New Grower Small-time/1st time Micro/Stealth Grower, Lowryder #2 problems

[TokinNuggs]

So, I started about a month ago today on my current grow, one Lowryder #2 and a Vanilla Kush that I won't talk about, because it's doing fine.

I have a 2ft vertical space, by 18" wide box(es) that I grow in (one is a mrgrowpro pc case, one is a Lowryder grow box).

I now know why Lowryder #2's are so popular for indoor growing (they're very short when using CFL's kept close, but produce a lot of buds, relatively speaking).

Some pics are attached. I use the Gen Organics GO Nute Box, and not until recently did I learn that I should NOT have been using PH up/down liquid solution in my water with these nutes, at all! My plants looked great until the last week or so, when my LR2 just went sick with deformed leaves, bright green tips, deficiencies and nute burn (holes/tears in leaves as well). I can only assume this was a PH problem that caused a lock-out and possibly a burn before/after with my adjusting - I was adjusting to 6.2! (instead of around 6.7-6.9 where it should be). But again it's important not to adjust at all with these organic nutes (not to offend organic snobbery - I realize they're bottled, but they "work" the same way when it comes to approach).

It was enough to make me lose sleep. This was a mix of a bad soil mixing job (OF, not enough perlite) and I've since transplanted her into a bigger pot surrounding with Happy Frog soil, on a nice thick bed of perlite on the bottom, along with some Dolomite lime pellets and a little Jump Start Happy Frog fertilizer to help get her back from the dead).

Long story I realize...I'm hoping the living soil type I bought (more or less) is a better combo with the Gen Org's nutes, since they are made for organic-type grows (living soils and micro orgs).

The LR2 smells like a somewhat dead plant still (no MJ resin-like smell) BUT she is still growing apparently, lots of new bud growth and the new growth is pretty healthy.

How quickly these can go south, and I mean in just a few days, from perfectly healthy to BAM! - almost died on me.

I am trying to nurse her back with about 5-6 weeks left with the BioBud schedule and the new soil/pot, some intermittent feedings of BioMarine and Black Diamond for soil/root/foliage health. She still looks like hell, but has perked-up and I see more white pistils forming every day.

I no longer adjust water PH and my soil has slowly risen into the 6's where it should be since Monday (today is Friday).

the first pic is from just over a week ago...the 2nd is the horror story.

She looks a tad better now, as the horror pic is from 2/29, but the deformed/yellow'd leaves still exist.

I guess I can only wait it out and feed her properly once a week.

Temps, light, air circulation are all in-check. I'm also now growing an Nirvana NL Auto fem next to her, the "right" way.

I've learned a lot in a month - growing in PC boxes, even properly equipped ones, can be very tough, and you need to stick with short strains like the Lowryder #2 (seem ideal).

 

[savoy]

I wouldn't panic. Mine are about the same age in ffof and I saw 5 or 6 leaf tips go this way. I had only done one 1/4 strength feeding at about week 4. I couldn't decide if it was a ph issue thus mg lockout or nute burn. Muddy advised that it looked like nute burn. I'm not sure about happy frog but ff has enough to pretty much get an auto through veg without nutes. You should ph your water to 6.5-6.8. That dolomite lime is what's bringing your ph up. I don't think a higher water ph will affect the runoff ph much.

I'd say flush it out with a few gallons of water but you transplanted, so maybe take a week or two off from nutes let the happy frog feed it for a little while.

I'm kinda new at this too so I'm no expert.

 

[TokinNuggs]

Here she is tonight, in all her sadness, the only thing keeping me going with her, are the bud/flower sites developing still. Hate looking at her, she's a mutant now.

Gave her a straight, moderate watering tonight (soil was pretty dry), may feed her on Sunday or Monday at this point. Needing water/feeding about every 3-4 days now tops.

Has anyone had a plant this screwed-up/ugly and still produce something worthwhile? In my 4th week with her, so there's still 5 weeks left roughly. Not expecting much at this point.

It's as if I did not handle the transition period well with her, or the explosive growth (bushy/bud sites forming at once) that occurs going into week 3 is something you either hit or miss with some auto's? Thinking of going with the AK47 short ryder variety LR2 from Attitude at this point, versus this strain from Herbie's/Joint Doctor. I am loving the mass of budding going on (that you can't see) underneath, but man what is up with the burn/reaction to organic nutes?

I can't blame General Organics/GH, as that stuff seems to be the bomb, if my Vanilla Kush's reaction to this stuff is any indication, it had no problem with my PH misunderstanding and bad soil mix at all.

 

[TokinNuggs]

I wouldn't panic. Mine are about the same age in ffof and I saw 5 or 6 leaf tips go this way. I had only done one 1/4 strength feeding at about week 4. I couldn't decide if it was a ph issue thus mg lockout or nute burn. Muddy advised that it looked like nute burn. I'm not sure about happy frog but ff has enough to pretty much get an auto through veg without nutes. You should ph your water to 6.5-6.8. That dolomite lime is what's bringing your ph up. I don't think a higher water ph will affect the runoff ph much.

I'd say flush it out with a few gallons of water but you transplanted, so maybe take a week or two off from nutes let the happy frog feed it for a little while.

I'm kinda new at this too so I'm no expert.

Hey Savoy - thanks for the response and good to know I'm not alone. Juust posted my update and didn't see yours yet.

My conclusion is that the OF and organic nutes are not a good combination in this case. If you look closely at my plant, she also has under-formed leaves and a combination of what seems like burn and lock-out and def's.

What I learned, is that organic soil works in a synergistic way with organic nutes, and you should not get nute burn when applying the GO nutes per their schedule, and with non-ph adjusted water (liquid any ways), when you're using organic-based soil. When combined, everything takes place in the soil, so long as you're providing the right temps, loose soil mix, circulation and light (along with some good filtered water without all the chlorine and pollution of straight tap preferably). I was also using distilled water - made it even worse.

So, Happy Frog has dolomite lime, mycho's for the roots, minerals, and other organic-based organisms, bacteria etc..., that buffer the ph naturally and benefit from organic nutrients in a synergistic way that doesn't "burn" the plants with an influx of "chemicals." Maybe it would be better if I used coco or some other non-fertilized mix, not sure yet, but HF seems to be a better option to work with, than OF, for me...provided I mix-in more perlite and a tbsp of dolomite or two, which I did on Monday.

If I am wrong - hope someone can point that out - but I am going forward on this presumption after a lot of reading/research.

I am much more hands-off with the Vanilla Kush right now (non-auto) because she's healthy and flourishing, but I am not kidding this LR2 was on the brink of death - dead/dried-out roots at the top, poor aeration, bad smell to the soil, and a sort of "grassy plant" smell (that hasn't completely gone away yet - although the soil lost its funk, it seemed to absorbing and holding the nutes - I could still smell them in the soil when transplanting).

If I am feeding regularly still, it's to get that soil back in-line and get those micro-orgs and beneficial bacteria working as quickly as possible, given its short life - with the org nutes - they otherwise are meant for longer term, consistent environment providing, versus short term growth and boosts. Hope that makes sense...

-- You can see how much that top cola/stem has grown in just under 3 days (look at bef/after pics from 2/29 above and the one I just posted from 3/2) - so it "looks" like I'm on the right track...the ugly/malformed leaves and general ugliness will probably never go away for the most part.

 

[Muddy]

It's pretty well know that Fox Farms has had quality control issues for the past year or so. OF by itself has exhibited very low pH out of the bag and is often too strong for seedlings. Most who are using it are mixing it 50/50 with Lite Warrior or Happy Frog. It is usually strong enough to take a plant through the first 3-4 weeks without any additional feedings.

Given that you were feeding at 6.2 I doubt your problem was a lockout, so I'm assuming it was over feeding. Autos are a little more sensitive than photos regarding their nutrients requirements and in your soil mix, I doubt they would require more than 1/2 strength at any time during the grow.

I've used the GO organic nutes myself and would rate them as fair. I've gotten better results from Grow Big and Tiger Bloom, but the AN pH Perfect nutes I'm now using are blowing everything else away.

I would suggest you give that plant a good flush. Run three times the pot size of pHed water through it, let it dry good and then give it a mild feed, 1/4 strength of veg nutes. Keep your nute solution at about 6.2 - 6.4 going in and check your run off. You may have stunted your plant at this point but I think it's far enough along that you should still be able to get a descent yield from it.

 

[madmable]

lr2s in my experince were my first grow and i learnt alot, autos tend to like half feed as the feeding guidlines are never based on a dwarf plant such as a rudi, learnt this after burning, they can head south in 48hrs in wrong conditions, i went away for 48hrs, my bulb went, dark moist and they all but 2 of 20 rotted and were lost, if burn feed no nutes for a week or 2 just balance clean water, this should help reduce any bur, then re introduce, but i always since my second year,5th grow have used half nutes and no problems, yield off a 2 1-1/12 oz under hps