Photoperiod First grow - Need help

[Mavadines]

Hello everyone, I've run into a bit of an issue on my first grow and would appreciate some assistance. I know this is an autoflower forum, however with the wealth of knowledge I've gained from lurking around I hope this is OK.

Long story, but I currently have 2 auto's going along with 1 photo and 4 clones from the photo. I was only planning to start with the auto's, however a friend gifted me the larger photo(already germ'd) after I had started my auto's so I figured why not cut a couple clones and veg them until I harvest my auto's, then flip them to flower.

While I have many issues with my auto's that I've been battling along the way, including low PH issues, slow growth, poor beginning soil choice, poor watering techniques at the beginning, etc.. they look like they will at least produce a few smokable buds by the time I harvest them.

Which leads me to my main issue...my photo's. I know I have had issues with the large plant for a while and have tried to fix them incorrectly on my own.

Problem: Light coloured lime green leaves/burnt tips/striped leaves/Low PH

Medium/grow method: Dutch Treat Potting Soil http://jonsplantfactory.com/product/dutch-treat-potting-soil/

Feed: and supplements used: Green Planet Hydro Fuel Grow A & B, Green Planet Vitathrive - Fed approx once a week at half recommended strength - Fed by hand

Water source: Tap - PH 7.8 out of the tap, adjusted to 6.5 at beginning until I ran into Ph issues, then flushed and started watering with un-adjusted. Also added dolomite lime 1TBSP/G top dressed about a week ago.

Strain/age: Super Silver Haze CBD - Green House Seed Co. https://shop.greenhouseseeds.nl/super-silver-haze-cbd-feminised.html?sl=en

Light used: 20/4 - CF Grow COBS - 6 x 100W CXB3590 approx 32" from canopy at 50% power (This is for the entire 5'x5' tent)

Climate: 78-85f - 35-50% RH

Symptoms started a couple weeks after bringing it into the tent (approx 5 weeks ago?). Lighter growth started showing, then about a week and a half ago the tips started burning. The leaves are quite light in colour and not what I was seeing before. Checked PH and it was down to 5.5. Flushed and fed lightly 2 weeks ago and more burning started showing and further issues as shown in the photos. When I finished flushing everything seemed to look ok with the soil (PH 6.3) however by the next day it was back to mid 5's.

Am I correct in guessing this is a PH issue and not a nute burn issue? It seems the plant can't uptake any nutrients, however this is my first go so what do I know. I've been an outdoor gardener for 10 years however never grown Cannabis

Any thoughts are greatly appreciated, I'm honestly not sure where to go from here. Let the lime kick in and start feeding it then? CalMag right away? It would be great if I could salvage these and stabilize them so they can be put into flower in 4 or 5 weeks. I hope they aren't passed the point of no return!

Let em know if I can clarify anything further, cheers

 

[Rev. Green Genes]

Howdy Mavadines,

I have a couple questions..

How are you measuring pH? are you just measuring feed or also the in pot root zone pH? You have some conflicting symptoms, when new growth yellows it is most often lack of nitrogen, but when old growth or a whole plant yellows, it could be several things. That contrasted with your severely burnt tips/claws indicates pH is most likely candidate. Burned tips are hot nutes, and it progresses to claw tips. So you are showing symptoms of two seperate opposite problems. That almost always indicates pH lockout. The next question is about those nutes. GP Hydro Fuel is awesome stuff, but it is designed for lower ph of hydro growing. You may see better results with other nutes.

 

[MickJ]

Hello everyone, I've run into a bit of an issue on my first grow and would appreciate some assistance. I know this is an autoflower forum, however with the wealth of knowledge I've gained from lurking around I hope this is OK.

Long story, but I currently have 2 auto's going along with 1 photo and 4 clones from the photo. I was only planning to start with the auto's, however a friend gifted me the larger photo(already germ'd) after I had started my auto's so I figured why not cut a couple clones and veg them until I harvest my auto's, then flip them to flower.

While I have many issues with my auto's that I've been battling along the way, including low PH issues, slow growth, poor beginning soil choice, poor watering techniques at the beginning, etc.. they look like they will at least produce a few smokable buds by the time I harvest them.

Which leads me to my main issue...my photo's. I know I have had issues with the large plant for a while and have tried to fix them incorrectly on my own.

Problem: Light coloured lime green leaves/burnt tips/striped leaves/Low PH

Medium/grow method: Dutch Treat Potting Soil http://jonsplantfactory.com/product/dutch-treat-potting-soil/

Feed: and supplements used: Green Planet Hydro Fuel Grow A & B, Green Planet Vitathrive - Fed approx once a week at half recommended strength - Fed by hand

Water source: Tap - PH 7.8 out of the tap, adjusted to 6.5 at beginning until I ran into Ph issues, then flushed and started watering with un-adjusted. Also added dolomite lime 1TBSP/G top dressed about a week ago.

Strain/age: Super Silver Haze CBD - Green House Seed Co. https://shop.greenhouseseeds.nl/super-silver-haze-cbd-feminised.html?sl=en

Light used: 20/4 - CF Grow COBS - 6 x 100W CXB3590 approx 32" from canopy at 50% power (This is for the entire 5'x5' tent)

Climate: 78-85f - 35-50% RH

Symptoms started a couple weeks after bringing it into the tent (approx 5 weeks ago?). Lighter growth started showing, then about a week and a half ago the tips started burning. The leaves are quite light in colour and not what I was seeing before. Checked PH and it was down to 5.5. Flushed and fed lightly 2 weeks ago and more burning started showing and further issues as shown in the photos. When I finished flushing everything seemed to look ok with the soil (PH 6.3) however by the next day it was back to mid 5's.

Am I correct in guessing this is a PH issue and not a nute burn issue? It seems the plant can't uptake any nutrients, however this is my first go so what do I know. I've been an outdoor gardener for 10 years however never grown Cannabis

Any thoughts are greatly appreciated, I'm honestly not sure where to go from here. Let the lime kick in and start feeding it then? CalMag right away? It would be great if I could salvage these and stabilize them so they can be put into flower in 4 or 5 weeks. I hope they aren't passed the point of no return!

Let em know if I can clarify anything further, cheers

Looks like a pH lock out but @Waira is your expert.

Sent from my comfy chair.
[emoji16][emoji41] [emoji43][emoji848]

 

[Mavadines]

Howdy Mavadines,

I have a couple questions..

How are you measuring pH? are you just measuring feed or also the in pot root zone pH? You have some conflicting symptoms, when new growth yellows it is most often lack of nitrogen, but when old growth or a whole plant yellows, it could be several things. That contrasted with your severely burnt tips/claws indicates pH is most likely candidate. Burned tips are hot nutes, and it progresses to claw tips. So you are showing symptoms of two seperate opposite problems. That almost always indicates pH lockout. The next question is about those nutes. GP Hydro Fuel is awesome stuff, but it is designed for lower ph of hydro growing. You may see better results with other nutes.

Hello @Rev. Green Genes, I was first using a simple 3-in-1 cheap probe to measure PH but it would never move off of 7PH. I was thinking it was running high! Gut feeling I could tell something was off so I bit the bullet and spent the Money on a Bluelab PH Soil Pen (https://www.getbluelab.com/shop/By+Category/Pens/Bluelab+Soil+pH+Pen.html). This is when i realized I was in the 5's and decided to flush and get some dolomite lime.

For feed i'm using an Apera PH60 (https://aperainst.com/ph60-premium-...ceable-probe-and-blacklight-apera-instruments)

What you're saying is along the lines of what I've been thinking. PH lockout even though this plant desperately needs nutes. One thing to mention, when I started flushing I took a runoff PPM reading and it was around 1300 if I remember correctly. I got it down to around 150PPM if i remember correctly.

Since i'm now over 7 days I am hoping the dolomite lime will start working soon. is there anything else I should do in the meantime?

My clones having similar issues however the new growth on those is looking decent. They were just transplanted into 3G pots of Promix HP so i'm sure it'll take some time to get the PH in those pots up as well. Reading yesterday was 6.0 for the clones in soil, but that's right after watering.

Thanks so much for your advice

 

[Mavadines]

Looks like a pH lock out but @Waira is your expert.

Sent from my comfy chair.
[emoji16][emoji41] [emoji43][emoji848]

Thanks @Rollin_along, that's was my feeling as well but I'm really not sure. Appreciate the reply

 

[GoAuto6]

Hello @Rev. Green Genes, I was first using a simple 3-in-1 cheap probe to measure PH but it would never move off of 7PH. I was thinking it was running high! Gut feeling I could tell something was off so I bit the bullet and spent the Money on a Bluelab PH Soil Pen (https://www.getbluelab.com/shop/By+Category/Pens/Bluelab+Soil+pH+Pen.html). This is when i realized I was in the 5's and decided to flush and get some dolomite lime.

For feed i'm using an Apera PH60 (https://aperainst.com/ph60-premium-...ceable-probe-and-blacklight-apera-instruments)

What you're saying is along the lines of what I've been thinking. PH lockout even though this plant desperately needs nutes. One thing to mention, when I started flushing I took a runoff PPM reading and it was around 1300 if I remember correctly. I got it down to around 150PPM if i remember correctly.

Since i'm now over 7 days I am hoping the dolomite lime will start working soon. is there anything else I should do in the meantime?

My clones having similar issues however the new growth on those is looking decent. They were just transplanted into 3G pots of Promix HP so i'm sure it'll take some time to get the PH in those pots up as well. Reading yesterday was 6.0 for the clones in soil, but that's right after watering.

Thanks so much for your advice

Promix is usually really good about there pH being real close to 6.5!

 

[Mavadines]

Promix is usually really good about there pH being real close to 6.5!

Thanks for chiming in @GoAuto6 - nice to hear as I did read some mixed reviews but decided to try it. Hoping for the best!

 

[Rev. Green Genes]

The only thing I know to lower pH other than lime is to make a tea from crushed eggshells and water with that. It is quicker acting, and fairly weak, so it will won't go too far, but will help while the lime kicks in. I use the same meters you quoted. I love both apera and bluelab so much I did a comparison review of both. Blue Lab won, but not by much. For soils in pots, you might want to look at the accurate 8 analog probe. It's official infirmary gear.

 

[Mavadines]

Thanks @Rev. Green Genes, I will look into how to make this tea you've mentioned. My Blue Lab pen is actually for soil testing, and I've been using the Apera for liquid. Do you think the Blue Lab Soil pen is not accurate enough to be used in soil? Should I get the Accurate 8 instead?

 

[Mavadines]

Quick Update:

Slowly but surely I think it's improving. Tested soil PH at 6.2 yesterday. It got even more yellow than the initial photos however new growth seems to look much improved. Its hard to tell when you look multiple times a day, however I believe general health looks better in the last few days.

The clones look fantastic. Dark growth with no burnt tips.

I'd like to get things more stabilized asap as i'm going to be switching them to flower in about 2 weeks. Should I thin this out? Wait for further improvement health wise? I think part of the problem is it needs a good pruning. However i'm a complete rookie so what do i know