This Northern Lights Auto Flower is only 2 weeks old but the brown spots are getting worse. Looking for advice from others here as this is my first grow. My thought is that since I'm using RO water, it is a calcium and/or magnesium deficiency.
Soil is FF Ocean Forest and since it is only 2 weeks old and growth seems stunted, I have only been watering with spray bottle when top of medium dries out. I have three other Autoflowers (different strains) grown from the same bag of FFOF soil in my 4x4 tent that seem to be doing great without any CalMag.
Would you all suggest mixing say 2ml of CalMag in a 1/2 gallon of RO water (PH'd to 6.5) and feeding the plant?
I looked at the leaves (top & bottom) under 10x loop and didn't see any bugs. The first few brown spots were because I had water spots from watering and the light burned, but this is getting out of control now :)
----Temps have been consistently around 70F with humidity 70-75%, have 8" non oscillating fan on floor. Running 2 ES300 LED lights dimmed to 75% about 24" from plants running 18/6.
Just watered as you can see in pic below
Pic below was on DAY 5 when I got water on the leaves
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Ok, I understand. I've has best results using all 3 bottles of FoxFarm trio, CalMag, and Beastie Bloomz while growing in soil. But I would mostly do a 1/2 dose according to their feeding chart. The CalMag I would do 5-10ml but stop for weeks 1-3 of flower then re-introduce in week 4 or 5 of flower. By super soil, I'm not sure if you're just referring to a soil with nutrients amended in it or if you're talking about a soil that has enough nutrients to last the entire grow. Here is a soil that you supposedly only need to add water the entire grow: https://www.kisorganics.com/collections/organic-soil-for-sale-bulk-potting-soil-mix/products/kis-organics-water-only-soil-mix
Easiest medium to grow in (in my opinion) is soil. I like using FoxFarm Ocean Forest soil since it has enough nutrients in it for the first 20-40 days of the plant's life. Soil tends to be a more dense medium (when compared to coco coir) and holds water better. Therefore, the plant doesn't need to be watered as often.
Hey Chris, I decided to only us TB because I was so worried about nute burn if I used all three. Reduced the CalMag because someone on another forum mentioned one nutrient can block out another (i was having issues with a different plant) so thought I was over doing it with 5ml of Calmag per Gal every watering.
I think I'll go back to 3ml CalMag and use little Grow Big and Big Bloom per the FF feeding chart.
Off topic, what are your thoughts on Super Soils? I really struggle reading my plants and 2 of the 4 (incl this one now) are showing burnt tips but yellowing leaves. My PH and environment temp/H usually spot on and my runoff PPMs look good but I feel like I'm always guessing with nutes.
What is the easiest type of medium to grow in terms of not having to feed nutrients?
Thought I would post an update on my Auto Northern Lights since its been 65 days since sprout and entering 4th week of flower. I chose not to defoliate or LST since this is my first grow and just want to get to harvest safely.
The spots got smaller but never went away. They seem to more prevalent on the upper leaves so thinking it is an immobile not a mobile nutrient. Or it is just a bad seed.
I welcome anyone's thoughts on how the plant is looking, if those spots are something I should be concerned about, etc. Run off PPM is 1,430 with PH of 6.6 (FFOF soil). Feeding 5ml of Calmag but going to reduce that. 1/2 dose (5ml) of Tiger Bloom every other watering.
@toasterr
I didn’t see a way to PM you so hopefully it is OK post this comment here. Were your bad seeds purchased from a company that “loves to grow“?
the stem is somewhat thin and it doesn’t feel like it has a strong root structure at all. Will give it another 2 weeks or so. I’ve not watered it for a few days
Deficiency due to chronic overwatering. Root hairs most likely were drowned and can't take in nutrients.
On my third grow. Started with 5 Northern light autos. All 5 seeds from the same package and seed company.
Had the same problem with two of the plants. the other three doing great. When i finally gave up on the two that were turning brown daily, I discovered that there was hardly any root system at all, on the two plants. I chalked it up to genetics.
Thanks Chris! I'm still seeing spots on the tips of new leaves. Cut off the old damaged leaves because they were about to fall off anyway.
I stopped watering and will see if it recovers.
It honestly looks like the later stage of over watering. I'd let the medium dry out before watering again. Cannabis seems to like a wet-dry cycle when in soil. Those plants are old enough to where it's not required to spray the top of the medium whenever it dries out - especially running that humidity level. All the other conditions you mention are fine. It's definitely not calcium or magnesium deficiency. It kinda looks like phosphorus deficiency but it doesn't make sense that the plant is deficient there when its this early in veg and in FFOF soil.
I decided to water the plant with 3/4 Gallon of RO with 3ml of CalMag mixed it.
Runoff measurements were:
PPM = 2,000
PH = 6.4.
Will post on this thread in a few days to see if CalMag helped in case others have similar spots.
Here are how the other 3 autos (Amnesia Haze in back and Blueberry up front) are doing at 2 weeks. ALL plants, including the problematic Northern lights, were planted at the same time.
Trying to learn as I go, but maybe this is a "genetic" issue with Northern Lights seed I received? I have another one on deck in case this plant dies.
Close up of one of the Amnesia Haze plants that is thriving for only 14 days