in your medium, I think you would be seeing more problems than you are. Can you check your medium pH, and have you been regulating the pH of your feeds. It looks like you have a little N toxicity, dark green color and leaf tips curling down with burned tips. I regularly check the pH of my grow medium just to monitor. My Promix will swing from 6.3 just after feeding to 6.7 or so as it dries out. All my feeds are adjusted to 6.3. A Control Wizard Accurate 8 is a good, reliable soil pH probe.

 

[Yeatster]

You are right about 3 ml/L should be enough, but I use GH CaliMagic and not familiar with your product.. What concentrate is the Ca in your CaMg and is it somewhat fresh or outdated. If you had much of a pH problem in your medium, I think you would be seeing more problems than you are. Can you check your medium pH, and have you been regulating the pH of your feeds. It looks like you have a little N toxicity, dark green color and leaf tips curling down with burned tips. I regularly check the pH of my grow medium just to monitor. My Promix will swing from 6.3 just after feeding to 6.7 or so as it dries out. All my feeds are adjusted to 6.3. A Control Wizard Accurate 8 is a good, reliable soil pH probe.

Yeah, I don't have a soil tester. And yes, my pH pen was whack the other day so I didn't pH for a few days, relying on the pH perfect, although the magical throws that off.
I had used GO calmag for the first 3 weeks. I had really light colored leaves so I switched to magical cuz it has N in it. That really seemed to help. Hence; the dark green.

Now, I'm almost convinced it's nute lockout from pH flux. If it is, I'm not positive how to handle it.
I did just feed with dolomite lime, hoping it will buffer the medium. I assume there is enough calmag in the medium already, seeing she's not up taking it. The dolomite lime is slow to be absorbed. Hoping it will start working when she has consumed what's left in the pot.

 

[Heavily Medicated]

Yeah, I don't have a soil tester. And yes, my pH pen was whack the other day so I didn't pH for a few days, relying on the pH perfect, although the magical throws that off.
I had used GO calmag for the first 3 weeks. I had really light colored leaves so I switched to magical cuz it has N in it. That really seemed to help. Hence; the dark green.

Now, I'm almost convinced it's nute lockout from pH flux. If it is, I'm not positive how to handle it.
I did just feed with dolomite lime, hoping it will buffer the medium. I assume there is enough calmag in the medium already, seeing she's not up taking it. The dolomite lime is slow to be absorbed. Hoping it will start working when she has consumed what's left in the pot.

You may want to give her a mid-grow flush. Alot of growers routinely flush between veg and bloom. At 52 days old, you very well could have salt build up effecting your medium pH. If you flush all those excess salts out, your pH should swing back up. It is not going to hurt beings you have no way of confirming your pH. The whole runoff pH testing is a joke in my opinion. Also, have you calibrated your pH pen with a buffer solution? I check mine in the buffer solution about every 2-3 weeks. Many times it is off a little and needs calibrated. If you have never calibrated, you may be getting a seriously erred reading.

 

[Yeatster]

You may want to give her a mid-grow flush. Alot of growers routinely flush between veg and bloom. At 52 days old, you very well could have salt build up effecting your medium pH. If you flush all those excess salts out, your pH should swing back up. It is not going to hurt beings you have no way of confirming your pH. The whole runoff pH testing is a joke in my opinion. Also, have you calibrated your pH pen with a buffer solution? I check mine in the buffer solution about every 2-3 weeks. Many times it is off a little and needs calibrated. If you have never calibrated, you may be getting a seriously erred reading.

I am considering the flush. I just don't want to act hastily.

The pen needed new batteries. I stole some from my wife's vibrator collection.
I got 2 cups of different vinegars and calibrated it to 2.4. Both cups were exact.

 

[Waira]

:smoking: Yeat'-- first thing, is the water naturally soft (low ppm) or is it going through a water softener? I gather the former, but need to confirm,.... -brother HM has you covered-- Ca defc.
... dolomite is the slowest acting form of lime, especially if granular... it's molecular arrangement is different from other lime, is why... it takes weeks or more to start braking down, and is not suitable for fast acting defc. correction needs, or pH buffering... it needs to be tilled into the soil before planting as well, it won't do squat sitting on the surface layer.... Also, Promix has lime in it already....
... she does look a bit deep green, but lighting and camera variables can be deceiving.... I see no clawing at least! Overly much N can interfere with Ca uptake, but I'm not sure that's the issue here,... have you been feeding pretty heavy? Other excess nute elements can mess with Ca uptake as well, so even if you have plenty of Ca in there, it's not getting taken up well enough to meet demands,...
... HM- -- more good calls! ... Yeat', with a pH meter that's not calibrated using a proper lab-set pH, 7.0, even with fresh batteries, your readings will be dubious,... those meters can be damaged, worn out, dirty, stored improperly etc., all of which will compromise their accuracy,.. the A8 soil pH probe is a very handy tool indeed, eliminating the need to use the sucky run-off testing and calculation, which you'll still need a dialed-in pH meter for! .... I'm with HM on the flush too, barring new info from you about your feeds and dosage,... typically you run 3x the pot volume through it, within 20 min. to finish,... do you have a TDS or EC meter? testing the run-off for that is great, to see how well the flush is working,...

 

[Yeatster]

Thank you for responding @Waira

The water is soft from the town, no softener.
The dolomite lime, I am aware of its slow acting capabilities. I fed today with dolomite lime ground to a powder in a coffee grinder, 1tsp. DL/2Liters feed. I was hoping it would buffer my medium, if nothing else.
She is really green. I don't think overly green though. And you are right, I don't see clawing either. I have been using a calmag supplement with N in it, for the last few weeks because she was a light color.
The slight nute burn was from upping base nutes to green her up. When I noticed the burn, I switched from General Organics calmag(no N) to aforementioned magical, and cut back on base nutes, 3 weeks ago. No new signs of nute burn, as far as I can tell.
The pH pen seems to be okay now, after new batteries. I tested 2 different kinds of vinegar, in 2 separate cups. Calibrated to 2.4. Both cups were on point.
I don't think I have been feeding excessively as of late, aside from too much calmag, imo. 3ml/L. Base nutes are 2ml/L, additives are 1ml/L.
I will look into the soil tester, HM and yourself recommend. I can't, at the moment, spend any more $. If I do, I will be sleeping on the couch with the dog. And she farts.
I will also look into TDS &, or, EC meter when my wife gives me my huevos back.

Thanks again!!!

 

[Yeatster]

I was thinking about your question of feeding heavily, @Waira. I don't think I am necessarily overfeeding, though it seems to be the case, perhaps.
I use 3g smart pots. I theorize, water evaporation would be greater than plastic pots. Is it possible, this would cause more salt build up?
Also, to support this theory, this is my second run with this smart pot. I did wash it with soap and hot water but, maybe not good enough to rid fabric of all previous salts.

Just a thought.