Why Do I Have Rust Looking Spots On My Leaves ? Pics

[DiscoBiscuit]

TDS is cool but isn't standard like EC. You'll be able to measure your solutions just fine but your readings may compare differently than other growers' mfg/model. Don't be alarmed if your full strength readings are several hundred points higher or lower than the next guy's TDS reading.

Is your res/plumbing new? Could be the cause of abnormal pH swings. A good wash with warm soapy water or a mild bleach solution might help.

I'd get some acidic base nutes to substitute for the pH down. I have 8.0 tap and lucas sinks it to less than 6. With your setup I wouldn't need much pH down, if any. Unless your res and/or plumbing have something to do with the rise.

Hope you get it worked out.

 

[Buddaluva]

Yes its new ,

Its just a plastic rubermaid tub i bought from wal mart and the black tubing i got from a pet store

And the maxibloom brings my ph down to around 6.3 so i dont have to add that much ph down , just a very little

I use G.H ph up and down

I just ordered this calmag also

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004104BXC/ref=oh_o00_s00_i00_details

Do you think it will help ?

Here is my ph up and down that i use

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

If you're only feeding half strength, go ahead and add enough maxibloom to get pH down to ~5.8. See if that holds more stable than maxi + pH down.

Calmag is good stuff. Good base nutes usual contain enough Ca and Mg. I've had a quart for years. Barely use it but nice to have when necessary.

 

[Hydro-Soil]

Why Do I Have Rust Looking Spots On My Leaves ? Pics
Im just starting out on my first dwc grow

Im trying out the lucas formula and only using maxibloom , 1/2 strength

DiscoBisquit was the closest...... finally, at post #23.

You're using Lucas at half strength... that's not enough so you have deficiencies. Bump up to full strength maxibloom and all that will go away. Or spend extra money on Cal/Mag when you don't really need it.... I'm sure they really need your cash.

1tsp of MaxiBloom per gallon provides plenty of Calcium and Magnesium... and can be used on VERY young plants at full strength. Flora series at 0-8-16 does as well. When you drop to 0-6-9... you MUST add a Cal/Mag supplement unless you have plenty in (and use) your tap water.

Stay Safe!

 

[CannabisDog]

I went ahead and ordered this one

http://www.ebay.com/itm/HM-Digital-...123?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5635e56b53

Hope its ok lol

Looks ok, those cheaper ones need to be calibrated very often like once a week to make sure they are reading right. If the EC is too high or too low this will help you keep better track of it. The better you can monitor your system, the better you can pin point problems with your plants.

 

[FreezerBoy]

PPM, TDS and EC measure nutrient strength. PPM and TDS cannot be measured with our equipment. Our equipment measures Electrical Conductivity (aka EC) and nothing else. So called "PPM" and "TDS" meters (note the quotes) measure EC and then hide the answer by multiplying it by a large number of conversion factors. Hanna alone uses 4 different conversion numbers. Your 500 "PPM" could be the same as, less than, or more than your buddies 900 "PPM" solution. You can run a grow with "PPM" or "TDS" because plants are illiterate. It's conversation that's difficult. "PPM" and "TDS" change everywhere you go, EC is EC no matter where you are. If you've yet to buy, go with EC.

Nutes are acidic. More nutes means more acid and higher EC. More acid means lower pH. Therefore EC and pH (should) move in opposite directions. If not, something's screwy. This is why we need both numbers. It's the equivalent of an electrician asking, "Is it plugged in? Is it turned on?"

You're using Lucas at half strength... that's not enough so you have deficiencies. Bump up to full strength

uhhhh, maybe.... At that size I'd use Lucas at ¼ strength. Lucas says 0-8-16 but, I've had full grown plants that say 0-3-6 is too strong. However, this is a possibility as climbing pH (when coupled with dropping EC, again we need both) can be a indication to feed more.

The smaller the res the faster the disaster. ½ gal is begging for trouble. I'd count on maintenance at least twice a day if not 4 times. While I haven't tried GH solid pH Down, their liquid pH down is no better than vinegar. Used by the capful it lasts for hours. Advanced Nutrients pH down is used by the drop and lasts days to weeks.

Let us know when you have EC and pH readings of your tap. Chart EC and pH daily in your journal for future ref. STRONGLY consider larger tubs and possibly replace pH Down. Hang in there, we'll figure this out.

 

[Buddaluva]

yea its to late now , i ordered that tds ppm tester last night

I will order one that test ec also but i have to wait a week or 2 before i can

Those seedlings are just bagseed , i have good seeds but i did not use them in case something went wrong

Im glad i did now lol ,

If it gets to bad i have alot more bagseed to keep practicing with lol

I have a soil micro grow going right now also that is close to finishing ( Blue Mystic )

I grow just for personal smoke so this little bit should last me a little while while im practicing with dwc

 

[CannabisDog]

Nutes are acidic. More nutes means more acid and higher EC. More acid means lower pH. Therefore EC and pH (should) move in opposite directions. If not, something's screwy. This is why we need both numbers. It's the equivalent of an electrician asking, "Is it plugged in? Is it turned on?"

Hi Freezerboy, how do you account for water (Tap about 7.0 PH) usage? I find my EC and PH are never moving in opposite. I find my PH is rising all the time so I adjust to about 5.1, 5.2. After 3-4 days it is about 6.2 or so and the EC has gone up as well. I repeat again. I always thought this was due to the plants using the water and thus increasing the EC of my solution. Could you help me to understand how that works?

I use my meters mainly as guide to help me monitor my solution. I found after a few years of growing that even better then my meters was the plants themselves telling me if there were issues.

 

[FreezerBoy]

I will order one that test ec also but i have to wait a week or 2 before i can

Leave that for Santa. If you can see numbers climb and fall, that's all the garden needs. Just remember to include conversion factor in your conversations with humans. Example X ppm @ 700 (or 442, 500, 640, 650, 728, 764, 8somethin', 9whatever...)

 

[Hydro-Soil]

uhhhh, maybe.... At that size I'd use Lucas at ¼ strength. Lucas says 0-8-16 but, I've had full grown plants that say 0-3-6 is too strong.

Any reasonably healthy cannabis plant over 2 weeks old can handle full strength Lucas Formula.... as long as you're in intense lighting.

Week 1, plain water or 1/4 str after a few days.
Week 2, 1/2 strength.
Anything past week 2 gets full strength.
If you're in a low light situation.... of course you'll have to lower the strength of your nutrient solution... same as any other nutrient regimen.

The main benefit of the Lucas Formula is that it's balanced. When you go full strength you don't have too much of one thing or not enough of another.... the burning doesn't happen unless you don't have enough light or your environment is way out of whack; either way it isn't because your nutes are too strong.

I haven't tried all strains, but so far I can put nearly any seed from soak to full strength Lucas in approximately 10 days.

Stay Safe!


Edit: This really sucks. I chose the Lucas Formula 10 years ago because it was the method that had the fewest issues, the most success stories with newbies and the largest number of people helping new growers learn how to use it. Today in 2011 I seem to be the only person left on ICMAG that still knows how to F'ing use it and is helping folks correctly. Searching the net I find post after post repeating the wrong information... informative howto's that preach the same wrong information and people helping folks to ruin their grows.

I'll still help but it's sad. All the information you need is online, it just takes a few months to weed out the stupid bullshit and get to the truth.... re-reading Lucas' old posts over and over is very helpful.

 

[FreezerBoy]

Any reasonably healthy cannabis plant over 2 weeks old can handle full strength Lucas Formula.... as long as you're in intense lighting.

I don't know that a few cfls qualify as intense lighting

Hi Freezerboy, how do you account for water (Tap about 7.0 PH) usage? I find my EC and PH are never moving in opposite. I find my PH is rising all the time

..internet go poof taking long rambling post with it...

Lacking any info, my guess would be your tap has a low EC. If so, trace elements that stabilize pH are missing.

 

[Hydro-Soil]

I don't know that a few cfls qualify as intense lighting.

Depends on how close the plant is. Again, if the lighting isn't intense enough, drop the strength a little.... not to 50% or 25%... even T8 and T12 lighting gets 0-5-10 for flowering.

I find my PH is rising all the time

It's supposed to, at least if you want healthy plants. 5.2 to 6.0 and back again. Nothing drastic, just a healthy swing.

There are a lot of peeps using Lucas Formula in a res that are following bad information.

The res should be set at a pH that won't drop below 5.2 when it dries out in your medium or as the nutrient level drops before top off.
The pH should be allowed to rise until it hits around 6.0, at that point it can be dropped back down to your starting point.

Topping off with pH'd water defeats the pH swing and stresses your plant. By maintaining a set pH you're only making a few elements 'easily' available to the plant, setting yourself up for deficiencies at peak flowering and growth rates.

There's TONS of stuff that people seem to have forgotten about this way of growing... how did this happen? Hell, I've only been gone for about 2 years or so. Gah!

 

[FreezerBoy]

It's supposed to

Only if you tell it to. The last 4 years my pH has only dropped, never climbed. It did so because I told it to. Because using Lucas at 1/4 to 1/2 strength, under lighting far more intense than a cfl, was overfeeding.

Lucas, like 12/12 or intake being 2x exhaust, is a "one size fits all" solution. In reality there's no such thing. One size may cover all but, it can't fit all. Lucas is a great starting point. Like any recipe it can be adjusted to taste. When you can adjust the formula so you receive all the benefits, none of the drawbacks, reduce workload and operate on your timetable rather than someone else's (and you can) then there's no reason not to.

 

[Hydro-Soil]

Only if you tell it to. The last 4 years my pH has only dropped, never climbed. It did so because I told it to.

No... it did so because of the tap water you used to use.

R/O water... the pH will climb. Your new water? pH will probably climb.

Stay Safe!

Edit: If you can make it possible at all, use Reverse Osmosis water when running lucas formula... your plants will thank you, your pocketbook will thank you and your body will thank you when you medicate. Win, Win, Win! It is Sooooo worth the effort of lugging bottles or saving for a machine.

 

[Buddaluva]

My ppm tester came in today

I filled 1 gallon of water up out my faucet / tap

The ph was 8.0 and the ppm was 43

I gave 1 teaspoon of maxibloom and it brought my ph down to 5.8 and the ppm went up to 599

So how do i go about making my ph right without making the ppm go up like that ?

 

[delta9nxs]

hi, buddaluva!

43 ppm tap water is fantastic! i let my ro filters get dirtier than that.

600 ppm at the .5 conversion and 5.8 ph is what i grow large high yielding plants with. i use it at all stages of life. it won't hurt young plants with established roots.

you are good to go. you might consider throwing a little calcium nitrate in there during veg. maybe 50-100 ppm on top of the maxibloom.

d9

 

[stihgnobevoli]

pretty much what he said.

the ppm went up because you added the nutes, 450 some odd ppm worth. if you add ph up and down the ppm shouldn't change much if any. 5.8 ph is fine i wouldn't change it myself. just monitor the ppms and the ph in the res to see where it goes over time.

i also wouldn't bother trying to copy other peoples ppm's since they use different conversion factors. just worry about what yours are.

 

[FreezerBoy]

So how do i go about making my ph right without making the ppm go up like that ?

pH Down. Nutes will lower pH so we use them first. Further adjustment is made with pH Down. Vinegar works in an emergency but should be avoided. Advanced Nutrients makes an excellent pH Down, GH is no better than vinegar.

 

[Buddaluva]

Ok ,

I re filled another gallon

I added a little bit of maxibloom at a time watching where the ppm was each time

My ppm is now at 378 but my ph is at 6.0

Would it be best to add a little bit more maxibloom to drop the ph a few points are us the ph down

G.H is all i have right now f.b but next time i get a chance i will invest in some of the advance nutrients like you suggested

 

[stihgnobevoli]

yes. unless you are already over the recommendations for a normal dose of nutes per gallon. and what your plants are telling you?