First indoor grow/underwatering??

[bigxchris]

Hey all, been scrolling these pages often as of late, first time posting.

I have a feeling I'm underwatering on my first official indoor grow and need some help.

I have 4 girl scout cookies started from a seed pack from a lab in CO. 3 gallon pots weren't my favorite choice but it's what I went with at the time. Pictures are 2 weeks into flower. The yellowing tips and thin leaves is what's bothering me.

I'm feeding Jack's blossom booster daily and they take roughly a half gallon to water through. I am not testing my runoff. This grow happened a little faster than I anticipated and he we are.

My medium is a mix of manure, potting mix and compost.

Thanks in advance growers! Hope this gets some attention. I can add more photos as needed didn't want to "water down" my post....... *nods*

Spider farmer sf4000 sharing a 5x10
Ac infinity 4in acting as exhaust
Co2 mushroom bag
Small ceramic heater (basement in the northeast)
2 6" hurricanes canopy level
1 8" above lights

 

[ArtfulCodger]

I'm growing in New England, so I hear you on the basement heater. I know it might be counterintuitive, but you're probably over-watering. In cannabis circles, "over-watering" is about watering too often, as opposed to too much volume. Correct frequency is a function of your media's water retention characteristics, and the relationship between your plant size and pot size. When I grow in soil, I water to about 10% runoff, only when the pots are very light. That takes between a quarter and a third of the pot volume, watering slowly. In a 3 gal, I'd prep a gallon of water for each pot.

I also suspect that you're over-fed, hence the yellowing tips. The best way to either confirm or rule that out would be to take a ppm/EC reading on your runoff water to see how much salt you have in your pots. I feed when my runoff falls below 1.8 EC (900 ppms on the 500 scale.)

Hope that's helpful. Welcome to The Farm.

 

[Newbgrower1]

Do you have a side pic of the whole plant. Usually underwatering will show droopy leaves. Then after watering will perk back up a few hrs later. I’m not sure of signs for chronic under watering. I’m sure you’ll get some better help soon. I usually let my plants get to a decent size then stop watering till I see droopyness. Count the days between the watering and the droop.then I know to water a day sooner. And keep on that schedule till I feel like it’s drinking more. Good luck

 

[bigxchris]

I'm growing in New England, so I hear you on the basement heater. I know it might be counterintuitive, but you're probably over-watering. In cannabis circles, "over-watering" is about watering too often, as opposed to too much volume. Correct frequency is a function of your media's water retention characteristics, and the relationship between your plant size and pot size. When I grow in soil, I water to about 10% runoff, only when the pots are very light. That takes between a quarter and a third of the pot volume, watering slowly. In a 3 gal, I'd prep a gallon of water for each pot.

I also suspect that you're over-fed, hence the yellowing tips. The best way to either confirm or rule that out would be to take a ppm/EC reading on your runoff water to see how much salt you have in your pots. I feed when my runoff falls below 1.8 EC (900 ppms on the 500 scale.)

Hope that's helpful. Welcome to The Farm.

Over feeding is probably right. Next investment will be a ppm reader and measure my run off. Thank you for the detailed insight, definitely helped me. I will openly admit I'm not as studied as I'd like to.be so I am open to all suggestions especially getting into my first flower! Thanks again!

 

[Newbgrower1]

And I used 3ga fabric pots last grow and had them raised on racks and I watered every other day. I’m thinking you may be over watering doing it Daily I also mixed in 30% of a Pete coco mix in my ff soil. So it was a little more airy than your mixture. Just some references for you to look at. Happy growing

 

[bigxchris]

Do you have a side pic of the whole plant. Usually underwatering will show droopy leaves. Then after watering will perk back up a few hrs later. I’m not sure of signs for chronic under watering. I’m sure you’ll get some better help soon. I usually let my plants get to a decent size then stop watering till I see droopyness. Count the days between the watering and the droop.then I know to water a day sooner. And keep on that schedule till I feel like it’s drinking more. Good luck

And I used 3ga fabric pots last grow and had them raised on racks and I watered every other day. I’m thinking you may be over watering doing it Daily I also mixed in 30% of a Pete coco mix in my ff soil. So it was a little more airy than your mixture. Just some references for you to look at. Happy growing

Nighttime photo with lights on in 3 hours. They droop like this with lights off...but as soon as lights are on the spring up. Never droop after watering. And I wouldn't say this is drastic drooping in my humbled opinion. The plastic pots are a twist but I have plenty of drainage, like I said runoff at about half gallon. The tops of the soil are always crusted when I check them the next day before watering.

My Temps are 70 lights off 78 lights on maintaining 60% hu roughly

 

[bigxchris]

2nd week of flower

This is with lights on for 1 hour before water. I'm going to skip a day of water and see how they respond. Their pots seemed light but not totally dry. Will update tomorrow!

 

[PipeCarver]

2nd week of flower

This is with lights on for 1 hour before water. I'm going to skip a day of water and see how they respond. Their pots seemed light but not totally dry. Will update tomorrow!

Hey, welcome to the Farm, I'm a long time grower in 3 gal pots both plastic and fabric. I like 3 gal I'll only go bigger if I veg over 2.5 months.......I like because..@ 78 f they dry back enough for watering or feeding every 3-4 days and on a water feed cycle that's 1 feed per week or 4 / month......In Fabric pots in the heat of the summer I can only get 2.5 days but in plastic I'll get 3. ......3 gal pots take 1 gal of water/ feed making it easy calculations

I find when using larger pots my wet dry cycle take 4-5 days for a dry back meaning 1 feed every 10 days or 3 per month.....it takes 1.2/3 gal every 4-5 days adding more water and humidity / plant.........I know there are many that use large pots and swear by them...........I've tried.....99% 3 gal now for me.

 

[bigxchris]

Hey, welcome to the Farm, I'm a long time grower in 3 gal pots both plastic and fabric. I like 3 gal I'll only go bigger if I veg over 2.5 months.......I like because..@ 78 f they dry back enough for watering or feeding every 3-4 days and on a water feed cycle that's 1 feed per week or 4 / month......In Fabric pots in the heat of the summer I can only get 2.5 days but in plastic I'll get 3. ......3 gal pots take 1 gal of water/ feed making it easy calculations

I find when using larger pots my wet dry cycle take 4-5 days for a dry back meaning 1 feed every 10 days or 3 per month.....it takes 1.2/3 gal every 4-5 days adding more water and humidity / plant.........I know there are many that use large pots and swear by them...........I've tried.....99% 3 gal now for me.

I really appreciate the advice. I am definitely going to give some more dry time and see how it goes. Kind of shocked that I'd be over watering even though I'm aware it's a common issue with new growers, now myself included!!

 

[K.KrazyMyc]

Mhhmm..I'm not seeing over watering symptoms, or even over feeding. Or any kind of deficiency..those are actually very nice plants, so you are doing a damn good job man..

1. Plants will naturally "droop" and such due to circadian rhythms and phototropism..I see no problem in your dark cycle picture, just if they're photoperiods try not to disturb their dark cycle anymore.

2. If you were over feeding, the tips of the leaves, especially the older, will be burnt looking, depending on how bad they are..or nitrogen clawing,etc.. I'm not seeing either nute or ph issues.. every new growth will start as a lime greenish, sometimes yellowish color..never perfect,dark green.this is normal to the growing tips..as the leaves naturally accumulate more chlorophyll, so again,completely normal and very nice plants man

 

[Oldchucky]

Spend the 10 bucks on a single probe moisture only meter. I use mine all the time from seedlings to harvest. You don’t need the three in one. just moisture only.

 

[bigxchris]

Spend the 10 bucks on a single probe moisture only meter. I use mine all the time from seedlings to harvest. You don’t need the three in one. just moisture only.

So I did. And I did a lot more thread following. I believe my spider farmer is too much at 100% at 24" above canopy. I bought the 3 function moisture light and ph mechanical soil reader. My water it city water..ph under 7. The moisture reads wet..I think I've been over watering but not drowning. The light sensor (cheap I know but it's something to read) when under the spider farmer maxes the sensor out to 2000 (ppm I'm assuming, it doesn't give a unit). When placed under my no name commercial 4x4 light it reads at 850-900, or right where it should be. When the spider farmer is switched to dim mode, the sensor dial reacts with the dimmer switch perfectly. So I back the light off to 75%. After about 72 hours I gave them just water and a few hours later the color has started to return and the fan leaves are looking fuller.

 

[bigxchris]

Mhhmm..I'm not seeing over watering symptoms, or even over feeding. Or any kind of deficiency..those are actually very nice plants, so you are doing a damn good job man..

1. Plants will naturally "droop" and such due to circadian rhythms and phototropism..I see no problem in your dark cycle picture, just if they're photoperiods try not to disturb their dark cycle anymore.

2. If you were over feeding, the tips of the leaves, especially the older, will be burnt looking, depending on how bad they are..or nitrogen clawing,etc.. I'm not seeing either nute or ph issues.. every new growth will start as a lime greenish, sometimes yellowish color..never perfect,dark green.this is normal to the growing tips..as the leaves naturally accumulate more chlorophyll, so again,completely normal and very nice plants man

I really appreciate the kind words. We all are aware that pictures are deceiving. My gsc compared to my gg's in the same tent taking the same food just under different lights are thriving. The gg's are in 7gal fabric so I understand the medium differences but I strongly believe the light was over powering. After backing light off ro 75% in less than 1 day I noticed stretching.

But again thank you for the encouragement! That feeling that you're hurting your girls isn't fun, hearing someone say you're not that bad helps a lot!!

 

[bigxchris]

Here is one showing improvement just a few hours after just watering and the light at 75%.


Will continue to post progress

 

[bigxchris]

And here is some frosty gg for porn*

 

[bigxchris]

Update. For science

 

[Gmix]

Your not over feeding that I can see.

I really appreciate the kind words. We all are aware that pictures are deceiving. My gsc compared to my gg's in the same tent taking the same food just under different lights are thriving. The gg's are in 7gal fabric so I understand the medium differences but I strongly believe the light was over powering. After backing light off ro 75% in less than 1 day I noticed stretching.

But again thank you for the encouragement! That feeling that you're hurting your girls isn't fun, hearing someone say you're not that bad helps a lot!!

I agree with k.krazy and I don’t think it’s just kind words I cannot see anything wrong with them one iota

 

[bigxchris]

Your not over feeding that I can see.

I agree with k.krazy and I don’t think it’s just kind words I cannot see anything wrong with them one iota

My biggest question is how thin all of the leaves are. Now it could just be the transition from veg to flower that I've never experienced seeing on a daily basis now instead of just online or at a buddy's house. But the gg's leaves are not nearly as thin as the gsc. That could be a difference in strain or that the gsc weren't fully ready to flip beings that the gg's are 2-3 weels older in general.

I think I wasn't letting the plastic pots dry out all the way either. Not over watering, maybe just too frequent. Every other day seems to be the way.

 

[K.KrazyMyc]

Morning brother..your just being a helicopter dad its all good

as for the thin leaves..that is genetics..you'll notice that pure,indica strains have thick,"fleshy" leaves..some sativas have long think skinny leaves..etc...it's no indicator of health or anything..it's what the leaves DO that are indicators..and again your plants look perfect and happy.

as for them being too young when you flipped..there are growers that literally flower from sprout..12/12 from seed...the plants will flower when they'r ready and able..myself? I have always done a 3 week veg from seeds then flowered.

 

[bigxchris]

Thanks again for the kind words. I am for sure being a helicopter dad hahahaha I have a lot of growing friends that have helped along the way too so finding more help here is incredible.

I'll continue to post pics!

Pics for porn! I mean science..