Leaves pointing straight up half way through flowering.

[mikeoldschool]

Plants are in waterfarms. 3 and a half weeks into flowering they look extremely healthy, but their leafs went from normal to pointing almost straight up in the air gradualy over a week period.
PH = 5.9
PPM = 800 to 950
2 to 3 feet away from 1000 watt
waterfarms with airstones added to all the bottoms of the resevoirs.
Leaf, stem color is normal, with no burning or discoloration.

I have been using the same strain for a long time. I have seen them do this a handful of times. Everytime they do it, they seem to lose about 50% of their weight at the end, even though they finish completely healthy looking.
I am completely baffled.
Please help!!!!!

 

[mikeoldschool]

Oh yeah, the leafs show no signs of turning or curling. Perfect shape still, just pointing almost straight up.
Also, i am using GH 3 part, RO water, Hydrogaurd, and occational calmax.
I also change the rez every 7 days. And every other rez change, i flush with plain RO water.

 

[mikeoldschool]

Sorry, i just thought of more info.
I don't use a controler. I just use one rez. I back out all of the nutes almost daily to check the PH and PPMs. When the water level lowers, i add water and adjust the PH and PPMs to keep them around 750 to 900.
My PPMs are always dropping. I'll start my rez at the begining of the week at about 900, then within 2 days the PPMs are down a couple hundred. Usually to about 700. That is when i add water, and up the PPMs back to about 800, or 850. Then at the end of the week, i empty and start all over.
I rarely ever just add plain water, because the PPMs are always dropping.

 

[DirtDoctor]

How are your air temps? In nature plants do that in order to reduce transpiration in high heat.

The big problem is that when the leaves are angled like that, their photosynthetic area is greatly reduced, which means they're more or less shutting down instead of growing.

 

[Jack Crevalle]

Heat also makes buds way airy and weigh less

 

[mikeoldschool]

How are your air temps? In nature plants do that in order to reduce transpiration in high heat.

The big problem is that when the leaves are angled like that, their photosynthetic area is greatly reduced, which means they're more or less shutting down instead of growing.

Temps are perfect. Night=65 Day=74 to 80. No bullshit.
And, if they are shutting down, why would they be using so much nutes. Around 150 to 200 PPM a day.

 

[DirtDoctor]

where are you taking those temps Mike? Is that a thermometer on the wall, or something that's actually reading the temperature at the canopy level? There can be a huge difference between the two.

 

[mikeoldschool]

where are you taking those temps Mike? Is that a thermometer on the wall, or something that's actually reading the temperature at the canopy level? There can be a huge difference between the two.

Temps around the plant tops is reaching 82 at the highest. It's winter, and i have exelent ventilation. Air cooled lights.

 

[DirtDoctor]

82 is still pretty hot if you're not running CO2

 

[mikeoldschool]

82 is still pretty hot if you're not running CO2

Doesn't add up man. Like i said, i have been using this strain for a long time, and it has only done this a handful of times. Right now, is the coolest time of the year, and the plants have not done this on much hotter periods.
I appreciate the response, but i don't think heat is the issue.

 

[The_Leader]

humidity? iv a bog that does this. you controling humidity? like 8 to 1O hrs into dark cycle have u checked RH? huge humidy swings can be a bitch.

just tossing out ideas. rh climbs fast when that light goes off.

 

[Albert Hofmann]

your leaves are orienting themselves to the light in an attempt to maximize exposure...try lowering your light 4-6". Plants do this when they are healthy.

 

[Brother_Monk]

If it's not heat, or a ph issue, then I would assume the leaves are simply "praying" for Mg. Using RO water that has been stripped of most trace minerals can be a PITA. Because you have to add back everything that was taken out. Unless you have very hard water(above 250PPM), use it instead of the RO, and you shouldn't have trace mineral problems. Not to use tap water is a myth.

Use 1 tbsp epsom/gallon to your rez, or foliar feed with 1/2 tsp/liter. You said you occasionally use cal/mag? In the future, use it more frequently.

 

[mikeoldschool]

I usually use 1/3 tap water with my RO water. My tap water is about 170 ppm on its own. When i mix it with RO it is about 50 to 60 PPM.

 

[mikeoldschool]

your leaves are orienting themselves to the light in an attempt to maximize exposure...try lowering your light 4-6". Plants do this when they are healthy.

My leafs are similar to this, only they are about 10 degrees more upward.
They yeild considerably less when they do this. They are not too far away from the light. The plants that are on the edge of the lights, rather than the middle, have less of a problem.

 

[DirtDoctor]

Oh well man, it's either too hot or too much light intensity. The fact that plants that are on the edge of the lights aren't affected supports both of those options.

 

[Cheddar Kid]

I too have the same thing with mine. proper local Brummie cheese, my own cuts from age old ex pheno crazy stinky sativa looking aniseed cheese. They doing the same thing. All my lights (16 600w hps) are close and they in soil/pearlite mix fed biobizz. They health as anything and I been commercial for years so I wouldnt worry at all. They spoiled and a bit hot. That's it. They are probably sensitive to the 80 degree end and cool them and they will come down slightly, but not much. They loving that light.

 

[Kcar]

Mine did that when they got too cold at night.