droopy plants in my small grow

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pcgrower274

pcgrower274

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Hey guys, think it's finally time to ask for help, I've trawled through forums and tried what I can think of but now luck.

Background: I have successfully grown some decent bud already, in a small PC case, custom made with purple COB LED and small carbon filter, I've done 3 grows till now and each one has been better than the other, no major issues, life was great!

BUT. I was low on room, the grow height is only 45cm, and LST and SCROG can only do so much, I was looking to try topping the plant too at an earlier stage, but haven't tried this yet for reasons below.

I decided to get a bigger PC case, Coolermaster cosmos II, it is much taller, almost 80cm, and wider, instead of 1, 1L grow (yes I litre!), I can fit 2x 2L pots. I built almost the same way, without a carbon filter just an exhaust instead, created negative pressure as I did with the first, only this time I did not use mylar, but a white expensive reflective sheet instead (I'm providing as much detail as possible here)

I did not use the same purple COB Led, instead, opted to create my own LED strips circuit with my own driver, using Bridgelux EB3 slim strips, which measured at 80w at full power, these are a white light. I added these to the side, and used a COB led at the top link:

My issue is, the plant droops/claws past 2 weeks of veg, and the growth is almost non existent. But it starts to grow fine when I move it to the old smaller PC case? Images of droopiness attached.

Here is what I've tried.

Strain - happened to all 3 plants, from seedsman and RQS, all of which recover inside the smaller PC case, my guess it's not the strain or seeds.

Airflow, added fans to the top, to replicate similar airflow to the smaller case, tried increasing and decreasing. don't think this is airflow related

Soil - growing in biobizz, used small amount of rhizotonic, PH always set to 6.1-6.5 for soil, run off is also correct PH, if it was PH, nutrient related, it would suffer slow growth and the droopiness/clawing in both environments?

Water - sites online say it is overwatering, but I water when the pot is light/dry, would also have symptoms in both environments if it was my watering style that is wrong?

Temperature / humidity, both almost identical in both grows, installed a wifi cam inside the box to monitor these, approx 65% during veg, bought a humidifier, and a heater for night time (during the day when it's warmest outside, 29-30c lights on, and 19-21 lights out, can fluctuate a little, but since both enviroments are outside in the garage, both have similar/identical temps/humidity

lights: originally had just the strips, added the 100w COB above to the top, total is 140w actual wattage, smaller (old) PC case only output 60w. I reduced to 60w exact to match the output to the working environment, no use there.

reflective sheeting - since they are different, I thought maybe there is too much light on the plant even though wattage is the same and lights are further away than the smaller PC grow enviroment, so I covered the sheeting with black duct tape, still no use. Could it somehow be the adhesive used behind the reflective sheeting causing something toxic in the air inside the grow?

exhaust- slowed the 4 inch exhaust fan down, maybe it was c02 deprivation if the fan is moving air out too quickly? but no, this did not help either :(

pots, using smart fabric pots, haven't used anything different before, these worked great for me as smaller grows less change of rootbound, I've checked my roots and they are not clumped together, on any of the plants that I've had recently

I honestly don't know what else to try anymore, it's driving me crazy, as soon as I move these unhealthy plants out of the larger environment, they will start to recover and "spring up" towards the light within matter of hours, and within 24 hours, visible growth starts occurring.

both run at 18/6 schedules.

any advice? is it perhaps the lights? anything?!



I don't have any pics of the plants when they've recovered, just had no reason to take any, but I have moved plants back in once recovered, I'll notice almost 0 growth instantly, and then 24-48 hours clawing will start again, and won't go away until I move then back into the other environment, I have tried starting seeds in both environments, but the one in the new bigger case, will start to claw within 1-2 weeks of growth
 
pcgrower274

pcgrower274

12
3
Thanks logic - i have added here instead, sorry for not checking rules first
 
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LittleDabbie

LittleDabbie

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Are you checking your PH with a shitty ass meter or are you using PH indicator and a test sample?

If your using a meter, either consider recalibrating it or checking your ph with a chemical indicator or test strip, cause that looks like a ph issue.

Droopy plant, dark green veins, slightly burned tips, Either a phos or magnesium def, caused by ph too high.

Thats my 2 cents :D
 
pcgrower274

pcgrower274

12
3
Are you checking your PH with a shitty ass meter or are you using PH indicator and a test sample?

If your using a meter, either consider recalibrating it or checking your ph with a chemical indicator or test strip, cause that looks like a ph issue.

Droopy plant, dark green veins, slightly burned tips, Either a phos or magnesium def, caused by ph too high.

Thats my 2 cents :D
I had a cheap yellow shitty meter, then bought a more expensive Bluelab model, both gave me almost identical pH values,

thing is, if it was a deficiency, the plants grow normally when I place them into the smaller grow case? I have not tried the chemical test strips yet, the bluelabs kit came with 4.0 and 7.0 calibration solution, I have calibrated them twice too, this has been happening over the course of the past 3 months, the only way I can fix the plants is by moving them into the smaller PC grow box and they always recover after 1 light cycle, just can't figure out how/why :/
 
LittleDabbie

LittleDabbie

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Yeah i had a cheap and expensive meter too.. both were wrong.. just sayin :D

Chemicals don't lie, meters and electronics do tho..

Shit i had 2 Water guys out here testing my water, guy with the computer sayd my water was sans iron but had high rates of nitrates and needed a water softner and RO system, I knew that was bullshit cause theres iron stains ALL OVER MUH SHIT! ..

So i had another company come out, this guy had old school chemical tests, beakers the 9 yards of accuracy and science, YA BITCH! so he checked, HIGH ass levels of iron in my water which is why theres stains all over the place, and NO NITRATES in the water at all..

I'll stick with old school chemicals ;)

I dunno why switching grow boxes would do anything the only variables in that is humidity and temps/air exchange / light height / intensity.. If your 100% sure none of those are the issue. Then it has to boil back down to PH which all the signs suggest that to me but..

Try posting int he growers section im sure you'll get more responses :D
 
pcgrower274

pcgrower274

12
3
Yeah i had a cheap and expensive meter too.. both were wrong.. just sayin :D

Chemicals don't lie, meters and electronics do tho..

Shit i had 2 Water guys out here testing my water, guy with the computer sayd my water was sans iron but had high rates of nitrates and needed a water softner and RO system, I knew that was bullshit cause theres iron stains ALL OVER MUH SHIT! ..

So i had another company come out, this guy had old school chemical tests, beakers the 9 yards of accuracy and science, YA BITCH! so he checked, HIGH ass levels of iron in my water which is why theres stains all over the place, and NO NITRATES in the water at all..

I'll stick with old school chemicals ;)

I dunno why switching grow boxes would do anything the only variables in that is humidity and temps/air exchange / light height / intensity.. If your 100% sure none of those are the issue. Then it has to boil back down to PH which all the signs suggest that to me but..

Try posting int he growers section im sure you'll get more responses :D

No I completely understand what you are saying, at this point I am willing to try anything, taking your advice and ordering some chemical strips now.

Humidity and temps are in check, I am 99% certain it is not the cause

Air exchange - hard to say, I've tried to replicate but cannot find anything online other than wind burn which would cause my symptoms

Light height - lights are further away in the bigger grow case, not sure what to make of it or if it would even cause symptoms like this

Intensity, I have tried reducing/increasing with the dimmer pot on my meanwell driver, no avail, have covered the reflective sheeting in case it was "too reflective" (i know it sounds dumb don't laugh)

I agree it looks like ph issue, or something in the soil, but this is the first thing I tried to fix, changed my soil, stopped nutes, new ph meter, and then I was convinced it's not nutrients/pH.

But then, I moved the plant into the old case, BAM. 24 hours and my issues fixed. at that point I started to look at environment changes like the above.

Up until last week I was starting to give up growing all together, but this can't be right, something obvious I'm missing here.
 
pcgrower274

pcgrower274

12
3
Yeah i had a cheap and expensive meter too.. both were wrong.. just sayin :D

Chemicals don't lie, meters and electronics do tho..

Shit i had 2 Water guys out here testing my water, guy with the computer sayd my water was sans iron but had high rates of nitrates and needed a water softner and RO system, I knew that was bullshit cause theres iron stains ALL OVER MUH SHIT! ..

So i had another company come out, this guy had old school chemical tests, beakers the 9 yards of accuracy and science, YA BITCH! so he checked, HIGH ass levels of iron in my water which is why theres stains all over the place, and NO NITRATES in the water at all..

I'll stick with old school chemicals ;)

I dunno why switching grow boxes would do anything the only variables in that is humidity and temps/air exchange / light height / intensity.. If your 100% sure none of those are the issue. Then it has to boil back down to PH which all the signs suggest that to me but..

Try posting int he growers section im sure you'll get more responses :D
my actual response is pending moderation but in the meantime can I just say I love your enthusiasm :P YEEAAH SCIENCE!
 
LittleDabbie

LittleDabbie

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Ok off chance here, but is there anything in the current room there in that could be giving off any kind of gas or fumes or anything of that nature ?

Fresh paint on the walls? New carpet glued down? Anything you can think of like that? If its environmental.. rule it all out i guess :D

I still say its a ph and its just coincidence moving them but.. :D Lets find out!
 
pcgrower274

pcgrower274

12
3
Ok off chance here, but is there anything in the current room there in that could be giving off any kind of gas or fumes or anything of that nature ?

Fresh paint on the walls? New carpet glued down? Anything you can think of like that? If its environmental.. rule it all out i guess :D

I still say its a ph and its just coincidence moving them but.. :D Lets find out!

Both the cases, are placed right next to each other, in an outdoor garage, on top of a wooden cabinet. I thought maybe the sticky adhesive spray I used giving off fumes? But it's been 8 months since I put the case together, that's 8 months of the extraction fan running so surely all the 'fumes' would of had left by now. I also gave the case a full wipe down with isopropyl a few weeks ago in case there was something toxic invisible to the naked eye.

I'm now starting to think either yeh it's pH, as coincidental as it sounds with them recovering as soon as I move case and going back to crap when I move them back.

OR, lights are too strong. Even if I lower to 40w actual wattage (i have a smart extension which shows me actual power draw) there's no difference but maybe a need different types of lights, as my room is only 1.6m3 maybe these lights are simply just too powerful for the room I have
 
LittleDabbie

LittleDabbie

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@pcgrower274

so what i did this morning for my mag issue (PH was off needed quick fix..) I made up a 1 gal solution of 4 tsp epsom salt ( may have bene 2 much i dunno) and then dumped some of that in a spray bottle and gave each plant a really good misting, they were droopy a few hours ago, now they perked right up!

Give it a try and see if yours respond and change from droopy to happy, don't forgot to ph the water first!
 
LittleDabbie

LittleDabbie

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Also one thing i didn't even think about... Whats the run of PH?? If the root zone ph is way off thats also going to be an issue, you need to correct the root zone ph.

What are you feeding her?

Check the root zone ph and buffer down on your next watering so that the run off is 6.5.
 
Beowuuulf

Beowuuulf

350
63
First thought was low humidity high temps, but since you say no.. I bet you guys are on the right track thinking gas, I think no oxygen for those roots, this would also look like overwatering.

more air flow in pc case under and around roots, if they’re on the ground grab some spacer to lift up and make air gap
 
pcgrower274

pcgrower274

12
3
I'm also looking at pictures of bleaching plants online (if that is the correct term for it) and this doesn't look much like it at all

image is from today, same plant, same soil, same temps, same humidity, same water, same pH, different lights, just 2 weeks later, in the old pc case

I will now move it back into the new grow environment, but found this post online that says to remove the lenses or in my case lens cover that are put over the cob led lights, this reduces the extra magnification that's added due to the lens, so I have removed and will see in 24-48 hours if the drooping starts again, plant is toast now anyway..
 
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pcgrower274

pcgrower274

12
3
48 hours later in the big case.

Looks like removing lens cover wasn't it. Still pH? Surely if pH or any deficiency it would do this in both grow environments. Feel like pulling my hair out..

Looks like over watering, but it's definitely not :(
 
Foto no exif
pcgrower274

pcgrower274

12
3
man i stumped something in the enviorment?
Definitely. Going to give it another isopropyl wipe down and let it dry out 48 hours, it's definitely not in the garage itself, since both PC cases are sitting right next to each other, neither have an intake fan either, I get air into the case via negative pressure, going to remove the humidifier both fans and just give it a thorough clean, something inside the case is causing this just extremely bizzare can't find anything even remotely similar to this online, I'm not giving up.
 

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