First Time Grower In Need Of Help

Yehti said:

Hello, all!

I'll start off saying I may be a first time grower, but I'm not a first time toker! :D
I've recently been having a few health issues and have now been diagnosed with Crohn's Disease. I have been toking a few years, roughly 6-7 I think. I always found that while I was high, I would feel much better. I would gain my appetite, the stomach cramps would ease, the acid reflux would settle and the general aching in my stomach would seem to cease for a considerable amount of time. I always assumed what I had was either IBS or something similar. Now I have been diagnosed, it all makes sense as to why Mary Jane provides me some actual medical benefits (in my eyes, anyway!)
So, since money is a tough thing to come by these days and I find it difficult to do pretty much anything without Bud due to pain/upset stomachs/vomiting, I have decided to start my own, small, personal grow up.

I'm 4 weeks from seed (planted on the 11th of October, 2 weeks into Veg) and growing good! (from what I can tell...)
Though, I've been having a few issues which is what lead me to this wonderful forum. 2 days ago I opened my growdrobe to give my single Northern Lights plant a feed before lights off (currently on 18-6.) I peeked my head in and something caught my eye. Weird yellow spots on the older fan leaves that are ringed with a thickish brown circle. I thought it could have been a nutrient problem so I lowered my Nute dosage from 1.5ml p/Litre of both Canna Coco A+B down to 1ml p/Litre of the both then pH'd the water with pH Down to 5.9, the pH I have been using through this entire grow so far. I have researched into it and from what I have read, I can only find this being linked to either Fungus Gnats, MG def/Some other Def(s), or Leaf Septoria, though the plant isn't showing any other symptoms apart from the spots and a couple tiny brown tips on the fan leaves, no more than about 2mm though. I am really lost for what to do, I am trying the potato test to see if there are Gnat larvae in my Coir but nothing so far... Perhaps I should increase my pH a little high to 6.2 or so now the plant is getting older? You can tell this is my first time.... *facepalm*
I think it could be a Gnat issue since I have seen a couple black gnats inside my growdrobe over the last few weeks, but only a couple.... 2? maybe 3 in 2-3 weeks?...

All answers are appreciated!

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Wisher619 said:

pics would help
but sounds like Calcium

are you in coco
if so......try running cana @ about 1.4 ec

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Yehti said:

Ahh, I totally forgot to attach pics! My bad!
As I said in my original post, I thought it may have been a def of some sort, but hadn't really thought much into it as the newer growth is completely fine, or so it looks to my eyes

Yes, I'm using 'Natural' Coco Coir with Canna Coco A+B nutrients. I have been flushing with clear, pH'd tap water every 2nd feed to prevent salt buildup.
Sadly I haven't got an E.C meter yet :( I only have a pH stick. Would you recommend I buy one? I'm on a fairly tight budget right now so I only want to be buying the must-have items :p

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Wisher619 said:

no.......but I would recomend a differ watering method as opposed to what you are doing

coco depends on a nutrient bank

meaning......every time you water you are replenishing minerals that the coco holds onto and releases to your plants as the plant drinks and obsorbs the minerals......it only uses some at any given time
so as the media dries out.....salts will consentrate .....the unused portion

the way to coco is to keep the entire media moist at all times

this is what you do

and you will have to do this with every stage of growth

1. measure cup (1quart/32oz)
2. make a batch of feed solution.....for cana
I would use the medium feed schedule
3. water your plant 12oz at a time
meaning water 12 oz and wait a few minutes....then water again with 12 more.....until you start to see a slow drip out of the bottom of the container
4. record data
5. water with that exact amount of feed....every single day.....until you notice that when you feed the water isnt dripping out of the bottom anymore ....which will tell you that you need to up the watering frequency

I promise ......try it for 2 weeks.......if that dosnt work.......well......it will......you will notice rapid growth and extreme health of your plant

by doing that....you are replacing old and unused minerals with fresh new minerals so basically a mini flush every day

if you read on the bag.....it says.....water to at least 10% runoff when 50% of the media has dried

But you cant over water coco....as it holds 25-30% O2 @ full saturation

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DrMcSkunkins said:

I like to water coco when the pot feels light when lifted but the coco is still moist and then water it until it has heavy runoff. This keeps it from building up salts, ime coco can be overwatered. If you fill a pot with moist coco and feel the difference in weight between the moist and freshly watered pot you will be able to tell when to water. Wisher is correct, always use fertilized water with coco until the final flush, watering with straight water is starving your plants.

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Wisher619 said:

yeah it looks pretty good......looks a little light on the nutrients.....feed a little higher and it will green up significantly

that spotting is def Calcium

not enough

so it is on the lower leaves but that tells you to up the nutes a little preventitive

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DrMcSkunkins said:

I like to water coco when the pot feels light when lifted but the coco is still moist and then water it until it has heavy runoff. This keeps it from building up salts, ime coco can be overwatered. If you fill a pot with moist coco and feel the difference in weight between the moist and freshly watered pot you will be able to tell when to water. Wisher is correct, always use fertilized water with coco until the final flush, watering with straight water is starving your plants.

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Yehti said:

Thanks for your reply :)
I have been letting the top few centimetres of coco dry out between feeds but not completely dry so there is still moisture within the coco, just not on the top. Is this wrong or a bad thing to be doing? I've heard a lot of different things on different threads, some saying to let it dry and some saying to have a constantly 'soaked' medium?

I have also went out today and purchased some more fresh coco and a bag of perlite, would it cause my plant stress to transplant it into this as a more permanent home?

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Wisher619 said:

is your plant an auto?
if not then pot up.....

again is use a SiPS system....wicking system for my veg and clones and whatnot
just sit the cups in nutrient and allow the coco to soak it up and let the roots take what it needs
I have never run into a problem
ever

as for the cal def
just up the nutrients I would say use the medium feed schedule
I would say 8-10 ml of A/B so 16-20ml total per gallon which would = 1.5 ec and keep it at about 5.8-6.0ph

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Yehti said:

As far as I know, it's just a regular plant. I'm not even 100% sure if it's a female yet as it was a bagseed that I just decided to grow but when I asked the guy I got the baggie off he said it came from his Northern Lights crop, didn't specify too much on the details, sadly :(
I have just finished transplanting it into its final home (15 Litre pot) with a mix of fresh coco with 30% Perlite, will this be sufficient in your opinion?

Unfortunetly I don't have a tray to use for the wicking system otherwise I would have done that earlier- it did cross my mind! :)

Gotchya,
I'm currently using plain ol' tap water with a pH of 7.4, I then dd 1ml of each Canna A then B, I check the pH again then adjust it using pH Down to bring it to around 5.8-5.9 as I've heard this is the best pH range for coco growers. If you can verify that this is true it would be a big help as once again, much like the coco threads, loads of people are saying totally different things

My apologies for so many questions, just wunna make sure I'm on the right track :)
P.S. I'll add more photo's tonight of the new pot so you can take a look for yourself

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Wisher619 said:

yeah that ph is good
as for the tap water....you might want to know what your was is....ppm wise
in order to actually know what your plant is getting
or just ise ro water from the vending machine
that way your levels will be exact

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