Need help with issue for GSCE Autoflower

[Stangguy69]

Hi folks,
New Grower, first time poster here and I am experiencing an issue close to harvest that I would like to get help with. I have tried to the point of mental exhaustion to positively identify this issue by reading SO MUCH info here & elsewhere. I even brought a leaf to my local Grow supply store and I just do not feel confident in the advice I received there for various reasons. Pertinent info I think you may need:
*My soil is Natures living soil on bottom (mixed per their instructions), Ocean Forrest on top-5 Gal. fabric pot
*Today is day 56 from seed which is ILGM Girl Scout Cookies Extreme AUTOFLOWERING
*Light=LED SF-2000 = 200 watts from wall hanging @ 16"
*Temps have been ranging from 68-82°F - Humidity 45-58%
*The symptoms present from top to bottom (Whole plant) on the plant but seem to be more prominent on the top.
*Mostly just been watering with my well water which has PH=7.6 & PPM around 204. I have been using PH down when I water & get it to 6.5 to 6.8 ish. Ben giving her between 1/2 & 3/4 gallon every two days as needed when pot feels light.
*I have Roots Organic Terp Tea that I started using ( 1 x per week) when flowering started. Using this as a Tea-brewing in a bucket for a day or 2.
*Have also been using Recharge & Molasses here & there, always less then the recommended dosage. Also used low dose Cal/Mag twice (I don't think I need this)
I am probably forgetting some needed info so please just ask if info is missing but I think a lot of the folks here will see the pics & know immediately what the issue is.

Edit: I have also done a soil slurry test from the root zone as well as the top of the pot & the PH was 6.6. All i did for the root zone area was slice open the fabric pot near the bottom and removed some soil, don't think I disturbed the roots much this way....

On a related note, I have a couple plants outside doing well but have been finding tiny Caterpillars/worms on them and I'm not sure if I should be really concerned or not so I am attaching a couple pics to see what you all have to say abut them. I have just been removing them as I see them

 

[armanidog]

In the third and fourth picture it seems you have nutrient burn with the tips of the leaves turning brown. But then you have yellowing tops in the next two photos.
Your pH readings sound good.
I looked up your amendments and the Terp Tea says it is 7-1-1 (N,P,K,).
1. Any way to test your pH meter with the test solutions?
2. Perhaps avoid your well water and use some distilled water (check its pH) for a while to see if it makes a difference.
3. Stop the Terp tea for now.
My guess is a pH problem but hopefully folks with more knowledge will stop by figure this problem out.

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

@Stangguy69 Welcome to AFNThat looks like a potassium problem?

You may actually need a little more K. N & Mg can lock-out K and your plants do look a little heavy on N but I think adding a little K is the right way to go.

Do not add Cal-mag. At 200 PPM your starting water probably has ~60+ PPM of Calcium. If your water is really high in Mg this could be the issue. You should get your water tested for agricultural use. Then you will know what you are starting with.

We have noted a fair number of problems with the Natures Living Soil as well as OF.

You should never stratify soil. The physics of how water behaves in soil demonstrates that every time water hits a stratification it will not penetrate the next level until the layer above is saturated. This can allow lower layers to dry out and become hydrophobic and at the same time promote root rot and other problems in the soggy layer above.

Your plants are not showing major problems but it might get worse as damaged leaves tend to show up well after the problem has started.

.

 

[Stangguy69]

In the third and fourth picture it seems you have nutrient burn with the tips of the leaves turning brown. But then you have yellowing tops in the next two photos.
Your pH readings sound good.
I looked up your amendments and the Terp Tea says it is 7-1-1 (N,P,K,).
1. Any way to test your pH meter with the test solutions?
2. Perhaps avoid your well water and use some distilled water (check its pH) for a while to see if it makes a difference.
3. Stop the Terp tea for now.
My guess is a pH problem but hopefully folks with more knowledge will stop by figure this problem out.

Thank you for the input armanidog.

I was personally circling around a PH issue pretty hard but after getting my new PH meter & doing soil slurry test, I decided to look elsewhere.

I just upgraded from the Yellow cheapo PH meter to an Apera AI311PH meter & calibrated it so I feel pretty confident in it's accuracy.

You must have looked at the wrong Tea, the Tea I have is .5-6-18-Pic attached. (I meant to post pics originally but forgot)

I soooooo want to avoid having to buy water although I do have around 3 gallons on hand that I got for my Humidifier. I have checked the PH before, don't recall exact # off hand but I know it was around 7. Thing is I have plants outside that get the same well water that do not have this issue so I don't think it's my well water but can't rule it out completely. A couple weeks of distilled water may be worth a try.

 

[Stangguy69]

@Stangguy69 Welcome to AFNThat looks like a potassium problem?

View attachment 1341975

You may actually need a little more K. N & Mg can lock-out K and your plants do look a little heavy on N but I think adding a little K is the right way to go.

Do not add Cal-mag. At 200 PPM your starting water probably has ~60+ PPM of Calcium. If your water is really high in Mg this could be the issue. You should get your water tested for agricultural use. Then you will know what you are starting with.

We have noted a fair number of problems with the Natures Living Soil as well as OF.

You should never stratify soil. The physics of how water behaves in soil demonstrates that every time water hits a stratification it will not penetrate the next level until the layer above is saturated. This can allow lower layers to dry out and become hydrophobic and at the same time promote root rot and other problems in the soggy layer above.

Your plants are not showing major problems but it might get worse as damaged leaves tend to show up well after the problem has started.

.

Thank you @ Mañ'O'Green, glad to be here!!!! I have read a ton of your posts. I actually have the chart that you pasted above, open in a different Tab that I was reading yesterday (not that I understand it ) . I usually have 3 or 4 different AFN tabs open on my computer on any given day. So much info to try and wrap my brain around!!!
So I originally didn't want to say what "I" thought it was but out of ALL the info I have sifted through, after eliminating a PH issue, I was hot on the trail of it being K deficiency which is hard to believe as I personally find all this info "overwhelming" & confusing.
Local Grow supply I mentioned said it was Nute burn at 1st, later in the convo he said Light burn.

So looks like the only "On hand" potential remedy I have would be my Roots organic Terp Tea as that is heavy in K. .5-6-18 NPK

So do you think I should give her a double dose? I have been doing 1 tsp/gallon when I do use it... Or maybe normal dose but more frequently?
Or is there something else that I should get to address this issue?

I had intended to get a PK booster at the Grow store while I was there but they had me thinking I didn't need it...

Also I am dying to know how one addresses "Nute Burn" in a "Super/Living soil" such as NLS or any other's that are out there???
Thought I read somewhere that the plant would only take up the nutrients that it needs in this scenario.?.?.?

Any idea on the Caterpillar/worm pics I posted?

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

It is a caterpillar, worm . Use Safer Caterpillar Killer. It is organic BT.

Blend your water 50/50.

Don't feed over 250 PPM of balanced fertilizer at any given time. Your pot is already getting on the hot side. I wish you had just a little P-K boost without the N or Ca. That said use what you have.

The chart is simple. The first column is N = nitrogen, it is a primary nutrient. If you have too much available nitrogen in your system (soil/hydro) it can chemically lock-out (make unavailable to the plant) K (potassium)and/or Ca (calcium).

 

[Stangguy69]

It is a caterpillar, worm . Use Safer Caterpillar Killer. It is organic BT.

Blend your water 50/50.

Don't feed over 250 PPM of balanced fertilizer at any given time. Your pot is already getting on the hot side. I wish you had just a little P-K boost without the N or Ca. That said use what you have.

The chart is simple. The first column is N = nitrogen, it is a primary nutrient. If you have too much available nitrogen in your system (soil/hydro) it can chemically lock-out (make unavailable to the plant) K (potassium)and/or Ca (calcium).

View attachment 1342041

I will be getting some BT tomorrow, I found 8 more of these little fuckers tonight!! I guess these are Budworms then?

So I can spray this BT on my beautiful buds & not have to worry about mold or god knows what else???
Ahhhhhhh, now I see the flow of this chart, makes sense with the extra explaination!

I can go to my local grow supply & get a PK booster, is there any you recommend? I was looking at Flower Fuel & that doesnt list any Cal. But it does have 1% N....

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

If you can control the outbreak by hand picking do so but be prepared because those little fuckers can invade by the hundreds. They look more like a gypsy moth or cabbage looper to me? They are all voracious eaters. BT is a sound organic approach.