Brown leaf tips

Queso45 · Nov 4, 2007

I noticed the tip of one of the leaves on one of my plants is turning brown. I've read several posts on leaf tip browning, but I can't come up with a definitive answer as to what is wrong. I'm thinking maybe its a zinc deficiency... but I don't know what the hell I'm talking about.

I have not fed my plants any nutrients yet, and they have been in Fox Farm ocean forest for about 3 weeks.

The first picture is the one with the brown tip. The rest are just what the other plants look like. Could you tell me if they're looking okay?

MynameStitch · Nov 4, 2007

Your issues is defiantly not Zinc...... zinc has light green edges and follows the leaves and or veins of the leaves........

First picture looks like nutrient burn a bit... mixed with nitrogen issues.

The plants seem to be slightly stunted; reason for this is because the plants are in soil that is to hot for them..... to much nutrients.....

I would get them into a different soil.... that soil is to hot for them.
3 weeks those plants should be a bit bigger.......

If you want to use it for seedlings you should dilute the mixture 50/50 mixture of some other soil that has weak nutrients..... no time release or osmocote in the mixture.

THis is a hard call....... because it seems like they were burned but now asking for food.........

WHat is your ph? when you water what is the ph of the run off?

Also can you take a picture from the side of the plants rather than the top?

I know for a fact that soil was to rich for them;never seen someone just put seedlings into FFOF soil and not get burned or stunted from rich soil. I just would get them into a different mixture and let them recover.........

Queso45 · Nov 4, 2007

Thanks for the quick reply stitch, but I'm totally bummed now.

Here are some side profile shots. I was thinking of putting the plants into a half ocean forest/half light warrior mix. Would this be okay? I am really worried I am going to kill my plants when I transplant them, especially because they're so young and weak.

And for the PH level---- I'll have to check it next time I water them.

MynameStitch · Nov 4, 2007

Np, glad I could help!

Your plants are also a little stretched, you should put the light closer to them, other wise you will get a tall lanky plant.

Well, the only other option is to flush; but I would not reccomend it. They do nto have a good enough root system to absorb the flush and water would be sitting in there then you will have droopy plants that could die and they would start to show nitrogen deficiencies from soggy soil.

What I would do is moist it a bit around the edges and top and then flip it upside down putting your 2 fingers on the top soil slowly lifting up then when you got it starting to slide out out your hand on the lid like you are going to hold it in palm and have the plant in between your finger so you have the soil upside down and the plant is in between your first and 2nd fingers.

some soil from the bottom may come out a bit; but if the soil comes out the root zone has not hit there... by keeping it upside down you help keep the soil compacted and much safer than from the dirt falling down and possibly ripping root hairs when you grab the root ball out of the pot.

Before you transplant you want to loose some soil around it, but try not to break roots. As long as a big tap root does not break you will be fine.. it should have some root hairs but not a huge amount.

If you do not transplant your plants will be stunted and grow slower from the rich soil.

FF warrior mix will be fine mixed in with FFOF soil.
If you have a hard time understanding on what to do I will take pics and show you step by step.

Queso45 · Nov 4, 2007

Ok I think I understand. I'll transplant them first thing tomorrow. I'm planning on transplanting them into the same size pots. Although I kind of think that there might still be too much Ocean forest in the mix. Its way too early to transplant them into bigger pots now right?

MynameStitch · Nov 4, 2007

Let me know how things are going; would like an update on this

Yes it's to early to transplant them into bigger pots..... otherwise you will risk over watering them from the pot size being to big and with the size of the plants roots being to under developed.

Seed starter mixture is muchy better to use for seedlings; it's the right amount of nutrients not to mention you need smaller cups/pot size when they are that small so you almost always have to transplant in about 2 weeks or a little more, but no more than 3 weeks depending on the size cup/pot.

So then after they get that age you can transplant them into a better mixture; so either way you still have to transplant into pots when they get a few sets of leaves on them; so it would be better for the plant to not pick such a rich mixture and you would not be losing time from stunting plants.

Queso45 · Nov 4, 2007

Hey Stitch,

So this morning when I checked on the plants... my biggest one was looking underwatered/wilted... so I watered it. Within a half hour it had already perked up substantially. After that I transplanted all of my plants into the new soil that was half ocean forest/half light warrior.

I was unable to get all of the plants to be standing perfectly upright when I put them into the new soil so some of them are kind of slanted. Hopefully they'll straighten out soon.

As far as moving them closer to the lights---- my light is as low as it can go right now... so I put my tray of plants on top of a box. I hope this is okay. I've also moved my temperature sensor to the side of one of the pots so I can get a more accurate reading.

Here are todays pictures:

Queso45 · Nov 5, 2007

So I just checked on them again... and the temperature is not where i would like it to be anymore. its gotten up to 84F since I put the plants on that box, and my humidity has dropped to 37. I lowered the plants by putting them on something so they're a little bit further from the light. My tallest plant is about 6 inches from the light now. I hope I don't have to get a humidifier now.

MynameStitch · Nov 5, 2007

Good, sounds like they will start to recover now. What lighting are you using? THe ones that are slanted if they do not fix themselves soon you can use something to prop them up until they start to grow straight. So I wanna see how quickly these gals recover.... keep me updated ok

Queso45 · Nov 5, 2007

I'm using a 400 watt air-cooled switchable light... using MH right now. I'm running the lights 24/7, and I turn the light off for about 20 minutes a week.
I'll post more pictures of them tomorrow.... will definitely keep you updated. Thanks for helping me through this Stitch.

MynameStitch · Nov 5, 2007

Ok is that MH 400 watts? If so move the plants lower away from the light ..... that is why fluros are best used for seedlings cause seedlings stretch, and higher wattage lights you can't keep them as close cause they will get light burn and burn to a crisp lol. So thus you can't stop the stretching when using higher wattage... not to mention it's waste because the plants can only take in as much light for how big there leaves are......
So it's just a waste really if you are using a high wattage MH/HPS.

Queso45 · Nov 5, 2007

Hey Stitch!

So today is the one day anniversary of my plants being in their new soil. Some of them are really making themselves at home... but there are a few who haven't settled in just yet. My bigger ones look like they're doing fine, but the small ones pretty much look the same.

Oh and yes... its a 400 watt MH bulb, I lowered the plants back to where they were originally. I'm currently building a veg box that will use lower watt fluoros... but I guess I'm stuck with this for now.

Here are todays pictures. The one that looks slanted is actually not as slanted as it looks... i just took the picture slanted. I'm thinking about propping them up with something anyway, would a popsicle stick be okay? And what should I tie it with?

MynameStitch · Nov 6, 2007

Just make sure the plants do not show any heat issues..... light bleaching is what I mean.

It will be about a week before you start to see any big changes in them. Cannabis hits big growth spurts when they start to root there pots.... about 75% of the pot.
I am sure they will recover and start to take in more nutrients now that the plant is not in hot soil

Queso45 · Nov 7, 2007

I noticed today that my plant #1 has a nice set of 7 blade fan leaves, and my plant #2 is just starting to get a set of 7 blades. I find this odd because plant number one only has 4 sets of leaves, and plant # 2 has 5. I just think its weird because they're both BBC seeds.

Anyway... I checked the ph of my soil and it looks like its either a 6.5 or a 7. Its kind of hard to tell what color it is. I think either way its fine right?

When do you think I should start feeding the plants? I would assume I don't need to feed the smaller ones for a while but maybe I need to give the bigger ones food soon?

MynameStitch · Nov 7, 2007

Yes, I would wait a bit on feeding them; you just put them into a half half mixture so they will have food for a bit..... wait at least a week 1/2 before feeding them

that goes for the bigger ones.... for the smaller ones.. wait 2 weeks.

Queso45 · Nov 9, 2007

My plants are looking much better overall, but I am seeing some minor browning starting to form again on some of my plants. I hope my soil mix isn't still too strong.....

This one below has more of a yellowing tip than a brown tip. I'd say the color is halfway between brown and yellow.

MynameStitch · Nov 9, 2007

They have been in that soil for how long now? I know you transplanted them into the mixture... you may had made it slightly hot or had few hot spots in the mixture; but nothing to worry about; just let it go... those leaves will drop when they get bigger anyways.

You transplanted them recently into a 50/50 mixture right? I helped you with that problem.....

So I would not worry unless it spreads.. you are not feeding them are you?If it gets inwards more than just the tips and some of the leaves look crispy then you have to worry. But if it's just the tips; it's just slightly to hot for them.
Won't cause any major issues......

how much are you watering them and how often? One of them looks like it has some moisture stress.......

Queso45 · Nov 9, 2007

Hey Stitch,
They've been in the new soil for 5 days now, and you're probably right about there being a few hot spots left over. I've been watering them about every three days---I've adopted the lift method which seems to work well for me. I have fed zero nutrients to my plants so far.
The one that looks like it has moisture stress---- is that this one?

I don't know what moisture stress is or what it looks like, but I'm guessing its that sort of folding of the leaves. This plant's last watering could have waited an extra day now that I think about it, so maybe it was a slight over-water?

MynameStitch · Nov 9, 2007

Yup, that is the one. Moisture stress is when water stays around the roots; not saturated but a little to moist.... I would ease up on the watering of that one for a bit... water where the root zone is and not around the edges of the pot yet.... next time it needs water.

Yes, when you transplanted you had to bring some of the soil with you so that was unavoidable- you do not want to disturb the root system. They can live as long as they did not stay in that hot mixture. So I would not worry about those tip burns right now; just check ph making sure it's stable range next time you water....

6.5 to 7.0 is where you want it.
yes the method you are using is the best to use; did you read 10k's method of picking up the pot?

HeadyPete · Nov 10, 2007

Hi nice work Stitch.

Next transplant and in the future bury those plants right up to their first set of leaves to eliminate that stretched stem. The newly buried stem will eventually sprout roots and help the plant.

take care.

Brown leaf tips

Member

Dr. Doolittle

Member

Dr. Doolittle

Member

Dr. Doolittle

Member

Member

Dr. Doolittle

Member

Dr. Doolittle

Member

Dr. Doolittle

Member

Dr. Doolittle

Member

Dr. Doolittle

Member

Dr. Doolittle

Take Five...