[SweetToast]

Hi Everyone!

I'm brand new to the forum here, and joined in hopes of finding lots of information and help, as most do I'm sure.

I'm well underway in my 1st ever, serious grow attempt. I'll list out as much pertinent information about the setup as I can, and as I'm sure pictures will help they shall come later. ( I live in super isolated (kinda) mountain land, where internet has not reached me.)

Strain is Original Glue, growing in coco coir, indoor with 1000 w hid, metal halide / high pressure sodium. Pot size's are smaller than i would like, and larger than I would like, I have 2 gallon pots for two lights worth, and the 3rd tray has 5 gallon pots. I would like, and will in the future runs, switch to 3 gallons for everything. Each light is supplying 16 plants, in the mentioned size pots. Genetics were obtained as clones from a friendly grower. We're using Botanicare nutrients, hand watering. Veg Base 10 ml/gal, Cal/Mag 3 ml/gal, SOS 5 ml/gal, (sos, I'm told is to help establish the healthy bacteria in the soil environment, I'll get back to everyone on what the bottle says). I give RAW Humic Acid in powdered form, at the minimum recommended levels, 1/8 tsp/gal, as well as RAW Silica, same amount. Watering has varied between once every 4-5 days, to now its about once every 3 days. The garden was looking really great all the way along until now...

The plants right now, are WAY WAY too big, my space is plenty tall, with tapered ceilings from 8 ft, up to 10 ft, but the plants are between 28 and 35 inches tall right now, and I'm about to start flowering but have been dealing with the issue I haven't yet mentioned. About 2 weeks ago, maybe a little less, I noticed a lot of my leaves were "twisting" and "curling". Also, I was noticing where my nice green stems were turning the reddish and purple color again (this had been the case in the beginning but was corrected with the Cal/Mag). I have "rust spots", light green new growth and dark green in other spots. Really I have a whole lot of stuff happening, I know the pictures will help when I can produce them. An experienced friend came and asked me what pH I was watering at, and when I said 6.0 he said I should bring it up to 6.8, based on the nutrient absorption chart in the "Bible", Marijuana Horticulture, by the famed Jorge Cervantes. Also to reduce from full strength nutrients 10 ml/gal, to 1/4 strength, 2.5 ml/gal. He also said to flush them with 1 1/2 times the amount of water to size of container. I did this, roughly. It was a lot of water, no problem though.

Since raising the pH to 6.8, the plants have not "really" gone back to looking GREAT like they did before this all started. I'm trying to be as thorough as I can, and as I'm typing I feel like I should just wait for the questions you great folks are going to ask me before I keep on spewing. I'm sure there is SO much more anyone needs to know before they can help, but I'm not sure what you'll want to know. Please, start asking questions and I will answer everything. Pictures to come, and I'm currently looking into my PPM's.

[SweetToast]

I know you'll want this info also, temperature range has been mostly steady between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. I say mostly, because a couple of warmer days and cooler days led to a couple 67/68 degree lows, and a couple 82/83 degree highs. Not bad, but have made room improvements to keep in between 70 and 80...

[dansbuds]

i hope you meant a PH of 5.8 ! because if not your creating a lock out situation in your pots of coco . & an EC strength would be good to know too to be able to help .
GG4 is a magnesium hog & will need a little extra Mag , espom salts will help with that . calcium is not really needed unless your base is low in Cal .
but with having rust spots (Cal Def) i'm back to thinking your PH is outa whack & causing nutrient lock outs .

[SweetToast]

Well, I said I had been at 6.0, and went up to 6.8. This was for the last two waterings, both within the last 7 day period. When I initially noticed the issue and troubleshot it with my partner we thought the same thing, about a nutrient lockout.. that's why when I referenced the "Bible" we decided to bump it up, all while reducing the overall strength of the nutrient solution.

I mixed up a 1 gallon reservoir of everything I was giving right as the problems started showing earlier tonight to check PPM / EC levels.

The meter has a couple different options, 500ppm, 700ppm, and EC.

I checked the readings at a pH of 6.8, and 5.9, as I didn't know how the different pH would effect things, or not effect things, it didn't seem to change any.

The readout on the 500ppm setting, at 70 degrees with pH of 6.8 was 1130

The readout on the 700ppm setting, under the same conditions was 1580

and the readout on EC with still the same settings was 2.3.

I also took pictures on an old digital camera and am currently having trouble with the sd card reader to get them onto this thread... pictures delayed, sorry.

Thanks for the note on being a magnesium hog, I don't know if this is GG4, I was told it was Original Glue, that is all I know. My partner has grown it for almost 2 years, and I am new to the mission, with only piss poor attempts at growing in my past. This time is for real, and I really want to have the best results possible, for a first attempt, each one after will build upon this one!

[dansbuds]

EC is what ppms & tds all convert to , different meters read different , so we all talk in EC so we can help each other 5.9 is the sweet spot for coco so ALL elements can feed equally as well .



& your feeding way to high ! veg should be around 1.0EC to 1.2 Max
flower shouldn't go much higher than 1.4 EC .
& NEVER let the pots sit in the run off or will get salt build up & throw the PH & EC outa whack & then have to flush the salts out .

i strongly feel with coco you should feed light & add more as the plant asks for it , if you over feed , you'll have to flush all the feed out & reset the cations in the pot of coco again . also NEVER feed coco plain water or flush with plain water untill the last 2 weeks of flower ... or again you'll throw the cations out of balance & have to recharge the coco .

[Stay Gel^N 247]

6.8 is a high level for soil pH. Coco is best around 6.
A nice drift between 5.8 & 6.3 is typical depending on the nutes regiment.
It's strange, we have had for a long time. Hydro at 5.5-5.8& soil 6.3-6.5. Now with Coco, that likes it 5.8-6.2. Filled the gap between the two very different growing medium.

[SweetToast]

Ok, sounds like very good information, and makes sense to my brain.

What then should my course of action be, as I did flush with plain water, and then immediately afterward water again with a 25% strength normal regimen, when first seeing issues. Did this per instruction of a friend who also grows, and is experienced but does not grow in coco... I feel as this may have thrown of the balance of the cations your mentioning. I have also let the pots sit in the runoff before. The only time i did not let them sit in runoff was when i flushed, i elevated all the pots by sitting on upside down empty pots of the same size that i have on hand. So what should i do tonight as im due to water. Check my soil pH? doing the whole, soil, distilled water slurry check with pH meter? Do i need to check my soil EC, if so how? I will make sure my EC of the nutrients tonight is no higher then 1.0. Really appreciate the response if your still here, as like i said tonight i have to water, its definitely time, and I'd love to be on track to where i need to be!

[Stay Gel^N 247]

It's good if the waste is drained instead of sucked back up by the coco. Coco likes runoff.
Wait a day or two depending how much they are feeding, then water with 3/4 strength if they are drinking water. If only drying from the air and plants aren't really drinking yet. I'd give them a little 50% strength. Ease them back up as the plant becomes healthy and can use the nutes.