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Help Needed with Leaf Issues-Also, how do I go about getting a mentor?

S

skinzilla

Member
Hi all, I've noticed some leaves curling up(some turning over), but I'm not sure why. My temps are never above 80 degrees, my ventilated hood is usually 2 feet away or more, my ph is fairly stable around 5.5 to 5.9(i usually stay at 5.6 to 5.7 though). The humidity generally stays between 57 to 67 degrees(humidifier in room so it doesn't drop below 57). My nutrient solution was around 880 to 910 ppm(plants are getting big), but I've stepped it down to 760 or so because I've run out of things to try. I also raised my light a bit more(1000 watt) so it's now approx. 28 inches away. I've been flooding twice a day with reservoir temps generally around 72-73 degrees, and never over 75.
On a side note, I've had my medical permit for over a year, and have finally bought all the equipment I need for a great room setup, but I haven't yet had a great/successful run. How do I go about getting a coco mentor I can check in with every couple days for info/help? I really need to start getting good results, as last crop I wound up with a few fungus gnats and a possible nute lockout or salt buildup, which greatly affect taste and slowed flowering like crazy. An experienced eye may have caught those issues before they became a problem, thus my need for a mentor(if anyone's willing). Thanks for any help folks.
Pics below for problems mentioned above.
 
SOTF420

SOTF420

Humble Human, Freedom Fighter, Cannabis Lover, Bre
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I'll tell you right now the PH is a little low for my liking and I have grown in Coco many times, I would not go below 6 in Coco maybe 6.2 which is usually the sweet spot for coconut fibers :canabis:

It also needs to stay moist, you don't want to give Coco wet/dry cycles like soil it does not work the same regarding the exchange of nutrients to the roots. I don't know if twice a day is enough but it's hard to say without being there. They could have root stress if the coco is drying out too much but again this is only speculation from a paragraph and a pic.

What strain are you growing?
 
S

skinzilla

Member
I'm growing Sourbubble by BOG seeds, and Jack Smack and Skunk#1 from a local breeder(Mr. Blue is his handle I think). I thought coco is a hydroponic medium, and thus prefers a ph range of 5.5-6.0 like other hydro mediums. Don't most nutes get locked out of hydro mediums with a ph over 6.0? I'm not questioning your knowledge, I just don't want to make changes and end up with bigger problems is all.
 
SOTF420

SOTF420

Humble Human, Freedom Fighter, Cannabis Lover, Bre
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Coco prefers a slightly higher PH than straight hydro in water absolutely. It should be slightly acid, my best results have been at 6.2'ish. It's an actual organic medium and there is exchange & contact between the roots and the medium of the nutrient ions which the coco absorbs (I'm sure someone can get more detailed on this) so it's not really a hydro system. You are growing in a natural medium, much like if you were growing in promix just it's coco and holds alot of moisture and does not have the naturally low PH of peat moss (that has to be raised with lime) which is what promix is mostly, plus perlite. So yes, I would say under 6 is too low, your plants may be showing signs of PH stress and even if that is not the cause I think you should keep it at 6 minimum because some elements do get locked out at low PH ranges and the figures I have given you work excellent in coco. I promise! :)


If you were growing in rockwool which is an inert medium then a lower PH would be suitable but even then some people show issues under 6, it really depends on your strains, water quality, and nutrients amongst other factors.

What kind of coco are you using and if you water and catch the runoff what is the PPM and PH of that runoff? Check and let us know if you can, we will get you sorted brother. :canabis:
 
S

skinzilla

Member
Cool, I'll bump it up to 6.2 for a few days and see what happens. Dumb question, but you use the same range(6.0-6.3) for all stages(veg and flower)?
 
T

TribalSeeds

Your ph is too low. It looks like a lockout or build up. Are you feeding every water? Flushing?
Are you using any zyme or anything?
Start a journal and if anything looks funny im sure someone will say something
 
E

elderwon

New member
If it gets worse, I'd flush aggressively. I've rescued a number of bummed out plants with a good flush to mitigate any salt build up on the roots.
 
SOTF420

SOTF420

Humble Human, Freedom Fighter, Cannabis Lover, Bre
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Veteran
Last coco/hydro run I did I watered the whole time the lights were on with drippers in a recirculating system. This keeps the salts from building up because it's constantly flushing itself out. This was with a highly oxygenated reservoir though and the coco was half hydroton. Just something to consider, but coco does like to stay very moist and only when nute solutions dry up do they normally leave behind the salt buildups. :tiphat:
 
S

skinzilla

Member
Gentlemen, thanks for the help. I flooded twice at 6.2, and then gave a flush with a quarter strength rinsing agent at 6.3, and I can see the leaves curling down now. I didn't bother to take pics, but I'll add some to the journal as soon as they completely recover(or until I need help again, lol). I started flowering this morning, and I plan on topping them tonight and taking some clones before the dark period. This won't be a problem considering it's the first day of flowering I assume?
 
gaiusmarius

gaiusmarius

me
Veteran
no, once you begin 12/12 you shouldn't take clones. not unless they are off the bottom of the plant. a full blown sativa can be cloned at that time, as they stretch and grow much longer before they make the first flowers after you go to 12/12. so unless you are not expecting the plants to get any bigger i wouldn't top them or take clones after going 12/12. better take the clones, then give another few days of veg phase for them to recover, before switching to 12/12. otherwise your yield will most likely be effected negatively. the stretching that takes place in the first 2 weeks of 12/12 is the structure for the colas she will carry in the end. so a good stretch is good for cola size. if you have big bushes, just take the clones off the bottom, otherwise as mentioned above.
 
T

TribalSeeds

Id try to not stress them at all for a week before flower and don't piss them off during the first two weeks of flower.
 
S

skinzilla

Member
Sounds good. The 12/12 started at 7 this morning. There's some small clones I could take from the very bottom(just for a mom, not many needed), but i definitely don't wanna affect my yield, so I may just leave it be and keep clones from the seed plants I have going now. 2 cuttings each from 3 plants each would be too much stress you guys figure?
Also, which is the less of 2 evils? I flushed my plants yesterday afternoon to fix the above mentioned PH problem, but I changed my reservoir this morning to flowering nutes. I don't have RO water, so I use tap water with 4 air stones in the res and usually wait 24 hours before flooding with the new water. I worry now that my coco may dry out a bit by tomorrow morning. Should I flood around suppertime today with the new water that may still be high in chlorine, or do I wait until tomorrow and let the coco dry out a bit(it's not bad now, but it can dry quick)? Thanks again folks.
 
T

TribalSeeds

It should be dechlorinated in less than 24hrs. If you think they are getting dry you should water
 
S

skinzilla

Member
Thanks, I'll give them a flood around 5pm tonight. That's about 8 hours for the air stones to work their magic(i left my res uncovered, hoping that helps too). I'm going to take 2 clones from each strain before lights out tonight though, because I don't wanna lose the genetics or reorder seeds. I'll only have to cut 3 out of 17 plants, so if those 3 yield a bit less, so be it, or should I anticipate any other problems?
 
gaiusmarius

gaiusmarius

me
Veteran
if you take them off the bottom the yield will not be effected. specially if you only take 1 or 2 off each. but i would take clones, as you never know how fine the plants wil be so best to have a copy in case it's a keeper. just dont take the clone from the top.
 
SOTF420

SOTF420

Humble Human, Freedom Fighter, Cannabis Lover, Bre
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Hey man glad they are recovering. In all honesty a little leaf curl upwards to begin with is not the end of the world and likely a minor issue but some of us do like visually perfect plants I understand. But it is an indicator and it's admirable you are watching and listening to your plants this is the mark of a good grower! ;)

The next thing they need is some music, mine prefer Bob Marley usually. Growth rates go skywards with some happy ganja grooves lightly playing in the background just try it and see. :biggrin:

You can clone whatever you want right now since they have not begin to show any signs of flowering yet, the max I would go into flowering for clones is usually like a week but many people take them even farther in but they just take longer to revert back to veg and root. People have taken full on flowering bud tips though and rooted them and returned them to veg it's very possible using modern cloning materials & hormones but somewhat strain dependent so if you have not even really started flowering yet then clone away my good man no problems there but as others have said the bottom branches do work best. I would feed them as normal and keep the coco wet and keep that PH above 6 and you are golden & green :good: Much love and nice set-up by the way too, your plants do look well grown and happy and will be even more so now that's for sure :canabis:
 
T

TribalSeeds

SOTF420 said:
Hey man glad they are recovering. In all honesty a little leaf curl upwards to begin with is not the end of the world and likely a minor issue but some of us do like visually perfect plants I understand. But it is an indicator and it's admirable you are watching and listening to your plants this is the mark of a good grower! ;)

The next thing they need is some music, mine prefer Bob Marley usually. Growth rates go skywards with some happy ganja grooves lightly playing in the background just try it and see. :biggrin:

You can clone whatever you want right now since they have not begin to show any signs of flowering yet, the max I would go into flowering for clones is usually like a week but many people take them even farther in but they just take longer to revert back to veg and root. People have taken full on flowering bud tips though and rooted them and returned them to veg it's very possible using modern cloning materials & hormones but somewhat strain dependent so if you have not even really started flowering yet then clone away my good man no problems there but as others have said the bottom branches do work best. I would feed them as normal and keep the coco wet and keep that PH above 6 and you are golden & green :good: Much love and nice set-up by the way too, your plants do look well grown and happy and will be even more so now that's for sure :canabis:
Click to expand...

Lets see you prove that with a side by side grow:rasta:. Marley Vs Bieber.
 
S

skinzilla

Member
I don't want to be anywhere near a grow room that has Bieber playing, lol. Well, depends on how nice the ladies are in the room I guess.
So I'm okay to take a couple bottom clones, but we're still saying no for topping? Some are getting pretty tall to finish on the table, so I can top, or finish the tallest ones in bigger pots on the ground when they get too big(the joys of having two 1000 watters). Or I guess I can scrog, but have no idea how, and I'm not sure I wanna try something new again(ebb and flow as well as coco is relatively new to me). I do have some plastic chicken fencing i could use for scrog, but the holes in peoples screens i've seen on vids are much bigger than the ones in my chicken fence(1/8"squared).
Also, one more piece of advice/input if i could? I already have 2 1000 watters as mentioned, but on a 4x8 table would I be better with a light mover and save the extra hydro costs of running the 2nd light? I don't mind the extra cost if the results will be there, but if I'll end up with the same quality/yield with a light mover, i may consider it for the future. Thoughts?
 
SOTF420

SOTF420

Humble Human, Freedom Fighter, Cannabis Lover, Bre
ICMag Donor
Veteran
No bieber at all anywhere near your plants, his shitty music will kill them worse than roundup so be warned! :bigeye:

When my plants get too tall I just snap the tops over and let them be they will quickly recover in a few days and the stem will repair itself while distributing more floral growth to lower branches in the meantime. You may want to consider "super cropping" your plants that are overly tall. It really depends on strains though, some with alot of early flowering stretch can be topped no problem right before flowering and still yield great but other strains that are more central cola dominant like many Indica's can have their yields greatly reduced by topping right before flowering. It really comes down to your plant type and the way it's been grown. If it's already all bushy and topped out then usually another topping won't harm anything and can actually encourage bigger buds on lower branches but if the plant has not yet been topped and is just going into flower then no I would not top it unless I knew for sure it was very stretchy in bloom and the tips would grow out to a decent height during the early flower stretch. :tiphat:

The 2 lights will definitely outperform one on a mover in my experience although a mover can maximize coverage if you could only run one light. Stick with the 2 1000's you will be better off with the stationary lighting and more total lumens over your plants. Your buds will be fuller and denser and yields will certainly be higher as well. :canabis:
 
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