...a similar problems with all my plants. (not for beginners)

hi! in advance I apologize for my English. I from Ukraine
I ask to help to with my problems in a groving in coco. I grow mj about 7 years(last 4 years in a coco) and I have knowledge and experience in this technology of cultivation... the last 4 years of practice of cultivation in a coco I didn't have serious problems and only improved the equipment and increased yield. But the last half a year I have a similar problems with my plants.
now is more detailed...
these problems were shown on all my plants equally and order to death of a plant. At first there was a yellowness on leaves and subsequently a necrosis. Leaves disappeared beginning from below up and subsequently all plant dried up. I will reduce very probably on deficiency of phosphorus and at all plants the root system is badly developed, and roots have an unhealthy appearance.

I use such nutritious solution:
Mg(NO3)2 - 0,6 g\l
Ca(NO3)2 - 0,25 g\l
КН2РО4 - 0,4 g\l
«SoluPotasse» K2SO4 - 0,22 g\l
«BREXIL Combi» (cocktail micro EDTA) - 0,02 g\l
«Ferrilene» Fe-EDTA 11% - 0,01 g\l
«Brexil Ca» (EDTA) - 0,02 g\l


Ph= 5,8 ; 750ppm (cof0.5)


that gives us values in pure elements:
N 103,5
P 90,688
K 205,8234
Ca 49,335
Mg 54,27
S 40,5108
B 0,28
Fe 2,46
Mn 0,52
Zn 0,22
Cu 0,06
Mo 0,04

watering tried both manual hand watering and drip .

dead roots









bloom starting


the reason in roots seems to me that, but that specifically I can not understand. I will be in any case glad to your participation.
thanks in advance.

Do you see any tiny crawlers on those roots? Like, did you give that pile of roots a real good blank stare to see any movement?

to start with it looks like the smaller plant is over watered and has root rot.

about the nutrient mix i cant say too much besides if its not specifically design for coco it will cause trouble...

I would Double up that Ca to 100-130 and lower the K a bit to 160-180. You probably have some high K causing troubles along with overfeeding/salt buildup. I would lower the EC a bit and water them till thers a good runoff (everyday)to flush away any buildup of salts. You could also use hydrobuddy to copy a coco specific formula.. that would most probably help alot.

Salt buildup and over watering. Let that shit dry out a bit between waterings. All plants don't drink the same. My plants all have different watering days. I had an issue with over-watering the roots and it looked exactly like that last plant of yours. Eventually all the major fan leaves fell off the plant and the buds started getting the same burn-looking marks on the leaf edges. After harvest I noticed my root ball smelled and had rotted.

Now I let the coco dry out a good bit before watering. If it dries out too much I give it light feed and use plenty of runoff to get rid of the salt deposits left behind.

Coco is like a balancing act.

I disagree about the overwatering and salt build-up, and I'll explain why after I say what I think it is. I will say that those numbers, if I'm reading them correctly, seem astonishingly high to me. Have you been growing using the nitrates and all at those levels this whole time?

After looking closely at the plant and your numbers, I think (hope) the issue may be incredibly simple--potassium toxicity. Bump the K numbers WAAAAYYY down, see what happens. If it's not K, then you need to inspect those roots because that's a huge signal of something building up. You'll need to use magnification to see them, but you MUST determine with a quickness whether or not you have anything living in the roots and, if so, what it is. ROOT APHIDS can cause symptoms very much like this, and worse.

So, why do I say not salt build-up or overwatering? First, overwatering pretty much always leads to loss of leaf turgor, long before the plant is killed it's going to become very droopy with no turgor (stiffness) to the leaves or petioles. I don't see that with these plants. At worst, they're a bit unhappy with the vapor pressure deficit. Also, I have as yet been unable to overwater anything growing in coco coir.

Second, if it were salt build-up then we would be seeing a more even, as in occurring at all growth levels of the plant, set of effects, including tip burn given the N numbers posted above, IF that were the problem.

Third, the most affected leaves are beginning in the MIDDLE of the plant, which is a classic tell for K problems. But, looking at the numbers, you don't have a shortage of K, especially since you're growing in coir, you clearly have an ABUNDANCE of K. Waaaayyy too much K to my eyes. Don't ask me to use math and calculate, I'm horrible at math, what you should be using. But if it were my plant I'd cut those numbers much further down, half or better.

Now, I also see slight reddening to the petioles--indicates a problem with phosphorous.

Otherwise, what I see almost mimics root aphids, except there's no yellowing or other odd appearances to the plant that suggest deficiency. This is clearly, in my opinion, a K toxicity. Let me attach a flow chart and graphic to help further illustrate.

TripleDraw27,

bonecarver_OG, and in what a difference of fertilizers "specifically design for coco" or simple qualitative mineral fertilizers ?
I can give detailed information on fertilizers used by me. These are mineral salts and micronutrients in a chelat form.

Mg(NO3)2 Magnesium Nitrate Hexahydrate


Charactertics
Nature : Magnesium Product
Brand Name : Magreen
Aspect : White crystalline material
Solubility : Soluble in water


Application
Water Soluble Fertilizer
Pyrotechincs
Concentrated Nitric Acid


Available Form
White crystalline material


Specification
Magnesium Oxide (MgO) : 15% Min
Magnesium (Mg ) : 9% Min
Nitrogen (N) : 10.5% Min
Calcium (CaO ) : 0.01% Max.
Iron (Fe) : 2 ppm
Water Solubility : Complete


YaraLiva™ Calcium Nitrate (Ca(NO3)2)


YaraLiva fertilizers are a comprehensive range of calcium nitrates that help ensure high-value, highly marketable produce. Quite simply, they are a range of high-quality fertilizers that optimize cash-crop performance and produce food that satisfies even the most demanding growers and consumers.

They provide fast-acting nitrate-N, alongside strength-building calcium and boron. In combination, these nutrients fuel prolonged growth. At the same time, plants and trees treated with YaraLiva-branded fertilizers are naturally healthier and less sensitive to stress during growth. Then, critically, in the build-up to harvest, YaraLiva fertilizers improve the size, strength and appearance of the fruit, tuber, leaf or lettuce.

The end result is blemish-free produce that will store longer and which is less susceptible to damage, disease or rotting and visibly more desirable, colorful, fresher and highly nutritious.
Example Product

Specification
26.3% Calcium (CaO)
15.5% Nitrogen (14.4% nitrate 1.1% ammonium)

YaraLiva Tropicote is a market-leading premium branded fertilizer for high-value crops. Used right from the start and as a regular top dressing, it fuels growth in high-value cash crops providing nitrogen and calcium when the crop needs it, building strong, highly marketable produce.



MKP 00:52:34 (Mono Potassium Phosphate) "ICL" Israel


PeaK (MKP, monopotassium phosphate, KH2PO4) is the last word in specialty fertilizers for hydroponics, fertigation, foliar nutrition and special starters. PeaK is a solid, fully water-soluble PK fertilizer containing 52% P2O5 and 34% K2O, making it the most concentrated commercial fertilizer known (P2O5+K2O = 86%).

General Specifications
Product Category Soluble fertilizers
Nutrient Composition 0-52-34
Nutrients P K
Formula KH2PO4

PeKacid™ NPK(0-60-20) "ICL" Israel


PeKacid™ is new, a highly acidic (pH = 2.2), fully-soluble phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) fertilizer formulated for fertigation applications for calcareous soils and/or high bicarbonate content irrigation waters. An “acid in the bag" product, the use of PeKacid replaces the conventional application of technical- and agricultural-grade phosphoric acid, resulting in an easier, safer and more effective fertilization process.

PeKacid™ is an acidic PK fertilizer for fertigation with formula 0-60-20 (60% P2O5 and 20% K2O). Pekacid is a crystalline product, nitrogen free as well as sodium and chlorine free.

PeKacid™ is intended for soil-less as well as open-field horticulture fertigation applications, and is well-suited for use in blends of fully-soluble fertilizers as a tool for incorporating calcium, magnesium and micronutrients into the mixed fertilizers. Due to its acidic nature, PeKacid has an anticlogging action and enhances nutrients’ uptake.

General Specifications
Product Category Soluble fertilizers
Nutrient Composition 0-60-20
Nutrients P K
Formula KH5(PO4)2

SoluPotasse® Potassium sulphate fertilisers K2SO4


SoluPotasse® has all the necessary characteristics
to be ideal for fertigation. It is a pure, highly concentrated,
fully soluble fertilizer that is easy to handle.
When used for fertigation, we recommend that SoluPotasse®
is dissolved first, before adding any other fertilizers to the
solution. With very alkaline water (pH > 8), we recommend
first acidifying the solution before adding the SoluPotasse®.
The frequency of SoluPotasse® application depends on the
soil type - light textured soils need more frequent, smaller
doses than heavier soils with a high fixation capacity.

.... at need I use NPK of MASTER® fertilizer by Valagro(Italy)

MASTER® line are micro crystals fertigaters with high and complete solubility, recommended to most sophisticated fertigation systems.
Sodium, chlorine and carbonates free they deliver micronutrients (Fe, Cu, Mn, Zn) chelated with EDTA and their colour in solution is traceable.

Ill back seamaiden that your k is a bit high and you calcium is low(unless you have hard water)

Also if you aren't watering to runoff you can feed a little lighter until your under really strong light or in flower.. 1.2 ec is good.

And check for bugs (more specifically root aphids) in your coco.

Those bugs are the devil they reduced my yields 25% once cause I didn't realize I had them

I think like bone that it is over-watering, but also like sea that it is over-feeding.

water less, feed less, problems should go away.

good luck!

indicators of water following in a drainage : ph=5,9 and EC 1400 . it's not over-feeding ... I tried to change concentration of solution from 350ppm to 900ppm, but is ineffectual. for the best formation of roots I use RADIFARM 2,5ml\l every 10 days. Also I use FOLIAR fertilisers - MEGAFOL
"water less, feed less, problems should go away." - the first that came to this to me mind when I noticed the first signs of troubles, but I can't already correct everything and killed already the third party of clones

it can't be over-watering because this problem is fast passes itself - it is necessary to reduce quantity and frequency of waterings only. I already did it several times. not help.
the problem doesn't disappear neither at drop watering nor on the manual




plants in good condition


wreckers didn't find. rotting and a mold too it is not visible. Water following at passages not muddy also has no smells or rotting signs.∓

here is how my plants looked four months ago







....all conditions of cultivation are the same, but now plants are sick

ok, but let me ask some things:

when you cutted the water, how much did you cut down? for how long? did you let the coco pretty much dry up pretty good, then re-summed to giving them a lot less water?

before down-grading nutes; did you proceed as above described? or not?

if you do not have insects, or over-feeding or over-watering; there's not a lot else that could be wrong... unless you have a fucked-up pH issue and your meter does not give good readings or something... could be viral?

is your drip system dripping well?

Vodnik,
SeaMaiden's likely right on lowering K [to not very much more than N], and to VERY closely visually inspect roots for root aphids. You'll need to remove plants from container, and *immediately* look closely with a magnifying glass, because the root aphids will retreat into the medium. Also keep in mind that the damaged leaves will not heal. Watch the new growth for improvement. If you see root aphids, there are threads in the coco forum and Infirmary forum. Good luck. -granger

i was refeering to the ion exchange capacity and its effect on the nutes and uptake in coco.

bombadil.360, hi.
the coco is mixed with perlite and vermiculite in the ratio 9:2:1. Аny quantity of water poured out in a pot will pour out in a drainage, and the substratum will dry out in 20 hours at most. to pour at such mix of a coco difficult even on drop watering... I swear that it's not over-watering.

if I want to lower concentration of fertilizers in a root zone - I spill a coco before on ECmeter there will be no necessary values. I try not to lower concentration below EC700.

I use a HANNA Combo pH, EC/TDS and temperature tester for measurement of indicators of solution. I calibrate several times a month by means of special liquids.
drop watering works regularly. each driper passes 2 liters\hour. Pressure in system 2..3bar

here the same problems but already on automatic watering (not Recovery Drip System)


Granger2, snks. I will try to lower potassium to 150. I will water some sick plants with solution NPK 120\80\150 and I will look at effecе.

bonecarver_OG, sorry, I didn't understand you. Do you mean balance of a anion\cations in solution? anion N+P+S = cations K+Ca+Mg

You knw the nutrient mix your using? Have you had a good harvest in the past or is it a new mix your trying out?? If i were you id go buy some cana coco a n b and feed a few planrs with it, if they come round you knw its ur nute mix. Wil only cost you few quid, to be honest i think your problems wil go away once yoy use proper coco nutes.. either way its worth a try.. c

double