New Grower First Grow - 4 Different Auto Strains in Coco

[Exivious]

Dont try to adjust too much early on, they look like they are growing nicely. Are you in coco only? Did you add in any perlite?
Do you mist them?

No perlite--didn't want to increase risk of contamination, however slight. It's just coco. I started out misting them, but after getting a humidifier last week, I stopped. The top of the coco stays moist between feedings.

New pics soon... There's a bit more browning :/ Seem to all still be growing, though.

 

[Exivious]

Day 14: I expected using 4 different strains would complicate things--I wanted to know which I should focus on in grow [HASHTAG]#2[/HASHTAG], though. No regrets.

Forum Stomper (bottom) is a little worse than yesterday, but is still growing. It seems less hearty than the other plants (Mephisto's site says be extra careful not to over-fertilize this strain, but it seems it was more susceptible to too little calcium).

Going from a full dose (5 mL) of CalMag to 3 mL for two days doesn't seem like it should have been that big a deal. This leads me to think maybe my pH was never great from the start so nutrient absorption was never ideal--I switch from indicator drops to a pH meter tomorrow (Apera SX620). I was fairly confident I was around 6 pH with drops, and since the calcium problem began, I've been adding slightly less acid in hopes of achieving 6.2-6.4.

This was probably the last day of increased CalMag (8 mL). Tomorrow I'll go back to 5 mL unless people think I should keep it higher for a few more days. Think I've handled the deficiency well enough for now?

 

[Exivious]

Guys, I could really use the input of some experienced growers on this. If you know some you think wouldn't mind being tagged, please let me know or tag them for me. I'm relying on my own judgment right now, and I have zero experience to back that up...

Diagnosis? Am I right in thinking it this is a calcium deficiency? What about the crinkling leaves on the Sour Crack?

Treatment? Do you think I've adequately treated and should fall back to a regular dose (5 mL) of CalMag starting tomorrow? I know there's a lagging response when clearing up any deficiency and it isn't just going to get better over night. I also know the damage already done to leaves isn't likely to be reversed.

Prognosis? Two plants are on Day 14 (counting from the day the seed sprouted), with another on Day 12 and another Day 9. According to Mephisto, their seeds sex around Day 14-17 and enter proper vegetative growth around Day 18. I don't see any signs of a problem on the youngest plant, but might the others recover to have a fairly normal life cycle?

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

You are stressing too much! Stop looking at them every 15 minutes. They will be fine. Fertigate on the normal schedule based on the vendors schedule for coco.

No perlite--didn't want to increase risk of contamination, however slight. It's just coco. I started out misting them, but after getting a humidifier last week, I stopped. The top of the coco stays moist between feedings.

New pics soon... There's a bit more browning :/ Seem to all still be growing, though.

The perlite helps retain moisture. What contamination are you talking about?

 

[Exivious]

That's just who I am. I'm not checking them every 15 minutes (I only get two good looks at them each day usually, one at feeding, one at late night humidifier refilling), but yeah, it's going to be something I stress about till I see enough new growth to know it's worked out. I feel a lot better when given input about it, which is why I asked for more.

You haven't said anything about my diagnosis, though. Do you think it's calcium? Think I've compensated enough by now to take care of it? What would you have done?

With perlite I was concerned about too much fluid retention increasing the possibility of mold. I haven't had the top layer of coco dry out between feedings yet, so I'm pretty confident they're getting enough water (though the crinkled leaves of the SC sort of looks like it's thirsty to me). That said I'll probably do a 70/30 mix next time around.

As for nutrients, I've followed GH's feed chart from the beginning, with the 25% first week and 50% second week. I'm scheduling to increase nutrients just a little starting tomorrow. Only thing I didn't follow was their CalMag schedule since it isn't coco-specific and they don't even recommend CaliMagic until the second week, and then only 1.5 mL. Their recommendations never increase it over 2.5 mL. I gave it at 5 mL every day (except one) until I decreased it to 3 mL for two days, after which the signs of a deficiency showed up. It's been 8 mL ever since, but I'll be decreasing it back down to 5 mL in the morning if experienced growers think that is wise...

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

I did not mean you were literally looking at your plants every 15 minutes. Yes it looks like a Cal-Mag or PH problem. Do you have an Accurate8 soil meter? This is the only way to know what the PH is in the root zone. Cheap meters and runoff will not tell you the truth. GH has a whole line dedicated to coco coir called CocoTek.

Soil mold is a very uncommon issue. Algae on the other hand is common but is easily controlled by preventing the light from hitting the soil/coco with a simple cover of Orca Grow Film or styrofoam sheet. Coco is hard to rehydrate from dry and the perlite helps prevent that so it remains evenly damp without pockets of dry spots.

 

[Exivious]

I know you didn't mean it literally, I just wanted to make it clear I'm only doing real assessments at most twice a day. If you check on the plants too often, things can happen too gradually to notice the changes. There's such a thing as too observant.

I don't have that meter or any soil pH meter, but I have an Apera SX620 arriving tomorrow so that I'll at least have very accurate nutrient pH from here on (it's a $60ish model with 3-point calibration). I know exactly how much acid I've been adding each day from the beginning, and I'll be able to tell the offset after testing my nutrient solution tomorrow with a pH meter. In other words, I'll know if it's been too acidic by -0.3, too basic by 0.2, or neither in the case of calcium supplementation being the sole problem, so that will tell me a lot about nutrients that may not have had optimal absorption these first two weeks.

I'd like to get my nutrient regime perfect over the course of my first two grows rather than skip around to different lines or brands, at least till I get well-established. I like the Flora trio because, in theory, they allow for a lot of flexibility as far as NPK ratios. Besides, I am too cheap not to use up what I have left over.

By the way, I know what you think about pH runoff testing, but for the hell of it, I did check that yesterday and the immediate runoff matched the nutrient solution as best I could tell.

 

[bignugz420]

It's always best to have a good pH meter and calibration solution. I even have eyedrop back up if probe breaks and pH is never my problem I do have a small cal-mag problem but fixing it as we speak feed cali-magic earlier today as well as cooled room Down. A LOT AND SO EASY

I know you didn't mean it literally, I just wanted to make it clear I'm only doing real assessments at most twice a day. If you check on the plants too often, things can happen too gradually to notice the changes. There's such a thing as too observant.

I don't have that meter or any soil pH meter, but I have an Apera SX620 arriving tomorrow so that I'll at least have very accurate nutrient pH from here on (it's a $60ish model with 3-point calibration). I know exactly how much acid I've been adding each day from the beginning, and I'll be able to tell the offset after testing my nutrient solution tomorrow with a pH meter. In other words, I'll know if it's been too acidic by -0.3, too basic by 0.2, or neither in the case of calcium supplementation being the sole problem, so that will tell me a lot about nutrients that may not have had optimal absorption these first two weeks.

I'd like to get my nutrient regime perfect over the course of my first two grows rather than skip around to different lines or brands, at least till I get well-established. I like the Flora trio because, in theory, they allow for a lot of flexibility as far as NPK ratios. Besides, I am too cheap not to use up what I have left over. [emoji14]

By the way, I know what you think about pH runoff testing, but for the hell of it, I did check that yesterday and the immediate runoff matched the nutrient solution as best I could tell.

That's my 5 mother's it's one C 99 , 2 Brisker og, 2 white platinum og. All AMAZING GENETICS. THE SMALL PLANTS ARE A BETA TESTER SEED RUN FOR DUSTED BUD GENETICS, THEY ALREADY HAVE SOME DOPE CUTS

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[bignugz420]

And still 10 beans won't know what cut til week 5 of flower it's a blind beta Run shit isn't easy genetics are that stable yet but I bet you if I find 3 female one will be a keeper dope if I got one from each stain that's why I started training my mother's you can only keep genetic so long and it's important to change it up keep it fun shit there is even 3 autos for fun

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[Dudeski]

The perlite will also help keep the soil looser and make it easier for the roots to grow. The cal mag issue wont go away on those leaf, just hope the feed stops the spreading. Dont worry about the curling leaf, that is common, just plant genetics and not unusual. Your ph may need to be closer to 6.0 or 5.8