Calcium issues?

[brownbarbotte]

Hey y'all, just made an account to post about the issues I've been having with my plants. I'm new to growing and am learning a lot, but this one issue I haven't been able to fix on my own so here it goes.

I'm pretty sure the issue is related to calcium, but I haven't had any luck solving it. I tried giving them more cal/mag and the issue didn't get resolved. I thought maybe it was excess calcium so I gave them less cal/mag and still, no changes.

They're in coco (buffered it myself, soaked it once over 10 hours in cal/mag bath). I use general hydro nutrients + cal/mag, 700-900pm, PH'd at around 6.0 - 6.2 (300ppm when I was trying to reduce calcium levels with light flush). I give them nutes every watering. The bushy looking strain is Blueberry and the other is Jack Herer, they're both autoflowers.

I let them sit for 2-3 waterings, about 4 days with every solution I tried, maybe I'm not waiting long enough for the results and assuming the extra calcium isn't working, not sure. I've been trying to fix this for just over a week now and am totally stumped.

Temps are around 24 - 26C and RH is around 60 - 70%, grown in 2x4 tent, light is currently at 750W, I also have good ventilation going.

Pics attached, thanks!

 

[oldskol4evr]

well mate im surprised there alive,750 to 900 ppm ,what ,more along the line 400ppm at 6.0 ph.
are you feeding daily?
what is your water source,tap water ,distilled ,ro?
what size are those bags

 

[Jimster]

I think you are seeing the results of a lockout condition from too many nutes. I'm saying this because of the twisted leaves I'm seeing on the tops as well as the amount of fertilizers and stuff that you are feeding them.When you have Ph swings and fluctuating conditions, the soil can easily lock out nutrients. Too much cal-mag can raise the Ph and lockout magnesium, but the curling leaves look more like excessive Potassium or Phosphorus.

 

[brownbarbotte]

well mate im surprised there alive,750 to 900 ppm ,what ,more along the line 400ppm at 6.0 ph.
are you feeding daily?
what is your water source,tap water ,distilled ,ro?
what size are those bags

I feed them every watering, which is about every 2 days, maybe 1 and a half depending on how quickly they dry out. I'm using tap water and they're in 2 gallon bags.

Also, I wanna add that I was giving them around 500ppm (was slowly increasing as they grew) before I started seeing the issues, I just thought it was an issue with calcium, as I buffered the soil only once instead of twice, so I started giving them a ton of cal mag, which made my ppm skyrocket.

I think you are seeing the results of a lockout condition from too many nutes. I'm saying this because of the twisted leaves I'm seeing on the tops as well as the amount of fertilizers and stuff that you are feeding them.When you have Ph swings and fluctuating conditions, the soil can easily lock out nutrients. Too much cal-mag can raise the Ph and lockout magnesium, but the curling leaves look more like excessive Potassium or Phosphorus.

Yeah after reading what oldskol wrote and seeing this, I think you guys are right. I think they might be over fertilized and the nutes are being locked out.

--

What would be the best way to fix the issue? Should I just water them with 6.0 ph water and wait for the nutrients to get flushed a bit or should I give them a little, like around 200ppm?

 

[oldskol4evr]

I feed them every watering, which is about every 2 days, maybe 1 and a half depending on how quickly they dry out. I'm using tap water and they're in 2 gallon bags.

Also, I wanna add that I was giving them around 500ppm (was slowly increasing as they grew) before I started seeing the issues, I just thought it was an issue with calcium, as I buffered the soil only once instead of twice, so I started giving them a ton of cal mag, which made my ppm skyrocket.



Yeah after reading what oldskol wrote and seeing this, I think you guys are right. I think they might be over fertilized and the nutes are being locked out.

--

What would be the best way to fix the issue? Should I just water them with 6.0 ph water and wait for the nutrients to get flushed a bit or should I give them a little, like around 200ppm?

ok so i must be confused,are you growing in coco?

 

[brownbarbotte]

ok so i must be confused,are you growing in coco?

Yeah they're in coco, I rehydrated coco bricks and buffered it in a cal/mag solution for around 10-12 hours.

They originally started in soil, but I switched to coco when I replanted, I'm liking it, but I'm just not sure how much nutes they should be getting.

 

[oldskol4evr]

Yeah they're in coco, I rehydrated coco bricks and buffered it in a cal/mag solution for around 10-12 hours.

They originally started in soil, but I switched to coco when I replanted, I'm liking it, but I'm just not sure how much nutes they should be getting.

there is your problem mate,coco has to be watered every day,never let it dry and never just water alone,so i asume you have a pretty good salt
buildup,let it dry does that ,it only is what you put in it mate.
firstthing you need to do is feed at 6.0 ph and from looks of those plants 400 ppm ,feed it to a real good runoff,catch the runoff as soon as it comes out,just catch enough to check what first comes out of pot.once you catch just enough finish letting it runoff at least 20% mate.do that and let me know what your runoff is for starts

 

[Kraken.headz]

I second (and third) what has already been suggested. Seems like a simple case of nutrient intensity/ watering frequency.
I don't think this is what you're seeing in this case, but often calcium issues in coco aren't caused by lack of calcium is solution/substrate, but instead difficulty in transporting calcium to new growth. It's all about depth/frequency of watering.

 

[oldskol4evr]

I second (and third) what has already been suggested. Seems like a simple case of nutrient intensity/ watering frequency.
I don't think this is what you're seeing in this case, but often calcium issues in coco aren't caused by lack of calcium is solution/substrate, but instead difficulty in transporting calcium to new growth. It's all about depth/frequency of watering.

im refusing 3 waters a day right now hahaha,you cant over water coco

 

[brownbarbotte]

there is your problem mate,coco has to be watered every day,never let it dry and never just water alone,so i asume you have a pretty good salt
buildup,let it dry does that ,it only is what you put in it mate.
firstthing you need to do is feed at 6.0 ph and from looks of those plants 400 ppm ,feed it to a real good runoff,catch the runoff as soon as it comes out,just catch enough to check what first comes out of pot.once you catch just enough finish letting it runoff at least 20% mate.do that and let me know what your runoff is for starts

I just measured the runoff (400ppm 6.0 ph) and it comes to just over 800ppm, seems very high compared to the 400ppm you were telling me I should be watering it at.

I'll give the rest of them some water and make sure they never go thirsty again haha.

Lemme know if there's anything else I should know.

Thanks for the help guys, this has been bugging me for a bit and I think this is going to fix it.

 

[weedtech]

The beauty of coco is you can flush effectively - and restart. Flushing with ph 6.1-6.3 plain water water on a cycle or two and then starting at ~300-400 or less and this would turn around pretty quick, IMHO.

What is the ppm or EC of your input water ?

 

[brownbarbotte]

The beauty of coco is you can flush effectively - and restart. Flushing with ph 6.1-6.3 plain water water on a cycle or two and then starting at ~300-400 or less and this would turn around pretty quick, IMHO.

What is the ppm or EC of your input water ?

I was originally at around 500, i upped it to around 800+ because of the issues that popped up, I thought it was calcium deficiency, but right now the input water is at 400ppm. I ppm'd the run off it was at 810, I let about 20% runoff this watering and will try to lower the ppm to around 400 within the next few cycles, as the others were saying.

 

[oldskol4evr]

ok wait about a hour and do it again ,see what it is then,you will have a stabilize reading then.
like mentioned ,flush make a mess of feed 6.0 at about 400 ppm and run it threw ,until you get that back ,i have flushed one time this grow when i went to flower stage,i had to run about 2 gal threw my 3 gal pots to get what i was putting in back out threw runoff,here is a important tip ,take it or leave it but works for me,always feed to runoff ,i always waste feed with about 30 % runoff,i rather waste the feed than have to deal with what you have further down the line reason being ,sure as shit it happen in flower,so take the loss on nutrients more so than lack of yield.
i cant see how big your plants are as far as a profile shot,but more likely they are ready for 2 feedings a day

 

[oldskol4evr]

you got to remember that coco has only what you give it,the more you feed and often the more it gets,cation exchange,that it,exchange fresh air and fresh nutes mate

 

[brownbarbotte]

They're getting decently big, I'm not too sure how many weeks out they are since the start of my grow was a bit wonky (didn't have a tent or light first few weeks).

Thanks for all the info, I'll continue flushing it and see where the ppm's at and go from there.

 

[oldskol4evr]

They're getting decently big, I'm not too sure how many weeks out they are since the start of my grow was a bit wonky (didn't have a tent or light first few weeks).

Thanks for all the info, I'll continue flushing it and see where the ppm's at and go from there.

shoot for what you put in or damn close,then leave it alone and feed as normal with plenty of runoff and you wont have to check none that stuff ever again,unless you have issues again.
always with some type of nutrient in the water ,even if it is just calmag never just water,im on the down side of whinning mine im back down to 5oo ppm this week ,next week 400,my tap water is 315 and ph 7.2 so i be going back to ro water soon.with ro water i have to use cal mag,so tiny bit in the end game.
anyway good luck mate you got it

 

[Kraken.headz]

Just another small pointer : if your medium does get too dry, don't rehydrate it with a full dose of fertilizer. Instead, consider using a mild dose of cal mag to bring it up to full saturation, then resume normal fertigation with the next watering.

 

[brownbarbotte]

Just another small pointer : if your medium does get too dry, don't rehydrate it with a full dose of fertilizer. Instead, consider using a mild dose of cal mag to bring it up to full saturation, then resume normal fertigation with the next watering.

Thanks! I'll definitely keep note of that. I'm in the process of getting the ro to around 400 ppm right now.

 

[oldskol4evr]

i guess you misunderstood me,make a gallon of your ro water ph 6.0 and finish ppm at 400ppm
use this to flush your plant,run about half threw there and catch a little bit see were the ph and ppm are,if it still high continue to flush ,do this until you have close or at what your putting in
it not that hard friend,your over thinking this
you never did say how many pots are what size they were.
when i flush i make a 5 gal bucket of mixed nutes,i run about 2 quarts threw 1 pot ,let it completly drain,then take a cup or 2 and send it threw the medium,check that runoff see were it is at,most times it pretty close ,if not run some more threw it
now do you understand why i say just go ahead and waste some nutes and feed to 20 to 30% runoff,buy having all that runoff you have no salt buildup and your always refreshing the coco with air and nutes each time.
anyway that the best i know how to explain how to do it,i guess find a video of someone flushing to get a idea of how,my way isnt by no means the only way ,just what works for me.
good luck you will prevail

 

[brownbarbotte]

Yeah sorry I just had a brain fart haha. I meant runoff not ro, 2 different things haha, I'm trying to get my runoff to around 400 ppm